It had seemed a very good idea when her father had first suggested that she accompany him on his trip to Wootton Rivers in Wiltshire. For a start it meant that she didn`t have to think of an excuse for not going to Uncle John`s for the evening. He wanted to show them yet more video shows of his last trip abroad. Millie thought that this might have been the reason why her father had suddenly decided to bring his trip forward by two days. Any way she had just about to turn thirteen and she thought that she deserved the odd treat. They were delivering something to one of her father`s customers, Millie couldn`t remember just what it was, her father would also have to install it, so they would have to stay overnight at a hotel. The going had been easy and she had enjoyed the drive, at least until they had run into the heavy storm that had caught the meteorologists out, for there had been no warning about it on the weather forecast.
Millie tried to catch up on her sleep, but she was awakened by the large crack of thunder that nearly made her jump out of her seat, even with her seat belt firmly attached.
“We`re lost Millie, I must have taken a wrong turning about five miles back. We will just have to turn around, but not here the road`s too narrow.” Millie`s father said. He smiled at her and then said. “Not too worry; did you have a nice sleep?” Millie nodded; too busy looking around for signs of civilisation to answer her father. She couldn`t see much, for the storm was getting worse, and the visibility down this particular country lane was never very good.
It was five minutes later when their car began to display signs of being ever so slightly ill. It finally came to rest after an explosive fit of steam and smoke and a clanking noise from somewhere deep within the engine. Luckily Millie`s father had been able to turn into the car park of a lonely and very old looking hotel, and before the car finally succumbed to whatever was wrong with its inner workings.
“I`m sorry about this Millie but I think we shall have to stay the night here instead of in Wootton Rivers, I imagine that it will be ok for one night.” Millie wasn`t so sure, the hotel looked as if the storm just might blow it away.
They were in luck, there were just two empty rooms available, and after a dinner that Millie thought was very tasty, she found herself walking up a flight of rickety wooden stairs to the single room at the very top of the hotel. Her night would be spent in the attic, just what I need Millie thought, now if the hotel is blown away I will be the first one to know about the event.
After undressing and putting on her pyjamas, she brushed her teeth. Millie then got into a very old rickety wooden bed that appeared to Millie, to be even older than the hotel. Its only redeeming features were the angels carved into the wooden headboard. It took her ages to drop off to sleep because of the rain pounding against the tiles on the roof right above her head, if that wasn`t enough to keep her awake then the wind was. It moaned constantly outside of her small window that didn`t close properly, sounding almost like a fiend from hell, Millie thought, not that she had ever heard the moaning of such a thing. The wind gained entry through countless openings in the hotel, most of them appeared to be within her room, and she shivered as one extra strong gust blew her window fully open. This made it necessary for her to get out of bed to secure the window, for her pains she got a little wet and more than a little cold. Slipping back into her bed she covered her head with the bedclothes, and the noise of the wind screaming just outside of the door to her room made her remember a particularly scary film that she had seen at her friend`s house the week before last. Finally, she fell into a troubled sleep, and with a nightmare to keep her company.
Millie woke to find the storm was still raging outside. Whether it was the rather vivid nightmare that caused her to wake up, or the extremely loud crack of thunder that exploded directly over her head, she couldn`t decide. Whichever it was the thunder was still rumbling even as her hand searched for the bedside lamp that stood on the small bedside table beside her bed. Unfortunately, Millie couldn`t find either the lamp or the small table, all her hand found was a very solid wall, and flailing around with her other hand didn`t bring her any more success on that side either, someone seemed to have entered her room while she slept and taken them away. Millie sat bolt upright, fully awake now and feeling the first signs of fear. Her first thought was whether the night caller might return, so she decided to seek out her father`s room and ask him if she could sleep in his bed. With this decision made, Millie got out of her warm bed and then slipped on her slippers, and then her nightgown. Then she walked slowly to the door, for she didn`t want to walk into her mobile furniture, thankfully the light provided by another bright flash of lightning showed her just where the door was. Opening the door slowly, Millie looked outside; ready to scream for help should her nocturnal visitor be there. Fortunately, all she saw though was the rickety old wooden staircase before her. Taking a deep breath of courage Millie fled down the flight of stairs to the room where her father was sleeping, unfortunately somebody had moved the room. There was also another strange sight, the wooden panelled corridor that had been there only hours before was now made of stone. Millie felt the fear within her growing, what was going on, how could a stone wall appear during the night, and where was her father?
