Wish Trap

by Linda Chapman

  Maia thought what her mum would say if she told her she hadn’t been on her phone, she’d been using magic!

  She helped tidy up and then got ready for the sleepover. By three o’clock everything was sorted. Her bedroom floor was covered with squishy duvets and pillows. She had been to the newsagents and bought sweets for a midnight feast, and her mum had helped her make some cinder toffee. It was cooling downstairs in the kitchen beside a bag of giant fluffy white marshmallows for toasting on the bonfire her dad had built in the back garden.

  “Make sure you save some marshmallows for me,” said Clio as she came into the kitchen and helped herself to a piece of cinder toffee.

  “What time are you babysitting Paige today?” Maia asked.

  “I’m going over there now and staying until eight o’clock,” said Clio. “I wish I wasn’t. There’s a music awards ceremony on TV that I really want to watch. Maybe Paige will watch it with me. Or why don’t you come round? You could play with her while I watch it.”

  “I can’t. Lottie, Sita and Ionie will be here any minute,” said Maia.

  Clio sighed and grabbed her bag from the side. “All right. See you later.”

  “Bye!” Maia called, as Clio opened the front door.

  “Oh, hi there, Ionie,” Maia heard Clio say. “Maia’s in the kitchen. Go on through.”

  Maia went into the hall as Ionie came in. She had a spotty blue bag with her. “Hi,” Maia said. “Shall we take your bag up to my room?”

  Ionie nodded. As they went upstairs she whispered to Maia, “Was Auntie Mabel able to tell you anything new?”

  Maia shook her head. They went into the room and shut the door behind them. “Auntie Mabel hasn’t been able to find out anything.”

  Ionie dropped her bag on one of the duvets. “I couldn’t sleep last night. I kept thinking about it all. Sorrel and I shadow-travelled a bit, and tried to see if we could find any other traces of dark magic.”

  “Did you find anything?” Maia asked eagerly.

  “Not much. Sorrel got a strong scent of it up near the main road but she thinks that might have been from when the Shade tried to hurt Lottie. The scent faded when we travelled further into the village. Have you tried using your magic again?” Ionie asked.

  “Yes, but looking at people in rival gym teams hasn’t shown me anything useful, and when I try and look back at the accidents to see if I can find any clues, it’s really blurry. I wish I could do it. I’m trying to concentrate really hard, just like Auntie Mabel told me to, but it’s not working.”

  Ionie frowned. “Auntie Mabel told you to do that? I find my magic works best when I just relax.”

  “Auntie Mabel said you need to relax when you first connect with your magic but afterwards it’s better if you try to really focus.”

  “Weird. Maybe her type of magic is different…” Ionie said, puzzled.

  “I guess so,” said Maia.

  “Why don’t you try what I do? I slowly count down from ten to zero and focus on my breathing, letting everything fade away, then I get this feeling of my magic getting stronger and stronger – it feels like a current of power surging through me,” said Ionie. “It might work for you, too.”

  Just then the doorbell rang. “I bet that’ll be Lottie and Sita,” Maia said.

  After Mrs Greene and Sita’s mum had chatted for a few minutes and said their goodbyes, the four girls ran upstairs. Maia shut the door and all the animals appeared.

  “Together at last!” said Bracken, jumping round happily as Juniper scampered along Maia’s curtain pole and Willow butted her head affectionately against Sita’s legs.

  Sorrel stalked into the centre of the room. “When you’ve all finished behaving like three-week-old kittens, can we get started?”

  “I hope everyone else on the gym team is OK,” said Sita. “Have you heard about anyone else being injured, Lottie?”

  “No. The whole team was at training this morning,” said Lottie. “And the two replacements. Paige was there with them – she’s the top of the reserve list now, so if anyone else gets injured, she’ll be on the team.”

  “I bet she’s pleased,” said Maia.

  Lottie frowned. “It was strange. She was really quiet today.”

  “I hope she’s all right,” said Sita.

  “Why don’t you use magic to check on her, Maia?” suggested Bracken.

  Maia nodded and took her mirror out of her pocket. “Paige,” she whispered.

