The Midnight Chimes

by Paula Harrison

  I turned into our street, past more houses strung with Christmas lights, and ran along our alley. A Christmas tree was propped against the back wall, ready to go inside and have every piece of tinsel we owned flung on its branches by Josh and Annie. Gasping for breath, I burst through the back door.

  Mum shrieked, dropping a mixing bowl and spilling flour all over the floor.

  “What is it? What’s happened?” I panted.

  “You did!” Mum picked up the bowl and dumped it in the sink. “I thought you were a burglar.”

  “Sorry! I’ve just got to—” I ran upstairs without finishing the sentence. Annie wasn’t in our bedroom, so I dived straight under the bed for the books. My heart skipped a beat when I found them. The frostblade book and Wishes and Mysteries. They were both there! The tight knot that had grown inside my stomach relaxed. Everything was OK. Miss Mason hadn’t been here and neither had her shadow – she probably didn’t know where I lived anyway. Now I would spread the garlic round the doors and windows – just to be sure.

  I rushed round the house with the jar of garlic, sprinkling powder on the window sills. Josh was in the bathroom, so I did his room quickly. Sammie screeched when I opened her door and threw her lipstick at me. I thought of not bothering with her room, but then I tossed some garlic on to her window sill before she shoved me out of the door.

  “Robyn?” Mum called up the stairs. “What’s going on up there?”

  “Nothing!” I stashed the garlic in my pocket. I just had the front door and downstairs windows left to do. Ben was in the front room watching a football match on TV so I had to creep in and sprinkle the garlic when he was shouting at the referee and totally oblivious to anything else.

  I dashed back to the kitchen. “Sorry! What’s for tea?”

  “It’s pizza.” Mum took the tinfoil off a plate and set it in front of me. There were six slices on it – not bad. “It’s the only thing I can get all four of you to eat.” Mum added.

  “Annie doesn’t eat it.” I bit into the first slice. “She hates cheese.”

  Mum turned back to the washing-up. “Is she a friend from school?”

  “No, I’m talking about our Annie,” I said.

  Mum scrubbed a saucepan and let the foamy water drip off before setting it on the draining board. “I don’t know who you mean.”

  “My little sister,” I said impatiently. Glancing at the coat pegs in the hallway, I saw that Annie’s red coat wasn’t there. Her shoes with the purple butterflies weren’t by the back door either. “Where is Annie anyway?”

  Mum turned to face me and wiped her hands on her apron. “What are you talking about, Robyn? Who’s Annie?”

  I Make a Wish for My Sister

  here was a buzzing in my ears. Why was she being like this? “You know who I mean – Annie! Little kid, always playing her recorder. My sister!”

  Mum looked confused. “Is this some new name you’re calling Sammie? I wish you two would try and get along a bit better. You’re lucky to have a sister. I just had brothers when I was growing up. And Sammie’s doing so well at school – she could help you with your homework.”

  “I’m not talking about Sammie. I’m talking about Annie.” I put down the pizza. “Mum, please! You know – our Annie!”

  “Look – I don’t know the names of all your friends.” Mum frowned. “I don’t know any children round here called Annie.”

  The bottom dropped out of my world. The kitchen clock ticked on the wall. The fridge made the whistling-gurgling noise it always did, but nothing was the same.

  “Annie’s my sister!” I whispered. “She’s the youngest – the little one.”

  Mum was looking at me like I was mad. “Do you feel feverish?” She put a hand on my forehead. “You don’t feel very hot.”

  I wheeled round and ran up the stairs to the bedroom I shared with my sister. Everything was still there – her furry toys and her unicorn book. Her white dressing gown with the pink heart pattern was hanging over a chair, and her school bag and recorder lay on the floor beside her bed.

  Mum had followed me. “What’s the matter, Robyn? Is this Annie another girl from your class? Have you fallen out with her?”

  I swallowed a huge lump in my throat. “No! Annie’s your daughter! Look at this stuff – it’s all hers! We sleep here together.”

  Mum clutched her hair. “You’re not making any sense! This is your room. It’s been your room for years. The extra bed is a spare one.”

