Midnight Reynolds and the Spectral Transformer

by Holt, Catherine;

  “I hope I have the same luck,” Midnight said as she turned back to the closet. A dusty smell invaded her nose and made her sneeze as she stared at shelf after shelf of gleaming brass and copper cameras, all complete with huge, mushroom-shaped metal flashes.

  “Technically, they’re not really cameras. They’re called spectral transformers.” Miss Appleby nodded at the top shelf, and Midnight reached up to grab the one in question. Up close, she could see that while it looked like a camera, it was so much more. It had a copper body with a small brass canister running up one side that connected to the flash, and a brass zoom lens that poked out like a metallic beak, covered with screws and cogs. It also felt like it was made out of concrete, and her shoulders sagged from the weight.

  “They get even heavier once the spectral energy becomes trapped. We use glass plates inside the transformers to trap the energy,” Miss Appleby added, once again seeming to read Midnight’s mind. “And speaking of glass plates. You’ll need to get one from that shelf.”

  “Okay.” She tried not to notice how much her hand was shaking as she put down the transformer and retrieved the plate in question. It was about three inches high and set in a polished wooden frame with clear glass in the middle. Once she had it, Miss Appleby directed Midnight to pack everything into a red shopping cart and announced it was time to leave.

  “Are you coming with me?” Midnight asked.

  “Of course. I need to show you the ropes, but once you get the hang out of it, you’ll probably find it easier not to be slowed down,” Miss Appleby explained as Midnight shut the lid on the cart. Whenever she’d seen people with these carts, she’d always assumed they were only carrying their groceries. Now she wasn’t so sure.

  “Thank you.” Midnight didn’t know whether to be terrified at what they were about to do or grateful that she wasn’t doing it alone. Then the alarm rang out again. The screech echoed in Midnight’s ears, and without another word, they made their way outside to wait for a taxi to take them directly to the spectral energy.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Fifteen minutes later, they were standing outside Humber’s Toy Emporium. Late-afternoon sun sent long shadows onto the pavement as a crowd of shoppers milled around. All in all, it seemed like a regular Tuesday in Berry, and for a moment, Midnight wondered if the electroscope had made a mistake.

  Was that possible?

  Then she looked up and saw flashes of pale light dancing around the building. That answered that question.

  “You’ll need to put your glasses on,” Miss Appleby said. Out of habit, Midnight peered around to check that no one she knew was there before she slipped them over her nose. As soon as she did, a strangled gasp escaped her lips. The pale lights had been replaced by thick black clouds of pulsating energy, covering the entire store.

  “It’s everywhere.” Her skin crawled as a family walked through the front entrance. “Shouldn’t we stop them from going inside?”

  “It’s not that simple. How do you make people believe something that they can’t see with their own eyes?”

  “Yes, but we have to do something.”

  “And we will,” Miss Appleby said before softening her voice. “I’m not being heartless. I’m just working from experience. When I first started, I did warn a family. I figured that they had the right to know the truth. Unfortunately, they thought I was crazy and called the police. I learned not to make the same mistake again. Do you understand?”

  Midnight, her knuckles white as she clutched the cart, nodded numbly and silently followed Miss Appleby into the toy store.

  The clerks were wearing red-and-black-striped aprons and looked harassed as their young after-school shoppers ran around with frenetic energy. A collection of old toys and memorabilia filled the walls behind the counter.

  “Should I go and look around?” Midnight asked.

  Miss Appleby gave a grateful smile. “If you would, dear. And remember, we want to protect all of these people—not just from the spectral energy, but also from the truth. Okay?”

  “Yes.” Midnight’s throat tightened as she walked down one of the aisles, wishing she hadn’t chosen today to wear the bright-orange jeans Sav had talked her into buying. Not only did they make her stand out, but they were also so tight that any kind of bending was difficult. She tried not to notice the way they pinched as she carefully scanned shelf after shelf.

  The familiar low hum rang in her ears. Her breathing increased, and again she considered just walking away. After all, what was the point of earning enough money to go on a ski trip if she had to scare herself senseless to do it? But despite her pounding heart, she knew that she couldn’t leave.

