by Leah Day
Without warning a high pitched shriek cut through the silence, making them all jump. The sound was coming from far away, but it still made Mally’s heart race wildly in her chest. Menda was out there, furious and vengeful, and she knew they were back in Quilst.
Mally was so distracted by the thought, she missed the faint buzz of bees until they were right next to her ear.
“Weeee bring news from the mount–”
Mally gasped, shaking her head reflexively to knock the bugs away. She caught herself just in time and didn’t move her hands. Sunshine remained locked tight in her arms.
“Sorry!” she whispered as loud as she dared. A few birds had been dislodged with her movement and she’d sent the bees tumbling in all directions as well.
They buzzed back to her and quickly gave their report. “Weeee saw the bat return to the mountain. Menda has retreated inside. The skies are freeee.”
“Oh, thank goodness!” Mally let out a gasp of relief.
“We still need a place to hide,” Patch spoke quietly. Birds were still pressed over his face so only his eyes shone in the moonlight. “Sunshine’s wings need work.”
“The house in the sky?” Mally suggested.
“That will work. Bees keep watch and let us know if anything changes.”
“It will beeee done.”
They took flight at once. Patch was clearly not taking any chances on another bat attack. He flew as high and as fast as he could, and Mally kept her eyes peeled for any sign of movement. But they met no monsters and saw no other sign of Menda as they rose through the air.
The mountain peaks had shrunk to the size of pinpricks when Patch’s wings finally changed rhythm. Mally was relieved to see the little orange house nestled between the new set of door blocks, exactly as she’d pieced the top border of the quilt. The flight had seemed endless and she itched to be doing something. Anything was better than hiding, sitting still or thinking about all the ways that rescue had gone wrong.
Patch landed heavily on a narrow strip of gray fabric. In a rush of wings, the flying geese shielding them rose into the air and flew in a tight circle around the house. Mally shook her head gently. It felt like she’d been wearing a hat and now missed the light weight on her head.
Midnight fluttered off her shoulder too. “Mally Maker, we need to inform the others that Sunshine has been rescued, and that the Ripping Witch knows we’ve returned.”
“Oh… okay. Thank you so much for your help tonight.” Mally gazed at the birds still circling the cabin. There were only two dozen dark flying geese left. “I’m so sorry. We lost so many.”
Midnight closed his eyes for a long moment, then he lifted his head and spoke quickly, “I’ll leave Night Company with you for when you’re ready to return. Send any messages with Twilight or Evening and I’ll return with news from Quilst as soon as possible.” He rested a wing briefly on Sunshine’s back, but the bird flinched away, her angry shrieks muffled by Mally’s shirt.
“You might want to try a smaller size,” Patch suggested as Midnight prepared to leave. “I know the bees said the witch retreated, but you can never be too careful.”
With a quick nod, Midnight took to the air. He shrank to the size of a moth in seconds and disappeared into the night.
Mally slipped to the ground clumsily, her arms still locked firmly around Sunshine. She paused to take in the new patchwork doors rising on either side of the little house. She wished she’d imagined the squishy gray ground stretching a bit further. They had barely six feet of space to stand before the fabric ended abruptly. If you weren’t paying attention, you could step right off the edge into empty air.
Patch let out a long sigh of relief and slowly began to shrink. She caught his eye as he settled into the size of a great dane. He looked as exhausted and sad as she felt.
“Do you know what’s wrong with her?” Mally asked, indicating the bird still struggling in her grip.
“I have a pretty good idea. Let’s get inside.”
They entered the cabin and Mally instantly felt at home. Soft chairs were arranged around a crackling fire on the far side of the room. A small table and more chairs were nestled under a window she was sure would be filled with warm sunshine in the daytime. A ladder led to an overhead loft and Mally longed to explore every nook and cranny of the comfortable space.
But it was time to help her friend.
“Hi Sunshine. It’s me, Mally,” she spoke quietly as she set the bird on the table.
Sunshine immediately lashed out at her hands, slapping and kicking.
Patch’s paw shot out and caught hold of one wing. Sunshine twisted against his grip and let out an ear piercing screech. Mally grabbed her other wing and stared at her exposed belly. Words were stitched there in black block letters that seemed to glow against the white cloth.
SHE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN
“What? What is this?!” Mally cried. “She stitched this onto you! Oh, Sunshine, I’m so sorry!” Tears poured down her face as Sunshine continued to thrash against their hold.
“That’s a curse web. Classic Ripping Witch entertainment.” Patch growled, his ears pulled back. “She won’t be herself again until you rip it out, every last stitch.”
Mally nodded. She wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve and pulled out a new seam ripper from her bag. Patch gripped Sunshine’s wings as Mally carefully removed the letters one stitch at a time. The thread she ripped free was cold to the touch and Mally felt her own mind wandering down a dark path as she held a long strand in her hand. This is all my fault, she thought. At least a hundred birds were killed tonight because of me. Sunshine is in pain because of me.
Patch flicked his tail, smacking her arm hard and she dropped the thread. Suddenly her head was clear again.
