Witch Twins at Camp Bliss

by Adele Griffin

  Leaving Lakshmi behind, Luna ran out of the office as fast as she could to the pasture, where Claire was practicing archery, a few last-minute bull’s-eyes before Blue-and-Buff Day. Claire dropped her bow when Luna gave her the news.

  “Then who do you think stole the Zest from Lakshmi?” she asked.

  “Someone who likes crunchy tacos and chewy lemon squares,” Luna answered.

  “Well, we know who that is! Let’s go!”

  Together, they ran across the field and up near the cabins to the hammock, Penelope’s favorite spot, where she was catching a catnap. She confessed immediately.

  “Yes, I took the powder from Lakshmi’s shower kit. But I only had it for a couple of days,” Penelope said sheepishly. “It smelled so good, like my favorite spices. I couldn’t resist. Since Lakshmi hadn’t given to the Pillowcase Fund, I figured I’d borrow it and lend it to someone else. I used it as seasoning. It made my food so tasty that I sneaked into the kitchen and sprinkled it in the soup, on the tacos, the chili, even on some stale lemon squares. I couldn’t believe one little seasoning could do so much! What’s it made of?”

  “It’s plain old cornmeal foot powder,” said Luna.

  “Foot powder! Wow! You have to tell me where you got it,” said Penelope. “It sure had a lot of zest. I gave the bottle to Gladriole. Since she’s a vegetarian and all, I thought she might like an extra kick in her salads. If you want to talk to her, I think she’s in the pottery shed.”

  “Crow’s feet and cobwebs!” Claire exclaimed as the twins ran to the pottery shed. “I had no idea that everyone at Camp Bliss was casting spells.”

  “Not casting, exactly,” corrected Luna. “Just wishing.”

  “That Marigold Zest is powerful stuff,” said Claire.

  “Grandy warned me not to let the powder get into the wrong hands. She said Marigold Zest could work wonders on even a non-witch’s wishes. Now I think I know what she meant.” Luna blew out her cheeks. “Boy, did I ever mess this one up.”

  “Come on, nothing terrible has happened, Loon. None of these wrong hands have been too wrong.’”

  “Not yet, anyway,’” Luna answered. She shivered. The closer they came to finding the powder, the nearer she felt to a peculiar kind of danger.

  Glad was sitting in the windowsill of the pottery barn. She was embroidering a gladiolus design onto a denim cloth wallet.

  “Penelope’s power powder? Oh, sure! I had it for a couple of days. But I didn’t use it on my food! I sprinkled it on my hair before campfire nights, so everyone could share the scent. It gave off a supercool vibe in the air.”

  “Do you think we could use some of it?” asked Luna.

  “Sure! Yesterday, I put it in the Pillowcase Fund for everyone to share.”

  “Thanks, Glad,” said Claire.

  “By the way, Luna, I made the longest daisy chain in freestyle crafts time. You might want to put that in your ‘Luna’s News’ update,” said Glad.

  “Will do,” Luna answered.

  In no time, the girls had doubled back to Sleepy Hollow. They raced to the pillowcase.

  The only thing to be found in the Pillowcase Fund was the copy of Eternally Eustacia that Luna had donated.

  Claire stamped her foot. “So close, but no Zest! And Camp Bliss is too big to question everybody.”

  “Hmm, but think, Clairsie. If the powder fulfills the wish of whoever has her hands on it,” said Luna thoughtfully, “all we have to do is wait for the next wish, and trace it to the logical wish-er. Right?”

  “Right,” Claire said softly.

  “Like, if everyone starts laughing really hard or wants to play softball all day, then it’s Min Suh who has the Zest. Right?”

  “Right,” squeaked Claire, even more softly.

  “Or if people start talking about Bermuda and French manicures too much, then it’s Haley who has the Zest. Right?”

  “Right.” Now Claire’s voice sounded soft and squeaky as a mouse.

  “Claire, this is no time for funny voices,” Luna said strictly. “I’m trying to do some detectiving. Speak up, and stand up straight.”

  “I am speaking up and standing up!”

  Luna looked at her sister from head to toe. “Clairsie,” she said, trying to keep her own voice relaxed. “Do you realise that you’re shrinking?”

  “I am not!” said Claire, jutting her chin high. Yet there could be no doubt that she was standing a full head smaller than her sister. And she was losing height rapidly.