  Her mom always said that once you knew the truth, you couldn’t unknow it. Of course she was referring to a section of Amazon rain forest that was being illegally logged, but Midnight was sure that the same thing applied to this.

  Spectral energy was out there, and it was too late to pretend it wasn’t.

  Midnight followed the buzzing noise until she found a swirling, angry mass of black fog. It was clumped around an innocuous display of baseball bats, pulsating like a heart. And right in the middle was a young boy with golden curls, who was just about to reach down and pick up one of the bats.

  “No.” She let out a strangled gasp and would’ve run straight toward him if a strong hand hadn’t held her back.

  “Remember what I told you.” Miss Appleby was suddenly by her side. “They can’t see what you see, can’t feel what you feel. If you run over there now, you might ruin everything.”

  “But I have to warn him,” Midnight insisted as the fog swirled around the young boy’s head like a deadly crown. Fear hummed through her veins.

  “What would you say? That there’s an invisible wave of energy about to unleash insidious thoughts into his mind?” Miss Appleby leaned against the shopping cart. Her harsh words had the desired result, and Midnight sucked in a deep breath of air.

  “You’re right. I’m sorry. Tell me what I need to do.”

  “Good girl.” Miss Appleby’s tone was softer as she thrust some money into Midnight’s hand. “I’ll create a distraction while you get the bat. Pay for it as quickly as you can and meet me down the side alley.”

  “What?” Midnight gasped at the idea of having to touch the bat before recollecting her promise to follow what Miss Appleby said. “I mean, yes. Of course. What will you do?”

  “Don’t worry about me.” Miss Appleby smiled, then stuck out her walking cane and sent several shelves of soft toys flying up into the air. She winked and turned toward the front of the store. The flying animals had the desired effect, and the golden-haired kid darted toward them. As soon as he was gone, Midnight dragged the shopping cart over to the display.

  The spectral energy hissed in protest and a sound like swarming bees ricocheted in her ears. All of her instincts told her to run. Instead, she pushed her hand through the swirling blackness until her fingers clasped the top of the bat.

  It felt like ice raced across her skin. She quickly walked to the counter and thrust the crumpled-up dollar bills toward the store clerk. The urge to drop the bat, to scream, to cry was overwhelming, but she forced it back as she waited for the girl to ring up the sale. Once it was done, Midnight thrust it into the shopping cart and raced out the door.

  She blinked in the late-afternoon sunlight and pushed her way past the pedestrians until she reached the service alley. Her pulse pounded in her ears and adrenaline caught in her throat.

  “Well done.” Miss Appleby stepped out from behind an old dumpster. “We need to neutralize that bat as quickly as possible. Put it over there by the wall and then get the transformer out.”

  Midnight tentatively lifted the bat out and placed it up against the dull brickwork before she reached for the heavy equipment. The brass was cool to the touch and her hands shook with nerves. She was never going to get used to this.

  “Pay careful attention.” Miss Appleby’s face was waxen and the veins o
n her neck were showing. “Aim directly at the center of the bat and slowly press down on the brass button, making sure your stance is good. The spectral energy will put up some resistance. Are you ready?”

  No. Not remotely.

  “Yes.” Sweat beaded on her forehead and her glasses started to fog. She held the strange camera up and stared at the raging blackness that was framed in the viewfinder. Next to her, Miss Appleby shifted slightly. Midnight gritted her teeth and pressed down on the button.

  The click of the flash echoed in the alley, and the whole place was illuminated with a blinding light. The spectral energy howled in protest and came hurtling toward the transformer so quickly that Midnight went flying backward, as if she’d just been caught in an elephant stampede.

  Miss Appleby clicked her tongue. The spectral energy once again swirled around the baseball bat, as if mocking them. The buzzing increased. “If you go too fast, it will knock you over.”

  Really?

  Midnight got to her feet and used her free hand to rub her chest. Her arm and leg muscles were already aching. She wanted to cry, but she sucked in a breath of air to stop the tears from collecting.