Millie hurried down the corridor in a frantic search for her father. “Hallo, can you help me?” She shouted out as loud as she possibly could. She now came to a door and knocked loudly upon it. “Can you help me please; do you know where my father is?” Millie`s voice had now taken on a hint of the panic that filled her heart, and was now overflowing.
At the far end of the dark corridor, which to Millie resembled a pitch-black tunnel, she heard someone crying. This brought some of her courage back as her sympathy for whoever was crying smothered her fear, and anyway Millie could see that there was a light in the room. Millie put aside the fact that she now appeared to be in a castle, she walked bravely along the dark tunnel towards the light. She banged hard on any of the very solid looking wooden doors that she passed on her way, and asked for help in a very loud voice. Her mother was always telling her to be more ladylike, more genteel, but this was a time for screaming out her presence, not whispering it. No one answered her pleas for help, and she was now entering through the open doorway at the end of the scary corridor when the crying stopped, and the candle that lit the room was extinguished. This spooked Millie, and she almost screamed in panic, but she managed to keep control of her emotions, and even to say a few words into what now looked like an empty and very dark room.
“Hallo, don`t be scared, I`m here to help you. My name is Millie, I`m a guest here, I booked in yesterday evening with my father, when our car broke down.”
Her voice wavering as an enormous flash of lightning lit up the room, unfortunately, it was just for a moment and then the darkness returned to envelop her. However, this moment did allow Millie to see the whole of the room, and what was in it. The main item was a large four-poster bed, there was also a table on which there was a large jug sitting within a larger bowl, and the final piece of furniture was a wooden chair. That was all there was to be seen within the room. There was no boy, for Millie thought that the voice of the person crying sounded more like a boy.
“Are you hiding under the bed? Please speak to me, I`m a little scared as well.” No one answered her new pleas for help; in fact, there was no sound at all except for the constant moaning of the wind.
Millie slowly backed out of the room, she was feeling even more scared than before, if it were possible, was the hotel haunted, was this why it all looked so different? She was ready to run at the least sound or sight, her safety was her main consideration, not dying a heroine. She whirled around, positive that someone was creeping up behind her, but there was no one there, only a wooden staircase that went down to the ground floor. For a moment, this solid looking staircase was lit up by the storm, and Millie chose this second in time to flee down the wide wooden steps to the floor below. At the bottom of the stairs, she stopped for a moment, uncertain in which way to go. To her right was another open door,
and hoping to find someone within the room, Millie ran quickly through the doorway. She found herself in a room that looked like a medieval hall; much like the one she had seen in Battle Abbey, she had visited it last year with her parents and her brothers. The room was empty except for a long wooden table, and Millie decided to walk up to it so that she had something firm between her and the rest of the room. Just then, the storm violently exploded in a brilliant flash of light, and it lit up the boy just feet away from her. He was looking out at the storm through one of the windows that ran along the outer wall of the room. Sensing her presence he whirled around, but he didn`t cry out in fear, or burst into tears, no instead he smiled at her and then laughed happily.
“Have you been sent to keep me company?” The boy asked delightedly.
“Do you live here then?” Millie asked ignoring his question for the moment. She wondered how he had arrived ahead of her, but then there were always hidden stairways in such places as this now appeared to be. The boy gave a sad laugh and some of the happiness drained away from his face.
“Yes I suppose you could say that I ‘live here’ now.” Just then the room was lit up by another powerful flash of lightning and to Millie`s terror she realised that she could see the far wall through the figure of the boy.
“Oh my, are you a ghost?” Millie wailed, almost too frightened to want to hear the answer to her question.
“Yes Millie I`m a ghost, I have been one for such a long time now.” The boy answered sadly.
“Why are you haunting this house, did you die here?” Millie asked bravely while slowing retreating the open door. Then, for some reason Millie decided that she needn`t be afraid of the boy, for he seemed quite nice really, that is for a ghost.
“Yes Millie, but a powerful wizard cast a spell upon me. It holds me here in the abbey for eternity.” The boy burst into tears and his figure began to fade into the darkness of the night.
