The Midnight Chimes

by Paula Harrison

  “Cryptorum will be really mad at you for taking his sword,” Aiden told me.

  I swished the blade in a smooth arc above my head. It was a little wider than my torchblade but it felt so right in my hand. “Cryptorum’s not here. Anyway I reckon he’ll forgive me if I use it to beat a vampire.”

  We slung the bows and arrows on our shoulders and climbed back over the wall. Nora was waiting for us on the corner. “They’d run out of garlic powder,” she told us. “So I had to get garlic butter and a garlic baguette instead.” She showed us her shopping bag.

  “Oh, man!” I bit my lip. “Well, there’s no time to get anything else.”

  We ran through the streets, dodging into a side road every time we saw other people. There was no way to hide the bows and arrows and we didn’t want a load of questions.

  At last we reached the edge of town and the ground sloped upwards towards the heath. It was dark out here with no street lights. We followed the main road up the hill, diving into the ditch every time we saw car headlights. We stopped at the top to catch our breath. Wendleton lay below us – a carpet of little orange lights and tiny rooftops. Snow started to fall again, drifting down as gently as a dream.

  I pulled up my hood. It was even colder up here and every muscle in my legs hurt from the steep climb. I hoped Nora’s guess about the grodder and the location of Miss Mason’s lair was right. Blagdurn Heath was the last place in the world I’d have wanted to come to and it looked even more of a wasteland than it had a month ago. The bushes had lost their leaves and were little more than clumps of thin branches sticking out of the earth. The muddy ground had frozen into deep ruts and now snow was dusting over the ice. Was Annie up here? Was the vampire already making them say wishes? I had to find this House of Sweets fast.

  We struck out across the heath, passing the place with the large boulder where Cryptorum had waited for us the time before. Every direction looked pretty much the same – bushes, ditches, bare branches all flecked with white.

  “Which way was the ruined house?” I said.

  “Over here.” Aiden led us down a muddy track.

  A rustling began in the undergrowth and a spiny face peered out from a patch of brambles. Drawing my frostblade, I pointed the sword at the bush and the face withdrew. That kobold did the right thing. I was in no mood to mess around.

  The trees became thicker the further we went. I was starting to wonder if we’d gone the wrong way.

  “Get your weapons ready.” Aiden notched an arrow into his bow. “Miss Mason’s probably rigged up all kinds of defences. We don’t want her to know we’re coming till the very last minute.”

  We crept on, wincing every time a twig snapped, and at last I caught the scent of something sweet. “Can you smell that?” I whispered. “It’s like candy floss.” I sniffed the air, trying to work out which way it was coming from.

  “It reminds me of strawberry ice cream,” Nora whispered back.

  “This way!” Aiden pushed through a gap in the bushes. “We’ve found it.”

  Through the bare branches, I caught sight of the ruined house. The crooked roof had gaps where tiles were missing and there was no glass at the windows. The snow dusting the rooftop made me think of icing sugar.

  “It’s the same place but do you really think Miss Mason’s here?” Aiden muttered. “It doesn’t look much like a House of Sweets.”

  My stomach lurched. I hoped we hadn’t wasted our time coming up here. There were no lights, no voices and no sign of people. Annie was in terrible danger. At the very least she might be scared by now and missing home. If this was the wrong place I had to find out and get back to town.

  Wingbeats shattered the air and a great bird swooped down to the rooftop. Its beak gleamed in the moonlight, sharp as a knife.

  “There! That’s the bird I saw that night at Grimdean,” I hissed.

  “That’s definitely an etting. I’ve seen pictures!” Nora gulped.

  “I’m surprised the roof doesn’t collapse under the weight of it – there’s not many roof tiles left anyway,” Aiden said.

  I couldn’t let some bird of death stop me. Pushing the branches out of my way, I got my sword ready and stepped into the clearing. Aiden had his bow poised. Nora stuffed the garlic butter in her pocket and the baguette under her jacket, and drew her torchblade.

  “Try to keep out of sight of the windows.” I skirted the edge of the clearing before darting to the corner of the house. From here I could see something blue on the doorstep. I jerked my head and the others followed, keeping low to avoid being seen.

