Poppy Darke

by Colin Wraight

  “Well.” Granddad laughed nervously. “At least we know you do have the gift... Only one that I’ve ever come across...” He glanced anxiously at Anne Darke. “We’ll have to keep an eye on her.”

  “Did you see that?” Poppy gasped breathlessly. “It was amazing... And I thought the villagers were weird... But this family is on a whole new level of weirdness!”

  “Poppy.” Her mum said with a serious look on her face. “Please don’t tell anyone! Just think about the repercussions if any of this got out.”

  “I promise Mum...Are you...? You know? The same as Granddad?” Poppy said. “Can you do anything...? You know... Weird.”

  “As far as you’re concerned young lady, I’m the only normal person in this entire village ... Now go and watch TV. Oh and by the way you stink, get a shower!”

  She sauntered off upstairs deep in thoughts and they soon turned to daydreams. In one short year her life had changed so dramatically, and now this. What, with Goyles in the church tower, Hellhounds in the conservatory and a Demon hunting Wizard drinking tea in the kitchen. All she needed now was a broomstick and maybe a wand.

  “Don’t be stupid!” She said to herself. “Broomsticks and wands aren’t real...!” She flashed a wicked smile. “Oh I know, maybe I could turn Verina into a frog! Abracadabra!” She laughed at the thought.

  Chapter 17

  A startled look of fear suddenly spread across the haggard face of Lady Agyness De’athly. She stopped shouting obscenities at Gargle Skuttlebucket and stared at her feet. New sensations seldom came to four hundred year old Witches, but this was new. Tingling in her feet became unbearable pins and needles which spread up her legs and crept into her abdomen. The feeling tickled her spine and made her light headed.

  “I feel..!” She cried. “I feel like someone is walking over my grave...Rrredit!”

  Gargle frowned. “What did you just say?”

  “You idiot... Someone is using magic against me...Rrredit... Rrredit!”

  “There...You just did it again!”

  “Rrredit...What are you talking about... Rrredit.”

  Gargle was surprised to see fear in her eyes and didn’t like it as much as he thought he would. “What exactly have you read...You keep saying ‘read it’...? Are you talking about the spell book or something?”

  “Shut up you cretin... I think it’s gone now. Yes...Yes it’s gone.”

  Ignorance is usually bliss but Gargle had to ask. “You sort of lost me when someone was walking over your grave... The rest of it was well... Gibberish! And I’m not really sure what we’re talking about now.”

  In her panic and irritated state she spoke quickly and Gargle struggled to keep up. “There’s magic in the air and I’m going to need that baby! Why can’t you get me a baby you useless oaf... I don’t know why I keep you around...?” She stopped momentarily to lick her chapped lips and run her fingers through her grey hair. ”Do you want to see me stay old and decrepit...? Wrinkly and grey? I may as well be dead... Yes, yes...You would like that wouldn’t you?”

  Gargle couldn’t answer; just stare at the floor and try to think of an excuse to leave the room. “I’d better go and tend to the cauldron then my Lady. That crack is getting much bigger... We can’t afford for any more of them there souls to escape now... Can we?” He said and smiled slyly. For all of her great powers she still couldn’t tell when he was lying.

  Agyness hissed loudly as she tried to contain her frustration. “Very well! But make sure that idiot cat is back before sun up.”

  Gargle bowed low and left the room backwards; tonight he had important business and couldn’t afford to be late. He didn’t really need to check on the crack, it had been there for one hundred and fifty years, and had never grown an inch in all that time. Of course a couple of slippery little souls had escaped through it, but by and large the cauldron had always taken care of itself... Until now, that is.

  Weathered and worn by four hundred years of magic and angry souls, the Cauldron was at last dying.

  Another handful of gravel spattered against the window only this time much harder. Poppy ignored it with a scowl; she had almost finished her history homework and really wanted to hand this one in on time for a change.

  Then the shouting started- It was a whispered shout, if there is such a thing. “Poppy!”

