《Witchcraft, Love Spells and Necromancy》


 Ensnared by Magic

    Astrid''s POV


    My sister Lottie has something on her mind. She texted me this morning about it, so here we are. We''re sitting at a table in the canteen facing each other. She cups her face in her hand and sighs.


    "So L, what''s eating you?"


    Lottie pushes her long blond hair away from her eyes. "I want Jason to like me."


    "Lottie!" This is gross. She''s talking about Mr Risk ¨C a teacher¡­ yeahhhh¡­


    At that moment, we''re distracted by some boys gawping at Lottie. When Lottie''s with me, they gawp at her, not me, and Lottie doesn''t mind. She''s the beauty of the family, not me. She has long golden hair, I''m the redhead. I have a face with a ton of freckles, but she only has a picturesque smattering over her nose and cheeks. She has pouty lips, and her boobs have got bigger¡­ mine haven''t. But her eyes are like mine. So blue. Like a spring sky.


    I touch her hand. "Lottie, you really can''t think stuff like that. Don''t get squicky thoughts about the teachers."


    She sniffs. "A lot you care Astrid. You have a big ego, because you were Dad''s favourite."


    Well I''m angrier about her saying that than I should be. I don''t think I''ve been all that stable emotionally since Dad died two years ago¡­ I was his favourite and it hit me hardest and no one should try and be funny about that ¡­ And she can see me glaring so she backtracks. "I''m sorry¡­ I can''t help how I feel. Guys make you say stupid things."


    I touch her hand again. "Try to get Mr Risk out of your head, L."


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    00O00


    Lottie''s POV


    Whatever Astrid says, I''m not going to give up on Jason. He''s such a hunk. Wavy black hair, dreamy brown eyes, beautiful smile¡­ God, I can''t stop thinking about him. I want to impress him by doing extra research. I''m rooting through the library shelves and I come across this very old exercise book. What is it? The pages are yellow and crackling and there''s a waning moon symbol on the cover. Weird.


    The pages are blank. No they''re not. One of them has spidery writing in pencil. For your heart''s desire follow the green moons. Okay. That was a dud. Wait though. I can see a green full moon hovering above the library door. I head out of the library and I see a gibbous green moon by the stairs. I follow that and there''s a green half-moon past the lockers. This is getting weirder. Now there''s a green quarter moon by the boiler room steps. In the boiler room there''s a green sickle moon by a new door. Was that always here? I go down another flight of steps. It smells down here. Really musty. I''m in a bare, stone room, and there''s a weird green light.


    A ghostly voice startles me. "Stop. Who are you to burst in on me like this?"


    The light''s coming from a mirror. I get a really creepy feeling when I see a ghostly green girl''s face in the mirror.


    "S-Sorry. I''ll just be going now," I stammer.


    "Wait. You must have come here for a reason. Do you not have a forbidden desire?"


    "I suppose I do." Oh dear, why am I admitting that to the creepy mirror girl. I don''t think she''s to be trusted.


    "Well your heart''s desire can be yours. Look in the box."


    There''s an old wooden box at the foot of the mirror. Hmmmm. "I don''t think so." I tell her.


    "If you open the box you can have anything and any man you desire. If you would do anything to get what you desire, then you will prove it by opening the box and gaining the power. If you would not, then you must leave straight away. Hurry up and decide."


    I think of Jason. Against my better judgement, I open the box. There are vines or something inside. Suddenly they surge out of the box and wrap themselves around my wrist. I cry out in shock, my heart pounding and my head spinning. A bunch of tubes from the vines stick themselves to my wrist and bite,,. I scream.


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    00O00


    Astrid''s POV


    Lottie''s sent me an urgent text again. I hope nothing''s really the matter. I meet her round the back by the dustbins. What on in the world! My sister has a bright and shiny yellowish green face that I could see a mile off. How? Has she just been painting her face? And her hands? Her hands are green too. Her blue eyes are wide, and her blond hair is dishevelled. I suppose this is a prank.


    I''ll play along, although who knows what she''s thinking of? "Hi there, Frog Princess. Good to meet you. Where''s Lottie?"If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Not funny!" She''s glaring at me and breathing hard through her nose. "Something serious happened. It turned me green! I ¨C I - " Her mouth opens and closes. Her lips are a darker green. Almost black. If it''s makeup, then it''s done incredibly well¡­


    "You were trying to make me jump or something? Well you get an A for effort."


    "I''m not! Can''t you be serious?" She snaps at me. I can tell when my sister is agitated and something''s wrong...


    "Alright, L. Why don''t we go somewhere where we can quietly discuss it?"


    We go to the coffee shop around the corner. It''s about to close and there''s just the one waitress there. Lottie shows her student card for getting discounts. The waitress narrows her eyes. "This is a joke? I can''t tell if that''s you. Your face is green."


    Lottie''s going to snap at her, so I drag her to a table and hold her green hand in both my freckly ones. "Tell me calmly what the matter is and what you''re playing at, OK?"


    Lottie glares at me and then her blue eyes look afraid. The sunlight streaming in through the window shines off her green nose and cheeks. "I found a room under the boiler room. It''s in a sub-basement or something. There''s some weird magic there. A freaky mirror that talks. If you don''t believe me, come and take a look for yourself."


    I''m ready to humour her, but first she wants to go to the bathroom and scrub her face. She rubs her green face in water at the sink, but nothing happens except she gets wet. What sort of makeup is this? She pushes her sopping hair back and stairs at herself. "I was beautiful. Just look at me now¡­ Frog Princess."


    "Frogs are kind of cute," I tell her.


    She turns round to glare at me again. "You don''t believe I''m serious, do you? Well let''s get to the boiler room."


    The boiler room''s not really the place I want to snoop around, but whatever. It''s dark and smells kind of funny. There''s another door leading down. Hey, what''s this. A TV or computer? It does look like a mirror with a freaky green face in it.


    "Greetings, witch and non-witch, magic and mundane," says an echoey voice.


    "What''re you calling us?" I''m getting the unreal feeling you get at a very high temperature.


    The face in the mirror stares back at me. "Your sister gave herself over to witchcraft by proving she would do anything to get what she wants. Even forbidden love. You have done no such thing. She has magic in her blood and you do not."


    "There. You see? This weirdo did this to me," says Lottie, folding her arms.


    "You can use your power to get the man you desire," says the mirror. "You are who you are now. Why don''t you make the most of it?"


    I turn to her. "Lottie¡­ this had better not be about your obsession with poor Mr Risk again. I told you ¨C teacher and schoolgirl romance is a no-no."


    I have to wonder now, is magic real? Has Lottie really gone to awful lengths to nab the teacher?


    Lottie stares back, her blue eyes wide. Her green face looks even weirder in the ghostly light of the mirror.


    "Prove you''re magic," I tell the mirror. "Change Lottie back."


    "I can''t," echoes the voice. "There''s magic in her as well now. But you¡­ Is there nothing you desire? What length would you go to, to see your father again. You were his favourite. I''m sure he must miss you terribly as well."


    It''s like someone punched me in the gut. She''s got me where it really hurts. I''m actually forgetting Lottie going green and the squicky stuff about the teacher at this moment.


    The mirror speaks again. "Anything becomes possible with this kind of power. Even raising the dead. If you would give yourself over to magic, then open the box and receive the power. If you would not give yourself over to magic, then don''t."


    If there''s a chance I could get Dad back, then I want the power that Lottie has. I don''t care if I go green.


    I leap for the box as Lottie calls my name and I open it. Vines wrap around me and tubes fasten onto my wrist, but I let them. There are green lights all around me. Lottie tells me to stop, but she can''t seem to walk into the light. Ow... it''s putting something in me. Something warm. I grit my teeth. My hands are going green. The warmth spreads down my arms and into my stomach, spreading to my head, making me giddy¡­ spreading lower and making me feel¡­ other things. I close my eyes and the vines let go. The lights go out. It''s just that ghost girl in the mirror still glowing. God¡­ my hands look really green. What have I done?


    "Oh Astrid¡­" says Lottie sadly.


    I turn to her. "We look like two peas in a pod, eh? Well for me, I don''t care. For you, perhaps we can reverse it. But what''s important is that I get Dad back. I''ve made up my mind." I turn to the mirror. "Where do we get spells from?"


    "The old book behind the panel in the wall," croons the mirror.


    I slide the panel aside and find an old book in faded green leather. "Great. Now what do we do about you?"


    "This room can only be found by those who seek magic and who are worthy. Don''t worry. Only you two can get in at this time."


    I stick the book in my school bag and take Lottie''s hand. "Come on Lottie."


    We attract some weird looks on the way back. This lady gapes at out green faces. Lottie stands and looks hurt, her mouth open and her eyes tearing up. I pat her arm to comfort her, but at the same time, I urge her to get a move on. I''m thinking ahead. Daddy won''t care if his favourite girl is green. And it''s nothing to have to put up with if I get him back.


    Back home, our sister Gabriella runs to greet us. She goes to middle school. She likes Lottie better than me, and she runs up to glomp her, her long blond hair swinging behind her.


    "Gabi!" squeals Lottie, perking up at the sight of her favourite sister. They hug and kiss. It''s sweet that they''re so close.


    "It''s a bit early for Halloween," says Gabi. "Are you practicing?"


    "We''re having trouble¡­ we can''t get these witch costumes off," says Lottie, her dark green bottom lip trembling.


    Gabi doesn''t get it. She stares up with big blue eyes and smile. "Awww. Well you''re a beautiful witch. You''re always beautiful. You''re Lottie. And you Astrid... Being green does suits you."


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    00O00


    Upstairs I have to take a look in the mirror. I do look weird. My vivid green face and bright red hair are such a clash of lurid colours. The whites of my eyes and my teeth make a weird contrast with the rest of my face. But I''ve got to be the strong one. I won''t obsess over my green face.


    Later, Lottie and I are poring over the book. It''s handwritten and the handwriting is terrible. Lottie has more trouble deciphering it than I do, and it makes her cross. But now I''ve found a chapter I want ¨C The Art of the Necromancer. Talking to the dead.


    "I wanted to find out how to not be a witch anymore," says Lottie, folding her arms.


    "I will help with that, but first, you know I want our Dad back. OK¡­ there is a spell to raise the dead. What''s that say?" I can''t pronounce it. "Emoc stirips emoc¡­?"


    The lights grow dim. "What is it?" cries Lottie. Her green face looks weirder in the near dark. There''s a whispering all around us. Shadows are materialising in the corners of the room¡­!

 Animating a Skeleton

    Astrid''s POV


    "Hey! Hey!" shrieks Lottie, her blue eyes wide and fearful in her green face. The shadows are whispering and swirling in the corners of the room. God, I''ve got to do something. I read on. "hsinab stirips."


    The whispering stops and the shadows seem to melt away. Gabi''s pounding on the door, wanting to know what Lottie was shrieking about. I stuff the book away and Lottie lets her in. They sit on the bed and Lottie puts her arms around her. "We''re being witches," she tells her. "But I''m not enjoying it. I''ve been turned into a frog lady and want to turn back."


    "Play something else with me then."


    Lottie and Gabi go downstairs to play Hocus Pocus ¨C blobby tetris with witch characters ¨C on the Playstation. I read through the spell book on my own. Hmm Necromancery is seriously complicated. I look for healing spells. Maybe I can cure cancer or AIDS now? As it happens, I can''t find any spell like that, but I find a spell to cure boils. Worth knowing. OK, better not be too ambitious, given I''m a raw rookie witch. Don''t wanna make anything dreadful happen.


    Perhaps I can practice basic spells until my magic improves? I find out how to conjure rainbow lights. I make sparkly lights appear around my green fingers and flick. A rainbow appears above me and then fades away. That''s pretty, but not much use. There''s an animation spell that looks like it''s just another simple trick. I memorise it. The word ''Sanima.''


    Next I read about how to fight without hurting anyone. I like that idea. I read how to cast a sneezing charm. Then there''s a chapter called Heart''s Desire. It''s about love potions and stuff like that, but this kind of thing is a no-no. And I do hope Lottie''s not going to pursue her silly fantasies about teachers.


    I find a chapter on Voice Magic. I try a simple spell, to throw my voice, but it doesn''t work. Figures. A witch is supposed to be able to mimic different voices too. I''d like to be able to do that. I''m looking through the chapter when Mum comes back. Her voice carries up the stairs. "Lottie? Why are you dressed like this?"


    "We''re being sponsored to dress as witches over Halloween, Astrid and I."


    Why did Lottie lie? Because the truth would be harder for Mum to handle? Or is it in case I fail to get Dad back, and she doesn''t want to get hopes up? I don''t like lying, but I''ll let it go for now.


