Wardstone Chronicles 4 - The Spook's Battle by Joseph Delaney

Author:Joseph Delaney [Delaney, Joseph]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Witches, Horror, Supernatural, Paranormal, Fantasy & Magic, Coming of Age, Apprentices
ISBN: 9780099495161
Publisher: RED FOX
Published: 2007-01-02T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter XV

Like Lithe Cats

OH! Tom! Is that you? Is that really you?" Ellie cried, tears starting to pour down her face."Don'tyou worry, Elbe," I told her. "I'll soon have you out of there and you'll be on your way home."Tom, I wish it were so easy," she said, sobs making her shoulders shake as tears ran down into her open mouth. But I'd already turned away and was beckoning Alice to come up the steps.She climbed fast, pushing Mab ahead of her, and wasted no time in opening the cell door. As I entered, illuminating the cell with the candle, Mary ran to her mother, who scooped her up in her arms. Ellie looked at me with wide, hopeful eyes but then stepped back uncertainly as Alice and Mab came into the cell after me.

Then I noticed Jack. There was no bed in the cell, just a heap of dirty straw in the far corner, and my brother lay on it. His eyes were wide open and he seemed to be staring at the ceiling. He wasn't blinking."Jack! Jack!" I called, walking over to where he lay. "Are you all right?"But of course he wasn't all right, and I knew that the moment I saw him. He made no response to my voice at all. His body was in the cell, but his mind was surely elsewhere."Jack doesn't speak. He doesn't recognize me or Mary at all," Ellie said. "He even struggles to swallow, and all I can do is wet his lips. He's been like this ever since we left the farm…"Ellie's voice failed as she was overcome with emotion again, and I could only stare at her helplessly. I felt like I should comfort her in some way, but she was my brother's wife and I'd only ever hugged her a couple of times: the first was at the celebration just after they'd gotten married; the second was when I'd left home just after Ellie had been terrified by the visit of the witch, Mother Malkin. Something had changed between us from that moment. I remembered her parting words as she warned me never to visit the farm during the hours of darkness.You might bring back something bad with you, and we can'trisk anything happening to our family.And it had all come true. Ellie's worst fears had been realized. The Pendle witches had raided the farm because of the trunks that Mam had left me.

It was Alice who did what I should have attempted.Still gripping Mab by the arm, she moved closer to Ellie and stroked her shoulder lightly. "Be all right, now," she said softly. "It's just as Tom says. We can get out of here. Soon have you home again, don't you fear."But Ellie suddenly flinched away. "Keep away from me and my child!" she shouted, her face twisted in fury. "You're the one that started it all! Keep away, you evil little witch! Do you think that I can ever go back home now? We'll never be safe there.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.