  “Try again, and this time press it down slowly,” Miss Appleby urged.

  “I don’t—” Midnight started to say before biting her lip. Not only had her mom been making her meditate for several years, but she also often found that it was a lot easier to play her favorite game app when she was calm. She closed her eyes until a feeling of peace descended on her and then she studied the shot through the viewfinder.

  “Don’t forget to brace yourself.”

  Midnight planted her feet more firmly as she eased her finger down on the button. Once again the whole alley was flooded with an intense light, and this time the spectral energy was dragged into the lens of the transformer. Pain exploded as the camera kicked into her shoulder, but she didn’t flinch. The hideous blackness continued to be sucked in.

  Her arms shook as the camera turned to ice beneath her fingers. Then it was over. Midnight pushed her glasses farther into her face, to double check there was no more spectral energy, but the buzzing noise was gone. All she could see was the brick wall and a couple of pieces of trash at the end of the alleyway.

  Her shoulders sagged and she turned to where Miss Appleby was leaning against her walking stick. Was it really over? Had they done it? Could they go home?

  “Well done, Midnight. Now we need to clear out before anyone sees us.”

  “Okay.” She nodded as she carefully lowered the transformer into the cart. Her hands were still shaking, but Miss Appleby’s soothing voice helped calm her nerves. Once it was packed away, she glanced over to the baseball bat lying on the dirty ground. “What do we do with that?”

  “Whatever we want. I don’t suppose you like baseball?”

  “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to play it again.” Midnight shuddered. “Is it really okay?”

  “It really is. Once the spectral energy has been neutralized, the object becomes harmless. If you don’t want it, we can always return it to the store or take it with us.”

  “All those things in your cabinet, they all had spectral energy in them?” Midnight asked, recalling the strange collection of random objects. Then she let out a whistle. “It must be annoying having to buy so many things that you don’t want.”

  Miss Appleby let out a short bark of laughter. “That’s the least of my worries. Besides, not everything I neutralize is for sale. Sometimes, like with the vase at your school, it’s just a case of me getting access to it when no one else is around. And sometimes, if the store’s private enough, I just neutralize the object there. Believe me, it’s hard to convince a store clerk why I need a pair of size fourteen basketball shoes.”

  “Does it ever get easier?” Midnight asked as she finished packing the cart. She helped Miss Appleby walk back out to the street, just as the kid with the golden hair walked out of the toy store.

  “It took a while, but I always like to think of the bigger picture. Like that boy over there. You know that you saved his life, gave him a future. You should be proud.”

  “Really?” Midnight blinked. She hadn’t thought of it like that before. Then she grinned as something else occurred to her. “If Sav and Lucy were here, they’d make us take a selfie.”

  “What’s a selfie?” Miss Appleby looked perplexed.

  “It’s where you hold up your own phone or camera and take a photograph of yourself,” Midnight explained, not surprised that Miss Appleby hadn’t heard of them. After all, her own mom had thought they were like a wedgie when Taylor had first mentioned it.

  Miss Appleby wrinkled her nose. “Call me superstitious, but after working with George’s cameras, I can never bring myself to be photographed. Not to mention that I don’t own a cell phone. Besides, we haven’t finished the job yet. We still need to get the spectral energy home and disposed of, so it can’t cause any more trouble.”

  “Oh.” Midnight gulped. So much for thinking it was all over.

  CHAPTER NINE

  “This is where you dispose of it?” Midnight said an hour later, staring up at the old rainwater tank she’d seen the other day.

  She wasn’t quite sure what she’d been expecting, but it definitely wasn’t a rusty corrugated-iron tank in Miss Appleby’s backyard.

  After they’d returned to the house, Miss Appleby had taken Midnight back to the hidden room and instructed her on how to separate the spectral energy from the glass plate where it was trapped. They submerged it in chemicals and transferred the energy down a glass tube, into a beaker. It had reminded Midnight more of a chemistry lesson than ghost hunting. And then, when she thought it couldn’t get any weirder, Miss Appleby had told her to carry the extracted energy out to the backyard.