    Mum shakes her head when she sees me. "Oh Astrid, look at you."


    "It''s for a good cause, Mum." Well that''s the truth.


    In the bathroom, Lottie and I lock ourselves in and take a look at our bodies. I have garish green arms and legs, like I''m a giant frog. I think I''m about half-way between being the colour of grass and the colour of Chartreux. My fingernails are a darker green ¡­ I''m just green all over. Lottie''s exactly the same and now she''s in the bath. She''s getting angsty, trying to wash the green off her.


    "Don''t hurt yourself," I urge when she scrubs at her skin. "It''ll take magic to turn you back. To get good enough at magic, we''ll have to practice. If we can make simple spells work, that''s a start."


    She turns to me. Her long blond hair is sopping wet and hangs limp, framing her dazzling green face. The electric light shines off her nose and cheeks. "Yeah? What can spells do, exactly? Can I make Jason¡­ or any hot guy¡­ love me by using a spell or potion?"


    I fold my arms. "Absolutely not. Can''t you see how creepy the idea of love potions is? We''re going to focus on changing you back. And we''re not going to be wicked witches."


    She sticks out her dark green tongue at me. "Wicked witches¡­? I wish you could hear how pompous you sound."


    "Shuttup and look at this." I pick up a plastic bathtoy ¨C a green frog. "Samina!" The frog wriggles out of my green fingers and jumps into Lottie''s hair.


    "Hey? What ya do that for?" She complains, running her fingers through her hair and grabbing the frog. She drops it onto the bathroom floor and it jumps up again. This time I catch it. It feels weird¡­ like there''s energy ticking inside it.


    "Sorry about that. I was trying out an animation spell. The frog was almost like a real frog for a sec." I think about this. "You want to turn back, but I wanna train and be a proper witch. I need a familiar. Hmm."


    Lottie wrinkles her shiny green nose. "I get it. You want a frog, because we look like frog people."


    "Not a frog. I was thinking maybe an owl, like Harry Potter had."


    She flicks her wet hair away from her face. "That''s just a story. Harry Potter wasn''t a real witch like us, cos he only had a little scar, and everyone loves him."


    Is she ever going to give it a rest, this constant complaining about her green skin?


    I stroke my cheek in thought. "Or a cat. I love Pebbles, our friend Katie''s cat."


    Lottie sniggers. "You should tell Katie that you''re going to take Pebbles and fly away on your broomstick. See what she does."


    I pull a face at her, sticking out my green tongue as far as it''ll go.


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    00O00


    My sisters and I are crowded into my room. I had the idea to study more magic, but Lottie and Gabi are playing. They''re wrestling on the floor while I''m on the bed.


    Gabi pins Lottie down and Lottie lets her. Gabi''s giggling madly. "I''ll get ya, witch!"


    Yeah, Lottie has told Gabi that we are both real witches now and that our greenness ain''t really makeup. Gabi seems fine with it. What d''ya know?


    Lottie overpowers Gabi and starts to tickle her. Gabi screams with laughter and kicks her legs. Lottie cackles theatrically. "Surrender, or I''ll turn your skin green so that we''ll look like sisters again!"You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Gabi''s pink with laughing so much. "I surrender. Gerroff!"


    "Alright then." Lottie kisses her on the forehead.


    I don''t want to interrupt them. I''m just glad Lottie''s finally being positive about things and Gabi still adores her just the same as before. I know that neither of my sisters loves me the way they love each other. I was Daddy''s girl¡­ I stare at the ceiling and think of him. You broke my heart when you died, Daddy. You left me with just memories and our special song that I sing alone now. But I''m going to get you back and then I''ll never let you go. I''ll never take things for granted again. I''ll use magic, so I can hold your ghost tight. I dream of reaching through the ether and grabbing you with my green hands and then you tell me that everything''s alright¡­


    "Astrid''s a sleepy witch!" Gabi''s voice goes through my head like an alarm clock and I jerk awake.


    I sit up, blinking. "Sorry. Yeah¡­ I dozed off. Here, let me show you a simple spell." I''ve made a paper bird and hold it up so they can see. "Samina!" A warmth spreads though my fingers into the paper and my little bird flutters across the room.


    Gabi claps and whoops.


    "You try now, Lottie. This spell''s nice and easy to start out with."


    Lottie picks up Gabi''s teddy bear. "Look, Sis. I can bring Mr Groofles to life. Samina!"


    Mr Groofles moves his stubby limbs and turns his head. Lottie speaks in a gruff voice. "I''m Mr Groofles and I want to hug Gabi." Lottie puts the moving teddy into Gabi''s arms and it tries to hug her with its little arms.


    Gabi squeals. "You''re the coolest, Big Sis. When''re you going to kidnap a Princess and lock her in a tower?"


    I stick out my dark green tongue at her. "That''s stereotyping, Gabi."


    Lottie rubs her shiny green nose. "When''ll I kidnap a Princess? How about¡­ Now!" Lottie grabs her. "Gotcha, my pretty. You weren''t that alert. You''re still in your Princess Pajamas." Gabi is wearing Disney Princess themed pyjamas (Anna from Frozen). My sisters giggle madly and rub their noses together. Awww.


    Lottie isn''t all that enthusiastic about studying spells tonight. She''d rather play than study. But when the grandfather clock chimes the stroke of midnight, I''m still awake, learning a new spell. This one is ''Ocseglana.'' It''s to take pain away. It''s the simplest healing spell there is. Just a bit of pain relief. If I can do all the basic spells, I know I can then get started as a necromancer. I don''t like having to wait, but I still don''t wanna rush things¡­ I read on until I fall asleep without realising and wake up at seven, the spell book open beside me.


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    00O00


    Great. Time for our first day showing up at highschool looking like frog princesses. Lottie''s nervous ¨C she''s breathing hard as we step in the school gates and I give her hand a reassuring squeeze.


    A knot of girls nearby gawp at us. "What''re you like, doing? You can''t come into school looking like that."


    "I was the prettiest girl in the entire school," mutters Lottie through clenched teeth. In the locker area everyone''s pointing and staring.


    "It''ll be alright." I hope I sound reassuring enough. I kiss her on the cheek and now I have to get a move on to make first period in the science block across the site.


    I try to tune out all the pointing and muttering as I walk briskly across the quadrangle: "She looks seasick" ¡­ "so green around the gills" ¡­ "what''s she thinking, dressing up as a witch" ¡­ "great costume¡­"


    Suddenly I hear a group of boys taunting someone else. They''re bothering Ralph, a kid with really bad acne. "You look like you have leprosy!"


    "Moon face! You have craters like the Moon!"


    I whirl round. "Hey! Leave him alone."


    One of the idiots points at me. "The artichoke is steamed!"


    I glare round at them. Too bad I don''t know any hexes. "Really witty. Stop bothering Ralph and mind your own business."


    "Alright. Don''t put a spell on us."


    They can''t know I''m a real witch. Or at least I hope they don''t. I think that they think that I have some skin condition and are acting stupid the same way they do around Ralph. Ralph sniffles all of a sudden. I lead him away and peer into his face. "Are you alright?" I think he might wanna cry. I''m going to comfort him. We sit on a bench and I take a chocolate and marshmallow bar from my bag and offer him half. "Here."


    "Oh it''s alright really¡­" he says feebly.


    "Don''t be stupid," I snap. He takes the candy.


    I''d like to be able to help him with the acne, but I shouldn''t try any acne cure until I really know what I''m doing. If I got it wrong, he might end up looking like me.


    At that moment, some idiots kicking a ball around send it flying and it hits Ralph in the head.


    "Watch what you''re doing!" I yell at them. They stare at me, wide-eyed, but don''t answer.


    I turn to Ralph and put my green hands to his temples. "Ocseglana." I feel my hands glow. "There. That better?"


    "Yes. It feels fine now."


    "Good." I pat him on the arm. "We''d better get to class."


    "You''re a great girl Astrid," he mumbles.


    "I hope so." My mind jumps to how I want Daddy to be proud of me when I get him back. Thinking about Daddy brings a lump to my throat.


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    00O00


    Lottie''s POV


    Oh God¡­ I''m not looking forward to this. I''ve gone from being beautiful, to looking like a freak. Brittany and a group of her hangers on are lounging around the door of the English classroom.


    Brittany sneers at me. "What are you doing, Lottie? You look so freaky." The others giggle.


    Oh ¨C My ¨C God¡­ that hurts. And I thought I''d mentally prepared myself for stuff like this. My bottom lip''s quivering. And now Jason''s coming down the corridor. Gotta pull myself together¡­


    "Do you have some disease?" Says Britanny, pointing at me.


    Jason hears and glares. "Don''t you dare pick on Lottie," he says sternly. "And never make fun of illness. Do you understand?"


    My heart melts and turns to jelly. Jason''s sticking up for me. Such a hero. I blink back tears and smile at him. He touches my arm in reassurance, but I really want him to hug me¡­


    The book in class today is Jane Eyre. The topic is the Madwoman in the Attic. Rochester''s poor mad wife, Bertha.


    At the end, I hang back.


    Jason smiles at me and gestures to the seat by the desk for me to sit. "You have a question, Lottie? Or is anything wrong? I was sorry to see Brittany picking on you earlier. She''s completely out of order."


    Does he think I really have a disease? Well, what else should he think? I don''t want him to know I''m a witch.


    I touch my green cheek. "Yeah. I have a condition." I love that he cares. Emotions well up in me and ¡­ Oh God, I''m crying. The tears are rolling down my cheeks.


    "There, there." He stands touches my shoulder and I stand and hug him fiercely and sob on his shoulder, my tears wetting his jacket. He feels so strong¡­ so warm¡­ His scent is pure, warm and herbal. I don''t wanna let go.


    He awkwardly puts his arms around me. I wish he''d hug me real tight. "No one who loves you will care about the condition, Lottie. And if anyone taunts you, then they''re the sort of person whose opinion doesn''t matter."


    He''s so right. Gabi loves me exactly the same¡­ Could Jason possibly come to love me?


    We walk together down the corridor. It''s deserted. Someone''s been putting up Halloween decorations. Paper cobwebs, rubber spiders, even model skeletons. I''m feeling a whole lot better. I talk to Jason about the Madwoman in the Attic from Jane Eyre, the character we were talking about in class. "It''s so sad that we don''t know Bertha''s real story. I mean, we only hear about her from Rochester, and he was biased."


    Jason nods. "Absolutely right. But she''s not entirely powerless, Bertha. She looms over the novel, and over Jane, like a dark sister, like the demon the good girl has inside her, acting out her dark and secret desires..."


    At that point, Ms King, the drama teacher comes up to us and actually flutters her eyelashes at Jason! I feel a flash of indignation. Weirdly, she takes no more notice of me than if I were some silly Halloween decoration, like the model skeleton...!


    "So Jason, have you thought any more about our dinner date." She grabs his arm with her hands with badly painted fingernails that look like painted red talons.


    I feel a spark of anger in me at her grabbing him. I touch the skeleton and whisper: "Samina."


    The skeleton moves and its bony hands reach for Ms King who screams¡­

 Raising the Dead

    Lottie''s POV


    The skeleton grips Ms King''s shoulders and its jaws snap open and closed *click clack*


    She jumps and screams and whirls round, but the skeleton clings to her shoulders going, it''s jaws clacking a rhythm *click clack*


    Jason starts forward. "Corinne¡­!"


    I snap my fingers, taking the spell off. The finger snapping isn''t strictly necessary, I just had to make an effort of will to cancel the spell. The skeleton slides to the floor, a pile of plastic bones. Ms King leaps back, nearly colliding with the trophy cabinet.


    "Are you OK, Ms King?" I ask, trying not to smirk.


    "T-That thing, it grabbed me!" she gibbers, pointing at the plastic bones.


    I nudge the bone heap with my foot. "Nope. They''re just plastic." I grin at her. "Were you enacting the Skeleton Dance from the Silly Symphony? I like those old cartoons. They''re sooo trippy. Ghosts¡­ skeletons¡­ witches¡­ Who could ask for more?"


    Ms King frowned. "Certainly not! The thing grabbed me ¨C it ¨C I¡­" Perhaps she realises how dumb she sounds, because she flushes a little. I can see that, even though she''s wearing too much makeup.


    "Are you sure you''re alright? Maybe a cup of strong, sweet tea?" says Jason kindly.


    "No ¨C No- I''d better be getting along." Ms King hurries off.


    "I hope she''s OK," I say, rubbing my nose. I''m trying to make my tone imply, ''has she been drinking?''


