After ten seconds, the music stopped.
They bolted for the last chair at once. Beanie made it to the chair first when Ariel’s sapphire jolted the chair with an electric shock. Beanie jumped out of the chair and Katie sprang and sat on it. She threw both arms up, cheering victoriously.
“I win!”
“That’s not fair,” Beanie said. “I was in the chair first.”
“But Katie was in the chair last,” Mrs. Kantor retorted.
“I win!” Katie repeated.
The kids applauded her.
“Congratulations! You’ve earned my very special wand,” Mrs. Somerset said.
Katie sprang from the chair toward Mrs. Somerset, who handed her the wand.
“Be very careful with it,” Mrs. Somerset warned. “It’s imbued with magic.”
Katie brandished the wand like it was a sword. Nothing happened though.
“It doesn’t work, Mrs. Somerset,” Katie griped.
“That’s because you have to say the right words,” Mrs. Somerset said matter-of-factly.
“Like what?”
“I’ll teach you later, but right now, recess is over. Everyone, put your chair and desk back the way they were.” Mrs. Somerset took the wand from Katie.
“Please, Mrs. Somerset?” Katie begged. “Can you teach me?”
“Yeah,” the class chorused.
“Show us what the wand can do,” Lacy said. “I want to see.”
Even Sammy blurted, “Please, Mrs. Somerset. Please?”
Mrs. Somerset blushed. “Oh, all right.” To Katie, she said, “I’ll show you a couple of spells once the desks and chairs are back in order.”
“Yay!” the class cheered.
“Thank you,” Katie said.
…
Mrs. Somerset brought five jars to the rectangular table with dead insects inside each of them. Each of the jars was sorted by type: grasshoppers, beetles, ants, flies, and millipedes. The ten students huddled around Mrs. Somerset for what she called a magic lab experiment. What she was about to do, she never explained. The kids gazed at the insects in suspense, their eyes hopping from one jar to the next.
Mrs. Somerset said, “Katie, stand right here.”
Katie moved to the front of the table. Mrs. Somerset gave her the wand. It was made of wood, but it had a luminous tip that glimmered under the fluorescent light. Katie looked at it greedily.
“Listen to these words, and say them exactly as I pronounce them,” Mrs. Somerset instructed. “This is just a practice run. Now repeat after me … ”
She spoke in an arcane language slowly so that Katie could follow. Katie did her best to recite them, but Mrs. Somerset told her to try again. Katie did, and it was close enough to win Mrs. Somerset’s approval.
“Now hold the wand up to the jar of grasshoppers, and say the words again,” Mrs. Somerset said.
Katie repeated the arcane words, and from the tip of the wand, a red stream zapped the jar of grasshoppers. They squirmed and twitched. Soon, they hopped to life, bouncing inside the cylindrical glass. The kids gawked in amazement.
“Cool!” Patterson said.
“Whoa!” Katie exclaimed.
“Are you a witch?” Lacy asked.
Mrs. Somerset laughed. “No, dear. I just happen to know magic. But I know someone who is,” she said, and winked at Beanie.
Beanie narrowed her eyes at Mrs. Somerset.
“Can you teach me more spells?” Katie asked.
“Of course. Now for the next spell, aim the wand at the beetles.”
Katie held the wand facing the jar of dead beetles.
“Now repeat after me … ”
Mrs. Somerset pronounced strange words, which sounded like gibberish to the class. Katie repeated the words the best she could, and Mrs. Somerset corrected her whenever she made a mistake. A red beam issued forth from the wand to the jar of beetles. Their legs twitched spasmodically, and soon, they roamed inside the glass jar, bumping into each other.
The kids closed in on the jar of beetles and fixed their gaze on them. Then Beanie noticed Mrs. Somerset muttering words under her breath. Beanie tapped Ariel on the shoulder and they both watched as Mrs. Somerset’s lips move soundlessly. Red sparks flashed from the wand. The kids backed up as Katie kept the wand away from her face.
