The Catchers

by Stuart J. Kent

  “Well, this is weird, kind of, in a normal, non-magic way,” said Jamie looking around in confusion.

  “Yes, sometimes this just happens, your world and ours do, on occasion, mirror each other with just a few minor differences,” explained Colin.

  “It’s still weird!” said Marty agreeing with Jamie.

  “Yes, well, let’s go find our missing Aguane,” Colin replied strolling off along the gravel path. “And then we can get out of this weirdness.”

  They strolled along the path looking at every bush and plant as they went, until they reached the far side of the lake and found the view that the crystal ball had shown them.

  “There!” said Colin suddenly pointing along the path as he spotted the big warning sign. They moved swiftly towards it, hoping not to alarm it, so it wouldn’t run away before they could get to it. Then, just a few feet away, Colin stopped dead, making Jamie and Trixie do the same and for a moment they all stood motionless in silence.

  “No sudden movements now,” Colin whispered. “We don’t want to scare it.”

  He then edged slowly towards it, taking one careful step after another, quietly followed by Jamie and Trixie, until they were just a short distance away and without warning Colin suddenly lurched forward.

  “Got you!” he cried grabbing the metal post tightly. He held it tight for a good few seconds ready for it to put up a fight, before he realised it wasn’t trying to get away or move at all, and then the realisation that this wasn’t the Aguane quickly came to him, and in fact it really was just an ordinary metal post.

  “Err… oh, oh!” he mumbled letting go of it. “That’s a bit embarrassing.”

  “Well, where is it then?” asked Trixie looking around.

  “I don’t know, it appears to have moved,” replied Colin glancing around at the nearby bushes and trees. “It could be just about anything here,” he sighed, looking at a wooden fence and some large stones that were all in the near vicinity.

  “What do we do now? We can’t exactly check every single object here,” Trixie grumbled. “It would take weeks.”

  Colin gave a big sigh, crossed his arms and glanced up at the sky.

  “I guess it’s time for Plan B, I’m afraid,” he replied a little reluctantly.

  Jamie was intrigued as he was not aware of any Plan B, as it had not been mentioned to him or talked about before.

  “What is Plan B?” he enquired.

  “Give me your pocket book and your wand,” Colin said holding out his big old hand.

  Jamie pulled the small book from his jeans pocket and his new custom-designed wand and handed them over to Colin.

  “This is Plan B,” Colin said, and then Trixie suddenly gave Jamie a big shove and to Jamie’s horror he went flying backwards into the lake.

  He cried out as he fell in with a big splash, and then resurfaced spluttering water. Just a few feet away a wooden post, which was sat all by itself by the water’s edge, suddenly burst into life and in a blink of an eye it had transformed into a small blue water nymph with a little pair of blue glowing wings and a tiny little blue humanoid body, and then it quickly flew over the water towards Jamie.

  The small blue creature, no bigger than your average magical fairy, but which was definitely not a fairy, not since the famous magical law case, Fairies vs Nymphs, where the difference was clearly established and the lawsuit was settled with cupcakes for all, then lifted the soaking wet Jamie out of the lake like he weighed nothing at all, and then just as easily carried him back to dry land where the others were stood waiting.

  “What’s going on? What’s happening?” asked Jamie all confused as he stepped back onto dry land.

  “That’s the Aguane rescuing you,” replied Trixie.

  “Thank you,” smiled Colin before bowing politely. “Now if you would be so kind,” he asked holding up large glass jar with a small amount of water in it. The Aguane then gently glided into the jar and settled peacefully into the small amount of water, before Colin placed the top on the jar, to stop the creature getting back out.

  “There, all done!” he said cheerfully. “No fuss, no mess, just a nice quick easy job.”

  “No fuss, no mess! What about ME?” cried Jamie in disbelief as he stood there dripping wet.

  “Ah yes, well unfortunately we catchers do have to put ourselves on the line from time to time,” replied Colin sympathetically. “That’s why ours is such a proud, noble calling.”

