Marla Medizza and the Miopsa mirror. Chapters nine, ten, and eleven.

Chapter nine.

Woods, worms, and worries.

‘Put on your seat belt Babulous,’ utters Marla as the iron beast moves forward and picks up pace.

‘You mentioned to me that a few of your folk remain?’

‘Very few now. I have been alone for some time. The elveer paid the ultimate price while defending a powerful white sorceress.’

‘What happened, sorry I shouldn’t, it is none of my business.’

‘It is alright, dearest. You are free to ask. Many perished in battle at the hand of witch hunters and of course stygian.’

‘Stygian?’

‘Yes, evil beasts born of the river Styx. Dark demons, vile in appearance, putrid in odour and deadly in battle.’

‘I have never heard of these. Come to think of it, I hadn’t heard of elveer before stumbling upon you. These stygian, do they still exist?’

‘Oh, very much so, Marla dearest. The stygian are amongst us and can be found in the unlikeliest of places.’

‘Do you recall Miss Ironhosen?’

‘You mean iron knickers, my English professor at school?’

‘The same,’ he acknowledges, offering a knowing nod and ironic smirk.

‘Are you saying what I presume you are? Miss Ironhosen is a stygian?’

‘She is Marla, dearest.’

‘Come to think of it, her face was how I expect an evil creature to present itself. Her pale skin, jet-black eyes, and those long talons. She despised me, constantly marking my work incorrectly.’

‘The blackened fingernails, an identifying mark of the stygian. Keratin talons as black as the hearts that pulse within these demonic creatures.’

‘She gave me a D in my end-of-year exam, wicked old hag. It makes sense now.’

‘What does Marla dearest?’

‘Iron knickers. She knew, one day I would be a powerful witch and because of that, she failed me.’

‘Yes, conceivable she noticed your impending power, but unlikely.’

‘I explained to my Mam she was nasty to me; and my sisters, nobody believed me.’

‘Could it have been that you were not accomplished in that arena of schooling?’

‘Nope, it’s because she knows I am a sorceress, the horrible old hag.’

‘Ah, okay if you say so,’ remarks Babulous in a sarcastic tone. She glowers at him. He recoils against the car seat.

‘Dusk will soon be upon us. We need to hurry, Marla dearest. The night can be unforgiving. My nose tells me we are drawing closer to Sherwood forest. We shall set up camp there tonight; we should be perfectly safe amongst the trees.’

‘Your nose?’

‘Huh?’

‘You mentioned your nose told you we are closing in on the forest. I don’t understand?’

‘Elveers have a powerful sense of smell, like that of canines. For example, earlier, when you sat inside the car and farted, I could smell it even though I was far in distance from you.’

‘I didn’t fart, I do not know what you are accusing me of!’ exclaims a mortified Marla, thinking how to change the awkwardness she feels.

‘My mistake, night shall be upon us soon so we must find a secure place to rest.’

‘I don’t understand Babulous. It was noon when you pulled me into the fire oak. According to my watch, an hour has passed. How can this be, it makes no sense?’

‘The pitfalls of entering an invisible dimension. The inside of the tree offers security, you are void of time and space. One minute in a fire oak is equivalent to an earth hour.’

‘There is a tale of a white wizard named Portius Fadato. He entered a fire oak, not knowing of its power. He remained within the realm for two years, surviving on the food he created with his wand of magic.’

‘What happened to him?’

‘What transpired is simple. He spent two years inside the tree. The dilemma is when he eventually surfaced, one hundred and twenty years had passed. He stepped outside and disintegrated to dust. Those who know of the energy of the fire oak will spend as little time inside as necessary.’

‘That’s dreadful, poor man. I should lock Stella in a fire oak for a year.’

‘Never wish that destiny upon your biggest enemy, Marla. You may seal the fate of your sister.’

‘You-d understand if you knew her as I do.’

Marla looks at Babulous, his look lost, remote.

‘You must be lonely Babulous, I argue with my elder sister, but I’d be heartbroken if she was not in my life.’

‘I know you love her, Marla dearest. Your feelings for her are reflected in the expression your eyes show me. I do get lonely sometimes, missing the little things, such as drinking tea with another. I have become accustomed to it, solitary, I mean. Meeting you in person today, although under dreadful circumstances, is a welcomed change.

‘I can be your friend if you would like me to be Babulous?’

Melancholy turns to joy. ‘Yes, please Marla dearest, you as my friend, will be super fantastical,’ he chirps, bouncing up on the passenger seat.

Marla giggles as she pulls the car off the main road and drives the dusty track toward the forest edge.

‘I never have time to be lonely. If it’s not Stella annoying me, it’s my Mam ordering me to clean up my room. My younger sister Bella, bless her, is always wanting to chat about something or other, so quiet time doesn’t exist in my world. I have an amazing group of friends. I am truly fortunate, I guess.

‘Hold them within your heart Marla dearest, life can be fragile and unpredictable.’

‘I think I understand that now Babulous, I am fortunate to have love in my life. I know me and Stella bicker, we just clash, have done for many years.’

Conversation switches to silence. The iron beast thunders along the sandy trail. A fog of dust billowing behind in the dusky sky.

‘Up ahead, Marla dearest, I can see a clearing near the trees. We should park the car here and make our way on foot,’ points Babulous.