  “Don’t you remember how she plays the recorder all the time? How she never eats vegetables? How she wakes up stupidly early in the mornings?” I picked up Annie’s dressing gown and shook it. “Look – this isn’t mine! It’s way too small.”

  “OK, it’s all right,” Mum said soothingly. “Just . . . relax. You’re obviously not very well. I’m going to get you some medicine and then I’ll make you a honey and lemon drink.” She pulled back Annie’s quilt. “Hop into bed and I’ll be back in a minute.” She hurried back downstairs and I heard her turn the kettle on.

  I sank on to Annie’s bed, holding her dressing gown tightly.

  Something terrible must have happened to make Mum forget Annie. You didn’t just forget that one of your kids existed – not without something serious being done to you.

  My head spun. Where was Annie? It was past six o’clock. Even if she’d gone to a friend’s place to play she’d be back by now. I ran into Sammie’s room and pulled off her headphones. “Where’s Annie? Is she at a friend’s house?”

  “Get off me, you freak!” Sammie snapped. “What are you doing?”

  “I just want to know where Annie is.”

  “I don’t know who you’re talking about. Get out of my room!” She put her headphones back on.

  My heart plunged and I raced into Josh’s room. “Hey, Josh. Where’s Annie?”

  He didn’t look up – too busy digging a pencil into the carpet. “Who?”

  “Annie – your sister.” I crouched beside him.

  “You’re my sister.”

  “I know – but Annie is too. You remember her, don’t you?”

  Josh gazed at me blankly and my stomach twisted.

  There were voices in the kitchen followed by footsteps on the stairs. Returning to my room, I sat on Annie’s bed and stared at her toys. The last thing I wanted was for Mum to come back and give me medicine and make me lie here in Annie’s bed. I couldn’t stand it. There was a strand of Annie’s golden hair on the pillow. How could they have forgotten her?

  I picked up her favourite teddy, Mr Huggle, and touched his dark brown fur. Someone or something had made my family forget about Annie. Whatever that was must have taken her away too. It had to be some kind of monster. Did Miss Mason have the power to do this? She’d snake-charmed Miss Smiting with her music so maybe she could, but why would she want Annie?

  “Robyn, are you OK?” Ben stood in the doorway.

  “I’m fine,” I said, even though my head was pounding. “Ben, can I ask you something?”

  “Course.” He gave his normal wide grin.

  “Whose teddy is this?”

  “It’s yours. This is your room, remember? Mum’s right, you need to lie down for a bit.”

  The thumping in my head grew fiercer. “Please, Ben. Say you remember Annie. Please.”

  Ben’s forehead creased. “I know an Annie at school but she’s in my maths class and you’ve never met her.”

  Mum came in carrying a tray. “Here we are. Have some medicine and then I’ve got some lovely hot honey and lemon for you and some of the gingerbread your teacher left.” She set the tray down on the bedside table. On it was a brown medicine bottle and spoon, a steaming mug and a plate with some gingerbread on it.

  I didn’t want medicine. I wanted to think. “Mum, I really am fine.” I got up, still holding Mr Huggle. Annie would have been excited to go with Miss Mason. She loved the recorder group. She’d never have thought she was in danger.

  “Hmm, well.” Mum shoo
k the medicine bottle. “I’d like you to take this anyway. You’re quite pale. I hope they’re not overworking you at school. You’ve been spending too much time at that Bat Club – staying late all the time – and now you’ve caught a fever.”

  “I’m not ill!” The room swam a bit as I said this and Mum muttered something to Ben. I sank on to the bed again. The hot drink looked nice and so did the gingerbread. Mum poured a spoonful of medicine from the bottle. “Here you are.”

  I had to swallow it. The bitter taste stuck to my tongue. Maybe something sweet would take the horrible flavour away. I picked up the gingerbread. It smelt delicious. It was quite a big piece in the shape of a house with a door and windows outlined in chocolaty-brown icing.

  The gingerbread your teacher left.

  “Who did you say brought this?” My mouth was watering.

  Mum fastened the lid back on the medicine bottle. “What’s that?”

  “You said someone brought the gingerbread round.”