    "A flair for the dramatics is natural for those with a passion for acting," says Jason, but he sounds a bit uncomfortable.


    I''ve got to show Jason I care about him. "I ¨C I wanted to say, I really appreciate what you''re doing for our class," I stammer, gazing into his soft brown eyes. I touch his arm. "I''m not always the best student in every class, but you''ve made the topic come alive for all of us. I''m really happy that you''re taking my English class."


    God, I sound lame. Well at least I can''t blush anymore. How am I supposed to tell Jason I care about him, the man, not just the teacher?


    "Thank you very much, Lottie. It means a lot when a student appreciates my efforts," he says graciously. "And if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, I''ll always be there to listen."


    That''s so sweet! I feel tears coming to my eyes. He could come to love me, I know it. I''m a witch now, not just a dizzy schoolgirl. I can do magic. I must find a way to show him how much I care.


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    00O00


    Astrid''s POV


    Biology class now. I''m getting stares and a few kids pull weird faces at me. I scowl back at them.


    Mrs Rose, the biology teacher, gives a little start at the sight of me, but then she smiles awkwardly and gets started on the lesson.


    First part is her talking about diabetes. Lex, the girl I''m sitting next to has diabetes. She''s brave about it. She shares with the class how she needs insulin injections. It''s weird that medical science hasn''t managed to come up with a real cure. Well, that''s something to add to my list of witchcraft goals. I will find a way to help Lex. There''s so much I need to do¡­ The school makes Lex trek all the way to the nurse to get her injections. She''s not allowed to do it herself on school grounds, even though she can when she''s not at school. What a stupid rule.


    Lex tells us about the time immediately following her diagnosis. "I had a total problems with needles, I was not good with blood, I was not good at anything I had to deal with today. But I''m going to be on insulin for the rest of my life."


    I pair up with her for the experiment we have to do next. It''s on an unrelated topic. We are about to dissect a poor dead frog.


    "You truly are an inspiration," I tell Lex, touching her pale hand with my green one. "You were so strong."


    Aggie, a mean girl, pulls a face at me. "You look like you have a real condition, Astrid. I mean, you look truly awful. But Lexi¡­ she''s faking it so she can skip classes and have snacks between meals."


    Lex turns even paler than usual and her green eyes widened.


    "Take that back," I tell Aggie, quietly.


    "What? About you looking awful? Alright, you don''t look awful ¨C you look positively diseased. Radioactive, even."


    "What I meant was this - how dare you accuse Lex of faking a very real illness that could threaten her life?" I''m breathing through my nose and glaring at Aggie.


    "It''s OK, honey. I''m used to that kind of thing," mumbles Lex.


    It''s not alright with me. I lean my face close to Aggie. "You won''t apologise to us?"


    She shrinks away from me. "Don''t get too close, I don''t want whatever it is you have."


    I snatch her pencil case from her desk and chuck it across the room. "Fetch."


    Aggie cries out. "Girls!" Remonstrates Mrs Rose.


    "Sorry, Mrs Rose. Won''t happen again," I say. I turn to Lex. "Please get the safety goggles and I''ll ¡­ sort something out."


    Lex goes to get the goggles. She won''t see, then.


    When Aggie turns to get her pencil case, I quickly lean across the desk and touch her dead frog. "Samina."This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    The frog twitches. Its dead limbs are infused with motion again. When Aggie sits back down I will her frog to jump at her. She shrieks as it leaps into her hair and slithers down her neck.


    "It''s alive! It''s attacking me! It''s down my back! Gettit!"


    The class bursts out laughing. Lex stares at her, wide eyed. I will the frog to jump up again.


    "It''s jumping up! Gettit!"


    "Silly girl, what do you think you''re doing?" Ms Rose is cross.


    "It''s the frog, it jumped at me!"


    I make the frog slither up to the back of her neck and then release the spell. Mrs Rose goes over to her and picks the dead amphibian from her collar. And shakes it in her face. "It''s dead, as you can see perfectly well. Now stop mucking about in my class."


    OK¡­ I don''t know if what I just did was right, but Aggie had better not make me mad again.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    00O00


    Lunch break. I''ve got to plan ahead. First thing''s first. I''ve got a list of goals now and I know where to start. I need Daddy''s guidance really, if I am to begin to prioritise. So first I get him back. Next, I''ll make a plan about curing disease. Maybe I can help Lex.


    I go back to the boiler room. There''s the door, just the same. I do wonder why no one else has found it. Was Lottie the only non-witch ever to see it? She was the one who took me here, I didn''t actually find it on my own like she did. And if she was the only one who found it on her own, then why her?


    The mirror''s eerie glow casts flickering shadows on the stone walls. "Mirror Girl?" I call.


    "Why do you call me ''Mirror Girl'', you feisty witch?" she asks. "I find it demeaning."


    "I can call you something pretty if you want. What about¡­ Miri? Now listen, Miri." I put my hands to my hips. I''ve thought about what I want to say. "You''ve got to answer some questions. You helped make two witches and you''ve marked us out as different from normal people. It''s your duty to give guidance."


    "Alright then. Miri it is. As for guidance - you want to know more about Necromancy?"


    "Yeah¡­" She''s reading my mind again. I just know it.


    The outline of a door glimmers in the far wall. I hadn''t seen it there before. It has been revealed by magic. "You want to challenge the natural law for the one you love most. Be advised that this is a dangerous path and you invite great risk to yourself."


    I nod. "I''m sure. But Daddy would do it for me in a heartbeat."


    "There is in fact a way ¨C a simple spell to bring back a departed soul and it won''t fail to do that. It is in another spellbook. Not the one you already have. But be warned ¨C the danger is very real."


    "Thank you, Miri."


    I push open the door and wrinkle my nose at the fusty reek of the passage ahead. Oh dear¡­ My bright green hands seem to be giving off a sickly light of their own. It looks like they''re floating ahead of me in the blackness. The tunnel winds down. My feet move through dust and cobwebs.


    At the end of the passageway I see a faint light coming from the stones in the ceiling. I hear a harsh, squeaky voice. "Hey greenie, you gave me a fright."


    "Whaaa-?" I see a strange, knobbly little stone creature hobbling around another stone door. Thinking back, Iremember know what it is. I read about them in the spellbook I got yesterday. A troll. But the book didn''t say they were really small.


    "Hello, little troll. You gave me a fright too."


    "Witches are scarier than trolls." The little creature hobbles next to me as I shove the door open.


    "Well¡­ maybe. I''m Astrid. Have you got a name?"


    "Jasper. I was the only pebble in my clan. A runt. The others picked on me, so I ran away."


    "Aw. Sorry to hear that, little guy."


    The chamber beyond is like a cavern. But there''s a pillar of light here. I can see something suspended in the light. A book. A volume bound in black leather. There''s a glint¡­ something tied to it. A knife? I reach for the book and remove it from the light. Did I hear a faint scream in the distance? There''s a silver dagger tied to the book. The book is titled the Codex Mortis. Urgh! The leather on the front cover is shaped like a leering face.


    "That would be for sacrificing," said Jasper. "That book is about Necromancy. Creepy stuff. But since you''re a witch you don''t have to kill anything. Giving some of that green stuff you have instead of blood will do to conjure a spirit. You don''t have to sacrifice anything."


    I pull a face. "Right. Good to know." I hate that he talks about sacrifice so casually. I certainly won''t be doing any of that.


    I''m going to conjure tonight, so help me.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    00O00


    Lottie''s POV


    What a day. It''s not easy, being green. My friends are all acting weird about it. And the boys still gawp, but not the way that flatters me. I''m just glad to be back home and reading to Gabi again this evening. I can feel normal again, just for a little while.


    I''m reading her part of Harry Potter.


    "You won''t go away to magic school, will you Lottie?" Gabi''s blue eyes are wide and anxious.


    "No, Lil Sis." I stroke her long hair.


    "Will ya get a castle? Like Elsa?" She plucks at her Pyjamas. She''s wearing Elsa Pyjamas tonight. She frowns. "If you do, you''d better take me with you, OK? I thought about it. I''d rather go away with you then stay here without you."


    I put my arms around her. "Of course I''ll take you ¨C if I ever do get a castle. Dunno if I will." It''d be quite cool if I had a castle. Either way, my being a witch had better not come between me and Gabi. I still think it''s not fair that I was the one who wasn''t warned exactly what it''s like. Astrid was the one who made herself a witch knowing full well she''d become freaky and green. Talking of Astrid, she''s snuck off on some witchy business tonight. I suppose a witch is allowed to. We''re supposed to skip around in the moonlight, aren''t we?


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    00O00


    Astrid''s POV


    God, the graveyard is creepy in the ghostly moonlight. But my perspective on creepy is different now. I''ve been reading the Codex Mortis and know some more tricks now. Here I am beside Daddy''s grave. "I back again, Daddy," I murmur. "This time I have something better than flowers." I hold up the Codex Mortis. My green hands are almost luminous in the moonlight.


    "I like the ambience," says Jasper.


    Jasper the troll is tagging along. I can use the company.


    The instructions in the Codex Mortis are weird. I''ve gotta will myself to find the right spell and trust in my magic to find it. I concentrate and rifle through the heavy pages. OK, here''s the page ¨C I have a strong feeling about it¡­ The words are in pen ¨C a weird alphabet, but somehow I can understand it and whisper a long stream of gibberish aloud. Then I grit my teeth, and cut my arm with the dagger in the right place. A trickle of green blood falls onto the grave.


    Suddenly, emerald fire leaps up around us. We''re in a circle of the green fire. My hearts'' really thumping. Is this it? Dare I hope?


    I can see the silhouette of a man¡­ It must be him! "Daddy?"


    Now I can see his fuzzy outline! My heart leaps. "Astrid?" His voice is echoey, but it''s him alright.


    I drop the book and knife and fling my arms around his shadowy form. He''s light as paper, but I can hold him. It''s part of being a witch, I guess. I can hold ghosts. I''m sobbing hard on his shoulder just as I used to, and I feel the light touch of his hands gently rubbing my back in comfort. "Everything is alright now, Precious Pumpkin. I don''t know how, but we''ve found each other again, no matter what we both look like. That''s all that matters."


    "I ¨C I can''t tell you how awful it''s been without you with me," I say between my sobs.


    Jasper''s voice chirps up. "We might have a problem. This kind of conjuring draws unwanted attention. Magic demands a balance. You conjure a good man and then an evil man can take a shot at breaking through uninvited. Magic will put a damper on things. That''s balance."


    I''m not really listening to the little troll, but now I''m getting a real creepy feeling, that something''s watching us¡­ something bad.


    A shadow looms over us all... A shadow with glowing, red eyes. Daddy and I instinctively clutch hold of each other. Oh God, what have I done? The shadow takes the form of a man with bulging bloodshot eyes. The evil spirit bares yellowed teeth at us. His fingers extend to a grotesque length.


    "H-Hello¡­" the strained voice of a crazy person. "Tonight, I''d like to t-thank you for leaving a tear in the veil that I could find. I haven''t breathed air forthirty years! My body is but a hollow structure." The horror makes a dreadful, slurping sound. "My clay fingers bring the touch of the grave. Young witch ¨C your slender green body is so much fun. I want to give you a big stroke!"

 Revenge of the Vampire

    Astrid''s POV


    Oh my God¡­ I''ve gotta fix this now! I frantically flick through the Codex Mortis, willing myself to find a banishing spell.


    Jasper the little troll gives a squeal and runs off into the darkness.


    "Stay away from my daughter, you monster!" Daddy tells the evil spirit that looms above us. Daddy will always be protective of me, even though I''m the one with all the power¡­


    My witchy instincts tell me I''ve found the spell. It has to be good enough. I scream an incantation, giving it all my energy. I strike the spectre with a bolt of green lightning, tearing a great rent in his smoke-like form. Like I''m possessed, I yell, "You''ll never be back as long as I''m standing, evil spook."


    The bad spirit hisses. "I will get to sample the delights of your flavour yet, young witch¡­ I''ll get you and then I''ll be able to summon the entire platoon¡­" But then it''s like it dissolves into the night and the evil voice fades away.


    I stagger and Daddy catches me. My energy''s drained, like I''ve just run a marathon, and my head''s spinning.


    Again ¨C what have I done?


    "Come, dearest. We have to get you home." Daddy''s voice is tender.


    "T- The evil ghost will be back¡­" I know that the ghost''s not gone for good. Witchy instinct again, I guess.


    "Not as long as you can still fight. We can deal with it together."


    Daddy''s as light as a cobweb now, but it''s his presence that inspires me to stand on my own two feet, so we can walk arm in arm back to the house. We''re at the front door. "Listen Daddy, Mum doesn''t really know Lottie and I are witches, so this will be a big surprise-"


    "Lottie a witch?" says Daddy. "I don''t know if she should have that much power. I know of course, that you cannot be corrupted."