‘Tonight, we rest and continue the journey at daybreak.’

Marla drives to the clearing and pulls the car to a stop. She pauses for a moment, the look in her eyes distant. Babulous turns to her.

‘Are you saddened, Marla dearest?’

‘Yes Babulous, I just miss my Mam. I need to ring her as soon as I can to let her know I am safe. I promised her I’d ring as soon as I got the opportunity.’

‘You will not find a telephone box for miles, Marla. I am confident we will happen across one in the dawn.’

Marla steps out of the car. Her beak is flooded with the essence of wildflowers and pine needles. She spreads her arms, drinking in the sweet-smelling aroma. Her eyes consume a myriad of colour, streams of red and yellow flora capture her vision and mind. Turning and glancing at Babulous, he yawns and scratches his furry bottom.

‘I am knackered,’ Marla moans.

‘I am wearied, Marla dearest. The day has been long.’

‘Well, no, not particularly, it’s been a short day, anyhow we are here in this grim forest. No creepy crawlies in this place, I presume.’

‘Creepy what?’

‘Creepy crawlies, you know, spiders and such.’

‘Marla, you realise we are in a forest, and forests are habitats to creatures of many kinds, including arachnids.’

‘Perfect. I am edging closer to losing my head. Now I am sitting and waiting to be attacked by spiders. I am not sure what is worse to be truthful.’

‘In my time on this earth, I haven’t encountered a spider attack, Marla dearest. I presume decapitation may be more painful.’

‘Yes, I know that Babulous. Spiders give me the shits!’

‘You will be safe with me, Marla. If a spider attack ensues, I shall gobble them up, they are packed with nutrition.’

‘Ugh, that’s gross. Please do not eat them in front of me, I will vomit.’

Babulous stares at Marla, puzzled by her disdain at the prospect of him eating hairy spiders.

‘They are delicious Marla dearest, they taste like…’

‘If you say chicken, I am going home, I mean it!’

‘Well, they….’

‘Please stop Babulous, I am queasy.’

‘You humans, you are an odd breed.’

‘That’s rich, coming from you Babulous.’

‘We shall need to cloak the motor vehicle. We do not want everybody knowing our whereabouts’.’

‘I believe there is tarpaulin in the boot. I will go fetch it.’

‘No need for that, Marla dearest,’ utters Babulous, pulling out a miniature leather pouch from his cotton sack.

‘Step back Marla, this spell can have residual side effects.’

‘Augmenta nascentia!’ he exclaims, throwing liquid from a small glass bottle in the car’s direction.

Marla watches in bewilderment as the car ebbs away before her eyes until altogether evaporated.

‘Where has it gone, please tell me we can get it back? My Nan will throttle me if something dreadful happens to Granddad’s car. I wrecked it once today.’

‘The motor vehicle is fine. Use your hands as a guide. You witches are not the only creatures who can cast spells,’ announces Babulous, winking at her and smirking.

Marla ambles to where the car once stood. She thrusts out her palms in front of her.

‘I can touch it and I cannot see it; this is very peculiar,’ she marvels.

‘The motor vehicle is there, Marla, and yet not. As with the fire oak, the visibility of it remains in another dimension and yet still here, in front of us, in part at least.’

‘This is so weird,’ utters Marla, pushing and caressing the air.

‘Could you do this to Stella, send her to another dimension?’

Babulous raises his eyebrows, granting her a look of despondency.

‘Okay, fair enough, but what I am experiencing is so surreal.’

‘The motor vehicle will stay unseen for eight hours, enough time to eat and rest. Come Marla dearest, we need to find a suitable clearing and make camp.’

‘I appreciate you suggesting we should sleep in the forest tonight, but couldn’t you just use your magic and create a luxury treehouse, with a shower and a toilet?’

‘Spell casting has pitfalls, Marla. For each moment I use my magic, I age by one year. Elveer must use magic sparingly. You need to learn from the book of spells Marla, at some point you may need to defend both of us, from the evil that lies ahead.’

‘Blah blah,’ she mutters as she follows Babulous and his rotund bottom into the forest. The silver moonlight flicking on the bark, the echo of the owl a harmony to their trudge. The odour of fragrant berries and fir cones engulfing her senses as she plods through the twig and brambles. Her mind roams. She wonders what her mum and sisters are doing at this moment, whether they are thinking of her. Has Stella given her a second thought?

‘I don’t think I can walk much further Babulous, I am exhausted, and I need to take off my leg, it’s painful.’

‘It has been a strenuous day for you, Marla dearest. We shall rest soon; I am confident you will be much stronger in the dawn.’

‘It’s odd, Babulous, if someone would have suggested to me a few days ago I am to trudge through Sherwood forest with an elveer while attempting to dodge the clutches of time stealers and preserve my head from being separated from my neck. I’d have howled. Come to think of it, I may not have laughed. Either way, I’d have found their chatter impossible to believe.’

‘Ah, here. This looks suitable, Marla. I will recover kindling, make a flame, keep us warm.’

‘Suitable for you maybe.’ groans Marla, staring at the ground, searching for an army of arachnids in the darkness.

