“We are in so much trouble, so much trouble!” Trixie said in despair as they took off towards the cart.
“Yes we are, now just keep running!” replied Colin.
“I really hate running!” snapped Trixie, very upset at being forced to do a cardio workout so late in the night, or so early in the morning, either way, she really hated it.
The little group quickly reached the old cart and as soon as they climbed aboard Streak set off not wasting any time. In seconds, they were racing through the dimly lit quiet streets of Magictasium, watching the blue lights flying overhead in different directions.
“Have they seen us?” asked Colin as he held Streak’s reins, guiding him along.
“I can’t tell,” replied Trixie before another blue-light-wearing police wizard shot past overhead on his broom. “They’re everywhere!”
“We won’t get out of here alive man, not alive!” cried Marty hysterically overreacting.
“Pull yourself together, Marty, we’re not even close to finished yet,” snapped Colin flicking the reigns to make Streak go a little faster.
“No, he’s right!” declared Trixie, once again strangely agreeing with Marty for the second time in as many days. “They know what we look like, so it won’t take them long to figure out who we are, and then we’ll have nowhere to go, nowhere to hide, we probably won’t even make it out of the city, we’re doomed! My dream of becoming the youngest high council member is over! Over!” she cried in an overdramatic way just like Marty had done.
“You’re right! We need to be someone else, we need a disguise!” said Colin excitedly, having a sudden spark of inspiration. He then pulled the reins to the left and Streak shot into the next street.
“In there,” said Colin, pulling Streak’s reins once again and guiding him towards an open stone archway between two buildings. Streak quickly dashed inside the arch and then came to an abrupt immediate halt within inches of a stone wall that blocked off the archway. They now found themselves inside a large old stone garage, which just happened to have an awful lot of junk and other things that escapists could use.
“Hurry, get out and disguise Streak,” Colin said, leaping from the cart and heading for a pile of wooden boxes full of things. Jamie and Trixie quickly followed him and hurriedly began to pull objects and items from the boxes to find a disguise for Streak. After a few minutes of dashing around madly, covering the poor old horse in whatever they could find, they stood back to admire their work. Streak was now covered in several blankets that had bright, multicoloured stripes, he also had green fluorescent leg warmers on, a bright pink tinsel tail and on his head sat a giant gold wig and a pair of large blue swimming goggles. He turned his head towards them and snorted his displeasure at being dressed up like this.
“I don’t think this will work,” said Jamie, staring in disbelief.
“No, you’re right!” agreed Trixie.
“He’s supposed to be inconspicuous, not a neon sign for a magical carnival.”
“Got it,” replied Marty before they all quickly pulled the items off Streak and tried again.
After few more minutes of searching through the boxes for alternate items and tossing other things aside that weren’t any use, they stood back once again to see what they had achieved.
“That’s better,” Trixie said, admiring Streak’s new plain black glossy look and straight black mane and tail.
“What about these?” asked Colin, pulling out a big pair of black sunglasses from a box.
“No,” replied Trixie bluntly.
“Ah, biscuits!” exclaimed Colin in disappointment as he discarded them over his shoulder.
“And no racing trim either,” she added, as Marty stood with a bright orange paintbrush, ready to paint a line along Streak’s side.
“Walnuts!” Marty groaned also in disappointment as he threw the brush down in disgust.
“Right, now us,” said Trixie. “We need really good disguises, we can’t look anything like us, okay?”
“Ah ha, I’ve got the perfect one,” said Colin eagerly, pulling out his old crooked wand from his sleeve. “I was saving this one for New Year’s Eve,” he grinned before twirling his wand over his head. “Change,” he muttered and immediately, in front of everyone, in a whirlwind of blue twinkling magical dust, Colin the old grey-haired wizard became Colin McCaterwhich of the Clan McCaterwhiches, the noble Scottish wizarding family and cousins of Colin and Trixie.
“How do I look?” said Colin in a deep Scottish accent as he stood proudly in a blue and green tartan kilt, white shirt, black jacket, with knee-high white socks and of course the fuzzy sporran.
His long grey beard had now become a big red frizzy wall of hair and on his head his once long grey locks were now a similar red frizzy mass poking out from under a tartan cap.
“Err… it’ll have to do,” replied Trixie, shrugging.
“My turn,” she said, before turning her wand on herself and saying the same spell.
“Change.”
Instantly, a whirl of green mist dropped over her and in seconds her short bright red hair became long and black, her skin changed to a greenish colour, her nose grew and became crooked and pointy, and her brightly coloured outfit changed into a long dull black dress.
“Well?” she asked, looking like a traditional evil witch.
“Not bad,” replied Colin in his new accent.
“Yeah,” added Jamie.
“I can’t tell the difference,” shrugged Marty with a grin.
Trixie glared angrily down at him and then flicked her wand.
“Change,” she commanded and in a puff of white smoke Marty quickly became a small, feathered duck.
“Now that’s not funny,” he grumbled, shaking his new feathery wings angrily. “Change me back.”
Unfortunately, at that moment, Colin spotted someone standing outside in the street.