She pulled the remaining threads free and wadded them into a ball. Without giving it a second thought, she ran across the room and threw the ball into the fire. She wasn’t sure if it would burn, but as soon as the fibers hit the flame, they went bright white and disappeared.
There was a sob from behind and Mally turned to find Sunshine curled into a ball on the table, her wings wrapped tightly around her tiny body.
“Sunshine? Are you okay?” She asked gently. “You should feel better now, I ripped all those bad stitches out.”
But it seemed removing the words had had the reverse effect on her friend.
“No. No. No,” she moaned, rocking back and forth. “Oh, Mally, no.”
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Mally said desperately.
“There’s nothing you can do.” Sunshine lifted her head to look straight into Mally’s eyes. “I watched it all and it was the most horrible thing. She made me. She made me watch her ripping.”
“Who?” Patch demanded. His voice made Mally jump. She hadn’t realized she’d been whispering.
“I wish I could have done something, but I couldn’t. I’m so sorry Mally. I felt so terrible and she stitched my head so I couldn’t move and had to see it all.”
Mally looked from Sunshine to Patch, a cold understanding starting to sink in. “What? What is she talking about?”
Sunshine answered. “She ripped Ms. Bunny apart. She’s in pieces. She’ll never be the same again.”
Chapter 10 - Battle for Quilst
Mally found she had very scattered memories of what happened next in the house in the sky. She must have stitched Sunshine’s wing and come up with a plan with Patch, but all she could remember clearly were the words stitched in block letters: She. Will. Never. Be. The. Same. Again.
She couldn’t escape this curse. Despite the stitches being ripped away, she kept seeing them, and worse she could hear Menda’s voice whispering them in her head.
The only saving grace was a tiny hopeful thought in the back of her mind. What if this could all be a trick? What if Menda cursed Sunshine into seeing something that
didn’t happen? Then Ms. Bunny would be fine, right? Menda had made that awful spider web in the mountain room and Mally had relieved all her worst memories again, so that must be something the witch could do to everyone.
But then she’d see the words again and couldn’t be sure. All she knew is she had to find her best friend, and fast.
* * * * *
They set off as soon as Sunshine’s wings were repaired. Mally pulled the door shut, thinking that under any other circumstance she would have loved to sit by the fire and explore the little cabin. But she only wanted to leave this place and the memories it held as fast as possible.
She turned to find Midnight waiting with Patch on the strip of gray fabric. The cat had expanded his size once again and the Night Company had already covered his body and wings.
“We’ll see you at the meeting?” Midnight was asking.
“Yes, we’ll be there,” Patch replied, and the bird dove off the gray strip of fabric and disappeared instantly into the night.
Sunshine perched on Patch’s neck, her wings still wrapped tightly around her body. She had barely spoken a word after revealing what she’d seen and now she stared at the two moons in the distance with a blank expression that made Mally want to cry.
But the time for tears was over. Mally joined them, unzipping the yellow bag at her hip. She picked up the little bird and gave her a hug.
“It’ll be okay. We’ll find her and fix everything. I promise,” she said.
Sunshine ducked her head. “I didn’t want my light to give us away. I know I can fly, I just don’t want her to see us.”
“That’s fine. You can ride inside my bag and rest.” Mally said, holding it open so Sunshine could settle herself inside.
“So where to next, little Maker?” Patch asked.
Mally zipped the bag shut with a jerk. “I think you know exactly where we’re going.” She slid the strap gently over her shoulder and crossed her arms.
Patch raised one scrappy eyebrow by way of a reply.
“What? It’s dark. We’ll sneak in. She won’t be expecting a counter attack this soon.”
“Maybe, but maybe not.”
Mally sighed. “What’s your point, cat?”
“I’m not going to sugar coat it for you. We took a beating tonight and we’re lucky everything worked out as well as it did. We might not be so lucky next time.”
“I know, I just can’t stand it, Patch!” Mally cried. “Is it true? Is Ms. Bunny in pieces, or was that just the curse web?”
“I honestly don’t know. Look, you just released an army of soldiers, scouts, and spies.” Patch said. “Midnight returned twice with updates and things are looking good for us. There’s a meeting planned. Let’s at least hear all they’ve found before rushing straight into the witch’s lair.”
Mally scanned the landscape far below, her eyes searching for the largest mountain in the center. Ms. Bunny is there, she thought. I have to save her.
Then she thought of the beautiful flock of birds that had joined them to save Sunshine. Less than twenty-four remained. How many more animals would be lost if they went into battle against Menda? Would anyone survive?
“You won’t do Ms. Bunny any good if you get caught too,” Patch said quietly, as if he could read her thoughts.
“Thank you, Captain Obvious.”
“This isn’t a joke, little Maker,” Patch growled. “If you get caught, there isn’t anyone else who can do this. We have no idea where your grandma is, no one knows you’re here, and Menda can shred through anything made of cloth with a single thought. All the animals you’ve created, every last bird, cat, and bear could be gone by this time tomorrow if we make the wrong move.”
“Fine,” Mally snapped, climbing onto his back. “But no matter what they say, I’m going back to the mountain tonight.”