Marla sits, consuming the chilly air, clutching her bag. She yawns, peering at the jewel-encrusted night sky. Never had she seen so many stars. She yearns to reach out and roll the picture up and place it in her pocket.

‘Here we are,’ announces Babulous, jumping toward Marla, dragging her from her trance.

‘I will create a flame. If you reach into my sack Marla, you will find a small cooking vessel.’

Marla reaches into his sack. Babulous blows into the wood kindling, creating a spark, then a flame. Marl rests, the heat warming her skin and enveloping them in a lush orange glow.

‘Aha! we have fire!’ he announces, pulling a small jar from his sack.

‘What the heck is that?’ queries Marla, inspecting the contents, as her worst fears are realised.

‘Dinner, you like?’

‘No, I definitely dislike, they are bloody worms!’

‘Juicy’ drools Babulous, dropping them into the cooking pot. Marla’s stomach churns at the sight of the disgusting wrigglers falling into the steam.’

‘What do you want for dinner, Marla?’

‘Not bloody worms, that’s for sure.’

‘What then?’

Marla’s mind wanders to the bouquet of her mum’s kitchen. Four of them gathered around the kitchen table.

‘I’d love a warm bacon sandwich,’ she smirks.

‘You have a book of incantations and a wand of magic, cast a spell, Marla.’

‘How?’

‘It will come to you Marla; the basic spells are a part of you since childbirth. Wish for it and speak the first words that appear in your mind.’

Marla scratches her head, pulling the wand from her bag. The stick glows as she holds it aloft.

‘Wish for it Marla, wish for a warm bacon sandwich,’ whispers Babulous.

‘Bacon, come to me, please.’ She whispers.

Marla closes her eyes and takes an unusual and awkward stance.

‘What are you doing, Marla dearest?’ asks a confused Babulous.

‘I am preparing myself, can you shut up for a minute, you are ruining my concentration.’

‘Ah, I see, please proceed.’

‘Hogus videtur panarium!’ she orders, waving the wand of magic above her head. The wand shakes, the obscurity enveloping them aflame with brilliant whiteness. The trees sway, and the ground trembles as the wand emits a sphere of golden light like a firework into the night sky. A blast of light thrusts Marla and Babulous backward, covering them both in soil and woodland debris. Marla coughs and splutters, wiping the smudge aside from her eyes. She jumps to her feet, scraping at her clothes, dreading she may be covered in spiders.

‘Ugh, what the heck, Babulous are you okay?’ she yelps, dragging the mound of earth from on top of him. He hacks and splutters, wiping at his eyes and glancing behind her.

‘What?’

‘You may need to fine-tune spell casting, Marla dearest.’ He shows, pointing behind where she is standing. She turns around. An enormous snorting, bloated pig with a loaf of bread on its head stands staring at her.

‘That’s not good.’

‘Not the bacon sandwich I was hoping for,’ she whimpers, slumping to the ground.

She reaches into her bag, unearthing the soggy cheese sandwiches her mum made for her. She perches next to an oak tree, her face pitiful as she munches and grumbles. Coupled with the sight of Babulous dropping wrigglers into his mouth, for Marla, this moment could not be any direr.

‘Apologies, mister piggy,’ she proclaims to the snorting beast. He does not respond. It may not have startled her if he had, based on today’s unusual manifestations.

The final worm is sucked up by Babulous. He belches, Marla shudders, her belly still churning at the sight of his eating habits. Her sheer disgust etched on her face. Marla places the half-eaten cheese sandwich into the tinfoil and stares at her furry friend.

‘What the heck are you doing?’ she enquires as she watches Babulous wrap his shaggy legs around his head.

‘This is how we, the elveer sleep, Marla.’

‘It does not look very comfortable,’ she utters, crawling across the soil and lying beside him.

‘You should try it, Marla dearest.’

‘Err, no thanks, I will stick to the conventional thank you.’

The forest is consumed by eerie echo, snapping and cracking, hooting, and howling. Babulous is snoring, not a pleasant and tranquil snoring noise. More of a loud and somewhat annoying snore. So loud, giving Marla a headache. Squeezing his snout, the noise bellowing from him stops. She yawns, her body and mind are swallowed into the soil as she slips into a deep slumber.

Opening her eyes; an ominous shadow lurks in the blackness at the end of a lit alleyway. She is struck by absolute fear as the unknown ghoul raises its arm. It hoists an axe aloft; it speaks, the tone of its voice, depraved, hideous.

‘Come here, little girl,’ it whispers, commanding the strands of hair on the back of her neck to attention and her fear to the fore.

She shakes, frozen with sheer terror. She observes in pure horror as the shadow tramps toward her.

Marla, hurry this way,’ utters a familiar voice. She swings around, it’s her mum. She turns back again. The shadow now stood under a flaming torch of fire pitched into a dank wall. It takes one step: the flames casting light. Her dread is vindicated. It is the hooded figure from the mirror, Cornelius Darkus.

‘Marla Run!’ cries her mum.

She cannot move, her feet are cemented into the drudgery.

‘Mam, help me!’ she screams but her mum is no longer, her cries sailing into an empty void of black. The figure moves toward her, scraping the blade of the dagger against the wall. She watches as sparks fly from the steel.