  “I’m soaking wet!” cried Jamie angrily.

  “Hold on, we can fix that,” Trixie replied before pulling out her wand.

  “You pushed me!” Jamie said looking at her angrily.

  “I had to, the Aguane wouldn’t have helped you if it had seen you just jump in, you needed to look like you were in trouble,” Trixie replied.

  “Well, you could have warned me about Plan B,” grumbled Jamie sulkily.

  “No, not really, I’m afraid we couldn’t say a word because it just wouldn’t have worked as well if you had known it was going to happen,” replied Colin regretfully.

  “And besides, I wouldn’t have got to see that look of surprise on your face either,” grinned Marty holding up a digital camera. “It was a beautiful moment, one we will keep forever,” he chuckled.

  “I hate you all,” Jamie grumbled miserably.

  “Just stand still,” Trixie said, then, with a flick of her wand she said, “Dry!” and immediately Jamie was blasted with a huge gush of warm air, like he was stood in front of a giant hairdryer and in seconds he was perfectly dry again.

  “Wow!” he muttered after it had finished, looking like he had just seen a ghost, with his hair all sticking up.

  “There, now stop moaning, it’s lunchtime,” Trixie said before turning and heading back along the gravel path.

  “Wow, I’ve got to remember that one,” Jamie muttered in amazement as he stood feeling his dry clothes.

  “Here, young man,” said Colin handing back the pocket book and Jamie’s wand. “I am truly very sorry we had to do that, and I promise you next time we need to push you in a lake, we’ll warn you first!” Colin then quickly turned and followed Trixie back along the path.

  “Okay” Jamie sighed accepting Colin’s apology. “Wait! What do you mean next time?

  Chapter Five

  After a lovely lunch of cheese sandwiches, large slices of cake and nice chilled glasses of lemonade, the catchers were once again on the move.

  “Right, let’s take these poor creatures back to where they belong then,” said Colin cheerfully as they set off in the cart.

  “The gnome and the Krampus can be returned to the Ever Autumn woods, but what about the Aguane?” Trixie asked.

  “Can’t we just return it to the Golden Lake?” Jamie suggested.

  “No, I’m afraid not,” replied Colin shaking his head. “That place is so fantastic and so magical even the Aguane would have trouble blending in there, no we must find a quieter water spot for it to dwell.”

  “What about the ogre quarries?” Marty suggested as he lay in the back of the cart, on an old sack cloth half dozing in the afternoon sunshine. “It’s got plenty of small water lakes, there’s plenty of plant life and pretty much nobody goes there, so it’ll be nice and quiet.”

  Everybody stared at him for a moment in disbelief, as it was a very sensible and good idea and none of them could believe Marty had thought of it.

  “What?” he said realising everyone was looking at him in stunned silence.

  “Yes! That’s an excellent idea!” replied Colin agreeing. “To the ogre quarry, then.”

  As they trundled on out of the village Jamie sat next to the old grey goat, gently brushing its long grey hair with his hand.

  “It’s a shame we can’t keep this one, I’ve always wanted a pet,” he sighed.


  “No, a Krampus is a terrible pet,” replied Trixie bluntly. “It eats everything it sees and nothing would be safe in the house, it’s almost like Marty,” she grinned.

  “OI!” cried Marty objecting to the comment. “I only eat my fair share.”

  “You ate half of my birthday cake last year and the Christmas pudding and most of the chocolate Easter bunny I was saving,” Trixie retorted.

  “Well, I was hungry that day,” Marty replied innocently.

  Trixie sighed and then continued talking to Jamie.

  “Anyway, a Krampus may be a nice, gentle, hairy creature, but it’s a menace to your home, there’s just no way we could keep it.”

  “And it’s also not house-trained” added Colin. “And that can get really messy!”

  Then there was a low thud from behind the Krampus and curiously Jamie leaned back to see what it was. Sitting on the floor of the cart he found a small aluminium statue just strangely lying behind the old grey goat.