A rush of wings ruffled her hair as the remaining flying geese settled over Patch’s face. Three birds arranged themselves over Mally’s head and she suddenly wondered what they were thinking. Were they angry all those birds were torn apart? Did they blame her? Guilt twisted in her belly as Patch dove into the air.
As they soared over the landscape Mally searched for any sign of the spider web bats. She almost wanted it to attack.
Come and get me, she thought, gripping a seam ripper in each hand. It was so much easier to feel angry than guilty. I’m going to rip you all apart.
They met nothing on the flight. Mally was surprised to see the huge branches of the Great Tree, silhouetted against the bright moons.
“Why are we meeting here? Why not the Cavern?” she asked.
“Midnight and Twilight said most of the animals are still scouting the landscape. They didn’t find any sign of the Ripping Witch here so this seemed like a good place for the leaders to meet.”
“Did they find Grandma? Was she inside?” Even after everything that had happened, Mally found she was still holding onto a thread of hope that Grandma was here. If only she could help her find Ms. Bunny and repair all the damage Menda had done.
But his answer wasn’t surprising, “No, there hasn’t been any sign of her.”
Patch circled the enormous trunk as they descended, then landed with a soft bounce on the end of the Nature Path. With another rush of soft wings, the Night Company birds detached themselves from Patch’s fabrics and soared off to circle the Great Tree.
“Thank you!” Mally whispered, waving to the birds that had covered her hair. She slipped to the ground and her chest immediately constricted. Just a few feet away the path was bunched in a messy knot. Her mind flashed back to being pulled down the hill by the snarl’s rope. That was where Ms. Bunny had saved her. That was the last place she’d seen her friend.
Her heart pounded as she searched the landscape and the edge of the trees for any sign of movement. A flash of silver glimmered on the ground nearby. Mally bent down and found it was the little pencil sharpener blade Ms. Bunny had used to cut her free. It was such a small thing, but knowing Ms. Bunny was the last person to touch it made Mally feel closer to her somehow.
“Come and look at this, little Maker,” Patch called as she tucked the blade into her back pocket.
He’d shrunk to the size of a leopard and was pressing his paws against a ripped seam on the landscape. A tuft of white fiber glowed in the moonlight between the frayed fabrics.
Mally squatted down to look closer. The stitches had been ripped cleanly between two hills, but now squishy batting filled the gap. She pressed against it and her hands sank several inches into the ground.
“It worked,” she said. “You can’t fall into these traps anymore.”
“One less thing to worry about,” Patch said. “But this could still trip you up if you weren’t paying attention.”
“But it’s a lot better than falling into an endless pit of darkness. Trust me – I know,” she said, rising to her feet. Side by side, they walked up the hill to the base of the Great Tree. Mally couldn’t help contrasting this easy stroll with the last time they were here.
Almost everything was different this time. Instead of total darkness, she was walking up a hill bathed in the light of two moons she’d stitched on the quilt herself. Hundreds of birds nested in the tree branches above. Their angular bodies stood out against the soft curves of the appliquéd tree.
The light emanating from the tree had changed as well. All the windows blazed so bright she had to shield her eyes with her hands as they drew near. A dark shape was silhouetted against the strong light and an unfamiliar voice growled.
“Mally the Maker?”
“Um, yes?” Mally said. A massive black bear stepped out of the darkness, the top of his head nearly brushing the lowest branches of the tree. A white Bears Claw block blazed across his broad chest.
“I am Seam, sentry of the Great Tree. All of the First Made have assembled and are rea
dy to report. Come inside and the meeting can begin.”
The bear pressed a knot in the tree trunk and a door opened. They stepped inside and Mally gasped. She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting. Maybe another large room like the Cavern, but with wooden textured walls instead of rock. What she found was shocking. It was the Best Treehouse in the World, exactly as she’d imagined it more than a year ago.
The inside of the tree was hollowed out forming a huge circular room. She craned her neck to look up, way, way up, and could see the trunk open to the night sky. In the middle, a braided spiral staircase rose majestically to the upper floors. Brightly colored birds in all shapes and sizes illuminated the walls. A flock of ducks and ducklings skittered through the room, nearly blinding Mally as lights flashed from every direction.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Seam said. “We needed light and those ducks found the glitter thread. I’m afraid they went overboard decorating all the birds, but at least we’re not sitting here in the dark.”
“Of course I don’t mind,” Mally said, shaking her head slowly in awe. “It’s exactly the way I imagined it.” She touched the railing of the spiral staircase. It was braided from dozens of brown yarns with two golden threads woven through the middle. She loved the texture each little bump of fiber made in the chain and how the surface felt both strong and soft at the same time.
Mally unzipped the bag at her hip.
“Sunshine, why don’t you join these birds?” she suggested gently.
“Okay, yeah, that sounds good.” Sunshine hopped out of the bag and flew up to a nearby wall to nest between two pink flying geese.
Seam wasn’t exaggerating. The birds really had gone overboard with the light, but it was glorious to see every nook and cranny of the huge space. It was hard to believe everything here from the square tiles on the floor to the tree rings stitched on the ceiling had been made with fabric and thread. The furniture looked like it was crafted from solid wood. She had to examine it closely to find the grain line was actually embroidered on the surface.