Walking along with my friends was so normal. So familiar. So safe.
Until it wasn’t.
We were almost at school when the world went wacky. Or at least wackier than normal. My vision went sideways and I lost my balance as if the sidewalk had tipped on end. My ears rang with the wail of a hundred screaming birds. Were they ravens? I took a few wobbly steps forward, stumbled onto the grass, and fell on my butt.
“Run!” I screamed at Lu and Theo.
“Whoa! Why?” Lu called as she and Theo hurried to help me.
I sat in the grass, my head spinning from the incessant screeching of invisible birds. The only thing I could do was bury my head in my arms and hope they’d go away.
“Get down! Cover up!” I shouted. The effort made my head spin even faster. I thought I might puke.
“Are you sick?” Theo asked frantically. “Marcus! What’s going on?”
It ended as fast as it had begun. The cawing stopped and the dizziness went away. I cautiously peeked up to see that all was normal. Even my head was clear. It was as if nothing had happened.
“Help me up,” I said.
Theo and Lu grabbed my arms and lifted me to my feet.
“What was that all about?” Lu asked nervously.
“I got real dizzy,” I said. “Everything started spinning and I couldn’t stand up.”
“Maybe you have a brain tumor,” Theo said.
I gave him a shove. “I don’t have a brain tumor. There’s nothing wrong with me except…”
I couldn’t finish the sentence.
“Except what?” Lu asked.
“I heard birds. They sounded exactly like the white ravens that attacked me back at Coppell.”
Lu took a quick look around. “Uh…no birds here.”
“I’m not making it up,” I said forcefully. “I heard them. It must be the witch. She’s messing with me.”
Lu and Theo exchanged worried looks.
“If that’s true,” Theo said, “it means she can reach right through the Library to get you.”
My knees went weak, and not because I was hearing more birds.
“Maybe we should back off this story a little,” Lu suggested.
“I wish we could,” I said.
The three of us continued to school…our normal, everyday old school that I was suddenly liking a lot more than ever before. Getting through the day was tough. I couldn’t concentrate on anything my teachers were saying. All I kept thinking about was the world turning sideways and the sound of screaming white ravens. Would it happen again? Would the witch zap me with no warning and drive me out of my mind? It was like being strapped to a time bomb with no way of knowing when it might go off.
It wasn’t until last period that the fuse reached the bomb.
Thursdays were run day in PE. Everybody had to run a mile on the track. The faster you did it, the better your grade, which made no sense to me. Gym should be about effort, not talent. But I didn’t make the rules, so…whatever. Besides, I was fast. Halfway through the mile I was way ahead of everybody else. I think my fear and frustration may have given me a little extra boost. I was rounding the last turn, about to hit the stretch to the finish line, when I heard it.
It was faint, but it was real.
Screeching birds.
The white ravens were back.
I looked around frantically, trying to see where the attack would be coming from. There were no birds in the sky, yet the horrible noise grew louder, as though a huge, noisy flock was closing in on me. A moment later, the world went wonky again. It felt as though I were standing on the deck of a capsizing ship. I had no control and fell to the grass on the infield.
A few guys shot by me, but I didn’t care. I closed my eyes to try and stop the spinning, and covered my head with my arms, to protect myself from the swarm of birds.
None came. A few seconds later, the world went right again. The dizziness was gone.
The PE teacher, Mr. Darula, came running up.
“O’Mara? You okay? Did you pass out?”
I sat up and looked around as the other kids sprinted for the finish line.
“I’m okay,” I said. “I just got dizzy from running too hard.”
I gingerly got to my feet, expecting to feel woozy, but I was totally fine.
“You sure?” Darula asked with concern.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, and proved it by jogging to the finish line.
“Fine” was the last thing I was feeling, though. I was one hundred percent certain that the witch from Coppell was reaching out to mess with my head. By the time the school day was over, I had suffered through two weird dizzy spells and phantom bird attacks, but I was no closer to knowing what to do about any of it. There was only one thing I was dead certain about: I was scared.
“We have to get back to the Library and see what Everett found,” Lu said as the three of us headed toward my house after school.
I went along with them, but with each step my confidence grew weaker. If the witch was trying to scare me off from messing with her witchy plans…mission accomplished.
I didn’t want to go back to Coppell Middle School.
I didn’t want to face the wrath of some ancient witch.
I didn’t want to finish the story, because I was afraid of what the ending might be.
Everett was waiting for us in the Library with a few books open on the circulation desk. He had a mischievous gleam in his eye as if he couldn’t wait to share what he’d learned. Theo, Lu, and I pulled up wooden stools like students in class ready to hear a presentation.
“Good news and bad news,” Everett began. “Good news is I’m pretty sure I know what’s happening at that school, and why. Even better, I know how you can stop it.”
“So what’s the bad news?” Lu asked.
“If you fail, hundreds of people may die,” he said flatly.
I didn’t remind him of the extra-bad news that I was cursed by a witch. That would have sounded lame compared with the “hundreds of people may die” thing.
“So who is she?” Theo asked.