“Please don`t go, don`t leave me here by myself.” Millie cried out as the figure of the boy almost disappeared. “There must be something that I can do to help you, please.” Millie beseeched the young boy who thankfully now began to reappear again, albeit rather slowly.
“My name is Reuben and to answer your question, there isn`t anybody that can help me.” The boy said gloomily.
Millie was delighted to see that his figure was becoming visible again, for she desperately wanted him to stay with her, for she badly needed a friend in this insane world, even if he was a ghost.
“I have a brother named Reuben.” Millie said to the young ghost, who smiled at her, and then looking very serious, he spoke to her.
“Millie you asked if you might help me, well you would have to be very brave to be able to help me, brave enough that is to enter the wizard`s bedroom and steal back my mother`s locket, and the lock of my hair that is inside of it. Then the brave person would have to hand it to me, only then would I leave this place and join my mother.” The ghost said dolefully.
“Reuben, you live here in this castle because you are a ghost, but how did I get here?” Millie asked the question that had been lurking at the back of her mind ever since she had found that she was not in the hotel, up until now she had been too scared to even consider it.
The young boy looked guiltily at her and mumbled something, but when Millie asked him to say it again, he began to fade from view.
“Reuben you had better not leave me here by myself. Now tell me, how I was brought here.” Millie ordered in the same sort of voice that her father used when he was angry.
“It`s my fault Millie, I went into the chapel and prayed for someone to keep me company, for I am ever so lonely here. The angels must have sent you to be my friend.” The young boy said in almost a whisper.
“But I`m not dead yet, I don`t even feel the least bit ill?” Millie wailed thinking it most unfair that she had been kidnapped in this way, and by angels too.
Millie went over to one of the many windows and looked out to see if she could figure out where she was. The sun was peeping out too, she could see it through the storm clouds and happily, the last rumbles of thunder seemed to be miles away. Outside, Millie saw a strange world. People were appearing in the fields, and the road that ran up to the abbey had a cart on it, one drawn along by what Millie could only assume were oxen. There were no electricity lines, no lampposts, and the surface of the road was of mud! Millie whirled around.
“What year is it Reuben, tell me?” Millie demanded with a hint of fear returning to her voice.
“It is the year of our Lord 1230 Millie, but surely you know that?” The boy answered puzzled at her question.
Millie`s voice wavered. “1230, that`s impossible, isn`t it?” For just a second Millie had even considered asking the young boy if he meant lunchtime, just after twelve o`clock, but she could see by everything around her that he hadn`t meant any such thing. Millie took a large gulp of air and attempted to still her rapidly beating heart, she knew that she was in a right pickle; she also knew that she would have to be the one to sort out her problem. Maybe if she helped the ghost escape, then she too would return to her own time.
“Reuben where does the wizard live?” Millie asked. Even she didn`t know why she asked this particular question, for surely the last thing she wanted to do was to confront him.
“Here in the abbey.” The young ghost replied.
“Abbey, you mean there are monks and things here too?” Millie said, her spirits rising.
“There haven`t been any monks living here for years now Millie, the wizard scared them all away because he wanted the abbey for his own house.” The young ghost said sadly.
“You`re still visible Reuben, I thought that ghosts only came out after dark?” Millie said in surprise for the dawn was just beginning to break.
“No I`m here all the time Millie. Millie can we play a game, hide and seek was always my favourite, can we play that?” the young ghost asked, now considerably cheered up, now that he had a friend with whom to play games.
“Only if you promise not to hide inside any of the Abbey`s walls.” Millie said laughing. Now that the sun had risen she too felt a little happier.
“But not now Reuben, all this travelling through time has made me rather hungry. Where do I go for breakfast?” The young ghost told her to follow him, and he led her through to the kitchen where she found a good supply of food in the larder.
“Why on Earth has the evil old wizard imprisoned you here, there must be a reason Reuben?” Millie asked as she prepared her breakfast of bread and cheese and a glass of milk.
“My father is a keeper of the peace, and he is in charge of this district, unfortunately for me, my father attempted to have the wizard imprisoned, it was for the many crimes that he has committed over the years since he came to live here. To punish my father the wizard made me die a lingering death, and even after my death he holds me captive within the abbey, a further punishment that my father and I must suffer. My father is an old man now, so maybe he will let me go soon.” The young ghost said finishing off with a huge sigh.
“The abbey is very clean for such a large place, who cleans it?” Millie asked.