  “What is happening to you?” Luna gasped. Now her sister was at her chest, and in the next ten seconds, her waist.

  “Make it stop!” Claire commanded. Her voice was shrill as a doll’s teakettle.

  “I don’t know how!” Luna cried. Now her twin was knee-high. “You’re knee-high!” she exclaimed, but no sooner were the words out than Claire had shrunk to Luna’s shin, then her ankle. “Claire, where are you going?”

  “Hide me!” squealed Claire, climbing up onto Luna’s big toe. “Put me somewhere safe, before I disappear from sight!”

  Quickly, Luna scooped up her clothespin-sized sister and dropped her gently into a paper cup that was resting on top of one of the bureaus. “We’ll go to the first-aid office,” she said. “Stay calm. Either you have come down with an incurable shrinking disease, or a rebel wisher has struck.”

  She hurried out of the cabin and down the hill to the office, the safest place she could think of. She peeked in the cup. “Crumbs, Clairsie, you’re teeny! Who would be cruel enough to wish you down to the size of a matchstick?”

  “I’m much bigger than a matchstick!” Claire peeped haughtily. “Hurry!”

  “I’m running as fast as I can!” said Luna. “Let’s try to access the Book of Shadows from the Internet. Well have you back to normal in no time. Now keep quiet, because I see somebody walking up over the hill.”

  The somebody was Ella Edsel.

  “Is that Claire or Luna?” she asked, squinting and shading her eyes.

  “Luna,” said Luna.

  As she got closer, Ella smiled. “Just who I was looking for. By the way, I can tell you from your sister because you have way prettier eyes.”

  Inside the cup, Claire squeaked with rage.

  “Talita sent me to find you,” Ella continued. “Your grandmother is calling long distance. You need to get to the office, pronto!”

  “Thanks,” said Luna. “She’s just the person I wanted to talk to.”

  “By the way, have you seen Claire around?” Ella smirked. “We’ve got relay races in fifteen minutes. Last practice before Blue-and-Buff Day tomorrow.”

  “Um, no,” said Luna. “But I’m looking for something, too. I wanted to borrow some yellow powder from the Pillowcase Fund. Have you seen it?”

  “You mean that foot powder? Too late now,” Ella answered. “I used it all up on my feet. It feels great, like I have extra kicking energy! That’s why I know for sure that Blue is gonna win!”

  Now Claire let out a squeak so loud and angry that Luna had to fake a sneeze to cover up the noise.

  “Hope you’re not getting a cold before Blue-and-Buff Day” said Ella. “By the way, Luna, make sure to add in your news bulletin that I kicked the winning goal in soccer practice.”

  “No problem,” said Luna.

  “Nothing personal, but I’m gonna blow your sister away tomorrow!” Ella cackled. “In my opinion, she’s no more than a little flea!”

  8

  Tug-of-Warriors

  CLAIRE COULD HEAR THAT Grandy was annoyed. She was talking on her cell phone from a golf course somewhere in the Poconos. “What did I say about not letting the powder fall into the wrong hands?” she yelled. Claire covered her ears. Now that she was flea-sized, all voices sounded loud as thunder.

  “I’m sorry” answered Luna. “Grandy, this is a real mess. Claire’s smaller than a paper clip. Ella Edsel wished it, and her wish is coming true!”

  “Nice one, Fred!” shouted Grandy. “That’s two
birdies and a hole in one!”

  “When will the wish wear off?” Claire yelled, jumping up and down in the paper cup. The sound of her voice was hardly a sound at all. Luckily, Grandy’s ears were better than a bat’s.

  “A non-witch’s wish? Ha! It’s a joke, it takes absolutely nothing to undo,” said Grandy. “And it’s not permanent, anyway. Luna can restore you to regular size on a pinkie spell. As for that girl, Ella, and her extra kicking energy, that’s where you have a problem. As you two have learned, Marigold Zest is a non-witch-friendly powder, and since Ella correctly shook the Zest on her feet, she’ll probably be the star of any sport where she needs a good, strong, zesty kick. If perchance she faced west, her power would be even greater.”

  Claire felt tears sting as her mind’s eye imagined Ella Edsel zestfully kicking goal after goal. Good-bye, Buff Team Victory! Good-bye, loving cup!

  Mostly, though, Claire wanted to be the right size again.