“Don’t know exactly,” Everett said, referring to one of the finished books. “But I found a story that tells the tale of a coven of witches that called themselves the Black Moon Circle. These witches were active near Salem back around 1692. A pretty lofty group of witches, from what I’ve read. They thought of themselves as far superior to mortals and felt their dark powers should elevate them to a position of authority over humans.”
“So they wanted to run the town?” I asked.
“That was the least of it! They planned to create a superrace that would spread their influence far and wide. These witches weren’t content to live quiet lives and hide their abilities. Oh no, they wanted control.”
“But the people of Salem put them out of business, right?” I asked.
“Sort of. They escaped and fled to western Massachusetts, where they found a quiet little corner of the woods and set up a homestead. It eventually became the town of Coppell.”
“Witch town!” Lu exclaimed.
“Do the people who live there know their town was founded by witches?” Theo asked, tugging on his earlobe.
“Doesn’t seem so,” Everett replied. “But look here.”
He pushed forward a stack of four books.
“Completed stories, all having to do with the Black Moon Circle. Seems that every hundred years or so, these witches have tried to pull the same kind of shenanigans they’re up to now.”
“Which are?” Lu asked.
“They want the world to recognize them as superbeings more powerful than nature itself. Imagine being able to control the weather, the behavior of animals, the wind, even gravity. It’s frightening to think anyone could have that kind of power. That’s why people have always been afraid of witches.”
“You keep saying ‘witches,’ ” I said. “Plural. I only saw one.”
“Rest assured,” Everett said, “there are others. W
itches aren’t solitary beings. They draw strength from their covens.”
“Swell,” I said with full irony.
“So what are they trying to do in Coppell?” Theo asked.
Everett rested his hands on the stack of completed books. “Tomorrow night there will be a black moon on Samhain. It’s the fourth new moon of a single season. The convergence of those two events creates a situation ripe for enormous magical power to be used, especially in the hands of a high priestess of a coven.”
“So that woman in the woods is a high priestess?” I asked.
“Nope,” Everett said gravely. “Not her.”
“Then who?”
“It seems to be…Ainsley.”
“What!” Theo shouted.
“No way,” I said. “She’s clueless about all this.”
Everett picked up one of the books and flipped through it.
“Clueless? Maybe. Capable? That’s something else entirely. That coven has attempted this ritual four times before. They find a young girl. A baby. Someone special who is strong and smart but open to their influence. The witches gather the coven and perform an ancient ceremony that takes each of their strongest powers and gives them to the baby.”
“And the parents go along with it?” Theo asked, incredulous.
“The parents don’t know,” Everett replied. “In the past the witches have posed as nannies or performed their spells when they could separate the babies from their families, like at day care.”
“That’s seriously disturbing,” Lu exclaimed. “Evil Mary Poppins.”
“The woman said she was Ainsley’s mother, and that she had many mothers,” I said.
“She may see it that way, but this has nothing to do with Ainsley’s natural parents. Ainsley wasn’t born a witch; she was chosen. Each time this happens, the coven’s powers lie dormant within a baby girl until she reaches puberty. That’s when the powers mature, stronger than before, and begin to show themselves.”
“That’s exactly what happened,” I declared. “Ainsley said strange things started happening a couple of weeks ago. The magic was inside her, just waiting for her to grow up.”
“And she caused all those accidents with powers she didn’t even know she had,” Lu said, shaking her head in dismay. “You’d think they’d tell her.”
“They just did,” I said.
“So what’s going to happen tomorrow night?” Theo asked.
“A perfect storm,” Everett explained. “The high priestess will channel the power of the coven, through the high priestess, to create a dramatic and horrible display. Blood will be spilled. It’s all in the books. In the past, the coven has tried to destroy a dam to flood the town; they summoned lightning strikes to burn the main streets; a plague of locusts descended to destroy the autumn harvest. One time they actually summoned a massive swarm of rats.”
“These are some nasty people,” Lu said in awe.
“Not people, lass, witches.”
“So what’s the point?” I asked.
“They’re after two things,” Everett replied. “The horrible display will announce their existence while summoning the witches of the world. If the covens unite, mankind will be at their mercy.”
“It’s like the birth of a superrace,” Theo said with dismay. “A really unfriendly superrace.”
“What’s the second thing?” Lu asked.
“Revenge. They hold mankind responsible for forcing them to live in the shadows and hide their true nature.”
We all shared nervous looks.
“This may be Ainsley’s story,” Lu said, “but it’s way bigger than that.”
“Aye, it is,” Everett said, tapping the desk. “Everything I’ve described is in the books.”
“But the witches failed every time,” Theo said.
“And that’s the good news!” Everett exclaimed. “Each time they tried this dark deed, they were stopped.”
“By who?” I asked.
Everett smiled. “Who do you think? By an agent of the Library.”
My stomach dropped.
Everyone looked at me. It had come full circle.
“That’s why she said I wasn’t going to stand in her way again,” I said.
“Apparently she’s onto you, Marcus,” Everett said. “She knows you’re from the Library.”