  “Oh, it was a teacher, but I can’t remember her name,” Mum said with a vague look on her face.

  “But what did she look like?” The smell of gingerbread filled my nostrils.

  “She was a very friendly lady with long blonde hair and a red-and-silver scarf.”

  I dropped the gingerbread as if it was infected. “It was Miss Mason, wasn’t it?”

  “Is that the nice music teacher? I’ve seen her going into Grimdean House with her instruments. Yes, she brought us a whole tin of gingerbread. She’s giving them out to all the pupils who’ve worked hard this term, she said. Isn’t that nice? It’s really delicious – we’ve all had some. The only trouble is once you’ve eaten a piece you just want more and more. This is the very last bit.”

  I stared in horror. Miss Mason had poisoned them. Was this all because of me? She knew I was a Chime – someone born to hunt her down – so she’d decided to take revenge on my family before I could even start.

  “Can you remember anything else?” I said desperately. “Did you see which way she went? Because I’d love to . . . knock on her door and say thank you tomorrow.”

  “Not really. She said something about a party though.” Mum wrinkled her forehead. “I remember her talking about a special place – a House of Sweets – yes that was it!” She gave a little laugh. “Sounds like an interesting place for a party. Have a rest now, Robyn, and I’ll check on you in a little while.” She smiled and picked up the tray, leaving the gingerbread behind.

  After they’d gone, I sneaked down to the phone in the hallway and called Aiden. “Something terrible’s happened.” I told him about my family and the gingerbread. “And now Annie’s gone.”

  “She’s not the only one.” Aiden’s voice crackled on the other end of the line. “Finlay from next door’s vanished too. My mum was asking his parents where he was and it was like they didn’t even remember him.”

  “Is that the boy with dark hair who always waves at you? He’s in the same class as Annie.”

  “Yeah, that’s him.” Aiden paused. “Stay there. I’ll fetch Nora and come over.”

  I stood by my bedroom window. I didn’t want to wait here for Aiden and Nora. I wanted to do something. Miss Mason had bewitched my family and taken Annie away.

  Silently, I wished with all my strength that my little sister was sitting here with me. The wish bubble slipped from my mouth and drifted sadly to the ceiling. It had a bright picture of Annie inside it – all blue eyes and gappy teeth, her hair curling on her shoulders. It was the clearest, brightest wish I’d ever done but it still wasn’t as bright as the ones Annie made.

  Something prickled inside my mind.

  I pulled out Wishes and Mysteries and scanned the bit about young children’s wishes and how strong they are. Then I flicked forwards, looking for the section on last wishes. I’d read all about it after discovering Mrs Cryptorum’s final wish in that glass case. Turning another page, I stopped suddenly. Shock pulsed through me as if I’d touched a red-hot pan.

  The page about last wishes had been removed. It had been done carefully but you could see the tiny edge of torn paper at the centre. I remembered most of the chapter quite well. It had described how final wishes could come true. Then, with fingers like ice, I turned back to the sentence I’d just reread on the earlier page: Children’s wishes appear bright, clear and strong because they are young and innocent. Consequently, their final wishes are the strongest of all.

  I felt sick.

  Miss Mason had been here, in my home. She could’ve used shadow-walking to search through my stuff while talking to my mum and giving out gingerbread. I’d been right – she was trying to find out more about wishes. Now she had all the information she needed.

  I couldn’t stop staring at the sentence: Their last wishes are the strongest of all.

  “Robyn!”

  I jumped, nearly dropping the book.

  Aiden came in with Nora. “Are you all right? Your mum said we can’t stay long. She says you’re ill.”

  “I’m not ill.” I thrust the book at them. “Miss Mason’s been here, and see which page she ripped out – the one about final wishes and how they can come true. Now she’s taken Annie and Finlay away and maybe other little kids too.”

  Aiden frowned. “You think she’s taken the little kids for their wishes. But why?”

  I swallowed. I felt like there was a lump of ice in my throat. “If she can get a wish to come true she can have anything she wants – ANYTHING! And little kids can make the strongest last wishes of all. It says so in here!”