“The wizard has put a spell on some of the women of the village, as punishment for the one time that they rebelled against him. Now, they come in and sweep the place and chase the cobwebs away, some of them even provide him with his meals, and they obey his every order.” The young ghost said sadly, for he knew that as well as being afraid of the wizard, the women were also terribly afraid of him, him being a ghost an all, and that this included the women of his family.
Both Millie and Reuben had been so engrossed, Millie with her breakfast, and Reuben with his new friend, that they did not hear the wizard appear in the doorway of the large kitchen. He stood there for a moment listening to them and then walked in and grabbed a hold of Millie`s shoulders before she could leave her chair and run.
“Who are you girl, and who told you to eat my food, stealing is a grave offence in the
England of good King Henry III.” The wizard screamed angrily.
Millie looked at the young ghost who was fading away through fear of the wizard, however, she was not about to be cowed by an extremely old man, for he had been born over 800 years before her. She decided that attack was the best form of defence, and launched into him, verbally.
“I am a loyal subject of the king, old man, I came here as soon as stories of your evil reached my ears, when I return to confirm these stories, King Henry will probably chop off your head.” Millie cried out angrily.
Of course, this was all bluff on Millie`s part, she neither knew the king, nor would he bother to listen to a young girl, no matter how pretty, Millie thought, smiling as she uttered the last words.
“Are you saying that you have access to the King, my god you must be mad to think that I would believe such a thing, or think me so, and maybe you are mad if you really believe that I would listen to such ravings. However, now that you are here, I do have a use for you, you can be my new scullery maid, the last one died of some disgusting disease.” The wizard said without any feeling for the old scullery maid.
“Finish your stolen food then clean this kitchen area, defy me again and I will send a demon from hell to torment you until you come to me on your knees to beg my forgiveness. If you do not believe me then ask your new friend, he will confirm that I have the power to call upon the demons of hell.” The wizard said, looking down at Millie with disgust.
The wizard then left her to her new work, and when Millie looked around for the young ghost, he too had disappeared, for the moment. Millie was not sure if the wizard could make good on his threats, but until a way to defeat the wizard was found, she knew that she had to obey him, for where else in this time could she find food and shelter. It was while she was washing the floor of the kitchen that Reuben returned.
“I am so sorry Millie; my wishing for company has landed you in so much trouble.” Reuben said sorrowfully.
“That is all right Reuben, but I will have to find another place to sleep, the bedroom that I slept in last night had far too many holes in it, and the wind knew where each one was.” Millie said and smiled at the sad young ghost.
At lunch time a local woman entered the kitchen to prepare the wizard`s lunch, but she did not speak to Millie, she merely ignored her attempts to get to know her.
“Hello, my name is Millie; the wizard has made me his new scullery maid.” Millie said introducing herself with a smile.
The village woman looked at her momentarily and then carried on with her work for a moment before turning to Millie.
“You`re a stranger here girl, has the wizard sent you to spy upon us, if so we know how to deal with your sort?” The woman said in a very unfriendly tone. “Now get on with your work, or one of us will have to do it, and we have enough to do without doing your work.”
Millie looked at the woman, she was well built and looked well able to look after herself, so Millie decided not to complain about her unjust words, she just returned to the scullery and her work. Later that day when another woman came by to prepare the wizard`s dinner, Millie stayed out of her way, she had done her day`s work and had made a meal for herself, so sitting in the scullery she ate it.
When all of the local women had gone for the day, Millie used the remaining daylight hours to prepare her new bedroom. It was a small room that was just off the scullery, which in turn was just off the kitchen. She thought that at one time a regular scullery maid had probably slept here, now it empty save for a small amount of dust, which she quickly brushed outside. To allow some fresh air into room, for the room smelt stale and musty, she removed the window frame, it was made of animal hide that was fixed to a wooden frame, in this way some light could enter the room. She now moved the bed, the mattress and the bedding from her old room at the top of the abbey, down to her new bedroom on the ground floor of the abbey. It took her many trips, and by the time she was done she was exhausted, but at least she now had a warm, dry bedroom, being near to the kitchen. There certainly were not any holes in the room to allow the cold wind entrance inside, or the local wildlife, for Millie had found signs that they had used her original bedroom, after she had cleared it of the bed. A search of one of the cupboards in the kitchen provided her with a large supply of candles, and she appropriated a solid looking chest on which to put a candle while she undressed for bed, and a solid wooden chair to sit on. Satisfied with her new quarters she collected her bag with her clothes and other things from her old room and stored them in the chest, which had been empty.