Her body is paralysed as the foul stench coats the surrounding air. He lunges toward her, his eyes as black as coal, his gait fanged and foul.

‘Are you ready to die, little girl?’ he screams, lifting the dagger above his head and thrusting it down toward her neck. She feels the blade tear at her throat, her head drops to the ground, she wails.

‘No, god, no!’

‘Marla, you are safe, I am here.’

Marla is seated upright, sticky and upset, her mind racing, her heart beating out of her chest.

‘It’s okay Marla dearest, you were having a nightmare.’

She rubs her eyes as the morning sunshine warms her face.

‘He is preparing to slaughter me, Babulous. I can sense it. The Miopsa mirror is correct. I am walking toward my death,’ she sobs.

‘Listen to me, Marla dearest. We shall beat this fiend, Cornelius Darkus. I will battle to the death to protect you. My teeth will rip the flesh from him and devour his beating heart. I shall bathe in his blood, lay waste to his bones.’

‘Wow, that’s somewhat descriptive Babulous. You’d do that for me?’

‘Yes.’

‘Even the blood bathing part?’

‘Yes, that too.’

‘Thank you Babulous. We will stop him, hopefully before the flesh ripping and blood bathing event happens. What time is it?’

‘It is the time of dawn, Marla dearest. You have been sleeping for a long time. Soon, as the sun rises, we must begin our trek.

‘This dawn thing you have going on doesn’t work for me, Babulous. Wake me up in a few hours,’ she yawns, settling herself and dragging the tarpaulin over her head.

‘Marla, we don’t have a few hours, we must begin our journey with haste. We have many miles ahead of us, and with each tick of the clock, Cornelius Darkus grows stronger.

‘Ugh, okay, bossy boots,’ she frowns, hoisting herself from her makeshift bed and into the forced starkness of existence.

She scratches her head ‘I need a wee, and a change of pants I will be back in a minute or two,’ she utters, lifting her bag and walking toward a hedgerow.

A few moments later, she returns, rubbing her bottom, yanking twigs from her hair.

‘So, Marla, dearest, what is the plan for today?’

‘The Isle of Muck is the plan Babulous, although we may need to stop at some juncture for food.’

‘I always have these, just in case,’ mutters Babulous, brandishing yet another jar of worms.

‘We need to stop for proper food,’ snaps Marla, once again appalled by his choice of fayre.

They douse the fire, pack up, and pace back toward the car.

‘Do you eat other kinds of food Babulous?’

‘Yes, of course, I do, but worms are accessible, abundant in the soil.’

‘Yes, I get that, but the earth is also abundant with slimy slugs, but I wouldn’t eat one,’ utters Marla, turning toward Babulous, who is drooling.

‘You are so gross, you are!’

‘Needs must, Marla dearest. Human people are much too fussy about their choice of nourishment.’

‘It has nothing to do with being fussy, Babulous. Most humans prefer a nice roast dinner to a skanky jar of wrigglers.’

‘When we find a telephone box, I must give my Mam a call. She will be sick with worry.’

‘As you wish Marla, dearest.’

Whatever today brings, two factors are absolute. Marla needs to eat, but not worms. She needs to keep her head in more ways than one. Once more, picking up a paintbrush and adding to her dread-splattered canvas. The picture is forming and for Marla; it is not one she wants to paint.

Chapter ten.

No time to steal.

Babulous scrambles onto the passenger seat, Marla secures her safety belt. She turns to him; he is grinning excitedly, his stumpy furry legs dangling over the edge of the crimson leather.

‘Seat belt please Babulous.’

‘I apologise Marla dearest; I am so forgetful.’

‘Alright then, here we go,’ she pronounces, turning the ignition key.

The steel beast lays waste to the road as they gallop further and further north.

Lancaster.

Sunshine beams through the windows, Babulous yawns, Marla concentrates.

Orton.

The turbulent noise of hunger sounding inside her stomach is smothering the roar of the engine.

Penrith.

Babulous falls into a deep sleep, the air temperature plummets. She places a coat over him to keep him warm.

Carlisle.

Dusk dims daylight. Her eyelids are weary.

‘I will need to stop for petrol as soon as we can snore monster. We are extremely low.’

‘Huh, err what?’

‘My apologies, did I wake you from your slumber. I am sure you could sleep for a couple more hours, but as you said to me this morning, we must make haste.’

Babulous yawns, stretches, and farts.

‘We reply with the words pardon me when we fart.’

‘Who says this word, Marla dearest?’

‘Everybody.’

‘Why?’

‘What do you mean, why? Gosh that stinks,’ she moans, winding the car window.

‘Why do you utter these words, is there a reason?’

‘I don’t know, it’s etiquette I suppose.’

She turns, catching Babulous with a worm dangling from his lips.

‘What?’

‘You are truly grim, honestly, you are.’

‘Here we are,’ she mutters, as the steel beast limps the tarmac of the forecourt in search of liquid relief.

‘I have a profoundly uneasy feeling with this place.’

‘What do you mean, it’s a fuel station, nothing more?’

‘Well, for one it does not exist on your map, look!’ he declares, pushing the A to Z onto Marla’s lap.

‘Stop being such a big baby Babulous, it’s fine. My sorceress senses are informing me we are one hundred percent safe here. Trust me, I…’

An almighty crash halts her babbling in its tracks. She stares through the rear view mirror. Hundreds of colossal trees cracking through the ground behind them and lunging to the skies.