  “Hey, what’s this?” he asked picking it up.

  “That would be one of the little trophies it leaves behind,” replied Colin glancing at it.

  “Err…!” cried Jamie dropping it in disgust. “I touched Goat poo!”

  “Yes, yes you did,” replied Colin before he and everybody else burst into laughter.

  After a few minutes of travelling at Streak-speed, they quickly arrived back at the Ever Autumn woods again, and then they released the first two creatures. The gnome quickly scampered off to a nearby flowering bush, but not before he gave them a few gestured hand signals.

  “Oh my! I’ve never seen such filthy sign language from a garden guardian before,” Colin exclaimed in astonishment.

  Then they released the Krampus.

  “Go on, you’re free, go roam in the woods,” urged Jamie trying to shoo it away.

  The goat stood looking at him for a moment, then dropped another little trophy before it wandered away.

  “Best rescue ever!” Marty said, reading the inscription on the side of the little silver cup.

  “Well that’s very nice of him, but I think we’ll leave it where it is,” Colin said politely. “Unless of course Jamie wants it?”

  “No I do not!” replied Jamie, quickly climbing back into the cart and putting as much distance between him and the unwanted gift as he could.

  They were soon on their way again heading to the ogre quarry, racing along they quickly passed the last of the Ever Autumn woods, and then on beyond the fields of Mr Duncan’s red post box farm.

  “So that’s where they come from!” Jamie exclaimed in amazement on seeing row after row of bright red post boxes stood in a field. “Oh, why’s that one green?” he asked spotting one in a different colour to the others.

  “Well, it’s obviously not ripened yet, has it?” replied Trixie sarcastically.

  After a few more minutes of travelling along dusty country roads because the road-making pixies hadn’t got around to inventing tarmac yet, they finally reached the ogre quarries, a large area of pits and holes dug deep into the earth by the industrial ogres, who once ruled the mining industry but now, due to dwindling supplies and budget cuts, were just a small digging firm located just north of Eastwitch, holes dugs, ditches cleared, any job is not too small, just ask for Barry Ogre and sons.

  Anyway the catchers arrived at the pits.

  “Here we are then,” Colin said as the cart came to a halt. “Now Jamie, listen carefully,” he continued, turning to face the young boy. “These quarries have, for all intents and purposes, been abandoned many years ago by the Blackhole Company of Mining Ogres, but every now and then one lonely ogre may just return here looking for sliver or precious ore and other minerals, so be very careful, do not wander off and do not make any loud sounds because we really do not want to attract any ogres to our presence here.”

  “Okay,” replied Jamie nervously then a loud burp made them all turn and look at Marty.

  “I’m good,” he grinned patting his stomach. “Just clearing the system.”

  “Anyway, if you do see one, do not panic and scream like a little girl,” added Trixie.

  “Because it’s very embarrassing and we won’t let you forget it,” added Marty grinning naughtily.

  “No he won’t,” sighed Colin. “And I only did it that one time to show Trixie what not to do.”

  “Yes, Uncle, we believe you,” replied Trixie smiling.

  “Anyway, stay close to me and have your wand ready at all times,” continued Colin before getting out of the cart.

  Jamie pulled out his wand as they disembarked the cart and then glanced nervously around at the quiet rough land that now surrounded them.

  “Follow me!” Colin quietly said before leading the way along a well-trodden dirt path. They then began to stroll quietly and carefully along, following the path that ran beside a small green lake, and around the edges of the lake, nature was beginning to reclaim the area, with small sprouting yellow bushes and brown nasty-looking weeds slowly taking over the rocks and piles of dirt left behind by the ogres.

  “What about just here?” asked Marty peering nervously out of Colin’s pocket.

  “No it’s too barren, I think we should try the next one over this little hill, hopefully there will be more plant life there, which would be better for the Aguane to dwell in,” Colin whispered before he led them up the slope. The little group quickly ascended the small hill and when they reached the top they could see into the next quarry pit where another green large lake sat, only this time it was surrounded by many multicoloured trees and bushes and many different types of grass.