  The nights were closing in and it had been dark since well before tea. Her Mum and Granddad had gone to the supermarket in town and Poppy was all alone with some chocolate, a large bag of crisps and one can of diet coke. Life was good and she wasn’t going anywhere any time soon.

  “Poppy.” Came the voice again and another stone hit the window. “Poppy come to the window...I want to talk to you!”

  Then she heard the hushed tones of two people arguing.

  “Get lost!” Poppy whispered, maybe they’d think she had gone shopping too and leave.

  Tap... Tap, tap tap.

  That could only be one thing; reluctantly Poppy closed her exercise book and went to the window. She opened it quickly and leaned out. “Slurpe... Oh it’s you! I thought you were Slurpe.” She said without sounding as disappointed as she was. “What is it Jesse? I’m meant to be doing my homework.”

  Jesse was virtually dancing with excitement. “Slurpe’s here too...Leave your homework... You’ve got to come and see this. It’s Halloween...”

  “Yeh so what!” She said and blew out a huge column of warm breath that instantly condensed on the freezing night air. “Did you see that? That means it’s really cold out there... So I think I’ll just stay here in the warmth, under my duvet... With my chocolate, if it’s all the same with you!”

  “No wait... You don’t understand! It’s Halloween and that means its Goyle night off. All the ghosts were having a party in the cemetery and a riot broke out... It’s such a laugh; some of them don’t even know they’re dead yet.”

  Poppy giggled at the thought and tried to focus through the darkness towards the church. “You’re joking!” She said. “Wait there! I’ll get my coat.”

  She was right, it was freezing outside and she was thankful for her woolly hat and mittens to keep her warm. Poppy was sure that Jesse was wearing the same dungarees and t-shirt he had worn on the day she had first met him. Infact she couldn’t ever remember him wearing anything different, but at least his laces were still tied.

  “Where’s your coat Jesse? You can’t walk around like that! You’ll catch your death of cold.”

  “No I’m alright... Really.” Jesse replied and quickly tried to move the conversation on. “...So where do you want to go then?”

  She smiled broadly as she took a second to think. “I’ve had an idea... Let’s go trick or treating!”

  Jesse called out to Slurpe, who after some persuasion sheepishly trudged out from behind a bush.

  “Tonight Slurpe Rottenoffle we’re going to make you a star! But you have to let humans see you.” Poppy said with a grin. “Can you do that for me?”

  The little Goyle shyly shook his head and hid behind Jesse.

  “If you do it, you’ll get tonnes of sweets and maybe even some money... Trust me this is perfect! They’ll all think you’re wearing the best costume they’ve ever seen.”

  “Sweets!” Said the Goyle and peeped out from behind his friend. “Money..? Poppy buys fizzy pop with money..!”

  “So that’s a yes then?”

  The first door was answered by a little old lady who had already prepared a tray of assorted sweets for the visiting children. She opened the door with a smile and looked Poppy up and down, then the smile faded.

  “Why aren’t you wearing a costume child?” She snapped coldly, if she was going to spend her meager pension on sweets for them, then at least they should make an effort.

  Poppy shrugged. “We decided to spend all our time and money on my little brothers costume... Would you like to see it Missis?”

  “Well there’s been some very good costumes turn up at my door this year. There was a very s
cary Witch here earlier and I think you’ll have to go a long way to better it...”

  Slurpe pulled his fiercest face and stepped out from the shadows. “Boo!” He cried. “Trick or treat!”

  The smile dropped as the old lady stared open mouthed. Her hands relaxed their grip on the tray and it clattered to the floor spilling the sweets across the doorstep. “Why...” She muttered. “Why... That’s really ugly... I mean that costume is... It’s so life like. Where on earth did you get it?”

  “Mum bought it at a fancy dress shop in town.” Poppy lied.

  “Take the sweets, take them all!” She cried and closed her door a lot quicker than she’d opened it.

  So they did and moved on to the house next door and another little old lady. Only this one didn’t have such a strong constitution as the last and upon sight of the Goyle immediately feinted to the floor. Poppy grabbed all of the sweets on show, closed the door and they all scarpered. None of them stopped running until they reached the park. They sat on the swings and excitedly dished out their ill-gotten gains.