  The surface of the mirror flickered and an image of Paige appeared. It was slightly fuzzy. Remembering what Ionie had said, Maia took a breath and counted back from ten, letting the magic flow through her without trying to force it. To her delight the image grew sharper and sharper.

  Paige was sitting on a garden bench. Her knees were pulled up to her chin and there were tears rolling down her cheeks. She looked like she was whispering to herself.

  “I can see her,” Maia told the others. “She’s in her garden. She looks really upset.”

  “Can you see anything else?” Bracken urged.

  Maia studied the image intently. She let everything else around her fade away and gradually made out the words that Paige was whispering to herself. “I want it to stop. I’m scared.”

  Maia’s skin prickled. She was about to tell the others when her eyes caught a movement behind Paige. The leaves of the plants quivered as if something was edging towards the bench.

  “There’s something in the garden with Paige!” Maia said anxiously. “It’s creeping towards her.”

  “What is it?” demanded Ionie.

  “I can’t see,” said Maia. “It’s hidden by the shrubs.”

  “What if it’s the Shade?” said Sita.

  “We have to go to her!” said Bracken.

  “I’ll shadow-travel there,” said Ionie.

  “No, we should stay together!” Lottie said.

  But Ionie was already at the edge of the room where there was a faint shadow cast by the afternoon sun. “Come on, Sorrel!” she cried. The second she stepped into the shadows, she disappeared and then Sorrel vanished, too.

  “I can’t believe she just did that!” burst out Lottie.

  Maia could. If she’d been Ionie, she’d have done the same. “We can’t let her go there alone. We have to go, too,” she said.

  “None of us can shadow-travel,” said Sita.

  “Maybe not,” said Maia, pulling her bedroom door open. “But we can run!”

  By the time Maia, Lottie and Sita reached Paige’s house, they were all gasping for breath. Maia’s heart thundered in her chest. What were they going to find? What if something had happened to Paige – or Ionie? She wished she could call Bracken to her side but she couldn’t risk anyone seeing him.

  The three of them raced round the side of the house and into the back garden. To the right there was a small orchard of eight apple trees. In the centre of the lawn there was a stone birdbath on a plinth and a wooden garden shed with an open door at the end of the garden. On the far side of the garden was the bench Maia had seen Paige sitting on. But there was no sign of the younger girl now.

  “There’s Ionie!” said Lottie, pointing into the orchard.

  Ionie was standing in the shadows of the trees with a garden rake in her hands, looking warily at the bushes.

  Maia felt a rush of relief. Ionie was OK. She ran through the trees towards Ionie with Lottie and Sita following her. “Ionie! What’s going on?” she hissed as Ionie swung round to look at her.

  “Why did you just go off like that?” said Lottie.

  “Because it sounded like Paige was in danger,” said Ionie.

  “Where is Paige?” asked Sita anxiously.

  “Inside. Just as I arrived, Clio came to the French windows and called her in.” Ionie continued to scan the garden. “There’s something moving in the bushes. It’s small and I caught a glimpse of red and green. I grabbed this rake from the shed in case it attacked me.”

  “It must be the Shade!” said
Maia. “I saw a red and green blur at each of the accidents.”

  A scuttling sound in the branches above them suddenly interrupted her. They all looked up. “What’s that?” said Lottie.

  Sita screamed as the branches parted and a pottery face grinned down at them. Its eyes glowed red beneath its bobble hat.

  “It’s the garden gnome!” cried Lottie.

  “A wish was made. It has to come true!” the gnome hissed. “I will hurt one of you!”

  “Oh no, you won’t!” said Ionie fiercely, lashing out with the rake, trying to hit him.

  The gnome cackled and jumped hard on the branch he was standing on.

  CRACK! The branch broke and fell, crashing down right on to Lottie and hitting her head. Crying out, she crumpled to the ground.

  “Lottie!” Sita gasped.

  The gnome jumped down and ran off. Maia and Ionie crouched beside Sita. There was a deep gash on Lottie’s forehead but she was trying to sit up.

  “Let me help,” Sita said. “I can heal you.” She gently touched Lottie’s head near the cut and the wound began to close. The pain faded from Lottie’s face but she still looked dazed.