    Could the power corrupt Lottie? I dunno¡­ we''ve got bigger problems than that at the moment, what with the terrible ghost coming back¡­


    Mum''s not back yet. I hear my sisters talking in Gabi''s room and run up the stairs, Daddy gliding behind me. I burst in. Lottie is sitting on Gabi''s bed, her arms around our little sister. The lamplight glints off their golden hair and shines of Lottie''s green nose and cheeks. They look up when I throw open the door. Lottie gives a start and her blue eyes widen. "Daddy? But ¨C How? What? Astrid?"


    She stands up and Daddy glides over to her. "Good to see you again, Lottie. And little Gabi, haven''t you grown?"


    Lottie hugs Dad quickly.


    "What? What d''ya mean? Why ya talking about Daddy?" Gabi''s genuinely puzzled. I get a sinking feeling. Can only witches see ghosts?


    Lottie sits back on the bed and puts an arm around Gabi. She seems to have guessed. "Can''t you see him, sweetie?"


    Instinctively I take Daddy''s hand. I''ve a feeling this will be hard on him. Gabi is staring up with wide blue eyes, but looking right through him.


    "I wanna see him. I do. I''m forgetting what he''s like," says Gabi. I feel my insides twisting in a knot. This is so hard¡­


    I force a smile for their benefit. "I brought Daddy back with some magic, but only witches can see him right now. We have to find more magic to make you see him, Gabi."


    "Well that can''t involve making her a witch as well," says Lottie with a sniff. "Gabi shouldn''t go through life looking like a frog princess."


    "None of my girls look like frog princesses," says Daddy sternly.


    "You don''t have to go to school looking like this, Daddy," says Lottie, pouting and touching her green cheek.


    "Lottie, don''t be cheeky," I tell her, putting my hands on my hips. "Daddy always knows best."


    "Thank you, Astrid," says Daddy.


    Lottie sticks out her dark green tongue at me. "You always want to remind us that you''re Daddy''s favourite girl."


    Gabi''s staring with wide, blue eyes. "It''s like you two are screaming at thin air."


    Oops. How could I forget? Gabi can''t see Daddy. I deserve to blush, but my green face cannot. I hold up my garishly coloured hands in a placating gesture. "Listen, Daddy, if you tell Gabi what you want to say, we can say it for you."


    Lottie makes a space on the bed and Daddy sits down between her and Gabi.


    "H-He''s sitting beside you," I tell Gabi. My voice trembles with emotion. I think I wanna cry.


    "Oh Gabi, I''m so close, but I''ve never been so far," says Daddy.


    Lottie brushes her yellow hair away from her green face. "Wait, that doesn''t make a whole lot of sense."


    I plump down on the bed too. "Don''t be so dumb, Lottie. It''s not that hard to understand. Daddy''s sad because he is here now, but Gabi can''t see him."


    "It''s like he''s in between worlds. Like us," says Lottie glumly. "Do we belong anywhere at all?"


    Gabi wrinkles her freckled nose. "I don''t like this."


    Oh dear¡­ think hard, Astrid. Stop Daddy''s homecoming getting really awkward.


    "Perhaps Daddy should tell us what it was like ¡­ on the other side?"


    Dad nods. "I ascended to the sphere of the Moon. Everything is bathed in an ethereal light. But I had unfinished business back on Earth. I believe the sphere above is not my ultimate destination. I knew I would have to help my daughters against a dire peril. I felt great sadness looking down and only able to watch the three of you grow up without me."


    "Daddy says he went to the Moon, but it was lonely without us," I say.


    Gabi pats Daddy''s arm, her hand going right through him. "Aw, sorry to hear that Daddy. Love ya."If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    I have to tell them what else happened. "Something bad got loose tonight."


    Daddy continues for me. "The shade of an evil man, from the black pits of the dark Netherworld. Astrid blasted him with magic, but ghouls of that kind are resilient and he will regenerate."


    Lottie glares at me. "Wait, this is because of your stupid necromancy, isn''t it Astrid?"


    "What''s done is done, there''s no point in the blame game," admonishes Daddy.


    Lottie sniffs and sticks her shiny green nose up. "Take her side, as always."


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    00O00


    Mum can''t see Dad either, so he can''t introduce himself. I''ll have to work on that, but right now I''m just so glad Daddy''s here to comfort me again¡­ I feel really bad. Daddy holds me in his arms and rocks me, just like he always did when I was really upset. I''ve been studying a spell for making magical darts. It''s simple enough that I can get the hang of it quickly. I really hope it''ll be of some use against ghosts, though I''m not sure¡­ the book says the darts are physical. The spectral banishment spells will take a lot more work to get the hang of. I''m so tired¡­


    My dreams are troubled. I see a scorched wasteland and the terrible shadow of the evil spirit looms over it. He makes an awful slurping sound. "I''m s-sending my friends round to your place for dinner, young witch. I am Clay Fingers. I bring the touch of the grave to the mortal world. I will defeat yer, witch and then I''ll be back." He holds a rusty knife in his long fingers and strokes the blade. "The feeling of rust against the fingers is exquisite," he moans. Then he stabs himself in the hand and blood gushes out... "I do like it when the red water comes out..." he rambles.


    Then an ethereal light surrounds me and I feel Daddy''s presence. Clay Fingers hisses, showing discoloured carnivore''s fangs. "Crawl back into your hole, evil-doer," says Daddy. "You have no power here."


    Clay Fingers retreats into the shadows, wiggling his unnaturally long fingers at me. "Expect your f-first guest in time for Halloween, witch. She''ll beat yer, so I can come back."


    I have a real bad feeling about this¡­


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    00O00


    Lottie''s POV


    Daddy''s ghost will follow Astrid around at school today. I suppose you could say he''ll be with her in spirit. That''s what Astrid wants. She was always the apple of his eye. And she''s gotta feel pretty bad if she really has unleased that ghoul or a vampire or whatever it is with her necromancy. Daddy will know how to comfort her, he always did.


    I looked ahead in our spellbook last night. The only new spell I''ve learned is one that makes iron rust fast. It''s called ''iron rot.'' Yeah. I''ve been reading more about love spells, and there are ones that make people more sensitive. More aware of people around them who love them. I don''t see how there''s any harm in that. But it looks complicated.


    Cheerleading squad meets up today. There''s a soccer match on Halloween. I''m head cheerleader. The squad is named after the school ¨C Shady Acres Angels, or just the Angels. But when I step into the gym hall for practice, the girls look round, some looking awkward, others sneering.


    Erica steps forward. "Ah, Lottie¡­ We thought I should tell you. Our squad is the Angels and to be brutally honest¡­" She bites her lip and flicks her blond ponytail. "Um¡­ well you look like a witch or something. Not an angel. You see why you can''t be an Angel anymore."


    I stand stock still. I don''t know what to say. Is everyone really so shallow?


    "Hope you get well soon," calls Steph. "You were the most beautiful girl in school, we all thought so."


    Sarah''s looking at the floor, her cheeks flushing pink.


    I don''t trust myself to speak without crying, so I rush out of the hall, furiously blinking back the tears. Roy from Biology class starts walking alongside me in the corridor.


    He pushes his lank, sandy hair away from his grey eyes. "You Okay, Lottie?"


    I sniff. "Not really, Roy. I''ve been kicked off the cheerleading squad because I don''t look like an Angel anymore."


    "Aw. Shame. I think you rock green skin." He gives his silly grin. It''s sweet that he actually thinks that his words are comforting. He touches my arm. "Listen, do you think I have a chance with Erica? I mean if I wore my coolest clothes, would she go out with me?"


    "Um¡­ you like Erica? She''s not a very kind girl."


    "Yeah, but she''s totally hot."


    Boys can be so silly about these things. "I wouldn''t want your feelings to be hurt."


    "I take things in stride. I do."


    Actually¡­ maybe we can help each other. "I have to give it some thought. Please get some sea slugs for me? The entire jar will do."


    Roy can swipe a jar better. All eyes are on me and my shiny green face yet again, but no one notices if he does silly things. Sea slug juice is an important ingredient in the spell of sensitivity I want to brew. Perhaps Roy and I can use it. At least I can make Jason realise I''m in love with him without my having to say it. And Erica can realise what Roy feels for her, though I can''t say how she''ll react¡­


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    00O00


    Astrid''s POV


    Halloween night. Lottie''s lost her position on the cheerleading squad. When she tells Dad and I, tears begin to stream down her green cheeks.


    We both hug her.


    "It was just a cheerleading squad. No loss," says Daddy soothingly.


    Lottie glares. "Just a cheerleading squad? I am a cheerleader. That''s what I should be. Not a green witch."


    "Not true," I say, patting her arm. "All that silly prancing around and chanting is beneath you. You''ll see you''re better off without it."


    We have to take Gabi trick and treating tonight. Even Lottie perks up as we walk down the street with everyone else in costume. For one night of the year, Lottie and I can just be ourselves. Daddy can too, although no one can see him. He''s a real ghost. He glides alongside us. A lady dressed as a witch waves at us. "Great costumes. Love the makeup!" She points at Lottie. "You really are a beautiful witch."


    Gabi''s dressed as a Princess. Anna from Frozen, I think. She tugs Lottie''s arm. "See? You''re still the coolest big sis."


    But Lottie''s distracted by something up ahead. "What''s that?" She points at it. Now I see huge, shambling figures¡­ like massive scarecrows with pumpkin heads. Glowing pumpkin heads with leering faces. Glowing with a ghostly blue fire¡­


    Daddy points at the scary glowing things. A great evil approaches! See the Jack-o''-lanterns? Those are its minions. An evil spirit directs them. I haven''t got a body. There''s nothing I can do to help, but see how they''re glowing with a blue light?"


    The Jack-o''-lanterns come at us quickly, with jerking, insect-like movements. Lottie instinctively takes Gabi in her arms, ready to take off.


    Think fast, Astrid. Of course! The magic dart spell I was studying last night. I''ve got some twigs to work the magic on. I take one out of my satchel. "Adika!"


    I fling it at the Jack-o''-lanterns and it hits one in its pumpkin head. The head explodes with a screaming sound and blue sparks fly upwards. The scarecrow body collapses.


    "Yeah! You got that squash-head good!" Says Lottie. Gabi whimpers, her face pressed against Lottie''s chest.


    "That''s my brave girl," says Daddy. "But stand firm¡­ there are others lurching this way."


    I fling more darts and squash-heads explode in blue sparks. That''s cleared the monsters away. But I''ve run out of twigs. I need more.


    Suddenly we hear a scream. There are more of those horrible squash-heads, and they''re carrying a struggling blond girl away.


    "Steph!" cried Lottie. I think I remember the name¡­ from Lottie''s old cheerleading squad.


    I point and yell. "After them! And we''ve gotta stick together!"


    We follow the squash-heads to a hill beyond the graveyard. The hill now has a wide cave entrance¡­ how? There''s a ghostly light emanating from it. The squash-heads carry the struggling Steph in, so we follow them into a narrow, earth tunnel. It reeks of damp earth and decay in here¡­ Lottie makes a disgusted sound. "There are centipedes and cockroaches here¡­"


    But that''s not all. The tunnel opens into a cavern. There''s a massive fireplace in one wall, with a fireplace in the shape of a massive, Jack-o''-lantern face and a ghostly, blue fire roaring in the grate. The squash-heads stand in one corner, still holding the screaming Steph.


    But again, that''s not all¡­ My hearts really thumping and Lottie''s breath is coming in ragged gasps. Gabi''s whimpering. Daddy holds my hand firmly. A hideous vampire woman stands by the fireplace, the livid lights playing over her ghastly face. She looks so, so old and ¡­ twisted. She leers at us, baring rotting fangs.


    "Greetings. You trespass in my lair, so you can be sacrifices as well. My name is Urtha. My confederate, Clay Fingers, cannot be here tonight. A struggle with a young witch weakened him too much, but he showed me the path he trod, from the Netherworld, back to the mortal realm. On this night, Halloween Night, I am at liberty to return without having to defeat the witch you made herself the conduit between worlds. Years ago, when I was but a vampire, another witch killed me with a stake¡­"


    She pulls back her jerkin to reveal a disgusting black hole where her chest should be. "But now I am resurrected with earth-fire. I am beyond un-death. I am greater than a vampire. I am a wamphyre! And now I shall dine on you all¡­"

 Wamphyres and Demonic Dolls

    Lottie¡¯s POV


    Oh God¡­ Gabi whimpers, pressing her face into my shoulder.  I¡¯m stopping Gabi from seeing the horrible vampire/wamphyre character showing off that she¡¯s literally got no heart.  It would frighten my little princess out of her skin and give her bad dreams.