  “It’s alright.” Jesse said. “I don’t like sweets much, you two can have mine.” He was fibbing of course, every time he tried to eat something it just fell through his ghostly body to the floor.

  “Are you sure?”

  Jesse nodded. He’d give anything for one lick of a chocolate bar or the taste of gum. “Anyway.” He said. “What shall we do now?”

  “I’m for going up to the cemetery.” Poppy cried eagerly. “I’ don’t think I’ve ever seen a real ghost close up and all.”

  A wry smile spread across Jesse’s face. “Oh I think that you might have and not known.” He said.

  Poppy shook her head. “Imagine that!” She cried. “Meeting a real ghost and not knowing... That would be so weird!”

  “Weird!” Agreed Slurpe and glanced accusingly at Jesse.

  By the time they reached the cemetery all was quiet and Poppy was rather disappointed not to see a ghost. “Can’t you wake one up?” She asked Slurpe.

  “Not allowed... Dad would kill me.”

  Jesse suddenly threw himself to the ground. “Shush! Get down.” He demanded. “I think I just saw something over there by the trees.”

  Poppy and Slurpe both crouched down beside him and tried to see what he was talking about.

  “I don’t see anything!” Poppy said. “It’s too dark.”

  “Uncle Skuttlebucket...” Slurpe growled. “I smells my uncle Skuttlebucket, I do...”

  “I’ve heard of him!” Poppy cried and then in a whisper. “I’ve heard of him.”

  Running from one gravestone to another they began to move closer, but not too close.

  Gargle Skuttlebucket entered the cemetery through a gap in the fence on the east side; it was nice to be on hallowed soil once again. He had to be quiet though if her Ladyship should find out where he’d been he would be in serious of trouble.

  The scent of embalming fluid and moth balls danced tantalizingly across his senses as he trudged up the path. A burial must have taken place recently as he could also smell the delightful tangs of decomposing flesh, oh how he missed the life.

  As was the custom at the Boneshining court of appeals Gargle banged on the church doors three times with his staff, and waited. He was a convicted traitor afterall and the Goyle council was fully entitled to ignore his plea for entry; he would wait until the sun turned him back to stone if need be.

  Every Halloween for the past one hundred years he had come to these very doors and every Halloween for the past hundred years he had been denied entry.

  “I am no traitor!” He growled. “Let me in! I’ve served my time... I just want to spend my final days in my very own cemetery.”

  Deep down even Gargle didn’t really expect the doors to open; suddenly the old Goyle felt weary. He was tired of it all and didn’t know how much longer he could hold on to his belief in the ways of Goyles, after all it didn’t take the brains of a professor to work out that he’d been the Witches’ slave far longer than he’d ever been a Boneshiner.

  Feeling every bit his age of six hundred years Gargle rested his forehead on the cool wood of the oak doors, and closing his bloodshot eyes he said. “I beg you! Don’t make me die a wretched traitor.”

  Without warning there were three loud clicks as the bolts were released and very slowly, the doors swung wide open.

  “Look.” Said Jesse and climbed into a crouching position. “The doors are opening... Let’s get closer.”

  “Wait!” Poppy cried. “Isn’t that Skuttlebucket a zombie or something? He might want to eat our brains.”

  “I’m alright then!” Said Slurp and launched himself into the night sky. “Don’t think I’ve got any.”

  “Me neither!” Said Jesse and began laughing. “And I doubt he’d get much of a meal out of you Poppy.”

  By the time Poppy and Jesse reached the church Slurpe had already landed clumsily on the roof and was now half way down a drainpipe heading for a stained glass window.

  “Can you see anything yet?” Jesse shouted a little bit too loudly, and then realising his mistake, put his hand over his mouth.

  Someone inside had begun lighting candles and suddenly the window just below Slurpe began to glow and flicker with an eerie orange colour.

  “Slurpe!” Poppy cried. “Get down before you’re seen...” She was scared and didn’t mind who knew.