‘What the heck is happening?’

‘So much for your witch instincts. Go forward Marla, we need to get out of here and now!’ screams Babulous.

Wrenching the gear stick into first and pressing her foot on the accelerator, the steel beast grunts.

‘I wish nan had let me use the red sports car!’ she balls as the black Rolls Royce limps across the tarmac.

‘Take a left, follow the exit signs, Marla.’

An explosion of sound cuts through the air as she wrestles with the steering wheel.

‘Look out!’ screams Babulous as the car narrowly misses a cinderblock wall, a tree, and a wastepaper bin.

‘I am trying my bloody best,’ she shrieks.

They hurtle toward the far corner of the car park, the fear inside strangling her throat.

‘Oh my, we may be in trouble, not good, Marla dearest.’

Where once stood an exit was now a wall a hundred feet high or more.

‘They have trapped us dearest; we need to forsake the motor vehicle and continue on foot.’

‘I cannot ditch the motor. My nan will murder me. There must be another way out of here.’

‘Believe me, Marla, your grandmother is the scantest of your dilemmas. This trap stinks of one thing and one thing entirely.’

‘Which is?’

‘Time stealers, they are coming for you.’

‘Okay, good idea, let’s ditch the car,’ she utters, desperately yanking at her seatbelt and thrusting herself out of the door onto the tarmac.

‘What now Babulous, what do we do?’

‘We need to sprint toward the wall. When you are roughly three yards away, jump. I will do the rest.’

‘Jump, jump where?’

‘Toward the wall,’ screams Babulous, his furry bottom shaking as he runs as swiftly as his little legs will allow. Marla follows, her prosthetic leg loosening as she sprints.

‘Get ready. When I give the word, push off with your feet. Three, two, one jump!’

They lunge in front of the bricks. ‘Altius erigi!’ commands Babulous, taking Marla by the arm as they ascend toward the clouds.

‘What the heck, we are floating. This is awesome,’ she screeches excitedly.

They soar closer to the cotton wool cloud. She twists and turns, somersaults and backflips as she ascends.

‘Oh, my word, we are floating. I have flown in planes before but never as a bird,’ Marla beams in wonderment at the forests and hillsides. She giggles at Babulous, who is now sporting a pair of flying goggles. She chuckles as his puny legs flap around in the air.

‘Always be prepared, Marla dearest. Always be prepared. That is my motto.’

‘Everything looks so microscopic. Notice the cars Babulous. They look like flipping ants, this rocks!’

‘Over there, dearest,’ utters Babulous, pointing his finger toward a hay bale on the ground.

‘Why there Babulous, being up here is amazing. I never want it to stop. I am as free as a bird?’ she chirps, turning back to him, his grin transformed to an expression of despair.

‘I believe I may have forgotten the descending spell Marla dearest.’

‘What the heck are you saying?’

‘I evoked the ascension incantation, but realised once we were up in the air, I had forgotten the other.’

‘Who cares, this is the best feeling of my life.’

‘The power of this spell is two minutes long. Had I evoked the spell of descent we’d have floated to earth like tincey wincey floaty feathers.’

‘So, what do…’ Marla’s words are yanked from her vocal cords as she plummets toward the ground. She screams in terror, crashing into a bundle of hay, promptly pursued by Babulous.

She rolls off the bale, coughing and spluttering.

‘Exquisite landing, considering, Marla dearest!’ he announces, tumbling from the fodder, hitting the drudgery.

‘Ouch, that bloody hurt. Quit talking nonsense, Babulous. The taste of bacon is exquisite, as is the sight of flower-laden fields. Folk may describe the flicker of sunshine upon a silken lake of water in this manner. But that landing was not, it was disastrous. No more spell casting for you!’

“We are alive, Marla dearest. We should be thankful it was not a river of crocodiles beneath our feet.’

She scowls, raising her finger at him. A thunderous sound steals her moment. Marla turns and witnesses a cloud of dust hurtling toward them at speed.

“We need to get out of here swiftly. I believe there to be a fire oak beyond the ridge of that hill one hundred yards ahead.’

They scurry across the grass. Babulous cannot keep pace, his furry little legs and enormous gut inhibiting him. Marla hoists, plonking him on her shoulders.

‘What’s happening, what is that vile stink?’

‘The stench of the time stealer, they are gaining on us. You need to pick up the pace!’

‘I am sprinting as rapidly as a woman with one leg can!’ she wheezes.

‘Are you sure a fire oak exists beyond this ridge?’

‘Not a hundred percent Marla dearest.’

‘Will you stop fidgeting; I shall lose my balance. In percentage terms, how positive are you, I cannot carry on much further?’

‘I shall say fifteen.’

‘Fifty?’

‘No Marla dearest, fifteen!’

‘Excellent, so essentially we are dead!’ she sighs, clambering the hillside.

Stones underfoot shake as they sprint. The shambolic scream behind scorching her eardrums.

‘Do not stop Marla, they are upon us, don’t… let… them… touch your skin!’

‘The fire oak, I see it, faster Marla.’