Reuben had kept her company all the time that she worked, but as a ghost he could not physically help her, although he did keep a watch out for the wizard. In this way she hid whenever the old wicked wizard was nearby, not wanting him to catch her doing something that was not to do with her job.
Later that night Millie was laying in her bed, and she was wondering what new problems she would have to face in her new life, what if any dangers. As if to answer her, she heard footsteps in the kitchen; but it was only the wizard locking the doors for the night. He was in the kitchen to lock the door that led out to the large kitchen garden at the back of the abbey, the main windows of the abbey did not open they were fixed, the smaller ones were either too small to allow entrance, or had bars across them preventing access. Thankfully, he did not bother her; he just went on his way ensuring that nothing could get at him while he slept.
It was early into the morning by her watch, the face lit up by the moon shining in through her window, when she heard noises coming from outside of her door. Then something scratched on the wooden door and she sat bolt up in bed, however, it was not until whoever was outside of the door attempted to turn the door knob, that fear entered her eyes. Someone outside then pushed against the door, however, Millie had wedged the chair against the door to provide herself a small amount of security, and somehow this kept them out. Millie was now sitting with her back flat against the wall, and as far from the door as was possible. All was quiet for a few minutes, then she heard noises outside her window, she knew that it was too small to allow a man to enter that way, so feeling safe she got out of bed and went to the window to look out. What she saw made her previous fears seem small, for strange looking people were walking around the kitchen garden, picking and taking away the vegetables growing there. She had seen demons on the television, but they were all make believe, what was outside her bedroom was not make believe, they were real.
Millie blushed when she realised that none of the demons wore a stitch of clothing, and she was just about to avert her eyes when a demon looked her way, its blazing red eyes looking into hers, fearful that she might have been seen, she sank down under the window and waited. Her worst fears were confirmed when she heard footsteps approaching the outside wall, then the demon attempted to enter through the window, to what end she did not know, but thankfully, the demon was far too large to enter that way. Then she heard a voice in her head telling her to come out and play, she might have done so, had she not seen the demon, but even this inner compulsion could not make her legs work, she was so afraid. Soon the demon tired of this and went away, but for the next hour she heard movement outside and some of it just outside her window.
The next morning, a tired Millie went into the kitchen to prepare her breakfast, a woman from the village was there preparing the wizards meal.
“Hello, my name is Millie; the wizard has made me the new scullery maid.” Millie said introducing herself with a smile.
The village woman looked at her momentarily and then carried on with her work for a moment before turning to Millie.
“You`re the stranger who I heard about, the one that the wizard has sent to spy upon us, well I do my work, I am no slacker, and if I hear that you have been saying otherwise, then I will land you one girl, understand?” The woman said in a very cold and unfriendly tone.
Before Millie could reply Reuben appeared, she had not seen him since she had retired for the night, the woman
glanced at him fearfully and hurried off, taking the wizard’s meal with her.
“Well the local women are not very friendly Reuben.” Millie said as she watched the door close behind the village woman.
“They are just scared Millie, scared that the wizard will notice them, for their families might then pay the price of their friendship to you.” Reuben replied.
Millie looked at the young ghost and scowled. “I saw demons in the garden, they were really tall and looked very strong, they were green in colour with red eyes, and they did not wear any clothes, Reuben, why didn`t you warn me about them?” Millie asked angrily. “And something tried to get into my room last night; do you know what it was?” Millie asked anxiously.
Reuben would have blushed had he been a real boy, and not a ghost, but he did look contrite. “I am sorry Millie, I thought you might run away if I told you about the demons, the wizard allows them to take food from the garden, and in return they guard the abbey during the hours of darkness. As long as you stay inside you should be safe. I really do not know what was at your door, unless the wizard sent something to ensure that you did not try to escape. During the day it is impossible, for the villagers will stop you, afraid that they will incur the wizards anger should they allow you to do so, did I tell you that they are really afraid of the wizard.” Reuben replied sorrowfully.