  “My head,” she said, reaching to touch the place where the wound had been.

  “I’ve healed it,” said Sita.

  “That was amazing, Sita,” Ionie said.

  “Are you all right, Lottie?” Maia asked quickly.

  “I think so, I just feel dizzy,” said Lottie, blinking. “What happened?”

  “The gnome made the branch break,” said Maia. “It hit your head.”

  “So the Shade is in the gnome,” said Ionie. “It must have been going about hurting people on the gym team. But why?”

  “I’ve no idea. But what’s more important is stopping it before it hurts someone else.” Lottie tried to stand but her legs buckled.

  “You need to rest,” Sita said, catching her.

  “Why don’t you both stay here while Maia and I try to find it?” said Ionie. “You could wait in the shed. There are a couple of chairs in there and lots of garden tools you could use to defend yourselves if the gnome comes.”

  “I want to come with you,” said Lottie, but she swayed as she stood up again.

  “Lottie, you can’t,” said Maia.

  “Come to the shed with me, Lottie,” said Sita. She looked into Lottie’s eyes. “Come on,” she said softly.

  The stubbornness slowly faded from Lottie’s face. “OK,” she said obediently.

  Maia gave Sita a quick smile – her magic was getting stronger all the time.

  Leaving Sita to help Lottie into the shed, Maia and Ionie ran across the lawn to the house. “What if it’s gone after Paige?” whispered Maia.

  There were big French windows that led from the garden into the house. Maia peered through them and breathed a sigh of relief. Paige was sitting on one of the sofas with Clio. There was no sign of the creepy gnome.

  Maia knocked lightly on the window. Paige jumped. Clio smiled and beckoned them in. “Hi, have you come round to see Paige?” she said as they opened the doors.

  “Um … yeah,” said Maia.

  “Good. I think she needs a distraction. Don’t you, Paige?”

  Paige didn’t say anything.

  “Are you OK?” Maia said to her, but Paige still didn’t speak.

  “She’s a bit upset,” Clio explained. “She was just telling me that a horse nearly knocked Lottie over yesterday.”

  Maia frowned. How did Paige know about that?

  “Don’t worry, Paige,” said Ionie. “Lottie’s fine.”

  “But something else might happen to her,” Paige said fearfully.

  “I’m sure it won’t,” Clio reassured her.

  “But it might!” Paige burst out. “And if it does, it’ll all be my fault!” She jumped up and ran out of the room and up the stairs.

  Clio stood up. “I don’t know what’s the matter with her today,” she said. “I’ve never known her like this.”

  Paige’s words echoed uneasily in Maia’s head. What did she mean? Why did she think it would be her fault?

  “Would you like us to talk to her?” Ionie offered.

  “I should probably do it,” said Clio, glancing longingly at the TV.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll go,” said Maia.

  “OK then,” said Clio, settling back down. “If you need me, give me a shout. Where are Lottie and Sita?” she said, looking around.

  “Outside in the garden,” said Maia truthfully. “We’ll go and see if Paige is OK.”

  Exchanging looks, she and Ionie hurried out of the room. They heard Clio turn up the sound on the TV as they ran up the wide sweeping staircase. The house was very big, with two floors of bedrooms and bathrooms above the ground floor. The lights were off on the stairs and landing, and it was quite dark and gloomy. Maia’s skin prickled. Light was shining out from underneath Paige’s bedroom door. They hurried towards it.

  Maia knocked. “Can we come in, Paige?”

  “OK.” Paige’s voice was tearful.

  They pushed open the door and went in. The walls were covered with pictures of gymnasts. Paige was sitting on her bed, hugging an old teddy bear.

  Maia wished Sita was there – she always knew what to say when people were upset. She glanced at Ionie, who cleared her throat.

  “Um … what’s the matter, Paige?” Ionie said.

  “I can’t tell you,” said Paige. She pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her head in them.

  Maia went over rather awkwardly and sat down beside her. “What did you mean when you said Lottie would get hurt and it would all be your fault?”