  “You ask too much Wartsnot! The Witch is a human being and as such I may not kill her... Believe me, I have tried.” Gargle had been pleading his case for some time. This was his one chance of redemption and freedom, he must not fail.

  Gargle’s outburst drew jeers and boos from the upper balcony which Field Marshall Sir Donkin Wartsnot struggled to subdue. “Goyles... Boneshiners... Countrymen! Gargle Skuttlebucket remains to this day our most decorated warrior and we must never forget that.” He shouted at the top of his voice.

  More jeers drowned out his words and he had to hold up a hand to quieten the rabble. “Brothers...Quiet now please! Alas I am old and my voice not as loud as it was. It is now the opinion of this council that Agyness De’athly forfeits any right to claim humanity...”

  Cheers and applause drowned him out once again.

  “Lady Agyness De’athly from this night forth... Is demonized!”

  More cheers and more applause shook the building.

  “No...” Cried Gargle, his words went unheard in the din. “You can’t... You can’t.” Confused by his own feelings for Agyness the old Goyle bit down on his tongue to prevent further outbursts. After all these years and all they had gone through together how could he let her be killed?

  Wartsnot quieted the crowd once again. “Please... We have important business here. In accordance with the great book of Boneshinery any living being can under exceptional circumstances be stripped of their humanity and therefore become demonized...”

  Stepping forward Gargle placed a steadying hand on the shoulder of his old leader. He needed time to think, was his freedom worth her death? Could he stand by and watch a Goyle horde rip her to pieces? Now that Agyness was officially demonized there would be a rush of bloodthirsty Goyles eager to prove their steel, she would not last the night. He surveyed the baying mob and some he recognised as old friends who he had once led in battle. “Goyles... Boneshiners, you know me of old.” He cried. “Before I became this useless old piece of granite standing before you! Was I not a warrior..? I have lost count of the many demons and Gobelinus I have slain with my sword...”

  Wartsnot listened somberly with his head bowed and nodded occasionally in agreement.

  “... Was it not I that she imprisoned? Was it not I she enslaved for hundreds of years?”

  Amongst the incessant heckling, boos and jeers Gargle began to hear cheers and felt a sense of hope.

  “Then by the great book of Boneshinery I Gargle Skuttlebucket claim the right to face her first... She will be slain before the last bell on Christmas eve!” Then he said the words
he had not dared to utter in centuries. “Protect the dead...And save the living!

  “Protect the dead... Save the living!” The massed ranks of Goyles cried in unison. “Protect the dead, save the living.” The church reverberated as the creed was shouted over and over again. Long slimy tongues glistened in the candle light as they were propelled out to their full snakelike length.

  Skuttlebucket had waited a lifetime for this moment but for some reason it tasted rather bitter. Playing both sides of the fence seemed like the safe option albeit cowardly. If Agyness didn’t find a way to save the cauldron by Christmas she would die anyway. This way she would have a chance to escape or even fight back. One way or another the only Goyle who would slay the Witch would be Gargle Skuttlebucket, Boneshiner and Goyle warrior (Retired).

  Field marshal Sir Donkin Wartsnot smiled, although with a face like his it was hard to tell, it could have been a grimace or trapped wind. “Welcome home Skuttlebucket! I’ve got a present for you.”

  Wartsnot signaled to a young Goyle who immediately began marching slowly towards them. He was carrying a sword and bow wrapped up in a warrior’s tunic.

  “I found them in the ruins of an old bakery the night you disappeared!” Wartsnot said. “Yours I presume?”

  Slurps huge ears concentrated the sounds coming from inside the church and directed them into his tiny little brain. Amongst the roar of the crowd he managed to pick out his own fathers cheers but other than that it was just too noisy to tell what was going on.

  “What’s happening..?” Poppy whispered.

  The young Goyle shrugged. “Slurps ears not big enough! I think they’ve demonized someone…”

  Suddenly the bolts on the doors began to slide. “They’re coming out!” Jesse cried. “Run for it.”

  Chapter 18