***
He awoke next morning feeling like he’d slept forever and with a foggy head he picked popcorn from his face and hair.
He checked himself in the mirror – same thick mop of untidy blonde hair, skin was still skin coloured, he stuck his tongue out and that was fine as well, and his eyes were still grey, and not fizzy, definitely not fizzy.
He had no unusual colours on any part of his body, no funny squeaks or honks when he moved, and his eyes were fine…definitely NOT FIZZY!
He pulled the cord to call for breakfast and moments later heard a hurried commotion outside and the rattling of keys and shuffling of feet. The door burst open and Doctor Grunk and Matron Wisely seemed to try and squeeze through at the same time, with the Doctor coming off second best, followed by Marvin.
‘Are you ok Morris? Do we need to make arrangements? One thing we must do is stay calm!’ blurted the Doctor, as he rearranged his glasses and paced around the room with his arms and hair waving dramatically.
‘I am calm,’ said Morris, calmly.
‘Whatever you do, don’t panic Morris. We will get everything sorted for you!’ continued the Doctor. ‘Where is Thinley by the way?’
‘He’s not here,’ said Morris.
‘NOT HERE! NOT HERE? Jumping Jellybeans we must call him!’ shrieked the Doctor.
‘Why?’ said Morris. The Matron was towering over Morris but seemed unwilling to touch him as if he were now a delicate object and the Doctor was dancing around the room and Marvin stood cowering in the doorway looking very bemused.
‘There’s nothing wrong, my eyes are fine,’ continued Morris. ‘And you said that Thinley would know when I was ready…all I did was pull the cord – like you said – for breakfast.’
‘Breakfast! You want breakfast at a time like this?’ choked the Doctor, his hair rigid with shock.
‘Yes, my eyes are fine, they’re not fizzy,’ said Morris adamantly.
‘Oh,’ all excitement in the room seemed to fade away and the Doctor leaned on the bed, exhausted.
‘Oh you’re ok!’ whispered Matron who then proceeded to cuddle Morris in a tight bear hug.
‘Well, yes,’ said Morris, a little disconcerted, as she dropped him to the floor.
‘Of course, of course,’ said the Doctor. ‘Anyway it was Matron who was worried, not me,’ the Doctor flapped his hand dismissively at the Matron.
‘Marvin’ Doctor Grunk continued, ‘please give Morris anything he wants for breakfast’
‘And, out of interest, how is that potion coming along?’
‘Well, I believe it only needs a few more hours and the spell will be ready.’ The confident voice spoke whenever the subject was the Eenimeeni spell.
‘Marvellous!’ The Doctor seemed happy with himself now and he and his hair appeared much calmer. ‘Well if everything’s ok, and things are just…fine…I’ll be off! Enjoy your breakfast!’
‘What will you be having Master Morris?’ asked Marvin, as the room emptied.
‘Urm,’ said Morris, looking at the menu and blinking hard. ‘I don’t know, I can’t actually see very well, my eyes are a bit itchy…’
As the Doctor walked down the passageway something caught his eye. It was a moth flying quite fast toward him, and he chuckled as his hair split in two to let it through.
‘A fast, low-flying moth, whatever next?’ he giggled.
‘I don’t know why you’re laughing,’ came a little voice as it flew over him, ‘it’s the FIZZY EYES!’
The familiar voice of Thinley Snickle trailed off as the moth turned and dived to go under Morris’ door.
‘FIZZY EYES? FIZZY EYES!’ the Doctor shouted as he turned and ran back the way he came.
15. The Yiddle’s Spell
Morris’ eyes had felt like a shaken bottle of pop, but they had quickly settled down. He could see clearly and his eyes now tingled like a lightly sparking mineral water.
As his eyes had started to fizz, so Morris also felt a surge of energy pulse through him and he felt powerful in a way like never before. The energy seemed to start from his feet and make its way up through his body and at the moment it was around his chest area. He didn’t know what to do with it but it was a warmth that made him feel quite cosy.
Blinking, he looked at Marvin who appeared worried, which wasn’t unusual, but was also smiling.
‘Wow!’ was all Morris could say.
‘I – I think – ,’ started Marvin.
Before he could say any more Thinley Snickle was standing in the room.
The Head of Remedial Corrections beamed a wide smile. His gown throbbed with such a riot of bright and startling patterns and colours that it made Morris feel slightly giddy, which, he felt, was the last thing he needed.
Moments later Doctor Grunk burst into the room.
‘Just don’t panic Morris, don’t panic, whatever you do, DO NOT PANIC because panic is not what we need!’ he blurted. ‘And that goes for you as well Marvin,’ he pointed to the old man who was standing quietly to the side and really not panicking at all.
‘I think,’ Thinley held up an authoritative finger, which made the Doctor stop and stare at him. ‘That you should get the patients ready for young Morris to perform his…’ he tittered, ‘…magic…’
‘My word, yes, of course!’ cried the Doctor. ‘It’ll be the longest serving first…oh Arthur Muffle will be so pleased!’
Doctor Grunk then shook Morris’ hand vigorously, then Thinley’s, and Marvin’s as well before he left the room quickly, calling for Matron Wisely.
‘I can see how Dreebil couldn’t fail to know what’s going on,’ muttered Morris. He didn’t have time to think of much else as at that moment he felt the energy ball within him move further up his body toward his neck.
‘OOOooeerr,’ he croaked, ‘it’s right here,’ he said, pointing.
‘That’ll be the spell, it’s nothing to worry about,’ said Thinley. ‘Your eyes fizzing is the signal that the spell is brewed to full maturity and you will have felt the spell move through your body,’ nodded the Wizzer calmly.
‘When you feel it in your head, which will only be a few minutes time, you’ll be ready, now –,’ Thinley pointed his finger again, ‘– when you see a patient you will know what to do. The spell will make you do what you need to …and then you will see them cured!’ smiled the Wizzer.
‘OK,’ said Morris.
Thinley turned to Marvin. ‘How is the Eenimeeni spell doing?’ he asked with a touch of urgency.
‘I’ll go and check,’ said the old man who left the room with purpose, well, more like a forced shuffle.
‘Please do,’ said Thinley, ‘the spell is a wonderful thing, but on this occasion it will be somewhat more complicated than those in the past, and we want to make sure your friends come out of this unscathed.’
Morris looked in the mirror and saw a sparkling golden glow covered his head and reached up above him and flickered like a flame. It wasn’t unlike a coloured steam with sparkles and as Morris moved his head from side to side the glow followed him like a magnet.
‘…and when that glow withers and weakens, so does the spell…’ added Thinley.
‘Let’s hurry up then!’ said Morris