  “That’s more like it,” said Colin staring happily at the view. “There’s a lot more fauna and flora here, just as I thought.”

  Then something caught his eye, across the other side of the lake: a dark unusual shape suddenly emerged from the trees and then moved cautiously towards the water’s edge.

  “Quick, get down!” ushered Colin to the others before they quickly crouched down next to a dark blue bush.

  “What is it, an ogre?” asked Trixie looking around nervously.

  “Look,” said Colin pointing to the dark mysterious shape.

  Everyone now stared at it and watched as it stood by the water’s edge for several seconds, not moving not doing anything.

  “What is that?” asked Jamie.

  “I’m not sure, I can’t make it out,” replied Colin staring hard and not daring to look away for one moment. They watched the dark figure then begin to rummage inside its long black robes that it wore, and as he watched, Jamie sank down on his hand and knees and then quietly crawled forward until he lay hidden beneath the lower branches of the bush amongst the tall orange grass, and from there he could now see the mysterious figure better. As he stared down at it, he suddenly realised he had seen that familiar nose and chin before, and that dark evil eye that peered out menacingly, and all at once Jamie knew who it was.

  “It’s him!” exclaimed Jamie excitedly without thinking. “It’s the dark wizard from the woods!” he cried out as his voiced echoed out around the quarry.

  The dark wizard then spun around and quickly retreated back into the trees from where he had first emerged.

  “He’s seen us!” groaned Trixie disappointed.

  “Come on, he’s getting away!” cried Jamie leaping up from under the bush and then racing down the orange grassy slope.

  “WAIT, STOP!” Colin cried out trying to stand upright as quickly as he could on his poor old tired legs.

  “JAMIE, HOLD ON!” Trixie yelled following the young boy down the slope.

  But before either of them could reach the bottom of the grassy slope there was a sudden loud whooshing noise followed by a big gust of wind, and looking up they saw the dark wizard shoot over their heads
on a magical flying broomstick, and then carry on up towards the clouds.

  “He’s getting away!” cried Trixie in despair watching him fly away.

  “COME BACK YOU TWO, WE CAN FOLLOW HIM IN THE CART!” shouted Colin angrily and urging them back up the slope.

  “OF COURSE!” Trixie exclaimed excitedly turning around and heading back up the slope quickly followed by Jamie.

  “Idiots!” muttered Marty sarcastically as he peered out from Colin’s top pocket.

  Trixie and Jamie scrambled back up the orange grassy hill and quickly caught up with Colin who was already jogging as fast as he could back to Streak and the cart. They dashed back along the dirt path, around the first green lake, and were soon back with Streak and the cart.

  “Where is he?” asked Colin gasping for breath.

  “He went that way!” replied Trixie pointing to beyond the hills in the distance, before leaping into the cart. “Towards Magictasium.”

  Colin and Jamie quickly clambered into the cart and with a flick of Streak’s reins they were soon on the chase. The cart shot forwards and the vibrant colourful scenery surrounding them soon became a blurry colourful mess as they flew past it at a tremendous speed, and after just a few seconds they could once again see the dark wizard flying along just ahead of them.

  “There he is!” Trixie said excitedly as she spotted him up in the blue sky just below the clouds.

  “Keep your eyes on him, don’t let him out of your sight,” Colin said as he held on tight to Streak’s reins. “And just tell me where he’s going.”

  They chased on and on, and as they pursued the dark wizard they shot past many little magical houses and small stone cottages, twisting and turning along narrow country roads and avoiding several stationary objects in their way, until finally they left the Miniature Magictasium outdoor exhibit and farm gift shop, and continued on along the real country lanes through the real Magicdom countryside.

  “It’s definitely got better, those houses are so miniature, yet so detailed,” said Colin cheerfully.

  “Oh yeah, and the gift shop is excellent,” agreed Marty, licking a miniature ice cream.