She bolts toward the fire oak. Babulous bobbles around on her shoulders. The ground cracks, spewing molten lava into the air.

‘Marla, keep going, one last push.’

‘I can’t, I am finished, I…… cannot…. do…… this.’ She wheezes, her words staggered as her lungs starve for oxygen.

She spins her head and looks behind, pupils transfixed by the horror a few yards back. Blackened shadows, savage stare, titanium talons, snarling and thrusting toward her. She stumbles and collapses to the drudgery, throwing Babulous into the smudge.

‘In here Marla dearest, hurry!’

She lunges forward, gripping his hand as the entrance to the fire oak closes. She is breathless, petrified, and relieved.

‘Bloody hell, that was a near-run thing.’ she pants.

‘Too close for comfort, Marla, but we are protected for now. Are you alright?’

‘Yes, I believe so. A few bumps and grazes, nothing a bacon sarnie wouldn’t heal.’

‘There is something I am struggling to get my head around?’

‘What is it, Marla?’

‘These freaks and demons. I have never witnessed them in the past. Why now?’

‘Somebody has opened your eyes to them Marla, to help you.’

‘I just don’t get why the world and the monsters in it are tracking me; I have never caused them any problem?’

‘Because they demand to alter what transpired yesterday. If you had not explored the miopsa mirror, you’d never have discovered the image locked inside it.’

‘Yes, Babulous and?’

‘If you had not seen the image, you’d have not begun this passage to visit your great aunt Elspeth to stop Cornelius Darkus freeing himself. Do you understand?’

‘To a degree, but I don’t get it, this Darkus bloke, my decapitated head, the time stealers, it’s insane. I am just a young woman from Manchester. I love my Mum, my sisters, and of course my pooch Teddy. Sunshine-filled days, dipping my toes into blue waters. These are my simple pleasures. What I am trying to say is overall I am just me, normal and plain. It’s just not fair, and my foot aches. My belly is empty, and I’m drained.’ Sobs Marla, removing her shoes and caressing her blistered foot.

‘I understand your pain, Marla dearest. But, if Cornelius Darkus manages to escape the mirror, he will find you and he will chop off your head.’

‘Thanks, Babulous, that is terrific, thank…. you…. very…. much.’

‘If the time stealers get to you and touch your skin, they will transport you back before you stand in front of the mirror. As you have observed, they can alter the weather to hinder you. They will take you back and create a storm, ensuring you cannot complete the journey to your Nans house, and thus you are none the wiser. This new time path may give Cornelius Darkus more time to escape. You are their target, Marla dearest; of this, I am sure. I know the time stealers and any other evil force lurking outside will stop at nothing to stop you from reaching your great aunt. Cornelius Darkus wants that head of yours. Cup of tea dearest?’

Chapter eleven

Spells, puzzles, and truths.

Marla shudders as she consumes his words. ‘Do you have something more potent?’

‘Marla dearest, dandelion tea is…’

‘Yes, I know, it tastes a lot like pee, and is exceptionally good for you. I am tired, hungry, and pissed off, just give me the tea, please.’

Babulous fills the kettle with water and stands it on the fire. Marla reaches into her bag, pulling out a plastic cube.

‘Wow Marla dearest, what does that contraption do?’

‘Do?’

‘Yes, is it a magic box?’

‘No, not a magic box, a Rubik’s cube. You twist and turn to make the colours match on either side of the cube.’

‘And then Marla, dearest?’ quizzes a wide-eyed Babulous.

‘Having matched the correct colours on each side, you have completed the puzzle.’

‘Yes, Marla dearest, but what happens once you have completed the cube?’

‘Nothing happens after that; you mix the colours back up and start over again.’

‘But why Marla dearest, it sounds somewhat repetitive and if I may be sold bold, extremely mundane.’

Marla sighs and places the plastic cube back in her bag.

‘I will be happy once we arrive at my aunt’s, so I can get this mess sorted out once and for all. I can get back to my normal life, instead of being stuck in a bloody tree. My foot is aching, my stump sore, my stomach empty, and to be honest I am getting increasingly pissed off with much of this!’

‘Marla dearest, the miopsa mirror shows you a peek into your future in this dimension. It does not lie, nor does it make mistakes. I understand you are cold and hungry, but you must stay steadfast and focused. It is vital that you stop his escape, or your future will bring despair.’

‘Sugar?’

‘Eight please, I don’t understand Babulous. What are you saying to me?’

Marla stares at him as he clambers on a chair and blows the steam ebbing from the cup.

‘What I mean, Marla dearest, the miopsa mirror showed an image of Cornelius Darkus holding your severed head, yes?’

‘Yes, but you know that, Babulous. What are you trying to say?’

‘I am saying, it has shown your future. I am puzzled, Marla dearest. Ignore me, drink your tea.’

‘I could be at home now, playing records and relaxing with friends. Instead, I am on a bloody impossible mission to stop a lunatic from escaping from a mysterious mirror, beheading me, and annihilating my family. Thanks for nothing Nan.’

Marla glances at a miserable muted looking Babulous.

‘Are you alright, you look different Babulous. Your fur whiter than before when I first saw you?’

‘I am okay Marla, the trouble with being an elveer, for each spell we cast, we age as I have mentioned. It can be awfully tiring being an elveer.’ he yawns.