  “Grandy, I hate being puny!” she yelled as loud as she could. “Make me grow back before Ella squashes me like a flea!”

  “Buck up, Claire. Terrible things happen to people every day, and you don’t hear them squeaking on and on about it.” But then Grandy quickly recited a “return-to-size” spell for Luna to cast on her sister. “Listen, girls. The reason I’m calling is to tell you I arranged for your father and Justin to pick you two up next week,” she announced. “Foolishly, they think it might be a fun road trip! Oh, Fred, gorgeous shot! Now, remember. Absolutely No More Spells! Hugs and kisses! Good-bye!”

  Claire heard Luna send a kiss and replace the phone.

  “Hurry, Loon!” she squeaked, hopping up and down. How big was a flea, anyway? A centimeter? A millimeter? Awful Ella Edsel!

  “Luna, if your cup is empty, come toss it in this bag.” From somewhere in the room came Talita’s voice. Claire strained through the cup to see Talita’s shadowy outline in the office door. “I’m taking the trash up to the lodge.”

  Claire felt Luna’s fingers close around the cup protectively.

  “Okay,” said Luna. “Let me just, um …” And then, before Claire could squeak in protest, she felt herself being lifted and shaken forward, sliding from the cup where she landed—yuck!—in the damp warm cave of Luna’s mouth. It was dark as midnight and smelled like peanut butter. Claire perched herself on her sister’s right front molar and pinched her nose against the peanut-butter fumes.

  “Bye, then,” Talita called. “Don’t forget to turn off the computer.”

  “Mmmggrlk,” Luna answered.

  “Open up!” Claire shouted, her teensy sneaker kicking the edge of Luna’s tongue. “It’s hot in here! Sitting in your after-lunch mouth is beyond blecchh!”

  Gently, she felt herself being spit from dark to light to land on the pink island of Luna’s palm. Then Luna crouched to let Claire drop to the ground, where she scrambled to stand on her own two tiny legs.

  “Sorry about that. It was the only place I could think of to hide you. Now, sister-witch, be thou ready?”

  Claire nodded. “Aye.”

  She looked up and watched as Luna’s enormous pinkie hovered over her like a rain cloud as she cast:

  Undo this curse of cruel despise

  Return Claire to her natural size.

  It’s only logical to me,

  My sister cannot be a flea!

  Slowly, Claire felt herself stretching and pulling and shaping back into her regular old self.

  “What a relief!” she said when she stood eye to eye and was the same size as her sister, the way it had been since Claire could remember. I’ll never look at a flea the same way again. Or your mouth. Pee-yew, Luna! You should brush after lunch. You’ve got me smelling like a peanut-butter-and-bad-breath sandwich!”

  Luna frowned. “There are more important things to think about than how you smell. You have Ella Edsel to compete against, and her feet are zesty.”

  “I understand how rebel witches turned out to be rebel wishers. But what I still don’t get,” Claire said as they began to walk up to Sleepy Hollow, “is who did the apple spell?”

  “Apple spell? What apple spell?” asked Luna.

  “I didn’t want to scare you, Loon, but a few weeks ago, I found an apple quartered and buried right outside Sleepy Hollow. You and I both know that’s an Old School, problem-solving spell. That’s why I still think Ella Edsel might be a real-live, sneaky rebel witch.”

  Luna cleared her throat. “Actually Claire, the apple-caster was me. It was just this dumb thing I did my first week here, when I hate-hate-hated Camp Bliss. I knew Grandy had said No Spells, but an apple spell has almost no magic at all: I told my problem to the apple because I didn’t want to tell you. I didn’t want to wreck your fun.”

  “You like camp now, though, right?” Claire asked.

  Luna nodded. “It took longer, but I guess there’s a place for me here, too.”

  Claire threw her arm around her sister. “Of course there is! I’m proud of you, Loon. You’re not a great athlete, but you’re a great sport.”

  Luna threw her arm around Claire. “Good luck tomorrow,” she said. “I know you’ll be terrific. You have all the zest you need, with or without spells. I’m pulling for you.”

  “You better pull for me,” Claire said soberly. “You’re on my team. Together, we’ve got to make the extra effort to crush Ella.”

  Claire kept away from Ella for the rest of the evening. She did not even bother to go out to Cow Patty pasture to watch how far Ella could kick the soccer ball. “Luna’s right. I don’t need magic zest,” she whispered to herself. “I’ve got enough zest in me already.”