“We don’t have time, come on, we need to get out of here,” he said, scooping up Marty the duck and then climbing back into the old wooden cart.
“What about me?” asked Jamie, the only one of the group still looking like himself.
“Hold still,” said Trixie, waving her wand over his head quickly.
“Change.”
A few seconds later, the cart trundled out of the garage with all the escapees on board, and all of them in their new disguises.
“This really doesn’t feel right,” moaned Jamie as he pulled at the long dull black dress he now wore and flicked the long black hair back he now had, as he sat in a similar witch’s outfit to Trixie.
“Aye, cheer up love, I think you make a lovely bonny wee lass,” said Colin with a cheeky wink.
“Yeah, and I’ve always wanted a sister,” said Trixie, putting an arm around him.
“Well, at least you’re still a person,” grumbled Marty as he pecked at the dirty floor of the old wooden cart.
They slowly trundled along the quiet cobbled road and the person Colin thought he had seen watching them had now continued on in the other direction, so all they could do now was sit quietly and nervously as they made their way slowly out of the city.
“I don’t like this, it’s too quiet,” whispered Trixie.
“That’s because it’s early in the morning and no one else is awake yet,” replied Colin.
They moved into the next street and immediately saw two wizard police officers slowly strolling towards them.
“Oh no!” gasped Trixie in terror.
“Stay calm, lassie, remember we’re just a family out for an early morning ride into the country,” whispered Colin. “Just look forwards and act naturally.”
“That might not be so easy,” whispered Jamie still fidgeting awkwardly in his dress. “Wait, am I wearing a bra?”
A moment later, th
ey calmly trotted past the two officers who just stared at them blankly from the pavement.
“Morning!” said Colin, giving them a nod.
The two officers just nodded back in silence, as they watched the little group continue on along the road.
“Did you see that?” asked the first officer in disbelief, once the group were far enough away and unlikely to hear him. “That family was really ugly!”
“Yep,” agreed the second wizard police officer. “And that second young witch looked just like a boy wearing a dress, weird!” shuddered the second officer in disbelief.
The little odd ugly group then continued on through the dimly lit streets of the city, passing only a few other unlucky people who were unfortunate enough to be up at that time of the morning, until finally, after several long, nerve-wracking minutes, they were out of the city and back into the countryside once more.
“Where are we going to go?” asked Trixie before she yawned, as the early morning hour began to catch up with her.
“Well we can’t go home, as you said, they probably know who we are by now, and we can’t risk getting caught, not now we know where the dark wizard is hiding,” replied Colin before pausing in thought. “But I have an idea where we can go.”
“Great, wake me when we get there” sighed Trixie sleepily, before she climbed into the back of the cart, and then lay down on an old folded up hessian sack.
“How about you, Jamie, you going to get some sleep?” suggested Colin before glancing around only to find Jamie already asleep, still sat beside him.
“That would be a yes, then,” Colin muttered to himself.
Then there was a low, muffled quack from Marty who, still in his duck disguise, had also fallen asleep.
“Well, just you and me then, Streak,” said Colin leaning forwards to whisper to the old horse, so he would not wake the others. “Did I ever tell you about the time I went to the Himalayas to catch a Yeti, and instead ended up catching a cold…?”
Chapter Seven
A few hours later, the first rays of the morning sunlight began to break the dark night sky, as Streak and his passengers slowly strolled into a small quiet town.
The town itself, like most of the magical world, was no ordinary town, it actually had no real houses to speak of, but instead there were many large grass mounds, some as high as three storeys, with windows and doors built into them and little chimneys sticking out on the top of them, and every mound had its own little garden and two-cart garage, and all of it was fenced in with bushes and trees making it a rather quiet and pleasant country town to live in.
Jamie awoke from his strange nightmare about not being able to find a dress to fit him for the annual gala ball, and sat up as the sunlight hit him right in the eyes.
“Where are we?” he asked, blinking several times before staring around at the unusual sight that greeted him.
“Hillingdon-above-ground,” replied Colin. “Not to be confused with Hillingdon-below-ground, which is south of here I believe.”
“Are all the houses made of hills?” asked Jamie curiously.
“Yes, they are indeed,” replied Colin. “And it takes only two large moles just one week to do it, of course the windows take the longest time because moles are essentially blind creatures and have trouble putting in the panes of glass, but nevertheless they get it done.”
“Right,” nodded Jamie, not sure whether Colin was serious or pulling his leg.
Colin then tugged the reins gently to the right and Streak turned into a small side road.
“Here we are then,” he said, slowly stopping the cart outside a very nice flower-covered mound house. “Number 2, Knoll Lane.”
“Melting, I’m melting!” cried Trixie, suddenly sitting up as she awoke from her dream. “What… what’s happening?” she then asked all confused and finding she was unable to see because the long black hair she was still wearing had fallen over her eyes. “Have they found us? I surrender, I surrender!” she muttered, still half asleep.
“No, they haven’t found us, so put your hands down,” sighed Colin. “We’ve just reached our destination.”
Trixie brushed her hair back and glanced around at the surroundings with her slightly blurry morning eyes.