‘I think I just need to rest for a moment, regain my energy,’ he whimpers as his head jerks forward onto the wooden surface. Within seconds the noise of a thousand hogs fills the space as he snores.

Marla lifts him and gently places him on a small stump in the tree’s corner. She tiptoes into another enclave, retrieving an old blanket and placing it on top of him.

‘Sleep well, my little furry friend.’

Marla is distraught and yet blessed, for this little creature laying before her who she knew little of had risked his very existence helping her. It saddens her why the world she lives in isn’t more that way inclined, people helping each other. The world she inhabits lives on a diet of lies, greed, and hatred. Words such as love, merely minute sprinkles on top of an enormous cake. Marla never thought for a moment her parents considered going their separate ways and the day her Dad walked away, something inside of her became irreparably broken.

She tries to imagine what her mum and sisters are doing right now. Whether she is held in their hearts and minds. Whether Stella has got her grubby mitts on her records and hoping Bella is not fretting too much. She is desperate to call her mum, for nothing else than to hear the love in her voice. Her eyelids are heavy as she slumps against the damp bark.

‘No, I cannot. I must stay vigilant,’ she mutters to herself.

Marla reaches into her suitcase and yanks out the book of magic given to her by her Nan and flips through the chromophore-stained pages.

‘Time to start somewhere, I guess,’ she utters, clasping the wand of magic and stabbing it in the air like a dagger. With each spell, she notices a number scribed in her Nan’s hand next to the title. She evokes the conversation she had with her Nan.

‘Each incantation has a level of predicament, Marla. Number one is the easiest to conquer, ascending to number ten, the hardest to learn, and the most powerful. But each level of complexity comes at a cost.’

‘A cost Nan?’

‘Numbers eight, nine, and ten might kill the witch casting the spell. Nobody has attempted those spells for hundreds of years so avoid them unless absolutely necessary.’

‘No time like the present, I guess. I just need to find a suitable spell,’ she gasps as the pages of the book cascade before her eyes and stops at page sixty-seven.

‘This one looks intriguing.’

Page sixty-seven

The levitation.

Difficulty level two.

Chant: Cum hoc facio wand vocare, a plaga orientali usque ad plagam coven et magicae. Ad quae ex omni vivente innatare ad nubes.

Meaning: With this wand, I do summon, from the east to the west and the magic coven. All that is grounded to come alive and set ascent toward the skies.

‘Okay, here goes,’ announces Marla, taking an awkward stance in the middle of the room and lifting her wand of magic aloft.

‘Cum, err hoc facio wand, facio wand. Plag a oriental, I err, orientali. Oh, sod this, it’s ludicrous. I am not a witch, nor do I choose to be one!’ she shrieks, stamping her foot in anger and flopping to the dusty ground.

‘Who am I attempting to fool, I am nothing, just a girl from Manchester!?’

‘You are stronger than you understand, Marla dearest.’

She turns. Babulous is sitting upright. He rubs his eyes, farts, belches, and clambers from the wood stump.

Marla shakes her head in disgust. ‘I wish there were a spell in here to halt your bowel movements, I truly do.’

‘What is it you humans say Marla dearest, better out than in?’

‘Not in this case, in this case, it is better in, and to stay that way for eternity,’ she counters, pressing her nostrils.

‘Marla dearest, you must not give up. It is vital you learn to handle the wand and the spell book. May I humbly suggest you try again, using only the words cum plaga magicae?’

‘I am no good at doing this, there is no point.’

‘Marla, listen to me. You have potential far beyond your present knowledge. Cornelius Darkus is coming for you and if he finds you ill-prepared, I am afraid to say you will cease to exist. May I politely suggest that instead of feeling sorry for yourself, you try the spell one more time?’

‘Okay, sergeant major. You are very pushy, you truly are!’

Marla stands, wiping the dust from the knees of her dungarees, and holds the wand of magic in front of her.

‘You can do this Marla, you must believe, now please, go ahead.’

‘Here goes nothing. I am only doing this to show you, mister bossy boots, that I cannot do this. If that makes any sense, oh sod it, let’s do this.’

She clears her throat, draws her shoulders backward, and squints.

‘Cum plaga magicae!’

A blistering ray of light sparks from the point of the wand. Lightning bolts crash against the wooden surfaces, an eclipse of mist, a burst of light, almighty explosion, and then black silence.

‘See, I told you Babulous, I am rubbish at this!’

‘Marla dearest?’

‘What?’

‘Glance downward, you will see.’

Marla drops her head. Her feet are not touching the floor, she is floating high above the scrape.

‘Oh, my word, I did it Babulous, I bloody well did it!’ she yelps wildly.

‘The second time I have used magic, and this time it worked. I always knew I could do it.’

‘Marla dearest. As I mentioned, you are more powerful than you realise. This levitation spell is the perfect spell to show your learning and development into a fully fledged witch. Okay, time for the descend spell.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘The descend spell Marla dearest, so we can go off the ceiling, you have mastered it, yes?’

‘Err, well. Not specifically mastered,’ she acknowledges, glancing at the book of magic ten feet below her dangling limbs.

‘Oh, okay, this may prove interesting,’ infers Babulous, floating around the heights of the chamber.

