by Brandon Mull
If I did that every day I’d look like Hercules, said
Seth.
You mind grabbing the ladders?
Not if you do the hosing.
The hose was long and had good water pressure, and
the drains seemed to have plenty of capacity. Flushing the
milk away turned out to be the easiest part of the process.
Seth had Kendra hose him off, and then returned the favor.
From the time the milking began in earnest, the cow
made no more noise and displayed no more interest in
them. They called for Grandpa and Lena in the barn, just
to be sure, starting with small voices to avoid startling the
cow and gradually building to shouts. As had been their lot
all day, their calls went unanswered.
Should we go back to the house? Kendra asked.
I guess. It will be dark before long.
I’m tired. And hungry. We should look for food.
They left the barn. The day was waning.
You have a big tear in your shirt, Kendra said.
I ripped it while we were running from that ogress.
I have a pink one you can borrow.
This will work fine, said Seth, once it dries off.
The pink one would hide you just as well as the camouflage,
Kendra said.
Are all girls as brainless as you?
You’re telling me a green shirt will make you invisible
to monsters?
No. Less visible. Less is the point. Less than your blue
one.
I guess I should find a green one too.
An Unexpected Message
Sitting on the floor in the dining room, Kendra took a
bite of her second peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich.
Scouring the kitchen, she and Seth had found enough food
to last for weeks. The pantry contained canned fruits and
vegetables, unbroken jars of preserves, bread, oatmeal,
cream of wheat, crackers, tuna, and lots of other stuff.
The fridge still worked, even lying on its side, and they
cleaned out the broken glass the best they could. There
remained plenty of milk, cheese, and eggs. The freezer held
a lot of meat.
Kendra took another bite. Leaning back, she closed her
eyes. She had felt hungry enough for a second sandwich,
but now she doubted she would finish it. I’m exhausted,
she announced.
Me too, Seth said. He put a piece of cheese on a
cracker and topped it with a sardine bathed in mustard
sauce. My eyes feel itchy.
My throat feels prickly, Kendra said. The sun isn’t
even down.
What are we going to do about Grandpa?
I think the best thing we can do is get some rest. We’ll
think more clearly in the morning.
How long did we sleep last night? Seth asked.
About half an hour, Kendra guessed.
We’ve stayed up for almost two days!
Now you’ll sleep for two days.
Whatever, said Seth.
It’s true. Your glands will secrete a cocoon.
I’m not that gullible.
That’s why you’re so hungry. You’re storing up fat for
hibernation.
Seth finished the cracker. You should try a sardine.
I don’t eat fish with the heads still attached.
The heads are the best part! You can feel the eyes pop
when you-
Enough. Kendra stood up. I need to get to bed.
Seth rose as well. Me too.
They climbed the stairs, passed down the cluttered hall,
and mounted the steps to the attic. Their room had taken a
beating, everything except the beds. Goldilocks strutted
over to the corner and started clucking. Her feed was scattered
across the floor.
You’re right that the salt didn’t seem to be working,
Seth said.
It might only work in here.
They were jerks, but those goat guys were pretty
funny.
They’re called satyrs, Kendra said.
I need to find some C batteries. They said they’d give
us gold.
They didn’t say how much.
Still, trading batteries for gold! I could become a millionaire.
I’m not sure I’d trust those guys. Kendra flopped onto
her bed, face in her pillow. What does Goldilocks keep
clucking about?
I bet she misses her cage. Seth crossed the floor to the
flustered hen. Kendra, you better come see this.
Can I look in the morning? she said, her voice muffled
by the pillow.
You need to look now.
Kendra pushed herself off her bed and walked over to
Seth. In the corner on the floor, more than a hundred feed
kernels had been arranged to form six letters:
I M
GRAM
You’ve got to be kidding, Kendra said. She gave Seth
a suspicious glance. Did you write this?
No! No way!
Kendra squatted in front of Goldilocks. You’re my
Grandma Sorenson?
The hen bobbed her head, as if in affirmation.
Was that a yes?
The head bobbed again.
Give me a ‘no’ so I can be sure, Kendra said.
Goldilocks shook her head.
How did this happen? Seth asked. Somebody transformed
you?
The chicken bobbed her head.
How do we change you back? Kendra asked.
Goldilocks held still.
Why didn’t Grandpa change her back? Seth asked.
Did Grandpa Sorenson try to restore you? Kendra
inquired.
Goldilocks bobbed her head and then shook it.
Yes and no?
The head nodded.
He tried but failed, Kendra guessed.
The hen gave another affirmative.