“Oh we’re in Hillingdon-above-ground,” she said, smiling.
“Yes, now let’s get out of the road before any one sees us,” Colin whispered, before disembarking the cart and heading for the front door of the mound house. “And bring the duck!”
Trixie picked up Marty who was still asleep, quacking peacefully in his dreams, and her and Jamie both followed Colin to the front door. Colin knocked firmly on the door and then waited, but nothing happened, so he knocked firmly again.
“Who lives here?” asked Trixie, intrigued.
“An old friend,” replied Colin before knocking again.
Then he heard movement inside, it was a shuffling of heavy cloth rubbing together rapidly as it moved towards the door, and then there was a click as the lock was being undone, and then finally the door slowly opened and, nervously, Henry peered out at them.
“Yes?” he enquired, looking at the strange little group that stood at his door so early in the morning hour.
“Henry, it’s me!” said Colin grinning.
“Colin!” he exclaimed in surprise, staring hard at the unfamiliar face in front of him.
“Yes, old man,” replied Colin excitedly.
“Is that really you?” asked Henry again in disbelief.
“Yes, it really is, now please let us in before anyone sees us,” Colin said urgently.
Henry quickly ushered them all inside and then showed them into his small round front room.
“Sit, please sit,” he said to his surprise-guests as they each took a seat on an old red leather sofa. He then joined them sitting on a similar red leather chair opposite them, and in his blue silk dressing gown he enquired as to why they had come to see him so early in the morning and in such weird and fancy dress.
“I will tell you everything, Henry, but first let’s get rid of these,” replied Colin before he stood up, waved his wand over his head and once again a grey magical cloud descended over him, returning him to his normal brown wizard outfit and grey beard and hair.
“There, much better,” he sighed, patting his chest before sitting down again.
The others did the same and, in seconds Trixie, Jamie and Marty where once more themselves again.
“Oh thank duck I’m me again, those feathers were getting really itchy,” sighed Marty before giving himself a good scratch.
“Right, explanation time,” Colin then said sitting back in his seat, ready to tell all. For the next few minutes he explained to Henry, who was listening intently, about the strange day they had had and how crazy the last few hours had been, and why they had come to arrive at his door in their disguises needing a place of sanctuary.
“Well, that’s incredible!” muttered Henry in amazement. “So there really is a dark wizard, and he’s hiding in the Ministry,” he said, shaking his head in disgust.
“Yes, and I really don’t think anyone in the council is even aware of it,” Colin replied, shaking his head as well. “So I was hoping you could put us up in your delightful home for a bit, just until we can figure out what to do next.”
“Well… yes of course,” Henry muttered, not used to spontaneous guests. “Yes, you have helped me and it’s only fitting I should help you in your hour of need, of course you can stay,” he replied eagerly.
“Oh good,” sighed Colin, relieved his friend was able to help them. The little group then stared at Henry for a moment with big smiles on their faces until slowly their eyes all drifted towards a large foam blue whale costume that sat slumped in the corner of the room.
“Ah!” sighed Henry, realising what t
hey were looking at. “It came in the post yesterday,” he sighed again, before the little group burst into loud laughter. “Yes well, make yourselves at home, and I shall go and get dressed,” he muttered before getting to his feet and shuffling out of the room.
“Wait, don’t forget your costume!” Marty cried teasing him, as they all continued to laugh.
After Henry had dressed, not in the costume but in his grey silk wizard robes, he made everyone a lovely big breakfast in his little round kitchen room, and afterwards they all sat outside in the back garden in the morning sunshine.
The garden was a nice large round garden surrounded by big bushes and a few tall trees that hid them all perfectly from the view of curious neighbours and Henry and Colin sat relaxing on two large wooden garden chairs, while Trixie sat in a little round wooden seat that had been carved from an old log, and Jamie had to make do with sitting on a tin bucket, while Marty stood by a small garden pond staring at the still water.
“I have a strange urge to jump in there and wash my feathers, that’s just not right!” he muttered shaking his head.
“So what are you going to do now?” asked Henry curiously.
“I’m really not sure,” replied Colin with a shrug. “The Ministry by now will know it was us who broke in there last night, and they will naturally first check my house, and upon not finding us there, will probably begin to suspect the worst of us.”
“Yes, unfortunately I think you’re right,” agreed Henry.
“We could go back and explain our reasons for breaking into the Ministry, but I fear it would tip off the dark wizard that we are onto him and then we may never get a chance to stop whatever dastardly scheme he may be plotting,” continued Colin glumly.
“Yes it’s a real conundrum,” agreed Henry again.
“What I need is time to think, there must be something I have overlooked, just one thing that might help us decide what do next,” Colin muttered, before sitting back his chair and closing his eyes for a moment.
While the two old men sat in silence, enjoying the sunshine of the morning, Jamie and Trixie were playing a traditional Magictasium game of pebbles, which involved drawing a circle a few inches wide and a few feet apart from your opponent. Then, each player took it in turns to flick pebbles off their thumbnail into the other player’s circle.
The Catchers Page 15