  “I meant what I said. It’s my fault that Harriet and Elissa are hurt, and if Lottie gets hurt that will be my fault as well…” Paige broke off with a sob.

  “It isn’t your fault. It really isn’t,” said Maia, patting Paige’s shoulder. She looked at Ionie but Ionie just shrugged. She was no better than Maia at comforting people.

  “It is my fault!” Paige burst out. “He told me I was really good at gymnastics and that I should be on the team. He told me he could make my wish come true and I should wish I was on the gym team. I thought it would bring me good luck – I didn’t think he’d bring everyone else bad luck!”

  “Who are you talking about?” Ionie asked.

  “The garden gnome!”

  Maia’s eyes met Ionie’s in shock.

  “He can talk,” Paige went on with another sob. “I know you won’t believe me but he’s a gnome who can grant wishes, and ever since I wished to be on the team, he’s been hurting people. He told me today that he’d made a horse gallop at Lottie but it hadn’t worked so he was going to try and do something else.”

  “Oh, Paige,” said Maia, her heart thudding.

  “I said I wished I’d never made the wish,” said Paige. “I said I didn’t wish it any more but he just laughed and told me that once a wish has been made it can’t be stopped.” She looked up. “Do you believe me?”

  “Yes, we do – and we’re going to help sort it out,” said Ionie. “Where’s the gnome now, Paige?”

  “I … I don’t know.” Paige gulped. “He moves really fast. One minute he’s there, the next he isn’t.”

  “We’ll find him,” said Maia. She gave Paige a hug. “Run downstairs, shut the door, close the curtains and stay in the lounge until we come and find you. Don’t say a word to Clio. Promise?”

  Paige nodded. “Promise,” she said, her eyes wide.

  They ran along the landing with her. Reaching the staircase, they watched her go into the warm, bright lounge and shut the door behind her.

  Maia took a deep breath. “Are you ready for some gnome-hunting?” she asked.

  Ionie’s eyes gleamed as they met hers. “Bring it on!”

  “So, where do we start looking?” whispered Ionie, glancing around the first-floor landing.

  “I’m not sure,” said Maia.

  They moved slowly along the corridor. />
  Something red and green raced out of a nearby bedroom. It passed them in a blur and scuttled up the staircase that led to the top floor.

  “There it is!” gasped Maia.

  Ionie was already running up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Maia charged after her.

  They reached the top and stopped. There was a long landing with rooms leading off it but no sign of the gnome.

  “Bracken!” whispered Maia. “I need you.” There was a shimmer in the air and suddenly Bracken was there beside her. Ionie whispered Sorrel’s name and the next moment, the wildcat appeared, too.

  “Ionie, what’s going on?” demanded Sorrel. “I can smell the Shade everywhere.”

  The girls explained in hurried whispers, their eyes darting around the landing as they spoke.

  “The gnome must have a Wish Shade in it,” said Bracken, the hackles on his neck rising. “Wish Shades work on people’s worst feelings, getting them to make wishes and then bringing them true in horrible ways.”

  “Paige is really upset,” said Maia. “She didn’t mean for all the accidents to happen.”

  “And now the Shade won’t stop until her wish has been granted,” said Sorrel. “We have to find that gnome.”

  “It came up the stairs. It must be here somewhere,” said Maia.

  “We’ll catch it,” Bracken growled. “It’s not going to get away.”

  “For once you and I are in complete agreement, fox,” said Sorrel. Her tail fluffed out like a brush and she prowled forwards. Ionie moved silently beside her, and Maia and Bracken followed.

  Opening her mind, Maia let magic flow into her. Every cell in her body felt as if it was on red alert. Where was the gnome hiding?

  A sinister giggle echoed out of a room halfway down the corridor.

  Sorrel and Bracken bounded forwards, moving as one. They leaped into the room with Ionie and Maia hot on their heels.

  They were in a spare bedroom with a double bed, wardrobe and a large window that looked on to the garden. Maia glanced around the room. Her eyes met Ionie’s. They nodded at each other in silent agreement and edged further into the room, matching each other step for step. Maia opened the wardrobe while Ionie checked inside the drawers.