“What’s happening Mrs. Somerset?” Katie asked.
A wave of red light twirled round and round until it struck the jar of beetles. Suddenly, the beetles grew, their bodies pressing against the glass jar until it started to crack. Cobwebs formed and the glass whined with broken shards sprinkling the table. Within seconds, the glass burst apart.
The kids lurched back.
The giant beetles jittered about the table as if they were glad to be free. They continued to grow until they were the size of leatherback turtles. They leapt off the table and skittered on the floor, thudding against desks and moving between the kids. The kids screamed and darted around the room in a panic, jumping on top of chairs and desks.
Beanie and Ariel climbed on top of a table on the far wall where they normally turned in their tests. Patterson pushed a bookcase over. It crashed to the ground with books piled around him. The beetles lurched back and crawled elsewhere. Katie dropped the wand on the carpet and clambered on top of her desk, letting out a series of shrills.
The fourth-grade teacher from the adjacent room stomped to the doorway. She was about to say what’s going on? when she saw the giant beetles. Instantly, she screamed and ran down the hallway calling for help.
“Make them go away!” Katie pleaded. “Make the beetles small again.”
Mrs. Somerset picked up the wand from the floor. She muttered arcane words, and the kids watched, glad that she was going to fix it. When the red streaks issued forth from the wand, it zapped the jar of grasshoppers, ants, flies, and millipedes. This time, the beetles had company as the other insects grew and then exploded out of the jars. Glass shattered across the floor. All of the other insects grew to the same size as the large beetles.
The kids raced out of the classroom, screaming down the hallway toward the exit of the building. Patterson pulled the fire alarm and all the other classes began to evacuate the building.
The insects pinned Beanie and Ariel to the wall. No matter which way they moved, the insects flanked them. The flies hovered at an arm’s length away while the beetles, ants, grasshoppers, and millipedes surrounded them from the ground and the ceiling.
“Before they get us, I want to say I’m sorry I pushed you,” Beanie said.
“And I’m sorry I didn’t wake you in the library,” Ariel said.
Ariel shook fretfully as she clutched Beanie’s arm. Beanie stood on her tiptoes, pressing her back against the wall. One of the beetles crept up to Beanie’s foot.
Suddenly, Beanie’s ruby brightened and zapped the beetle. It tumbled backward until it hit a fallen bookshelf. Then Ariel’s sapphire shot out a blue beam of light from her pocket, knocking back the flies. The girls looked at each other in shock. They realized they could use their gemstones in defense.
Ariel wore the sapphire pendant around her neck. As the insects crept closer, her sapphire zapped them with blue arrows that knocked them back. Beanie’s ruby did the same.
She made a fist and aimed it at each insect. One by one, she shot them back with scorching rays of light. The millipedes on the ceiling fell to the floor with sizzling heat. The grasshoppers jumped straight at them. Ariel’s sapphire zapped them and they hurtled back to the far wall with a wham. And each time the ants got too close, blue or red beams knocked them off their legs.
Soon enough, the insects started to back away, realizing the power of the girl’s gemstones.
“Impressive,” Mrs. Somerset said.
She whispered a spell and red beams of light flew in all directions.
Suddenly, the alarm bell went silent. The insects shrank to their normal size and they flew or scattered away.
“Why are you doing this?” Ariel asked.
“This is part of your training, of course.”
“Mrs. Kantor?”
Mrs. Somerset nodded, and her body changed into Mrs. Kantor. Her hair was long and silvery, and she had on a blue blouse—the same one she wore at her house on Friday.
“So it was you all along,” Beanie said.
“Yes.”
“Where are we?” Ariel said.
“This is a dream, dear.”
Her voice seemed to echo. The space around them began to fade into misty clouds. The ground turned to grass. They could see mountaintops in the distance with blue sky in the air. The classroom had vanished completely.
“I’m preparing you for battle,” Mrs. Kantor said.
“A battle with whom?” Beanie asked.