    Astrid yells and chucks a spell at the horrible vampire thingy, but it does nothing - she just cackles, her twisted face sneering.  ¡°I am beyond undeath!  And you are a rank amateur and green around the gills!¡±  She waves her iron band in a claw like hand at the squash-heads.  ¡°I control the Haggwort, these feral earth demons!  Haggwort, attack the green hellions!¡±


    A bunch of the freaky scarecrows with squash heads shamble towards us.  Astrid takes off her hair grip and turns that into one of her magic darts and chucks it at one of the squash-heads, which explodes with a screaming sound.  Other squash-heads are dragging the screaming Steph to the wamphyre who bares her rotted fangs¡­ My heart thuds in my chest at the thought that the bloodsucker wants to dine on Steph, but I know I must act now!  The iron band, that seems to be the key.  I have been studying that spell to rot iron.


    I point a green finger at the iron band.  ¡°Eretsore!¡±


    The iron band rusts and then crumbles to powder.  Urtha shrieks.  ¡°Argh!   Witch!  You¡¯ve destroyed my iron band!  The Haggwort are wild and untamed¡­¡± the squash-heads drop Steph and grab Urtha instead.  Oh God¡­ they¡¯re flinging the wamphyre into the roaring blue fire.  I suppose they want revenge for her controlling them?  She shrieks and leaps out again, but now she¡¯s a skeleton, burning with blue flame which collapses onto the earthy floor I can¡¯t watch¡­ I have to close my eyes.  Next thing I know, the squash-heads are shuffling out of the cave.


    ¡°Let them go, they¡¯re returning to the earth,¡± says Daddy¡¯s echoey voice.


    The weird blue fire in the grate is dying down.  There¡¯s nothing left of Urtha but old bones.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s alright, Gabi,¡± I say, my voice trembling.  ¡°I¡¯ve stopped the wamphyre.¡±


    ¡°I knew you would.  You¡¯re the coolest.¡±


    Steph is sobbing on the ground and we go to comfort her.  Astrid grips her shoulders.  ¡°You OK?¡±


    I touch her tear stained cheek with my bright green fingers.  ¡°You¡¯re safe now, Steph.¡±


    Steph sniffs.  ¡°I know.  You did it, Lottie.  I saw¡­¡±  She hiccoughs.  ¡°I ¨C I¡¯m sorry the others kicked you off our cheerleading squad.  Erica¡¯s well out of order.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s mean,¡± says Gabi.


    I brush a tear off Steph¡¯s cheek.  ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that now.¡±  I¡¯m trying to sound soothing.


    She sniffs.  ¡°I guess witches and vampires are real.  And you and Astrid are witches.  I can¡¯t actually tell anyone, cos they¡¯ll think I¡¯m nuts.  Or hysterical.¡±


    I pat her arm.  ¡°Guess they will.¡±


    Steph gives a wry smile.  ¡°Anyway¡­ I see now that witches are good.  Wamphyres are obviously bad.  I wonder how a wamphyre came to be here at all?  She said when she was just a vampire, a witch killed her with a stake.  How did she come back?¡±


    Astrid bites her dark green bottom lip.  I wonder what¡¯s bothering her?


    <hr>


    00O00


    Astrid¡¯s POV


    OK, this is really bad.  That wamphyre appeared because of my big screw up with necromancy.  The barrow in the hill seals itself shut when we leave.  As far as anyone can see, it¡¯s just a hill now.  We¡¯re just taking Steph home when we see a lady in a really good witch costume standing in the road.  She has long red hair and she looks as witchy as me.  And she¡¯s carrying a broomstick!  She beams at us, her white teeth contrasting weirdly with her green face.  ¡°Hello, precious pumpkins!  And you good Sir.¡±  She curtseys.  ¡°Happy Halloween.  My name is Lilith.  I¡¯ve come to invite you to the Witches¡¯ Council.¡±


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Wait!  She can see Dad¡­That means she¡¯s a witch, like us.  Not just dressed like one.


    Lottie doesn¡¯t quite catch on.  ¡°Your costume is very good too.¡±


    ¡°Lottie¡­¡± I tug her sleeve.  ¡°Only witches can see ghosts.¡±  Lottie¡¯s blue eyes widen.


    ¡°Please, come with me,¡± says Lilith, reaching out a bright green hand.  ¡°I¡¯m afraid the Council does not take ¡®No¡¯ for an answer.¡±


    ¡°She speaks the truth.  But don¡¯t worry.  I¡¯ll be with you,¡± says Daddy.


    ¡°Steph, you alright to go home?¡± I ask her.


    Steph nods.  ¡°Definitely.  I¡¯ve had enough of Halloween.¡±


    I take Lilith¡¯s green hand in mine.  She smiles.  Gabi¡¯s gazing at her, wide-eyed.  ¡°You¡¯re a real witch, too!¡±


    Lilith taps her green nose and nods.  ¡°Come.¡±


    Lilith magically extends her broom to like three times its original length and helps strap Gabi to Lottie with a harness.  Gabi doesn¡¯t have our sense of balance, obviously.  I¡¯ve never flown before, but the moment my green hands touch the woody broomstick handle, I feel a throb of power.  The four of us get on and we¡¯re whisked through the air and high into the clouds.  The cold wind blasts me in the face.  Since I lost my hairpin, my loose hair gets blown back.  The moon rises above us, a ghostly galleon tossed on a sea of clouds.


    ¡°I¡¯m flying,¡± squeals Gabi.  She pauses.  ¡°It¡¯s really cold.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± says Lottie in her soothing voice.


    We alight on a mountain plateau?  Where are we exactly?  There¡¯s a huge, black mansion looming over us.  Lilith leads us to a pair of huge wooden doors which swing open.  The stone entrance hall is lit with black candles with eerie blue flames.  The uncanny light shines on the green and white faces of my sisters as they stare around, wide-eyed.  There are tapestries showing weird, unearthly scenes.


    Suddenly I realise Dad¡¯s not here.  ¡°Where is he?¡± I demand.


    Lilith pats my arm.  ¡°Ghosts come and go, dearie.  He¡¯ll be back soon enough.¡±


    We follow her into a wide room with one big window that lets in the moonlight.  There are two other green skinned witches seated at an ornately carved table.  One has a huge nose and chin, like a storybook witch.  The witch on her left looks sort of pretty, like Lilith, but with long black hair.  She¡¯s looking at us, a small smirk playing around her dark green lips.  Lilith smiles again, and sits on the right of the witch with the huge nose.  This witch has a more impressive chair.  It¡¯s almost like a throne.  She gazes at us.  ¡°Well met, Lottie and Astrid.  You stand here before the leading trio of the Witch Council.  I am Raina, the Head Witch.  On my left, sits Hecate.  Lilith, my deputy, you already know.  We always acknowledge those who have been blessed ¨C and cursed ¨C with witchhood.  You have accepted magic powers and the burden of eternal life.¡±


    ¡°Eternal life?  What do you mean?¡± I demand.


    Raina gazes at me impassively.  ¡°A witch cannot die.  How do you think I came to look like this?¡±  She taps her long nose.  ¡°I am three hundred years old.  Take it from me ¨C in a couple of centuries, you will struggle to remember the names of your mortal friends and family of today.¡±


    I don¡¯t like the sound of this at all.  Lottie gives a little strangled, squeaky sound.  She¡¯s holding Gabi¡¯s hand tight.


    ¡°I have also called you here for a darker purpose,¡± says Raina.  She glares at me.  ¡°Astrid ¨C you have dabbled in Necromancy and unleashed a force of evil on this world.  The ghoul, Clay Fingers.  You have three days and nights to lay the evil one to rest.  Fail to do so and you will incur my wrath.  If Clay Fingers harms any mortal, I will count it as a failure on your part as well.¡±


    I gulp.  ¡°B-But how¡­?¡±


    ¡°You will have to find a way,¡± she says unhelpfully.


    Beside me, Lottie sniffs.  ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, Sis,¡± says Gabi.


    ¡°Aw, bless her, can¡¯t you see how stressful the adjustment is?¡± croons Lilith.  She glides over to us and lays a hand on Lottie¡¯s arm.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna live forever,¡± says Lottie.  ¡°It¡¯s messed up.  I¡¯ll outlive Gabi ¨C and Gabi¡¯s kids too.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it in time and you have endless ages,¡± says Lilith sadly.  ¡°But if you really need to talk further, I can schedule it.¡±


    Yeah, this is disturbing, but right now, I¡¯ve got a huge problem.  How do I deal with the spooks when the scary witch lady won¡¯t help?


    <hr>


    00O00


    The next evening I¡¯m babysitting.  I need a little extra cash, and Sophie, the kid I babysit, is sweet really.  She¡¯s not strong and needs caring for.  Poor kid often has nosebleeds and fainting fits, but Samantha, the Mum, trusts me to look out for her.  Dad¡¯s gone off again, so I¡¯m going on my own.


    Lottie and I spun the story to her over the phone that we have a weird skin disorder.  One that turns our skin green.  She didn¡¯t question it.  I¡¯m a bit apprehensive at what she¡¯ll think, though.  But when I get there, I find Sam¡¯s eyes are red like she¡¯s been crying.  ¡°Hey Astrid.  Do come inside.¡±  She doesn¡¯t even seem to notice my green skin.  I wonder what¡¯s on her mind.


    We sit on the couch.  Sam speaks in a trembling voice.  ¡°Listen, honey¡­ My Sophie has been diagnosed with leukaemia.¡±


    ¡°Oh My God.  That¡¯s awful!¡±


    Sam nods.  Her eyes are tearing up again.  Just days ago, there would have been nothing I could do about this tragedy.  Maybe now there is.


    ¡°I ¨C I¡¯m sorry you are ill,¡± says Sam.


    ¡°Oh Sam, it¡¯s nothing.  Just green skin.  You and Sophie are the ones who deserve sympathy.  Wish I could help¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh sweetie, there¡¯s nothing you can do.¡±


    Little does she know¡­


    <hr>


    00O00


    After Sophie has had a snack, we play the video game Bubble Bobble, about two cute little dragons that shoot bubbles from a cannon.


    ¡°Astrid.  You know I have leukaemia?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sophie.  But I want to help.¡±


    Her hazel eyes are wide.  ¡°Really?  How?¡±


    Oops.  What am I doing, getting her hopes up now?  I¡¯m just a rookie witch who¡¯s already dug herself into a hole with all her blunders.


    ¡°I mean¡­ I hope I can find a way.  Your Mum will be working hard on it too.¡±  I think I¡¯d better distract her.  I try to animate a furry bear glove puppet with an animation spell that¡¯s one stage more advanced than the ¡®Samina¡¯ spell.  It¡¯s one for cherished objects.  But it does nothing.  Great.  I¡¯m truly a rookie witch.


    Suddenly the screen flickers into static and then to my horror the image of Clay Fingers appears on the screen.  ¡°H-Hello, witch.  I ¨C I¡¯m sending a friend over for a bite.  A h-hungry little chap.¡±


    A shadow appears and alights on one of Sophie¡¯s toys in the corner.  A broken doll with a disfigured mouth wrapped in a white nightshirt.  Its eyes flick open and glow red.


    Sophie gives a little squeak of fear.  The doll hisses.  ¡°I hate choo!  I¡¯m gonna eat choo!¡±  It jumps at us, snapping its jaws and I kick it hard, sending it careening across the floor.  It goes rolling down the hall and then tumbles down the cellar steps.


    ¡°Stay here!¡±  I warn Sophie.


    I have a twig in my pocket to make a magic dart.  I¡¯ve got it ready now.  I creep down the spiral steps into the cellar.  The light is really poor and it smells musty.  Suddenly, something hard and metal hits my leg and trips me.  I scream and fall, so that I¡¯m hanging off the staircase, only held in place because of my green foot stuck between the steps.  The blood¡¯s rushing to my head and my heart¡¯s really thumping.


    The doll lurches out of the gloom holding a hammer.  It¡¯s hideous face creases into a parody of a smile.  It¡¯s wielding a hammer.  ¡°How¡¯s it hanging, witch?¡±  It leaps up and hits my foot so that I fall headfirst onto the stone cellar floor.  My neck snaps ¡­ everything is going black¡­

 Death and Immortality

    Astrid''s POV


    I hear Daddy''s voice. "Wake up, Astrid!"