  When we reached the front door, my blood ran cold. A blue plate was piled high with gingerbread shapes – rabbits, hearts and stars. They smelt so tempting.

  “No way!” Nora whispered behind me. “Miss Mason’s not even trying to hide what she’s doing.”

  The sweet smell of the gingerbread made my head swim. “It’s there as a trap for anyone who tries to find her.” I said. “One bite and you’re enchanted.”

  I steeled myself to open the front door. There was no one inside. There were no sweets or cookies. There wasn’t even any furniture, just rotten floorboards and dust. “I’m going in.” The floor creaked as I stepped inside. Straight in front of me was a mouldy staircase leading to the upper floor.

  Aiden followed me, his bow ready. “Creepy place!”

  “Where are they?” My whisper stuck in my throat. “There’s nothing here.”

  “I reckon you won’t find anything without this.” Nora picked up the blue plate. “It’s an edible spell! Eat some gingerbread and then you’ll see the House of Sweets. I’ve read about this kind of thing. Do you remember that book we looked at Robyn – Enchantments and Illusions in the Unseen World?”

  I shook my head.

  “Eating that is a bad idea! We’ll forget things like Robyn’s family did,” Aiden said. “We might fall under the vampire’s control.”

  “There’s a way to stop the enchantment working fully,” Nora said urgently. “You have to take a bite of the food and keep it in your mouth without swallowing.”

  I took a gingerbread rabbit off the plate. Its dark icing eye stared back at me, daring me to take a bite. Did I dare?

  “Don’t do it!” Aiden said.

  “I have to do this to reach Annie. There’s no other way!” The delicious smell of the gingerbread made my mouth water.

  “I’ll eat some too,” Nora said.

  “No, you guys have to stay here in case I get overcome by the enchantment,” I said.

  Aiden looked doubtful. “Are you sure you’ll be able to bite some and not eat it?”

  “I’m gonna try,” I told him. “If I don’t come out in ten minutes go back to Grimdean House and try to phone Miss Smiting.”

  The etting on the roof gave a loud cry. If that bird was waiting for someone to die I was probably walking into danger exactly the way it wanted.

  I lifted the gingerbread rabbit to my lips and took a bite.

  I Eat the Gingerbread

  he gingerbread was the best thing I’d ever tasted but I knew I mustn’t swallow it. I pushed the chunk into the side of my cheek. My pulse was doing a crazy rhythm all of its own. Was this going to work? It just had to. The information Nora passed on had never let us down before.

  All at once, soft music tingled in the back of my mind. It was a sweet tune that sounded inviting. I held my breath and took a step forward.

  Colour poured into the house like a movie come to life with me inside it. The walls glowed a perfect pink and the music grew stronger, but the thing that really knocked me out was the smell. Chocolate, strawberry, orange and a million other flavours of sweets washed through my brain. They were all here, somewhere, and I wanted them.

  Aiden tapped me on the shoulder and jerked his thumb towards the door. His voice was muffled, but I understood. They were waiting for me outside. I needed to focus now. I’d come here for Annie and the other kids. I couldn’t let them become part of Miss Mason’s p
lan to make her wishes come true. A plan she’d kill for.

  Laughter rang out from deeper inside and, as I turned towards the sound, pieces of the room filled in as if the place was being coloured by an invisible hand. Bright streamers hung along the walls and light poured down from a crystal chandelier. Pot plants sprung up in the corners. A table set for tea appeared in the centre of the room decorated with a vase of flowers.

  A transparent boy about half my size brushed past me. I could see the wall behind him, like looking through dappled glass. “We’re having something to eat,” he told me. “I hope it’s chocolate eclairs. They’re my favourite.”

  It was Finlay – Aiden’s next-door neighbour. I watched him grow more solid as he got closer to the table. I looked round, alert for any sign of Annie. There was a whisper in the corner and little footsteps on the stairs, but I couldn’t hear her voice and I didn’t dare call out for her. Miss Mason had to be here too and I wanted to stay out of her way for as long as possible.

  A small, half-transparent hand slipped into mine. “Please could you sit with me?” said Finlay. “Then we can eat together.”