Millie was still angry with the young ghost, but she decided that he had a reasonable excuse. Reuben faded away while her back was turned and she decided to have a look around the abbey. She had just reached the first floor gallery, and was watching the local woman as they cleaned the large abbey, and it was while she was doing this that the wizard came across her.
“You should be hard at your work girl, not poking your nose into every nook and crevice that comes your way; well I will ensure that you keep your nose where it should be.” The wizard cried out angrily.
“Behrman, come here immediately, I have a job for you.” The wizard called out loudly.
Moments later and a small red demon appeared at his side, it had gleaming yellow eyes and sharp matching teeth, thankfully this demon wore clothes, he had on a rather dirty tunic made from sackcloth that smelt terrible, although the wizard did not remark upon it.
“I am here oh Master, what is it that you require of your poor but obedient slave?” The small demon asked.
“This serf is lazy, she prefers to walk around my abbey in search of things to steal rather than do her work, you will teach her the error of her ways, take her back to the kitchen and make sure that she completes her work.” The wizard ordered.
The small red demon turned to look at Millie, an evil grin spread across its face. “Yes my Master, I will keep her working hard.” The demon said still looking at Millie. “Come lazy serf, you have much work to finish off.”
The demon then produced a length of rope from out of thin air and threw one end at Millie, who put out a hand to stop the rope from hitting her face, but to her astonishment the rope evaded her hand and curled around her neck to form a collar. The demon then walked towards the stairs, pulling a struggling Millie behind him, and for so small a demon he was immensely strong, and no matter how hard she tried she could not undo the knot that tied the rope about her neck.
Soon they were in the kitchen, the local woman from the morning was preparing the wizard`s dinner. The woman howled with laughter at the sight of Millie being pulled along like a beast of burden.
“Ha, ha, he caught you slacking did he, or was it stealing, well the red devil will not give you any slack, he will make you work like never before.” The woman said and once again she howled with laughter.
Never in her life had Millie felt so humiliated, but she could see no point in defending herself, so she ignored the woman, she just walked over to one of the cupboards and pulled out the cleaning tools that were stored there. Then she began to clean the kitchen cupboards and work surfaces, all the time scowling at the woman and the red demon. The demon did allow her to have a bite to eat for lunch, and a drink of milk, but then he made her clean the kitchen floor, now that the local women had finished working there, until it was time to prepare the wizard`s dinner.
The demon did not return the next morning, however, Millie decided against another tour around the abbey, just in case she was caught again by the wizard, for she thought that her punishment then would be even greater, she might even be beaten by the red demon, thankfully the wizard had spared her that the first time. And so her days within the abbey were much the same routine, work hard, eat little and sleep even less.
One night when Millie was lying in bed, about to go to sleep, for she felt absolutely exhausted after yet another gruelling day, Reuben knocked at her door. She had not seen the young ghost all that day so she allowed him to come in. It was strange watching him float threw the solid wood door. Reuben was feeling very down, the wizard had been tormenting him all that day, conjuring up mystical winds that blew Reuben all over the abbey, but which left the living humans untouched.
Millie was quiet for a few moments as she listened to the young ghost’s tale of woe, but then a wicked idea sprang into her mind. “Reuben, do you know exactly where in his bedroom the wizard keeps your locket?” Millie enquired.
“Yes it is in a box that sits upon on a large table, the box is locked though, so even if you were able to get into the room, which you can`t, you won`t be able to open the box and take out the locket.” The young ghost said in his soft sad voice.
“Reuben, tell me, is the box locked with a key, or a magic spell?” Millie demanded to know.
“Just with a key, but he keeps it around his neck at all times.” The young ghost lamented.
“What he wears it even when he washes?” Millie asked.
“I don`t think that he gets washed all that often.” The young ghost answered with a smile back on his face.
“Eeeewwww, he really must smell awful.” Millie said in disgust and the two children both fell about laughing at the thought. “Strange though, I cannot remember his smelling all that bad?”
“Maybe he has put a spell on everyone who works in the abbey, to stop them from smelling his filthy body, as for me, luckily as a ghost I can`t smell him anyway.” The young ghost laughed merrily.
Millie smiled at her new friend and thought that he must be right, then another thought occurred to her. “Reuben why can`t you simply put your hand through the wooden box and take the locket and the lock of your hair, I mean you are a ghost aren`t you?” Millie asked.