“With Malik Schmidt.”
“The boy who flooded Kitewell?” Ariel said.
Mrs. Kantor nodded.
“Why did you deceive us?” Beanie said. “Why didn’t you tell us from the start what was going on?”
“I apologize for the deception, but I had to take drastic measures after my brother told me that he cannot come to help me fight Malik. I needed to speed up your training and put you under dire straits to activate your spirit-gems.”
“Well thanks a lot for telling us,” Beanie said harshly. “Everything you put us through was wretched if you ask me.”
“Malik wants to destroy our world, Beanie. He’s getting stronger, and soon, he will be able to cast his most powerful spells. I tried to stop him when I arrived in Kitewell, but I wasn’t powerful enough. I managed to damage his spirit-gem though. Only someone that can use a spirit-gem can stop him. That’s why I chose you, girls.”
“Us?” Ariel said incredulously. “But we’re not special. We’re just kids.”
“Out of everyone in Kitewell, only you two can use the spirit-gems. The spirit-gems see something in both of you. They see something in your hearts that you allow you to possess their power. With a spirit-gem, you will have the power to stop him before he unleashes his most powerful spells.”
“What spells?” Ariel said.
“Remember the ghost story I told you when the crows attacked the town, and when the snakes emerged from Crescent Lake? That was Malik’s doing. He had cast spells because he was an angry boy. After his mother died, he found her book on magic and studied it. His mother believed that magic should be used for good. She used it to cure ailments, to stop floods, to cure diseases …
“But Malik practiced magic to get attention from his peers, to impress them. With his father being absent running his railroad company, Malik continued to grieve his mother’s death. He neither had guidance nor discipline to use the spells for good.
“In his diary, he wrote that one of the boys at school stole his spirit-gem. The boy scratched it before returning it to Malik. On top of that, the kids at school made fun of him for being a wizard, since he wouldn’t share his secrets with them. Afterward, Malik distanced himself from his classmates. He hated them. Then he became hostile and angry. He began using spells to cause harm rather than use them for good.”
“Like with the crows and the snakes?” Ariel said.
“Don’t forget the flood,” Beanie chimed in.
“That’s correct,” Mrs. Kantor said. “History will repeat itself. The ghost that warned him tried to stop him, but he refused to listen.”
“Who was the ghost?” Beanie asked.
“It was his mother’s spirit,” Mrs. Kantor said.
The girls gasped in surprise.
“In Malik’s diary, he wrote that the ghost had warned him of the crows and the snakes through nightmares, but the reality was that he had done these terrible things. He placed the blame on his nightmares, you see. In case anyone read his diary.”
“If he didn’t want anyone to read it, why did he keep a diary?” Beanie said.
“During that time, people kept diaries to preserve their memories and experiences. It was common, and his father and mother kept diaries as well.”
“So how are we supposed to stop Malik?” Beanie asked.
“You’ve demonstrated that you know how to use the spirit-gems. Now use them to destroy Malik.”
“Is there a difference between the two spirit-gems?” Beanie asked.
“Yes. Each spirit-gem was imbued with the powers of a sorcerer. Each sorcerer specialized in a particular type of magic. Some devoted their life to learning how to control fire, while others used it to control wind or water. Some spirit-gems can summon creations from the netherworld such as dragons or goblins … ”
“Cool,” Ariel said.
“Does mine do that?” Beanie asked.
Mrs. Kantor shook her head. “Fortunately, no. Summoning creatures is dangerous … unpredictable—as you just witnessed moments ago.”
“So how come you didn’t teach us from the start how to use the spirit-gems?” Beanie asked.
“It’s not that simple,” Mrs. Kantor said. “The spirit-gem senses your deepest desires and emotions: fear, anger, love, hope … that’s why Malik could use it to flood Kitewell. He became an orphan after his father died. He suffered greatly, and the spirit-gem he had sensed this in him.”