  “Sure,” I whispered, sitting down beside him. “But where’s everyone else?”

  “I don’t know.” Finlay’s gaze flicked up to the ceiling as he whispered, “I think they’re still with her. She wants us to make wishes.”

  A creaking overhead made the hairs rise on the back of my neck. Was Miss Mason upstairs? Should I face her straight away or try to get the kids out first? I leant forwards. “What did she tell you to wish for?”

  “She said we could wish for anything we liked!” A small girl with dark braids skipped to the chair opposite and sat down. “She said we were just getting started. I wished for these chocolate ladybirds.” She opened her fingers. The little round sweets were already turning sticky in her hand. “Did you come for the party too?”

  I played along. “Course I did! I love parties. But where’s Annie?”

  “Oh, she’s here somewhere,” the girl said. “She found some sherbet flowers upstairs.”

  “Sherbet flowers?” I couldn’t help noticing the daydreamy look in the kids’ eyes.

  “Uh-huh, but they’re not my favourite.” The girl picked up her plate with both hands and bit into it.

  I was so surprised I nearly swallowed the piece of gingerbread in my cheek. Then I realized the plate was actually a thin iced biscuit. The things on the table came into focus – chocolate drink mats, marshmallow cups and a bowl of marzipan fruit. Even the flowers were actually lollipops.

  “I’m hungry.” Finlay nibbled on his cup. “But I want to wait for the Grand Surprise!”

  I frowned. This didn’t sound good. “What’s the Grand— no wait! It’s a surprise, right? Who’s bringing this surprise?”

  Finlay and the girl with the braids leant forward and whispered to each other, before the girl replied, “The lady with the blonde hair and black eyes. She has a flute and when she plays it makes me feel tickly in my tummy – like I could do anything!”

  I glanced round quickly, as if mentioning Miss Mason could make her appear. Whatever this surprise was, it couldn’t be anything good. My heart started to race. I probably had very little time left to make my move.

  Little footsteps tapped on the stairs.

  “Annie?” I jumped up, knocking over my chair and breaking one of its biscuit legs.

  A silver shadow of my sister ran to me, her hair swinging. “Robyn? You came to join in.” She threw herself on to me. Her arms felt solid enough and her hair smelt of sherbet.

  I choked up and struggled to get a grip on myself. “Annie, we’re leaving. This is a bad place.”

  She let go of me and went to the table. “No, it’s not! Anyway, I haven’t tried everything yet.”

  “Yeah, we haven’t tried everything.” The girl with the braids pouted. “I want some white chocolate.” She turned the vase upside down, pouring lollipops and a cascade of white chocolate stars on to the table.

  “Is that all of you?” I said desperately. How was I going to persuade them all to leave?

  “Don’t forget him!” Annie pointed to the corner. I hadn’t noticed the round-faced boy slumped in an armchair with a long, red shoelace sweet dangling from his mouth.

  “There are four of you then.” My brain spun. I had to get them out of here without scaring them. “Hey, I’ve found something even better than these sweets. Do you want to see?”

  “What is it?” The girl with the braids looked suspicious.

  “Um. . .” What could it be? “It’s a . . . it’s a lemonade fountain with chocolate fishes and lily pads made of mint icing.” I wondered if this sounded too crazy but their eyes lit up.

  “I wanna see!” said the girl.

  “Me too!” Annie said. “I wanna eat a chocolate fish!”

  I plastered a smile on my face. “It’s outside – I’ll show you!”

  There was a scraping noise upstairs, followed by heavy footsteps.

  “Maybe we should wait for that lady’s surprise,” said the boy in the corner.

  “Don’t worry! We’ll be back really quickly.” I kept my smile bright. “Come on, it’ll be fun!”

  “Children!” called a honeyed voice. “Who are you talking to?”

  I froze. Miss Mason spoke sweetly but there was a deadly cold note to her voice.

  “It’s Rob—” Annie began and I clapped a hand over her mouth.

  “Don’t tell her it’s me!” I hissed. “Tell her you’re talking to each other.”

  Annie nodded and for a moment the daydreamy look left her eyes. “We’re talking to each other about the sweets!” she called back.