“Because, Millie, he has rubbed a particular herb all over the box that stops me from going anywhere near to it.” The young ghost answered.
Millie thought about the problem some more and then an idea exploded in her brain. “Never mind Reuben, for I have a plan, listen while I tell you of your part in it.” Millie then outlined her plan, and after a few alterations following suggestions by Reuben, they were set to go.
That night Millie concealed herself within the room opposite the bedroom of the wizard, and here she waited for him go to bed. It was very late when the old wizard finally appeared in front of the door to his bedroom, and Millie was on the point of falling asleep. Luckily the heavy keys attached to the wizard`s belt jangled and woke her. Reuben then appeared directly behind the wizard and as the evil old man entered his bedroom Reuben swept in behind him whooping and squealing so as to divert the wizard`s attention. The wizard was temporarily distracted and forgot to lock his door, as was his usual custom. Instead, he chased after Reuben, threatening to do many terrible things to him unless he stopped his terrible cries and left the room immediately. Because of this diversion, Millie was able to enter the room unnoticed, and was just on the point of slipping beneath the large four-poster bed, when a cat that had sat unnoticed under the bed squealed out the alarm. The wizard spun around sharply, and saw her feet disappearing under his bed, he strode over and grabbed the two feet and pulled her out from under the bed, then he hauled her to her feet.
“What a
re you doing trying to hide beneath my bed, girl?” The wizard demanded to know. Not giving Millie time to answer the wizard swung back to Reuben who was on the point of fading away.
“Stop boy, this is your doing, you brought this girl here to try and steal the locket, didn`t you?” The wizard screamed at the young ghost who was trembling, so scared was he of the wizard, and especially when his voice took on that loud and angry tone.
“Leave him alone you bully.” Millie demanded. “It was my idea to try to steal the locket, so as to free him.”
The wizard turned angrily upon Millie, and her face paled under his angry look. “Then maybe I should turn you into a ghost, would you like that, girl, be his friend for eternity?” The evil old man asked, laughing at the idea of such a punishment.
“Oh you mustn`t do that, Sir.” Reuben cried out. “I will do anything that you ask Sir, and Millie will promise to never come to your room again, if only you will let her go back to her room unharmed.”
The evil old wizard considered the young ghost`s words and decided that he could use the ghost against his enemies far better if he had the boy`s willing help.
“All right girl, you may leave, but if you should ever attempt to enter my room again, then I will put a curse on you and all of your family.” A very pale Millie acknowledged his words with the smallest of nods.
Millie knew she had to appear subservient for the moment, so she scampered away looking beaten. However, her only means of returning to her world was to defeat the wizard, even if it meant risking the wizard`s anger by trying once again to enter his bedroom unnoticed, either that or accept that she would be a scullery maid for the remainder of her life. The villagers certainly wouldn`t feed her if she left the abbey, they were too scared of the wizard, so it was do or die, for medieval life didn`t really appeal to her.
The next day dawned, and the sun was only just up when she saw the old wizard leave the abbey and hurry off down the narrow lane. Millie had noticed that a tall and very old tree grew near to the wizard`s bedroom window, and she hoped to utilise it, for she believed that she could squeeze through it into the wizard`s bedroom. Millie had climbed many a tree in her short life, although it took her a while to scale the thick old trunk of this tree. Soon she was amongst the branches and edging out along one that grew over the wizard`s window. Unfortunately, the branch was some four feet above the window that she was interested in; Millie was hoping that her weight would make the thin branch bend down enough so that she would be able to slip into the window. Too scared to look down, as she was quite high, she concentrated on edging along the branch and gripping it for dear life. Millie felt the branch bending and could see the window slowing appearing to her right, unfortunately the more the branch bent, the more she had to do to stop herself sliding clean off the branch and falling down to the hard ground below.
“Oh why did I ever think this was a bright idea?” Millie moaned through clenched teeth. It was an even chance between success and failure, and failure meant her falling down to the hard ground far below. Millie soon realised that the branch would not bend far enough to allow her to simply climb along it and slip through the narrow window. No, she would have to hang from the branch by her finger tips to reach the window sill. Taking a deep breath she dropped her legs over the edge of the branch, then she let her body slip down passed the branch until all of her weight was supported only by the strength in her hands. Now she edged along the branch towards the open window, but as she did so, the branch, which was narrowing all the time that she moved along it, began to break under her weight. She had no choice, she increased her speed, she watched as the branch bent further and then snapped. Millie had timed her move exactly, as she began to fall her feet found the window sill and her hands grabbed a hold of the wall around the window. For a second she stood there, then she slipped through the window and jumped to the floor of the bedroom.