‘We will just have to linger until the spell wears off, I surmise.’

‘How long will that be?’

‘Who knows Marla dearest, I presume we may be up here for a lengthy period.’

‘Ah, okay, while we are up here, tell me your story Babulous, you mentioned you were one of the last of your species.’

‘Yes, I am. At least I expect I am. I haven’t met another elveer for many years. The last being, well…’

‘Yes?’

Babulous reaches into his tiny leather satchel, plucking out a photograph. He passes it over to Marla.

‘She is beautiful, who is she?’

‘She was, inside and out. Her name was Babantia Lilly Rose. Love was never a powerful enough word to describe how I felt about her. Our story is one of courage and despair and the day she left my world was the day my life ended and yet my beating heart sought to keep me alive.’

Marla stares into his eyes, the expression hopeless and yet full of hope.

‘Please forgive me, Babulous. I didn’t mean to pry.’

‘I understand, Marla dearest. The date was September twenty-fifth, 1973. The place, the fields of Stonehenge. Both myself, my delightful Babantia, and an army of elveer readied ourselves for battle. Our task was to protect Esmerelda the ecliptic, one of the mightiest witches history has ever known. That day ten earth years ago, saw much bloodshed and terrible suffering. On one side Esmerelda the ecliptic and a hundred or more Elveers. On the other, an army of Stygian led by Zenobia Lucifus. She was evil beyond belief, or as legend has it, the devil incarnate.

‘What took place on that day Babulous?’

‘A fearsome battle occurred. The elveer summoned every ounce of might as we clashed with the Stygian army. Esmerelda, the ecliptic unknowingly led us into a battle which sealed her fate and that of many elveer, including my angel.’

‘I am sorry Babulous, truly.’

‘We should have won the battle that afternoon, but something was out of place.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Esmerelda was a dominant force, so powerful that Zenobia Lucifus, in theory, should have been conquered.’

‘How did she die, Babulous, what happened?’

Zenobia shot an arrow into Esmeralda, which pierced her heart. A contemporary arrow ought to have evaporated into dust upon touching her skin, but this one was unique. The tip was fortified with a poison named Venenum Mortiferum.’

‘I am struggling to understand how Zenobia knew of the poison and Esmerelda did not?’

‘To this day, I do not know. This poison exists in one place and one place only. The place between time and space is named the Hypercast. Only time stealers can enter this dimension.’

‘So, you are saying the time stealers helped the black witch kill the white witch?’

‘Yes, and no. The time stealers do not kill. Their role is merely a time-altering one. This is still confusing to me. What occurred, should have never happened.’

‘‘You survived Babulous. How did you escape such a deadly battle?’

‘I do not know, Marla dearest. One moment I am on a battlefield amidst the death, screams, and carnage and a split second later I am inside a fire oak. I am baffled to explain the events of that day. I should have perished alongside the rest of my people. My life journey should have ended, and my heart pumped its last beat next to the only woman I have ever loved. Whatever happened, death was stolen from me and I have been forced to endure life. I now walk a sole path and carry a heavy cross of burden.’

‘I am sincerely sorry, Babulous, may I say, this cross of burden you carry. You need to release it, none of it was your fault.’

‘Each day I wake, each night I hope I will not.’

‘Please don’t say that Babulous.’

‘It is true, Marla dearest. My soul has been shattered. I have forgotten how to love. I was once a most loving and giving creature, and now my heart is smashed into a million fragments. My love for the world, locked away in an impenetrable vault that can never be opened.’

‘I am just so sorry for your loss, Babulous. Truly I am. I lost my guinea pig two years ago; I know it’s not the same.’

‘Please do not be sorry, Marla. The burden is mine to bear and mine only. My existence is simple now, to help safeguard the witch. Hence the reason I am here with you.’

Marla stares at him. His enormous brown eyes brimmed with sadness. He places the photo back into his satchel, exhaling.

‘Babulous, you admitted you have lost the ability to love. Why do you help me?’

‘Because I sense something in you, Marla. Energy, I have not experienced since the era of Esmerelda the ecliptic.’

‘When we have visited my great aunt, will you make the return journey with me? Will you help me stop Cornelius Darkus from escaping Babulous?’

That very moment, the spell wears off and Marla and Babulous are sent crashing to the floor, leaving her words floating in the ether.

‘Ouch!’ snaps Marla, rubbing her bottom and coughing.

Babulous giggles. ‘I spoke too soon, Marla dearest. You have much to learn before you reach the power of the great Esmerelda. But, in answer to your question. Yes, I will help you in your quest, it will be my honour.’

‘Oh, thank you Babulous, that means the world to me,’ she declares, moving in close and hugging him. His fur tickles her neck. She shudders, pulling him in closer. She yearns for her mum’s embrace, but right now he is the next best thing.

‘I promise I will learn the spells; I will not fail us, my friend,’ she whispers gently into his floppy ear.

‘I know you will do your absolute best, Marla dearest; we must leave here now. We have spent far too long inside this fire oak while time is ticking at speed on the outside,’ he utters, rubbing his damp eyes.

Marla takes his hand and opens the door to the cool evening air.

She is unsure of what the night will bring, but sure of two things, certainty and uncertainty, friends, and foes can be found in the darkest of moments.