    Slowly, painfully, I come to¡­ I''m hurting all over. I twitch my right arm. There''s something wrong with my left. I struggle to my feet. What I see nearly makes me pass out again. I''m looking down at my back and at my arse! I can''t see my chest at all.


    "Daddy¡­ I can see my arse¡­!" I say, my voice choking up.


    "You live Astrid. You can never pass through the veil like I did. You will overcome any physical setback."


    "What¡­ is this what living forever means?"


    "Right now, there is an evil spirit lurking in the cellar."


    Daddy''s right. I catch sight of the terrible doll scuttling out of the shadows. Daddy floats over to it and it hisses and scuttles back into a corner.


    Sophie''s voice floats down the stairs. "Astrid? What happened? I heard crashing and banging?"


    "Go to her. I can linger to hold the monster at bay," urges Daddy.


    "Coming, honey!" I call up the stairs. I awkwardly shuffle backwards up the staircase. My neck''s not only broken, it''s twisted right round, one hundred and eighty degrees. My left arm''s broken and hanging limp by my side.


    Sophie''s staring wide-eyed. "Astrid ¨C What¡­? How¡­? What''s wrong with your neck? Did you fall and hurt yourself?"


    I don''t know exactly how to reassure her, when I''m looking like I do, with my head on backwards and moving around like a broken crab. I''ve gotta figure something out. I try to smile. "Come sit with me, Sophie."


    Sophie takes my unbroken arm and leads me to the sofa. I sit down very awkwardly. She picks up the furry bear glove puppet. "MrFurry wants to make it better. Look, he loves you." She touches the bear to my green hand. I feel warmth spread through me and something like a static shock prickle from my green fingers into the bear.


    At that moment, I hear the front door and my heart sinks. Sam''s back. Great. How''s this gonna look?


    "Hey darlings, I''m home!" Sam sees me and her blue eyes start out of her head and she staggers. She goes deathly white, like she''s about to faint.


    "Don''t worry, Sam, I should''ve told you, I''m really a witch," I blurt out. Great. Now I''ve done it.


    "Poor Astrid''s got a broken neck. Help fix it," urges Sophie.


    "No¡­ wait¡­" I grip my head and twist it back the right way round. At that moment, I feel a crackling of energy as my bones fuse together again. Mr left arm repairs itself too.


    Sam comes over to us.


    "What does it all mean? W-what happened?" She''s breathing hard, her boobs rising and falling. She touches my green cheek. "You''re alright? You scared me sick." Her voice is trembling. She puts an arm around me.


    "Listen, magic is real," I gabble. "I turned myself into a witch voluntarily, so I could get Dad back, but everything''s going wrong. I''m a rubbish witch."


    "Mr Furry says, ''cheer up!''" chimes Sophie, reaching across her mum and touching the bear to me again. I feel warmth spread through me again. Has my spell actually done something to the bear?


    Daddy appears beside me. "You did enchant the bear, but the enchantment waxes with displays of affection. The little girl and her mother are both showing you affection now. Use this spell. You need to now¡­"


    There''s a scuttling sound and the demonic doll appears, clacking its jaws shut. Sam''s blue eyes open wide again and Sophie gives a little squeal. "It''s horrible."


    I get an idea. Call it my witchy instincts if you like. "Let me have Mr Furry, Sophie. I think he can save us."


    On my hand, the glove puppet feels warm and alive.


    "Yeah, save us Mr Furry."


    "You can''t stop me, witch" gabbles the evil doll. "Break me apart and I''ll put myself back together again, just like you. In the end, I''ll destroy you all."


    "I''m not going to break you¡­" I say. "I know that never works. I''ve seen the first four of the dreadful Child''s Play films¡­ the ones which still made a crazy sort of sense¡­" I lean forward and grab the doll with Mr Furry, the bear glove puppet. It''s really weird. It''s like the bear swallows the doll whole, and then falls off my hand, looking gorged. That''s it then. Mr Furry ate the terrible doll. There''s no trace of it left to rebuild itself. Not even a scrap of plastic that could be built into a new doll body.


    Sophie cheers.


    "That was magic," says Sam. A frown line has appeared between her brows.


    "Yeah. I wanna be really good at magic, so that I can do useful things. Like cure sick people. But I''m a raw rookie and I''ve made mistakes."


    "Of course, dear. You are young and inexperienced." Sam appears to be considering me. "How did you become a witch? Please tell me everything."


    So, I tell her.


    "Amazing. I never even dreamed of such a thing. The world is such a strange place." Sam sounds awed.


    "But my spell to get Daddy back went wrong," I hasten to add. "I didn''t know exactly what I was doing."Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "That was ambitious, to try necromancy straight away," Sam agrees. "But don''t be hard on yourself. You have made magic happen in a very short space of time. With patience and discipline, a witch could work towards great things. Like curing sick people. You must take me to see this mirror girl who turned you into a witch. She has to turn me as well."


    I''m aghast. "Wait, what?" Shouldn''t I try to talk her out of it? Or make sure she gets what it actually means? "Look at me. I have this green skin. And it looks like I can''t die. I''m just thinking how scary that is."


    "You wanna be a witch, Mummy?" asks Sophie.


    "I must do whatever it takes to make you well again," says Sam sadly.


    If Sam wants to turn to witchcraft to save Sophie, I can''t really argue. I just hope she''ll make a better witch than me, so she can actually succeed.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    00O00


    Lottie''s POV


    (Set earlier that day, while she''s at school)


    I''ve made a real effort with my makeup this morning, but now I dunno¡­ do rouge and red lipstick look garish on a bright green face? I''m getting even more startled stares than before and all this muttering:


    "Can you believe she was the prettiest girl in the school?"


    "What''s she done to herself?"


    Roy comes up to me grinning. "Don''t worry about them muttering." He points his thumb at a group of muttering girls. "I think you''re still pretty cute, in a weird sort of way."


    Ack¡­ At least he means well.


    "Gee, thanks," I say, forcing a smile.


    "So? Did you make the sea slug brew?"


    I''ve made my sensitivity spell with the sea slug urine and magic words. The spells are in two little capsules. "Yeah. They should make the one we love more sensitive to the fact that we love them. Help them see the option they have without us needing to say it." We get a cup of water by the water cooler. "Alright, after three¡­" On the count of three we swallow the capsules.


    "I don''t feel any different," grumbles Roy.


    "You''re not meant to. Erica should be more sensitive to the fact you love her, though. The spell lasts one day."


    I''m nervously excited about English class. Naturally I get whispers and sniggers when we''re waiting outside the door:


    "She-hulk''s tried to get herself dolled up¡­"


    "Shrek might be interested¡­"


    I try to tune it out.


    Class goes ahead, and Jason does look at me quite a lot. At one point he seems to stammer and then he looks right at me, like he''s startled. Can he sense I love him?


    After class, he leaves in a hurry and I run after him, ignoring the sniggers and giggles.


    "Jason¡­ please¡­" I lay a green hand on his arm.


    "Sorry, Lottie, I can''t talk¡­" he like, runs away from me down the corridor. He''s never, ever been so rude before. He can sense something he couldn''t sense before. He can sense that I love him and now he wants to run away, like I''m a storybook witch!


    I stand there, tears in my eyes. Roy walks up to me. "Hey, Roy," I say mechanically.


    "Erica said she''d have to be crackers to go out with me," says Roy, dejected. "She sensed that I wanted to go out with her without my having to say it."


    "She''s a mean girl. It''s better if you don''t go out with her," I point out. "Now you know she''s no good for you."


    "You''re so smart," he says, in an awed voice. So easily impressed!


    It''s better that I don''t burden Roy with the fact that my heart''s been broken. I want to run and find Astrid right away, but on second thoughts, I might as well go to drama first.


    In drama, Ms Duchess the teacher drops a bombshell that I was sort of expecting.


    "Lottie," she trills, "this is a slightly delicate matter¡­"


    "Let me guess," I say in a dull voice, "I''m not gorgeous anymore, so I can''t play the role of Princess in the play."


    "Sorry, but Princess can play Princess," chirps Ms Duchess, twitching about in her anxious, birdlike way.


    "I''m disappointed, but not surprised," I say. I guess Princess is the prettiest girl in our class now. Plus, she''s actually called Princess.


    The guys in the class crowd round Princess admiringly. Ms Duchess points at her. "She has golden hair like yours, her face is almost as shapely - she doesn''t have the sprinkling of freckles that gave you your old air of innocence, but¡­" Ms Duchess doesn''t need to point out that I''ve gone green, so don''t fit most people''s idea of perfect beauty anymore. That can''t be why Jason was alarmed. He didn''t care that I''d gone green. What was it then? It must be because he''s the teacher and no one knows I''m a witch, so they''d think there''s a power imbalance in his favour. Well it''s time for me to really use my power.


    At home, Astrid has to go babysitting, but I don''t feel like telling her about things with Jason anymore. I''m gonna mix a love spell. I should''ve done that to begin with. Astrid would have a problem with it, I know.


    I read the spell book carefully and brew the potion in a big pudding bowl. I''ve gotta put my hair, blood, sweat and tears in it. I cut off a lock of me hair, and fill another bowl of boiling water so I can put a towel over my head and let the steam make me sweat. Looking in the mirror, my green face is covered with a sheen of sweat and I let a few drops drip into the potion. Then I chuck in the hair and think how sad I feel about today, with Jason running away from me and me losing the part in the play to Princess. I sniff, and two tears fall into the brew. This next part''s a little icky, but it''s not too hard. It''s my period, so I can add a bit of my blood without cutting myself.


    The potion shimmers and turns a brilliant green. It''s sort of between a gas and a liquid. I pour it into a perfume bottle, like the book says. I just have to spray a little on Jason, and he should love me.


    I hear the door go. Astrid''s back. "Hey, sis. How''s Sophie?" I see her face. Something''s really wrong. "What happened?"


    She tells me. God, it''s so awful. That sweet little girl has leukemia! And what happened with the evil ghost possessing a doll, that''s just so creepy. The evil doll came because of Astrid''s blunders with necromancy. Like when that wamphyre appeared. And then Astrid says she fell down the stairs and broke her neck.


    I give a start. "WHAT!" I grab her by the shoulders and check her neck and feel her forehead. Her neck''s not broken. I frown. "Why are you trying to wind me up?" That''s not like her. She never teases anyone.


    "I''m not," she says wearily. "Remember the Witches'' Council said we live forever? It looks like we literally can''t die. My neck did heal, but it hurt. And even though she knows this, Sam wants to be a witch too. She wants to try and save Sophie by magic."


    "I say good luck to her."


    Astrid frowns and brushes her long red hair away from her green face. "I really hope she can save her. If it works, she''ll live on forever. Long after Sophie''s dies of old age. In the end, she''ll have no one to hang around with except us ¡­ and maybe the Witches'' Council. We have to be helpful."


    I nod. "I''ll support her."


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    00O00


    Next day at school, I have my scent bottle with the glowing green spell in it. I sweep down the corridors, looking for Jason. I see Corey, the gym coach. Corey''s kind of cute, with a crooked nose and designer stubble.


    "Mr Feldman, may I please ask where Mr Risk is?"


    "He''s not here today. Can''t think why."


    A group of guys come rushing down the corridor. Corey yells at them. "Have I or have I not told you to stop mucking about in the corridors. Gimme fifty!"


    He''s making them do fifty press-ups. Harsh.


    One of them doesn''t seem to hear and rushes past the coach and barges right into me, knocking me over. I drop the scent bottle and a green cloud rises into the air. Oh no!


    The guys all sniff as the cloud envelops them and spread down the corridor. Then they look at me.


    Corey gazes at me with misty eyes. "Lottie, you are the greatest girl at this school."


    Ralph, head of the football team pushes past the other boys. "Yeah, why''d those harpies on the cheerleading squad kick you off? You''re a green goddess. You look¡­" he sniffs "¡­and smell¡­ so wonderful." Oh no, the potion had my sweat and blood in it. They''re all crowding round me, gazing at me like I''m the most wonderful thing they''ve ever seen. Then they drop to their knees.


    "I love you."


    "I love you more."


    "You''re like a goddess."


    "Have all my mint candies."


    They''re all enchanted to love me! What am I gonna do?

 The Princess versus The Witch

    Lottie''s POV


    I''ve gotta fix this ¨C somehow! Clearly they''re not in their right minds, so I have to supervise them until I can fix this.


    "Guys, please come with me."


    "To the ends of the Earth, Lottie," says Corey. "There''s no one as special as you."


    The boys chorus in agreement. "You said it, coach."


    I lead them into an empty classroom and put a simple shutting spell on the door.