Do you know a way we can change you back? Kendra
asked.
Another head bob.
Is it something we can do in the house? Kendra
asked.
The head shook.
Do we need to take you to the witch? Seth tried.
The head bobbed. And then the hen flapped her wings,
moving away.
Wait, Grandma! Kendra reached for the hen, but the
flustered bird dodged her grasp. She’s freaking out.
Seth chased her down. Grandma, he said, can you
still hear us?
The hen made no acknowledgment of comprehension.
Grandma, Kendra said, can you still respond to us?
The chicken squirmed. Seth kept hold of her. The
chicken pecked his hand, and he dropped her. They
watched Goldilocks. For several minutes, she did nothing
to suggest abnormal intelligence and offered no recognizable
reaction to any questions.
She was answering us before, right? Kendra asked.
She wrote us a message! Seth said, pointing at the
I M GRAM in the corner.
She must have had just a short window to communicate
with us, Kendra reasoned. Once she got the message
across, she left it in our hands.
Why hasn’t she spoken up before?
I don’t know. Maybe she’s tried, but we never got the
message.
Seth cocked his head thoughtfully and then gave a
small shrug. Do we take her to the witch in the morning?
I don’t know. Muriel only has one knot left.
No matter what, we don’t undo the last knot. But
/> maybe we could bargain with her.
Bargain with what? Kendra asked.
We could bring food. Or other stuff. Things to make
her more comfortable in that shack.
I don’t picture her going for it. She’ll know we’re desperate
to fix Grandma.
We won’t give her another choice.
Kendra bit her lip. What if she won’t budge? She
wouldn’t for Grandpa. Do we set Muriel free if she will
change Grandma back?
No way! said Seth. As soon as she gets free, what
keeps her from turning all of us into chickens?
Grandpa said you can’t use magic against others here
unless they use it on you first. We never caused Muriel any
harm, did we?
But she’s a witch, Seth said. Why would she be
locked up if she wasn’t dangerous?
I’m not saying I want to let her go. I’m saying, we
might be in an emergency situation where we have no
other options. It might be worth the risk in order to get
Grandma back to help us.
Seth thought about that. What if we can get her to
tell us where Grandpa is?
Or both, Kendra said, getting excited. I bet she
would do just about anything to be released. I’m sure she
would do those two things at least. Then we might actually
get out of this mess.
You’re right that we don’t have many options.
We should sleep on it, Kendra said. We’re both worn
out. We can decide what to do in the morning.
Okay.
Kendra climbed into bed, slid under the covers, let her
head sink into the pillow, and fell asleep before another
thought entered her mind.
* * * *
Maybe we shouldn’t have rinsed the milk out of our
clothes, Seth said. Then we could churn butter while we
walk.
Foul!
By the end of the day I might have had yogurt in my
armpits.
You’re psychotic, said Kendra.
Then we could add some of Lena’s jam and make it
fruit-at-the-bottom.
Quit it!
Seth seemed pleased with himself. Goldilocks rode in
the wheelbarrow inside a burlap sack he had found in the
pantry. They had tried to bend the cage back into shape,
but could not get the door to stay on. The sack had a drawstring,
which they pulled snugly around the hen’s neck so
her head could stick out.
It was hard to think of the chicken as Grandma
Sorenson. The hen had not performed a single grandmotherly
action all morning. She showed no reaction to the
announcement that they were going to see Muriel, and she
had laid an egg on Kendra’s bed during the night.
Kendra and Seth had awakened just before sunrise. In
the barn they had found the wheelbarrow, which they
determined might be easier than carrying Goldilocks the
entire way to .
It was Kendra’s turn pushing the wheelbarrow. The
chicken seemed serene. She was probably enjoying the
fresh air. The weather was pleasant-sunny and warm
without being hot.
Kendra wondered how the negotiations with Muriel
would go. In the end, they had decided it would do no
harm to see what terms they could reach with the witch.
Then they could base their final decision on the facts of
what Muriel would be willing to do, rather than conjecture.
They had loaded food, clothes, tools, and utensils in
the wheelbarrow, in case they might be able to barter with
comforts instead of freedom. Most of the clothes had been
mangled on Midsummer Eve, but they found a few
unshredded items for Grandma to wear in case they succeeded
in transforming her. They had made sure to feed the
chicken some milk in the morning, as well as to drink some
themselves.
The trails to the shack were not difficult to remember.
Presently they identified the leafy structure where the
witch lived. Leaving the wheelbarrow, Seth carried the
chicken, while Kendra collected an armful of bartering
items. Kendra had already reminded Seth to stay calm and
be polite no matter what happened, but she repeated the
admonition.