“She’s onto me all right,” I said anxiously. “Twice today I was knocked off my feet. It felt like the world was flipping sideways while a flock of freaking invisible birds flew at me. She cursed me, Everett. She wants me out of this story.”
Everett scratched his chin thoughtfully.
“Aye. I suppose that’s why she took your hair.”
“Uh, what?”
“The raven that attacked you. It plucked out some of your hair. She could have used that to put a hex on you.”
I wanted to cry. I really did.
“This could pose a problem,” Everett said with a frown.
“Problem!” I shouted with frustration. “That’s a pretty huge understatement!”
“Let’s think positively,” Theo said. “How did the other agents stop the witches?”
“They disrupted the disruption,” Everett replied eagerly. “It’s all about the high priestess. Tomorrow night the coven will gather to unite their powers through her.”
“No,” I said with certainty. “No way. Ainsley won’t do it.”
“She may not have a choice, lad,” Everett said. “This is a powerful coven. She may resist, but they can charm her as easily as the birds that attacked you.”
I thought of how Ainsley had followed that white dog into the woods. She was in some kind of trance and had no control. The situation was looking worse by the second.
“So she’s the villain and a victim?” Lu asked.
“Aye. Now that she’s onto you, you’ll have to be all the more careful.”
“What am I supposed to do?” I asked with desperation. “I can’t fight witchcraft. Especially if I’m cursed.”
Everett held up one of the finished books and said, “You must. Find their hollow, the spot where the coven gathers. There will be an altar, which they use to perform their magic. Find it and destroy it. That’s what past agents did.”
There was a long silence as the impact of this horrifying history settled in.
“What do you suppose the coven is planning to do this time?” Theo asked.
“Hard to say,” Everett said. “Based on what they tried in the past, they’ll want to make a frighteningly dramatic display. The only thing for certain is that it’ll take place on Samhain during the black moon.”
“I know where they’re gonna strike,” Lu said, her voice shaking.
We all looked at her.
“Where?” I asked.
“The Halloween dance tomorrow night. The school will be packed. Ainsley’s in charge of the whole thing. That’s where she’ll be Halloween night, along with hundreds of kids and parents.”
Everett looked pained. “You may be onto something, lass. Hurting those children would be just the sort of horrifying demonstration the coven would attempt. Unless, that is, they’re stopped.”
All eyes went back to me. I suddenly felt cornered.
“I can’t,” I said. “The witch has my hair. The second I show up, she’ll knock me out again.”
“Whatever the spell is that’s got hold of you,” Everett said, “it was most likely cast from the altar in their hollow. Destroy it and you’ll be ending her hold over you as well.”
I jumped to my feet with nervous energy.
“I can’t do that if I’m flat on my back and puking,” I argued. “I just can’t.”
“What about us?” Lu said. “She doesn’t have power over Theo and me.”
“You don’t get it,” I said, my voice cracking with nervous tension. “I saw it. That witch controls everything. Trees. Birds. And there was a wolf. I told myself it was a dog, but it wasn’t. It was a wolf. We’ll never get the chance to find that altar, le
t alone destroy it.”
“Then what about all those kids at the dance?” Theo asked. “This could be a huge disaster.”
“And the school is just the beginning,” Lu said. “If they pull this off, they may end up coming for you anyway. For all of us.”
I was fighting full-on panic. The idea of going back to Coppell and doing battle with evil magic was too much for me to handle.
“Sorry,” I said, grabbing my pack. “I’m outta here. I’m exhausted.”
“You do need rest,” Everett said. “All of you. But I hope you’ll be back. If not…”
He didn’t finish the sentence.
I hurried for the door, with Theo and Lu right behind me.
“They can be stopped,” Everett called after us. “History has proven as much.”
I pulled open the door that led back to my bedroom and held it for Theo and Lu. Once inside, I pulled the Paradox key out of the keyhole and looped the cord back around my neck.
“I don’t blame you for being scared,” Lu said. “I am too.”
“I’m not scared,” Theo said. “I think we can do this.”
“Well then, you’re an idiot,” I said. “You don’t have the whammy on you like I do.”
“Exactly,” Theo said. “That’s why I’m not worried. She’ll never see us coming.”
“Go home,” I said, and reopened my door without using the Paradox key. It opened onto my upstairs hallway.
“We’ll be back early tomorrow,” Theo said. “Before school.”
“Yeah, whatever.”
“Try to sleep, Marcus,” Lu said. “You’re just tired.”
“I’m just terrified,” I said.
The two left without another word.
I closed the door and fell facefirst onto my bed. I hadn’t cried since I ran into a pole in kindergarten and chipped a front tooth. Okay, maybe I cried a little during Toy Story 3, but that was it. Going up against a centuries-old coven seemed about as impossible as, well, as going up against a centuries-old demon. We defeated the Boggin, but it was close. Now there was another boogeyman to deal with. Multiple boogeymen. It was all so…overwhelming. So yeah, I cried.
I wasn’t the least bit hungry, so I blew off dinner and told my parents I was going for a run. I said I needed it because school was getting intense. I just didn’t say which school I was talking about and what was causing the stress. So I put on sweats and running shoes and hit the road.