  Nora went white. “You mean she’s going to make them say a final wish. . .” She tailed off.

  None of us wanted to say it. There was only one way to turn someone’s wish into their very last one and that was to kill them. If I didn’t find Annie tonight I might never see her again.

  Outside the window, a large winged shape flew over the roofs of the houses, silhouetted against the darkening sky. I threw the book down and drew my torchblade. My hands were shaking. “I’m going vampire hunting.”

  Aiden drew his sword too. His face was grim.

  “We’re coming with you,” said Nora.

  We Search for the House of Sweets

  left a note for Mum on my pillow saying I’d gone out with Aiden and she shouldn’t worry. Hopefully she wouldn’t even notice I was gone. We closed the front door quietly and raced to the end of the street.

  “Wait!” Nora said breathlessly. “Do you know where you’re going, Robyn?”

  “Miss Mason bewitched my family with gingerbread.” I took out the gingerbread house which I’d stuffed into my pocket before we left. “My mum told me she spoke of a party in a House of Sweets and that must be where she’s taking Annie, but I don’t know where it is.”

  “We need to find out if anyone’s seen her go by,” Aiden said. “With that blonde hair and silver scarf she’s pretty easy to spot.”

  “I have another idea.” Nora’s eyes lit up. “Remember that night Miss Mason’s shadow raided the books in Cryptorum’s study? You were at Grimdean House, Robyn, and we were fighting that grodder in the middle of town. Well I reckon that was a distraction – Miss Mason set the grodder loose to lure us out of Grimdean and out of her way. Grodders are stupid monsters and easily controlled. You wouldn’t normally find them in a town either.”

  “So she brought the grodder here on purpose,” I said. “How does that help?”

  “Just think! Where else have we seen a grodder?” Nora said.

  “You mean on Blagdurn Heath the night that grodder charged us?” I pictured the grodder beast with its red eyes. “It was standing right by a ruined house – weird because I’d never seen a house up there before.”

  “Exactly!” Nora nodded.

  “Then that could be her lair,” Aiden said. “It makes sense that she’d want to be somewhere away from people. There’s less chance of her being caught.”

  “And it’s just like that story with the two lost children, you
know?” Nora added. “And the House of Sweets is like—”

  “The Gingerbread House from Hansel and Gretel! And that makes her the witch.” I threw the gingerbread on the ground and crushed it with the heel of my trainer. I tried not to think of Annie trapped inside Miss Mason’s lair. I just had to focus on finding the place and then I’d get her out.

  “We should go back to Grimdean and get more weapons,” Aiden said. “All I have is my torchblade and that might not be enough. She’s not just any vampire – remember how she can walk in sunlight.”

  I knew what he was trying to say. Miss Mason was obviously really powerful. She’d already tricked Cryptorum twice – first she’d tricked her way into Grimdean House and then she’d made sure he saw her leaving town. She must have laid a trail to get him out of Wendleton before doubling back. “We haven’t got time. They could’ve left ages ago.”

  Aiden stood firm. “We need bows and arrows, and more garlic.”

  “All right! But we have to get it fast.” Sprinting down the street, I dodged round the parked cars and headed for Grimdean. Now I’d thought about it, there was a weapon there I needed too.

  *

  Our breath hung in the icy air as we stood beside the high wall surrounding Grimdean garden.

  “We’ll have to shin up there,” I told Aiden. “I’ve got a key to the shed but there’s no way we’ll get into the house and Obediah will have left hours ago.”

  “Gimme your foot then.” Aiden gave me a boost and I scrambled to the top of the wall before pulling him up beside me. The wall was seven feet high and I jarred my ankle on the way down but my heart was beating so fast I hardly felt it. Unlocking the shed door with cold, stiff fingers, we helped ourselves to stuff – a bow each, quivers of arrows and torch batteries. Nora had gone to buy more garlic – if there was any left in the shop – so we got things for her too.

  “Silver through the heart kills a vampire,” I muttered to myself, taking Cryptorum’s best frostblade from the rack. I walked out of the shed just as the moon appeared from behind a cloud, casting pale light across the garden and showing up the swirly markings along the silver blade.