  The next morning dawned bright and muggy, with a light wind off Lake Periwinkle. The camp was set up for a day of competition. The fields had been mowed, and the air smelled like the fresh, clean, blue and buff T-shirts that had been ordered especially for Blue-and-Buff Day.

  “Go, Buff, go!” Claire called to anyone she saw in a Buff Team shirt.

  “That’s the spirit, Claire!” said Tammy.

  Everything was going to be okay, Claire decided. Spirit was practically the same thing as zest.

  At breakfast, though, Claire saw that Ella had pulled her hair into two pom-pom pony tails, and she had painted her face with blue stripes.

  “I am Big Bad Blue!” Ella sang zestfully “I am True Blue!”

  “Great spirit!” Tammy, Pam, and Talita declared. Some of the older girls from Cabin Eight whistled and clapped approvingly.

  Claire wished she had thought to paint her face buff or make a pom-pom hairdo. If she did it now, she would look like a copycat.

  After breakfast, Glad lent her a tan bandanna, which she tied around her head. Then she wrote Tuff Enuff for Buff on her leg, using a yellow glowpaint pen.

  “Oooh! Let me try!” The other girls on the team borrowed the paint pen to write on their legs, too.

  “Great slogan, Claire! Good leadership!” called the counselors as the entire camp assembled on the field, waiting for the games to start.

  Pam strode to the head of the group and lifted her whistle. “Sports fans! The all-day sports-athon known as Blue-and-Buff Day has officially begun. Get set for some volleyball action!” Then she put her mouth on the whistle, puffed out her cheeks, and gave the loudest, longest, screechingest blast yet.

  The teams divided. Two volleyball games, one on the North Court, one on the South Court, would be played at the same time. That way, everyone had a chance to participate. Claire and Ella were both on the North Court.

  Claire’s eyebrows raised, and her mouth buttoned in determination as she and Ella faced off across the net.

  “Blue’s ups!” Ella shouted. But then she only served an easy pop-up that Claire slammed down the middle.

  “All right!” cheered the Buff team.

  Ella scowled and served again.

  Again, Claire slammed a return into the ground.

  “Yes!” cheered Buff.

  “Be a team player, Clair
e!” yelled Pam.

  Ella served once more, and the ball went out of bounds.

  “Out! Out! Out! Yer out! Buff’s ups! Our serve!” shouted Claire.

  Blue-and-Buff Day was underway.

  In every event, Claire and Ella were neck and neck. If Claire got a bull’s-eye in archery, Ella leaped farther in the long jump. If Ella did an extra chin-up, Claire shaved a second off her relay time.

  “True Blue!” Ella crowed as she slammed a grounder between second and third base during the softball game.

  “Tuff Buff!” Claire shouted back when she slung and shot her third bull’s-eye in the archery competition.

  They kept their eyes on each other, waiting to see who would break the truce and cheat. As far as Claire could see, Ella was playing as honestly as she was playing zestfully Now that she was charged with the extra zing of magic zest, Ella seemed to be more agreeable to rules and fairness. Well, of course, thought Claire grimly. Anyone would be a good sport if she had magically zesty feet!

  A chalkboard had been set up by Wuthering Heights cabin. Every time Claire checked on it, the Buff Team was either up by one or down by one. Sometimes Ella swooped by to check, too.

  “You’re toast!” Claire would hiss.

  “Takes one to know one,” Ella hissed back.

  “Ella Edsel and Claire Bundkin! Stop checking the board,” Pam called. “Just enjoy the competition.”

  Enjoy it? Impossible!

  The Buff Team won the rope climb. The Blue Team won capture the flag. The Buff Team won the softball game. The Blue Team won the canoe relay, which was to be expected since Luna was the worst canoer ever to paddle Lake Periwinkle. (But Claire was truly proud of Luna during the canoe relays. Although she wore two life jackets and did not open her eyes the whole time she was on the water, Luna paddled all the way to the finish line.)

  The last event of Blue-and-Buff Day was the tug-of-war. Talita tallied the scores on the board. “If Buff wins,” she announced to the group, “this day ends in a tie. Then two flags will fly over Camp Bliss. If Blue wins, then the blue flag will fly alone for another year!”