    "Now listen to me, guys. You''re not well, but I''m going to make you better¡­"


    "I love you, Lottie." That''s one of the guys, Walter, interrupting. I stutter like an idiot. I can''t help it, co Walter''s such a sweet guy. I don''t admire him just because he''s handsome ¨C though he definitely is. He''s so athletic, and he has these blue-green eyes like opals, wavy brown hair I could run my green fingers through, a strong jaw with just a hint of shadow, a freckled nose and cheeks, like I did when I was beautiful¡­ That kind of thing isn''t that important to me. The thing about Walter is that I''ve admired him a lot ever since he defended one of the younger boys from bullies.


    I cup his face in my green hands and speak softly. "Walter, you have a girlfriend." I remind him. "Tell me her name."


    His blue-green eyes look glazed. "Can''t remember. Don''t care. I only care about you now."


    I feel a squirming sense of guilt. I did this to him, even though I didn''t mean to. I''ve made one of the bravest and kindest boys be mean about someone he used to love. What can break a witch''s curse? I''m the witch and I don''t know.


    Another guy elbows Walter aside and they all begin to fight and yell. "Stop fawning over her, you desperate F***!"


    "Look into my eyes instead, Lottie!"


    "Stop!" I screech, holding up my green hands. They fall silent. "Don''t fight!"


    "Boys, stop mucking about and give me fifty," says Corey.


    "No! Stop being mean, Corey," I say.


    "I will only do that for you, you green-skinned angel," says Corey. "A coach has to be mean ¨C unless you say so."


    "Right¡­" I fold my arms. "Everyone please sit at a desk and write about the person you loved most before, like ten minutes ago." Hopefully that will be enough to snap them out of it, if they think about their real loved ones again. I flick through my spell book, trying to find the bit about love spells. I do find a page with something interesting ¨C the kiss of a Princess should break a witch''s curse and it''s pretty vague about who can be a Princess. Like, a Princess by any standards would qualify.


    Ralph interrupts me at this point. He slams a piece of paper down on the desk before me. "You''re the only one I love. I''ve drawn a picture of you."


    Er, yeahhhh¡­ he has drawn a picture, but it''s nothing like me. He''s drawn what looks like a green alien with yellow hair and almond shaped blue eyes with no pupils.


    "I do not look like that!" I snap. "And I told you to draw who you really love, not me."


    "I love you," he says with a simper.


    "Um well¡­" it is disarming to hear him say he loves me.


    "I love you," says Walter. I start stammering like an idiot again.


    The other boys say they love me too and show that they''ve all tried to draw me. Isn''t this what so many girls dream about? All the boys loving them? It makes me feel warm inside to hear, but it''s not real.


    "I''ll fire those harpies in the cheerleading squad," adds Corey.


    "Oh, there''s no need for that," I say hastily.


    "Even after the way the harpies treated you?" asks Ralph. "Kicking you off their squad just because you have green skin?"


    "It was pretty rude," I admit.


    "Rude? It''s downright deeeespicable!" says Pierre, the foreign exchange student. "We only need one harpy as a cheerleader, and that''s Lottie!"


    "Don''t you even know what a harpy is, Frenchy?" says Ralph glaring at him. "It''s not a compliment. Don''t ever call Lottie a harpy."


    "It''s OK, it''s OK," I assure them. "He only made a mistake cos you all kept saying the word ''harpy.''"


    "Foreigners, eh Lottie?" says Corey the coach, being a mean old coach again. "They can''t speak properly."


    "I''m three quarters German," I say. "But I''ll let that one go." I pat Pierre''s arm. "Nothing wrong with how you talk. My Grandma always thought French accents are sexy."


    The other boys snigger at this. "She''d introduce you to her granny!"


    "Real mature, guys," I say, rolling my eyes.


    At that moment, there''s a hammering on the door. But the shutting spell is holding. There''s a crowd of boys outside. "We''ve got to take our favourite green girl to maths class, she''s going to miss it and it''s not the same without her."Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Guess they''re not talking about Astrid.


    "We love you, Lottie!"


    It''s the guys from my maths class. Oh dear¡­ my spell has spread further. Once it was out of the bottle, it didn''t stop with the guys standing around me.


    I sigh and open the door. "Guys, please¡­"


    "We have to take you there in style, love," says Chris grinning broadly. "You''re too good to have to walk." They''ve got a sedan chair! It''s a drama prop, but it looks real posh.


    "Lottie for queen!" They chant as they carry me in the sedan chair. The girls in the corridor stare at us as if this was the strangest sight they ever saw. I''m leafing through my spell book, but I haven''t found an answer.


    Walter''s hurrying alongside my carriage. "Lottie, Lottie¡­"


    "You need to get to your next class, Walter dear," I tell him.


    "I just wanted to say¡­ I can tell you are attracted to me, the way you wanted to touch my face. Couldn''t I interest you in a Devil''s threesome with another great looking guy. We''ll both work to pleasure you. How does that sound?"


    I''m not sure what a Devil''s threesome is and it piques my curiosity, but no! Not when poor Walter''s out of his mind. "I want you to find your girlfriend and tell her you love her," I say firmly.


    "Only for you, Lottie." Oh my God¡­ Walter''s eyes are glazed again when he says this.


    In the Maths room, the guys push to sit around me. Some of the other girls give odd looks.


    "You''d think she still had a perfectly beautiful face," says Lucy, raising an eyebrow at the sight of all the guys jostling each other to sit near me.


    "We don''t look at the face, we look for other qualities, like boobs," says Laz, turning glazed, bewitched eyes to Lucy. "You''re as flat as a board. No one would notice you next to Lottie."


    Lucy flushed in indignation, but then Ms Finney the Maths teacher hands comes in and hands out our last assignment. "You''re failing this class, Lottie," she tells me. "I may have to assign you a study partner."


    "I''ll do it!" The guys all yell simultaneously. Then they begin to bicker. "No, me." "I''m smarter than you!"


    Ms Finney sighs. At that moment, there''s a knock on the door and a post lady thrusts a bouquet of flowers into her arms. Ms Finney grins and then scowls when she actually reads the message with them. "Here you go," she says, dumping them on my desk.


    "Who can afford that kind of bouquet?" Demands Ted who''s sitting right next to me. He reads the label. "I love you with all my heart ¨C Hugs and kisses from Albert." He slams his fist on the desk. "Albert thinks he''s good enough for Lottie?"


    Princess from Drama Class is sitting on her own in the corner cos all the guys have crowded around me. She gives a little start when she hears this. "Albert? He''s my boyfriend. What''s going on?" She glares at me.


    Oh no! I gotta think fast. I can''t wreck their relationship because of my stupid spell. "We''re all playing a prank on you. The flowers are not really from him," I blurt out. "Um¡­ I wanted to make you jump, that''s all."


    Princess narrows her eyes at me. "Oh? It''s not a very funny joke. I never thought you would do anything mean."


    "Neither did I," I say glumly. Before I was a witch, I never hurt anyone. But now I''ve been so stupid and selfish. "And I wish I hadn''t played the prank, cos Albert is ¡­ ill." Hey, I was only giving her a heads up that Albert is not in his right mind.


    Her green eyes widen. "What!"


    "Stop bickering and mucking about in my class," snaps Ms Finney.


    "Don''t talk to Lottie that way!" Says Ted, standing up and frowning at Ms Finney. "You''re not perfect or green or beautiful. In fact, you''re not woman enough to serve her tea."


    The other girls are staring at him with their mouths open. Ms Finney''s eyes flash. "How dare you¡­!"


    I groan. "Siddown and shut up, Ted. Listen Ms Finney¡­ I put him up to it." That''s as near the truth as Ms Finney could get her head around.


    Ms Finney folds her arms. "Fine. Go to the Principal. The rest of you, take an extra-hard Tensor Calculus test."


    "Thanks to you, Lottie," says Lucy, sticking out her pink tongue at me. I resist the temptation to stick my green tongue out at her. I''ve got real problems on my mind. I''ve gotta think how to break my spell and free all the guys. The spell book says a Princess can break a witch''s spell, but who can count as a Princess. It''s so vague.


    At that moment, Princess comes out of the class room and pursues me down the corridor.


    "What d''you mean, Albert''s ill? You better explain yourself."


    I have a sudden thought. I point at Princess. "You''re a Princess."


    "What? Are you harping on about the play? It''s not my fault Ms Duchess is so shallow that she only lets the cutest girl be princess. I don''t care what you look like or how big your boobs are either."


    "It doesn''t matter about the stupid play¡­ Listen, do you want to help Albert?"


    "Of course."


    "Then come with me."


    "Alright, but if it''s another dopey prank, I''ll slap you."


    I lead her to Miri''s sub-basement. Cool name Astrid chose for the Mirror Girl, isn''t it? I bet she got it from Star Trek.


    "Now this may be a bit scary," I say softly.


    Princess takes a step back at the sight of Miri''s ghostly green face in the mirror and goes a bit pale. I take her hand. "It''s alright. I''m here."


    Miri curls her dark green lip. "A Princess? Here? You would bring an enemy into our sanctum, witch? This air-headed interloper."


    Princess murmurs her disbelief. Her eyes are really wide.


    I glare at her. "Don''t say mean things about her. I''m the witch so you have to do what I say. Um¡­ I order you to ask how to break the spell that''s on all the guys at school."


    "A princess can always break a witch''s spell," says Miri.


    "So she can break the spell?"


    "She can, but if she does, she will eventually fulfil her destiny and become a princess." Miri sneers. "Princesses are so contemptible. They wait for the men around them to make things happen."


    "Oh shut up!" I tell her. "Who do you think you are? The Gene Siskel of fairy tales?" I turn to Princess. "So you wanna be a real princess?"


    Princess bites her lip and swallows. "Magic is real? Then¡­ you''re a witch, Lottie? That''s why you''re green."


    "Yes, and there''s a bad spell on all the boys at school. Don''t you want to help break it? And I can help you be a real princess. I''ve got the power."


    Miri interrupts. "A witch can always show a princess her destiny, but once she has done, she has created her own foil."


    "Weird mirror¡­" says Princess. "She''s like the mirror in Snow White, only bitchy." She touches my cheek. "Yes, Lottie. I will help break the spell. I suppose the mirror cast it, did she? Huh." She turns to Miri. "You should follow Lottie''s example. A green witch can be good like she is, instead of stupidly casting dangerous spells."


    The mirror gives a high, sardonic laugh and I don''t think I should correct Princess just yet. I pull her out of the sub-basement and lead her towards the school''s old bell tower. The spell book says that a princess can break a spell from a tower. On the way though, we''re accosted by a group of guys who press flowers and chocolates on me.


    "Thanks guys¡­ please let us pass now."


    They call over us. "We''re dumping our girlfriends for you, Lottie. They''re skanks, flat as ironing boards and they don''t even have green skin."


    I groan. Just as well I can''t turn red anymore.


    "That mirror''s sick, chucking spells like that around," says Princess crossly.


    The tower door''s locked, but I know a simple unlocking spell. We go up the tower. It''s really grimy and dusty. We blink as we come out into the sunshine, by the bell. "You''ve got cobwebs in your hair, dear," says Princess, and she reaches up and picks the cobweb out of my hair. Then we clasp hands and stare into each other''s eyes and I say the words of the counter-spell. I feel her hands getting warm. I read the last line. "May my apologies find you this day¡­ and may my sorrows in kind. Now, Princess!"


    She punches the bell and it gives a weird, pealing sound that seems too tinkling for such a big bell. Plus Princess isn''t strong enough to make it ring by hitting it. It must be magic. But has it worked? Have we freed all the guys from my enchantment?

 Witches Create Destiny

    Lottie''s POV


    OK, I''m real nervous now. I hold Princess'' pink hand in my green one as we go down the tower.


    "I''m gonna test it," I whisper. "Hope the guys don''t love me."


    "You sound funny," says Princess grinning.


    I pull a face, scrunching my nose at her. "Yeah, I think I sound weird. What girl doesn''t want all the guys to love her?"


    Princess'' eyes are shining. "You''ll find real love someday. Without magic. You''re an amazing person. They right guy would be lucky to love ."


    I''m touched. I don''t even know Princess that well, but she says such kind things. Especially after my awful blunder with the love spell. "Well that''s really sweet of you. I dunno what to say."


    Princess squeezes my hand. "If we broke the spell, then I''m a real Princess? I always wanted to be a Princess."


    "OK. If that''s what you want. Yes. I think you''d be a real Princess."


    "That''s great. You''re part of my story then? My witch?"


    We''ve reached the bottom of the stairs. She pushes her blond hair away form my face and gazes at me with those big, blue eyes, like she''s expecting an answer.


    "Your witch? I''m sorry, Princess. I didn''t get that."