They heard strange music as they drew near the shack,
like somebody playing a rubber band while clacking castanets.
When they got around to the front door, they found
the grimy old hag playing a mouth harp with one hand
while making her limberjack dance with the other.
I did not hope to have visitors again so soon, laughed
the witch when her song ended. Pity about Stanley.
What do you know about our Grandpa? Seth asked.
The woods are all abuzz with news of his abduction,
Muriel said. The naiadic housekeeper as well, if one is to
lend an ear to the gossip. Quite the scandal.
Do you know where they are? Seth tried.
Look at all the lovely gifts you brought me, the witch
gushed, clasping her veiny hands together. The quilt is
gorgeous, but it would be ruined in my humble dwelling.
I’ll not let you waste your generosity on me; I would not
know what to do with such niceties.
We brought these to trade, Kendra said.
Trade? the witch asked theatrically, smacking her lips.
For my tea! Nonsense, child, I would not dream of exacting
a toll for my hospitality. Come inside, and the three of
us shall drink together.
Not to trade for tea, Seth said, holding up
Goldilocks. We want you to change our grandma back
into herself.
In exchange for a chicken?
She is the chicken, Kendra explained.
The witch grinned, stroking her chin. I thought I
recognized her, she mused. You poor dears, one guardian
carried off in the night, the other reduced to poultry.
We can offer you a quilt, a bathrobe, a toothbrush, and
a lot of homemade food, Kendra said.
Charming as that may be, Muriel said, I would
require the energy of a knot unraveling to work any spell
capable of restoring your grandmother to her former state.
We can’t untie your last knot, Seth said. Grandpa
would be furious.
The witch shrugged. My predicament is simple.
Imprisoned in this shack, I am curtailed in my abilities.
The problem has nothing to do with my willingness to
compromise-the dilemma is that the only way for me to
fulfill your request would be to harness the power stored in
the final knot. The decision lies in your hands. I have no
other options.
If we untie the last knot, will you also tell us where our
Grandpa was taken? Kendra asked.
Child, I would love nothing more than to reunite you
with your lost grandfather. But the truth of the matter is, I
haven’t the foggiest notion where he was taken. Again, it
would require loosing my knot in order for me to marshal
sufficient power to discern his whereabouts.
Could you find Grandpa and change Grandma with
the power from one knot? Kendra asked.
Lamentably, I would have the opportunity to accomplish
o
nly one feat or the other. Both would not be
possible.
Unless you figure out a way, you won’t have a chance
to do either, Seth said.
Then we have reached an impasse, the witch apologized.
If you tell me we have no deal unless I am able to
accomplish the impossible, then we have no deal. I could
fulfill either of your requests, but not both.
If we have you change Grandma back, Kendra asked,
could you help us find Grandpa once you’re free?
Perhaps, the witch mused. Yes, without guarantees,
once free I could probably use my abilities to shed light on
the location of your grandfather.
How do we know you won’t attack us if we let you
go? Seth asked.
A fair question, Muriel said. I might be embittered
by long years of imprisonment and eager to work mischief
once released. However, I give you my word as a practitioner
of the ancient art that I will not inflict any harm
upon you or your grandmother upon my deliverance from
this confinement. If I held any malice, it would be toward
those who initiated my incarceration, enemies who passed
from this life decades ago, not those who set me free. If
anything, I would consider myself indebted.
And you would promise to help us find Grandpa
Sorenson? Kendra said.
Your grandmother might refuse my help. She and your
grandfather have never held me in much esteem. But if she
will accept my assistance in locating Stan, I will give it.
We need to talk about this in private, Kendra said.
Be my guest, Muriel said.
Kendra and Seth returned to the path. Kendra dumped
her bartering items in the wheelbarrow. She spoke in a soft
whisper. I don’t think we have any other choice.
I don’t like how nice she’s being, said Seth. It’s
almost scarier than before. I think she’s really anxious to
get out.
I know. But I think we’re just as anxious to restore
Grandma and maybe find Grandpa.
She’s a liar, Seth cautioned. I don’t think we can
count on any of her promises.
Probably not.
We should expect her to attack us as soon as she’s free.
If not, great, but I brought salt, whatever good that will
do.
Don’t forget, we’ll have Grandma to help us handle
her, Kendra said.
Grandma might not know anything about fighting
witches.
I’m sure she’s learned a trick or two. Let’s try to ask
her.
Seth held up the hen. Kendra stroked her head gently.
Grandma Sorenson, Kendra said. Ruth. I need you to