Millie`s arms and fingers ached, but she forgot about that and brightened up, for she was now inside of the wizard`s bedroom. She stood up and ran to the large table, and there upon it sat the box. Millie tried to open it but it was locked, so she set it on the floor by the window. The tree was out of reach but Millie had already decided on another means of exit. She took all of the bedclothes off the bed, and even the curtains that ran around the four sides of the bed. Then she knotted them together and made a long rope that she hoped would reach the ground beneath the window. Millie now tied one end of her rope to the heavy four-poster bed and then moved over to the window. After ensuring that no one was about, she threw the other end of her knotted rope out of the window. Millie looked out to see that she was a few feet short, but she was out of bedclothes so she decided that she had to chance it. Before climbing down the rope, Millie picked up the wooden box and cheerfully tossed it out of the window to see it break open when it hit the hard ground below.
“You can keep your big old key, I don`t think I need one now.” Millie said with a laugh. The next five minutes were scary, as she struggled down the knotted bedclothes, the muscles in her arms complaining about all of the use. She was about half the way down when her hands slipped, and she began to fall, desperately she grabbed at the home made rope ladder and managed to grab a hold of one of the large knots in her rope, and so stop her fall. Millie hung there and counted to ten before daring to continue her climb down to safety, the knot taking her weight and giving a little respite to her aching arms. Finally, she was hanging on to the last knot; it was some six feet from the ground. Looking down, Millie saw that the ground looked to be hard, but there was nothing else below her that might hurt her, and nothing else that she could do anyway, so she closed her eyes and dropped, however, Millie hit the ground awkwardly.
“Ow! My poor foot.” Millie cried. She was sure that she had sprained her ankle on landing, but no matter, she had done it. The broken box was inches from her hand and there amongst the broken pieces of wood was the golden locket. Millie grabbed a hold of it and then stood up, complaining much about her painful ankle, boys and finally about evil old wizards.
Hobbling back along the wall she finally came to the door of the abbey that as usual was open. Pushing it wide, Millie hobbled through and called out to the young ghost, who appeared almost instantly. Unfortunately for Millie, the wizard`s black cat was sleeping curled up in a warm spot of sunshine that was quite near to the front door. Being awakened by Millie it hissed at her, and sped out of the open front door in search of its master, who was already returning to the abbey, he had been in a nearby wood where he had been collecting some herbs that he needed for his potions.
“Millie, you`re hobbling, are you all right? Oh! And you have my locket.” The young ghost cried in joy.
“Yes of course Reuben, you didn`t think that I would let the evil old wizard tell a modern girl what to do?”
Millie opened the locket and then handed the locket and the lock of his hair across to Reuben, amid his many cries of thank you. His hand seemed to hover over and around the two items but he never actually took a hold of them. At this same moment, the wizard rushed through the door, and he saw the locket in her hand.
“You meddlesome girl, you will pay for this.” He stormed. Even as his threats against her filled the air, Millie could see Reuben fading but not from fear, for his face was full of joy, he was returning to his mother. Unfortunately that meant that she had to face the evil old wizard`s wrath all alone.
Millie didn`t notice that she had the golden locket held tightly in her hand, all that she saw was the evil old wizard striding towards her. Millie looked hastily around, but all her options were blocked except for the old wooden staircase directly behind her. Turning she dashed as fast as her ankle would allow her too, up the wide steps towards the room that had been her bedroom. Soon she was standing before her old bedroom door, with the wizard only feet behind her. Millie pushed open the door and moved inside, but as she closed the door, she stood for one moment looking at where the wooden bed had stood. Immediately Millie understoo
d how she had been transported back to medieval times, for she now remembered that carved into the wooden headboard were the two angels, carved by someone at an even earlier time than now. Maybe less thought and more action would have been a wiser course of action, for as she thought about the angels the wizard pushed violently through the doorway. The solid wooden door collided with Millie`s back and threw her head first across the room, where she hit her head against the far wall, darkness filled her mind and she lay on the floor of the room for some time before awaking.