  “How wonderful!” replied Miss Mason in the same sickly-sweet voice. “I’m sure you’re all glad you came to my special party.”

  I clenched my fists. The evil monster! She was obviously planning to trick my sister and the others for as long as possible. Blood pounded in my ears. I longed to draw the frostblade and fight her but heavy footsteps on the stairs brought me to my senses. If I tried to attack the vampire right here and now the little kids could get hurt in the crossfire. I had to get them out safely first.

  Seeing nowhere to hide, I slid under the table. The vampire’s boots, all covered with rhinestones, came into focus on the wooden steps. “I think we should play our wishing game next, don’t you?” Miss Mason said. “I know some really great things we could wish for!”

  “What about the surprise?” Finlay asked.

  “Oh, there’s plenty of time for that!” Miss Mason reached the bottom of the stairs. I could just see the folds of her red velvet skirt through the legs of the table. “Here, have a little more gingerbread.”

  There was a moment of silence and I guessed the kids must be eating. An icy prickle ran across my skin. Cryptorum had warned us how powerful this vampire was and now I was close enough to touch her.

  When the girl with the braids spoke again, her voice was slurred as if the gingerbread had fogged up her brain. “What shall we wish for, Miss Mason?”

  “Where’s that girl gone?” said the boy in the armchair. “She said there was a lemonade fountain.”

  “What girl?” Miss Mason snapped.

  My blood ran cold. There was no time to get the kids out of here quietly. I had to tackle the vampire right now.

  Drawing my blade, I leapt out from under the table. Miss Mason’s blonde hair and red lips were as shiny as ever but her cheeks were covered by a river of dark veins. She gave a faint hiss as she saw me and for a second her sickly smile was replaced by a look of rage. Staring into her eyes was like gazing into two black holes. I had no doubt she wanted to kill me.

  I gripped my sword tightly to stop my hand shaking. “I know what you’re doing. You’re not going to touch any of them!”

  “Robyn!” Annie tugged my sleeve.

  I felt for her hand, keeping my eyes fixed on Miss Mason. “Annie, run out the front door! Now!”

  Annie’s chair scr
aped.

  “Stay right where you are, Annie.” The vampire’s voice was smooth as treacle. “You don’t want to miss all the sweets, do you?”

  I felt Annie’s hand fall out of my fingers. My little sister sank into her chair again. I dropped to my knees beside her. “Annie, come back with me.” I looked into her daydreamy eyes and my heart went cold. How was I going to fight an enchantment this strong?

  “Miss . . . the . . . sweets,” Annie mumbled.

  My little sister was lost again.

  Feeling a lump in my throat, I started to swallow. The chunk of gingerbread! I’d nearly eaten it. I pushed it to the side of my cheek. It was soggy now and I could feel it falling to mush in my mouth.

  Miss Mason watched me closely. “So you’ve figured out a way to see through the enchantment without falling under its spell. You think you’re pretty clever don’t you?”

  “Not really.” I stepped back as she came closer, and she laughed.

  “Once I heard that Erasmus Cryptorum had repaired the Mortal Clock, I planned my return to Wendleton and my disguise,” she continued. “I was sure I could get inside Grimdean and discover what the old man was up to. Then I found you fresh, young Chimes and I knew destroying you would be my first step in getting revenge. So I’m delighted you’ve come here tonight.” She smiled like a wolf.

  The room flickered to grey and back to colour as the gingerbread fell apart in my mouth. I told myself not to swallow.

  “Time’s up, Chime girl! Now all you get to do is watch from the outside.” Miss Mason’s icy hand gripped my throat. Her fingernails felt like claws digging into my skin.

  I tried to swing my blade but she thrust me backwards, my feet skidding on the wooden floor. Her fingers tightened round my neck until she gave me one final shove and I fell through the doorway on to the cold ground outside.

  I spat out the last crumbs of the gingerbread just as the front door slammed. The snow had stopped falling but the thin covering on the ground soaked right through my clothes. The moon came out, casting a ghostly gleam across the white landscape.

  “Robyn!” Nora was at my side. “Are you OK? Did you find the kids?”