    She twirls a strand of her hair and bites her lip. "Ummm¡­ like in Ever After High."


    She''s talking about a kid''s show. Gabi likes it. It''s real sweet and all, but it''s just about selling dolls to girls Gabi''s age.


    "You must be a sweet witch, like Raven. And that mirror girl is like the evil queen who''s stuck in a mirror. I knew there was something wrong about Mirror-Girl immediately, but you and I were meant to be friends."


    Umm¡­ Princess thinks her life has turned into a kid show, or a cute fairy story? Dare I burst her bubble and tell her that Astrid''s stupid Necromancy has made dreadful things crawl out of the muck of the horror genre?


    I cup her face in my green hands. "I really hope your life becomes the fairy story you want it to be. You deserve to be a princess. But¡­ Being a witch hasn''t been fun for me. Jason ¨C that''s my favourite teacher is scared of me now. We should be careful what we wish for."


    "Aww." Princess puts her arms around me and kisses me on the cheek. What is that perfume she''s wearing? I try not to wrinkle my nose. "You''re all sad. But I want to help. I''d talk some sense into him for you."


    "First, we''ve gotta check we''ve really broken the spell."


    We''re in the hallway and I go up to a guy with chocolate brown hair and designer stubble who just happens to be a hall monitor. "Hi. Do you love me? Would you give me your hall monitor sash and um¡­ let me graffiti someone''s locker?"


    He shook his head. "Not into green chicks."


    "Thank you!" The spell is broken. I''m so relieved I hug him. I''m like, really spontaneous cos I''m happy.


    "Hey, hey, gerroff you freak."


    I blow him a kiss. "You''ve made my day."


    "Weirdo."


    Princess scowls at him. She touches my arm. "It''s OK, he doesn''t deserve your attention."


    The Hall Monitor rolls his eyes at her.


    Walter comes up at that moment. I wave at him. My hearts thudding and my palms are sweating. I''m about to find out if everyone spelled is now cured. "Walter dear¡­ how are you feeling? You''re not still in love with me, are you?"


    "No, Lottie. Sorry. I have a girlfriend."


    I breathe a sigh of relief. "Success!"


    "We''re a proper team," says Princess.


    With linked arms, we walk down the hallway. There''s Astrid running up to us, her red hair streaming behind her. She looks mad¡­ her blue eyes glint at me.


    She beckons to me with a green finger. "Lottie. We have to talk. Now." She turns her green face to Princess and gives her apologetic smile. "Sorry, but this is private and can''t wait. A sister to sister thing."


    "Princess is a friend and she knows everything," I tell her.


    "You bet! I want to help," says Princess.


    Astrid''s brows draw together. My poor sister looks so weird with red eyebrows and a bright green face. Red hair and green skin make a weird clash of bright colours. "Then I''m sorry you''ve got caught up in all this." She holds out a hand. "I''m Astrid."


    Princess clasps her green hand. "Princess."


    Astrid leads us into a Janitor''s utility closet and switches on the light. The light of the flickering bulb shines off her green nose and cheeks as she puts her hands to her hips. "Right. You remember we discussed how love spells and stuff like that are creepy, Lottie?" She reaches a green hand into her pocket and draws out a crumpled drawing. It''s another awful drawing of me that makes me look like an alien with a yellow wig. One of those poor guys must have done it when he was under my spell.


    "Some boys were acting awfully weird," say Astrid, waving it under my nose. "Like you''d bewitched them."


    "Hey! It wasn''t her fault," said Princess. "Besides, we''ve broken the spell now. Why don''t you see for yourself?"


    Astrid folds her arms across her flat chest. "That doesn''t excuse it. I''m ashamed that my sister manipulated a bunch of people''s emotions. I never thought she was cruel."


    Ouch. I didn''t hurt all those guys on purpose. The stupid bottle with the spell in it got broken. I''m starting to get angry and glare at my sister. "Well I never thought my sister would let a bunch of murderous spooks loose."


    Astrid looks stricken. Her blue eyes are wide and her mouth falls open. "I ¨C I¡­" she stammers¡­ Tears shine in her eyes. Oh God, I didn''t want to make her cry.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    I put my arms around her and rub her back. "It''s alright, we can fix this."


    She squeezes me tight. Her tears spill onto my neck.


    I murmur into her ear. "I''ve gotta go fix my own mess now. We both have to take responsibility."


    "You''re right, of course. I must find a way to stop Clay fingers for good. The Witch''s Council won''t help, but I can stop what I started."


    "OK."


    We kiss each other to show that we''ve made up.


    "Aww. How cute." Princess pats us both on the back.


    I know what I must do. I must go to Jason and reassure him this evening. I have to be the one to do it. No one else.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    00O00


    Back home, I have to get my things together. I''m going to see Jason. I''ve read up on how a broom should work. There''s an old bristle broom in the shed. It''s not quite like a twiggy broom that you usually think of when you think of witches, but it should do.


    I grip the handle with my green hands. "Yelf. Yelf." Yeah, that''s the incantation. I feel warmth from my hands spread into the wooden handle. I feel it vibrate. I straddle the broom, and shut my eyes, focusing on the sensation I want. I want to soar. It''s working! I feel myself rise.


    My sisters watch from the lawn. They cheer and whoop as I rise above the garden, and see their white and green faces looking up. The wind whips though my hair. I land on the lawn again. Gabi throws her arms around me. "You''re so cool, Sis. I wanna fly with you."


    I touch her cheek. "I''ve got something to take care of, Gab. But I''ll be back soon. I don''t see any reason to stay here long after that. I''m already sixteen. I''ll be going soon to make my own way, but I''ll take you with me. We''ll live in a proper witchy place."


    "Yay!" Gabi claps her hands. "We''re going!"


    "Lottie¡­ are you thinking this through?" Astrid looks unhappy. "Where and how would you live? How would you look after Gabi?"


    "I love her more than anyone in the world. I have power. And did you think your question through? We''re both stuck on Earth forever, but Gabi''s lifetime is really precious."


    "Why''s my lifetime precious?" asks Gabi, wide-eyed.


    I pick her up and kiss her. "Cos I don''t want to miss out on a second of it."


    I''m gonna live until everyone else in the world is dead¡­ it''s just sinking in now. What''ll it be like, still being around in a billion years? What''ll the world be like?


    Astrid gazes at me. "You want to leave me alone?" Her dark green bottom lip trembles.


    I hug Astrid tight. "You silly witch, we''re going to spend eternity together. Don''t cry¡­ you''ve been under too much stress, that''s what it is."


    I get on my broom and fly into the air again. I know where Jason''s apartment is. Before I was a witch, it happened to come up in conversation. He was complaining about the rent.


    I rise above the clouds and the swoop down, honing in on the tower block. Sunny Falls. There''s an invisibility spell wrapped around me. Where oh where could Jason be? He said once that he lives on the tenth floor, but where, exactly? Should I look in every window? I peep in one. There''s a guy smoking something¡­ he doesn''t seem surprised to see me, he just gives me a dopey grin and waves. A witch isn''t that surprising or scary anymore, clearly. I wave back.


    Uh Oh. My invisibility spell''s glitching for some reason. I concentrate harder on being invisible.


    I check another window. There''s a little girl looking out. "Mommy! A pretty green witch!" she squeaks. I wave at her. She waves back. How cute.


    "Oh stop talking rubbish," snaps her mom.


    If I can''t stay invisible I''m in doo-doo¡­ Ah, there''s Jason. He''s sitting at the table and he looks sad. I wanna comfort him. I knock on the window. He looks up, and gives a little jump and looks at me like I''m Urtha the Wamphyre or something... I''m hurt¡­ I''m going to make him see I''m good.


    I touch the window frame and murmur an opening spell: "Otrepa."


    The frame vibrates and something comes undone. The window swings open and I crash through, falling over a little sofa and crashing into a coffee table. Oof.


    Jason''s making for the door, but I stand in the way and grab him. He freezes, staring at me with his wide, dark eyes.


    "Jason, please, I''m not going to hurt you, I just wanna talk. I''m sorry, OK, if I''ve frightened you. Will you please sit down and talk to me? Then I''ll go. And no more magic. OK?"


    I pick up the sofa. "Sorry about the mess¡­"


    I sit down and pat the sofa beside me. "Come on Jason, talking things out does help."


    He sits himself beside me. "Lottie¡­ you are definitely a witch? I got a strong feeling last time. It was as if the idea had been forced into my mind."


    I stare into his big, brown eyes. "Yes. I''m a witch. I sort of regret it now, but I have a feeling it''s too late. But you don''t need to be afraid of me. I cast a spell so that you would be able to sense my feelings. So you''d know the truth."


    "Then¡­ It was magic that I got the idea that you had feelings for me. Your feelings are natural, but nothing can come of them."


    Ouch. But he''s right. What can I say to comfort him? That''s what matters now. "Yeah, I know. I was a stupid girl in love with you, but I''ve sorted things out in my head now. I just want to say now that you should come back. You''re a great teacher. You made Jane Eyre come alive for us. Not just any guy could."


    He gives a small laugh. "I shouldn''t have doubted your character. You are a good girl, witch or not. It''s just that some girls who have crushes on teachers become vindictive if they''re rejected and that can lead to all kinds of problems. Including false accusations of molestation¡­"


    "Oh God, that''s awful. How could any girl be so bad? I can''t imagine¡­ Anyway, I just dropped by to say that you should go back to school. I won''t be, though. I''m going to have to leave school now. I want to start a new life as a witch and I''ll just take my little sister with me."


    "What are you saying, Lottie? You''re a bright girl and you have a promising future. You have every right to a normal life. Your family and friends all want you to stay. Think about them as well, before you do anything rash. You have the same opportunities as you did before."


    "You''re kind." I bite my lip. I want to blurt out something that sounds a bit random, but it''s been bothering me. "Ms Duchess won''t let me play the Princess in our play," I blurt out. "Cos of my green skin."


    "She''s shallow," says Jason, shaking his head. "That''s no reason why you can''t be a Princess."


    I grin at him. "You think a witch can be a princess as well?"


    "It''s happened. Witches hold all the power. They make the stories, and know all the secrets like what cup not to drink from and will tell you, but only if you deserve to know. They can choose to be a princess too. Reinhilda in the fairy tale ''Tricking the Witch,'' is a young heroine who has a talent for witchcraft. She uses her magic to defeat a villainous witch and she rescues her prince by herself. A witch makes her own destiny. It''s not written for her."


    I touch his arm. "This is why you''re a great teacher. You''re so clever. You''ve shown me the point of stories and why we need them. You''re right. I need to take charge of my own story, like Reinhilda did. My sister''s a witch too, but she''s got herself into trouble over her head. I''ve gotta help her."


    "That''s the spirit!"


    I would like to ask Jason to kiss me just once for good luck, but I resist. I know now what I must do.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    00O00


    The sun is setting when I land in the garden. I cast off the invisibility spell and put away the broom. When I open the back door, I find Mum is back and Princess is here too. Princess grins at me. Astrid tries to smile, but she still looks glum. She cups her green face in her hands, leaning her elbows on the table.


    "Ah, Lottie. You''re back. I understand you girls have something to tell me."


    "Yes, they do, but it''s all good, please just try and stay calm," urges Princess.


    "Yeah, Mum. Try and stay calm," says Gabi in a stern voice.


    "We''re real witches, Mum. That''s why we''re green now," says Astrid abruptly.


    Way to go Astrid. That''s breaking it to her smoothly.


    Mum blinks. "This is some sort of prank? It''s not a very good one. Astrid, what''s going on? You at least never wind me up."


    Huh. I haven''t wound Mum up in a long time and she''s still making these passive aggressive references to it.


    "But this isn''t a prank," says Astrid. "Watch."


    Princess hands her an Ever After High doll ¨C It''s Raven, the witch girl. Astrid holds it in her green hand. "Samina."


    The little doll curtseys. Gabi claps and Princess squeals. "She''s so adorable!"


    Mum stares at it. "How¡­ How¡­"


    Suddenly the lights in the kitchen flicker and die. It''s night outside.


    We hear a creepy voice of a man speaking with what I think must be a North England accent ¡­ "I ¨C I''ve elected a new playmate for you w-witches. The E-Emperor Caligula. He hasn''t breathed the air of this world in two thousand years!"


    Mum screams and I grab Gabi and hold her tight. We see the shimmering outline of a guy in ugly armour, with cold, staring eyes. He screams something in Latin, but then he switches to English. "Would that you all had but one neck, witches, wenches and little brat. I am the Emperor Caligula and I care not whether this new world rejoices at my return, so long as they fear me!"