  “I know it’s not ideal. But it’s the only way to make sure the energy is held somewhere that it won’t hurt anyone. The tank’s lined with lead and is big enough to hold as much as I need it to. Of course, the irony is that if the tank really did collect rainwater, my poor, old backyard might not be so dried out,” Miss Appleby said as she glanced around.

  Midnight, who’d been busy trying not to drop the glass jar, looked around and saw she was right. Unlike the rest of Berry, which seemed covered in trees, Miss Appleby’s yard only had a few wizened trunks, and the short grass was brown and uninspiring. Then again, Miss Appleby had more than enough other things to worry about without adding gardening to the list.

  “So, what happens now?” Midnight asked as the skin on her arm prickled. The sooner she could stop holding the spectral energy, the better.

  “You need to connect it to that small tap at the bottom of the tank. Once it clicks into place, turn the tap,” Miss Appleby directed. Midnight nodded and twisted the tap. There was a howling noise as the energy was sucked up. She gritted her teeth, making sure she kept her hand steady until the bottle was empty.

  Midnight caught her breath, not sure how much more spectral energy she could handle. “Is it really finished?”

  “It really is.” Miss Appleby nodded, some of the color returning to her face. “And I know you don’t believe me, but it will get easier.”

  “I hope so.” Midnight looked at her hand, which was still shaking. “Because even though I know it was a good thing to do, it was still kind of freaky. Is that how you first felt when you were getting trained?”

  “Ah, my training.” Miss Appleby gave a thoughtful look before nodding back toward the house. “Let’s go back inside. There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

  “Meet?” Midnight frowned, but Miss Appleby had already started limping toward the house. Once they were both settled back in the lounge room—Midnight with a piece of chocolate cake and Miss Appleby with her ever-present knitting—the older woman looked up to a large oil portrait on the wall.

  “Midnight Reynolds, I’d like you to meet my great-great-great-grandfather George Irongate. The man who started all of this,” Miss Appleby said as Midnigh
t studied the painting.

  George Irongate was a serious-looking man with piercing blue eyes, small circular glasses, and a long handlebar moustache. He was wearing a black, old-fashioned suit and holding a leather-bound book in his hand.

  “Your great-great-great-grandfather trained you? I don’t understand.” Midnight wrinkled her nose.

  “That’s because I wasn’t quite as lucky as you. George wasn’t with me when I first went out and caught spectral energy, nor was he with me when I mixed the chemicals or managed to put it in the lead-lined tank.”

  Midnight frowned. “How did he help you then?”

  Miss Appleby gave her a patient smile. “You see, he shared our birthday. He was the one who discovered that the foulness is attracted to the glass plate in the camera and that it could be trapped. From the moment of his discovery, it was his lifelong obsession to collect as much spectral energy as he could and keep the people of Berry safe.”

  “So what happened after he died?” Midnight leaned forward. “Who looked after Berry until you came along?”

  “No one. And it might have stayed that way if I hadn’t been born. Thankfully, George wasn’t just a scientist. He was also an optimist. In his will, he specified that the house must remain in the family and that if anyone was born on the thirty-first of October at midnight, they would be given a letter from him on their twelfth birthday. Imagine my surprise. I’d been hoping for a pony.” Miss Appleby gave a faint laugh, but there was no hiding the strain in her voice. It was obviously the day that her life had changed forever.

  “Didn’t your parents freak out?” Midnight stared, still struggling to fathom that such a hidden world existed. “How did you keep it from them?”

  “I’m an orphan. My parents died when I was an infant, and I was I was brought up by an elderly aunt. I’d never thought my circumstances fortunate, but it meant I was able to commit to my new role quite easily. The letter included directions to this hidden room and all of his notes.” Miss Appleby pointed to seven matching leather-bound diaries propped up by two ornate horse-head bookends. “Everything George learned about spectral energy he left here in the hope that someone else could carry on his fight. He truly was a genius.”