“But today, both of you have bonded with your spirit-gems. There are more tests coming. Life is full of challenges. You don’t always win, but you must take a stand. The spirit-gem gravitates toward souls that are strong and brave. Its strength is based on the courage and fortitude of its castor. Both of you have passed the tests so far.”
Beanie smiled. “So what do you want us to do?”
“Go to the well that’s on Mr. Drake’s property. You will see a big wooden windmill beside his house. And not too far from it, you’ll find the well. That’s where Malik is hiding.”
“Where can we find Mr. Drake’s place?” Ariel asked.
“Do you know where Dry Peak Lane is?”
“I think so,” Beanie said.
“Go down that road and you’ll find it. But if you get lost, use the sapphire to guide you. But be careful. Malik is strong now. He’s been changing into an anaconda, eating the animals in the forest.”
“That’s awful,” Beanie said.
“I saw one last night,” Ariel said.
“You did?” Beanie said.
“Yes. At Uncle Henry’s house, the spirit-gem made wings and I flew to the forest and saw a snake that turned into an anaconda.”
“I didn’t know you could fly with your spirit-gem,” Beanie said in astonishment. “Mine just burns things.”
“That was Malik,” Mrs. Kantor said matter-of-factly. “Soon, he will use his powers to summon crows and snakes to attack people. The people of Kitewell will be scattered … scared. And then he will flood Kitewell again, but he won’t let anyone escape this time.”
“Oh, no,” Ariel gasped.
“You must stop him today,” Mrs. Kantor said. “After that, you will wake up from this dream world. Then I will know if you’re prepared to face him in the real world.
“You can’t stop him?” Beanie asked.
“No. He’s becoming far too powerful for me.”
Mrs. Kantor waved the wand in the air and the grass, sky, and mountaintops faded into mist. The classroom reappeared, and it was tidy and in perfect order despite the chaos that had ensued. Her appearance changed back to Mrs. Somerset.
Mrs. Lightwood entered the classroom with the kids trailing behind her. She looked around confusedly.
Mrs. Lightwood turned to Katie. “I thought you said there were giant bugs in here?”
“There were,” Katie said adamantly.
“Well, where are they?”
Katie flushed
red, unsure of how to answer with the room being so tidy, not to mention the absence of the bugs.
“Thank you for bringing my students to class,” Mrs. Somerset said to Mrs. Lightwood.
“You were supposed to be outside with them during the fire drill.”
“I was speaking to Beanie and Ariel about something important,” she replied.
Mrs. Lightwood gave the room one last look before she sighed and left.
“Now back to your seats,” Mrs. Somerset told the kids.
To Beanie and Ariel, Mrs. Somerset, who was really Mrs. Kantor, whispered, “Girls, go now before it’s too late.”
Chapter 17
Beanie and Ariel stepped outside the front doors of the school. Beanie opened her umbrella while droplets came down like arrows. The rain blanketed the road, creating a glassy reflection of the dark sky.
A truck passed by and splashed Beanie and Ariel with water as they sprinted across the street. They took cover in the forest, relieved. Ariel slipped on the mud and almost fell flat on her face when Beanie grabbed her.
“Thank you,” Ariel said.
“How are we going to find the well?” Beanie said. “We’re lost.”
“Let me try something.”
Ariel closed her eyes and asked the sapphire to show them the way. Suddenly, the sapphire pendant glowed and a white orb appeared before them. It moved ahead by several feet, and then stopped, waiting for them to follow. Beanie and Ariel smiled at each other, and then followed the floating orb through the forest.
Beanie and Ariel’s shoes got soaking wet as they trudged through a windy path in the forest. Water rolled off countless leaves, dripping onto their rain jackets like pebbles, and when Beanie bumped into a tree, she felt like hundreds of them had fallen on her.
After a half-hour of following the white orb, they found the wooden building with a windmill on it. The orb vanished once they arrived on the property.
The windmill was forty-feet high with sails that had deteriorated from erosion. It looked more like a barn than a windmill.
Kitewell Page 9
