All sorts of medals and awards, trinkets and honours hung from the wall and on shelves. Framed photo’s of her standing smiling (which was odd) next to important looking people. “That’s the Magical Council Leader, Bernard Brimming!” said Robin.
“How do you know that?” I said, never having much knowledge of magical politics myself.
“I read,” he said, as if suggesting I should too.
“What are we looking for exactly?” I said.
“Clues,” said Hunter, before stopping dead. “I can hear something. She’s coming!” he mouthed. “Get in the wardrobe!”
Standing in the corner of the room was a large wardrobe. We opened it and piled inside as quietly as we could as fear swelled inside me. Just as the door clicked shut, Magisteer Simone entered the room. My heart was beating a million miles an hour. I could see her through the crack in the wardrobe door. She would kill us if she found us in here. Or eat us. I glared at Hunter through the darkness. This was his rotten fault! We waited. And waited. My legs began hurting. But we couldn't make a noise. She sat down in front of the television with a big box of cakes by her side and began watching. Putting her enormous feet up on the foot stall. I turned to the others through the darkness, Robin had gone so pale with fright I thought he might glow in the dark.
We were trapped. It was like something out of a nightmare. A terrifying monster was eating it’s way through twelve massive cakes, and we would be next.
I don’t know how I fell asleep… but I did — and not just me, the others too. I woke up to Hunter dribbling all over my shoulder. Now outside the room, was quiet and darkness. I peered through the crack and saw no Magisteer Simone. The television and lights were off.
“Wake up, wake up…” I whispered as quietly as possible.
“Please mum, just another five minutes…” Hunter moaned. I punched him on the arm.
“Shhh! I’m not your mum. And be quiet.”
“Oh god, we’re still here?” Robin stirred quickly as I opened the wardrobe door softly and stepped out. Robin rubbed his eyes.
“Time for a quick search?” said Hunter who peered up at the stuff on the walls.
“No, we need to get out of here!” saidRobin — this was a stupid plan anyway, I mean what were we expecting to find? A piece of paper that said: ‘Kill Avis Blackthorn?’ — I’d only just realised how pig-headed and ill thought out this had been.
“We’re doing this for you,” said Hunter.
“I know, but what are you expecting to find?” I said.
Robin put his hands on his hips. “She’s clean,” he said as if he was a detective.
“No, she isn’t. I just know she isn’t…” said Hunter spotting a framed photo and approached it slowly. “It’s her and two…” but as Hunter touched the framed photo something terrible happened.
A deep rumbling sound echoed around the room, shaking the floor. Then, I thought my eyes were deceiving me. A giant spiked boulder, as tall as the room, rolled out of the fireplace.
“AHHHHHHHH!” we cried. Sprinting for the exit, we burst through the tapestry and back into the long corridor. But, as we turned the boulder blasted its way after us, scattering stone and statue all around… we were about to be crushed and spiked to death!
“SOMEONE DO SOMETHING!” Hunter screamed lagging behind us. I was so startled by the appearance of a giant spiked boulder, that my thoughts were frozen. It was gaining on us, closer and closer. We were running out of corridor! — We were inches away from a very spiky, painful death.
“The shoes!” Robin screamed at me. Of course! I reached behind and grabbed Hunter by the scruff of the neck as Robin snatched my sleeve. I jumped and clicked the heels together twice as the shadow of the boulder engulfed us.
Time slowed. In that second, as golden light filled the air, one of the spikes pierced my shoulder. “AHH!” I screamed with pain. Gold light whisked us away, blasting forwards through the corridor. Wind and air beat our faces as we zoomed through corridors at the blink of an eye.
“WOAH!” Hunter cried as we zoomed, far ahead and away from the killer boulder and landing in a heap outside our dorm room. Where we lay, panting.
“That was way, way, way… way too close!” said Hunter into the carpet. I rubbed my shoulder where small beads of blood had leaked onto my jumper. The spike had made a hole in it! Small threads of wool were dangling, shredded by the razor sharp boulder spike.
“I don’t understand why she would have such a thing!” said Hunter. “It could be tearing the school to shreds right now, let alone people… We need to alert everyone! Before they get spiked!”
Robin sat up and rubbed his eyes. “No we don’t…” I sat up and looked at Robin. “If we admit to being up there, we will be exspelled, mark my words.”
“But mate, people could be dying right now!” I said.
Robin smiled and shook his head, as he tapped the glasses. “No one’s going to die. That boulder was an illusion…”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Distorted Magic
I didn’t know what time it was that we got back into our beds. But I sure felt tired when the alarm went off, and we had a full day of lessons!
The hole in my jumper was really annoying, the loose strands hung just in my eye line—I wondered if I could get it fixed? Would I have to get the Djinn to fix it? Hunter was dead sure that because Magisteer Simone had set a booby trapped spiked boulder after us, that it meant she was already guilty of setting the accidents on me. Robin however, was unsure and concluded that perhaps Hunter wanted it to be Simone, because she kept giving him detentions.
Some strange thoughts in my head suggested that perhaps she was in love with Malakai? And found out that I was the one who defeated him and now she set out for revenge. I laughed, what a crazy idea.
The next night I saw someone staring at me. It was so weird. I didn’t know who the person was, but from their orange robes assumed it was a third year. I was just leaving the bathrooms after dinner, thought I’d get washed early and go to sleep because I was knackered. This person stood staring straight at me along the corridor — like he was in a trance.
“You ok?” I called, as there was no one else around. But he didn't say anything, he just stood staring at me, his eyes following me as I walked away, rather quickly, back to my dorm.
But that was just the start of the strange and weird things that were to follow…
***
I sat up at the call of the alarm, noticing Graham and Simon both sitting up watching me. “Woah…” I croaked sleepily. “You both all right?”
“Yes, are you?” they said together, then exchanged annoyed looks with each other.
“I was speaking!” said Graham.
“No, I was!” Simon replied.
“Can I get you breakfast Avis?” said Jake, as soon as he opened his eyes.
“No thanks…” I frowned confused, adjusting the arms of the jumper, it had gone all writhed up where I’d slept in it. I shouldn’t have slept in it really, but I was so tired that I couldn't be bothered to take it off.
Jake seemed upset by my rebuttal and left instantly. Simon and Graham then argued with each other about who would be the best person to bring me breakfast, before they both left. Robin looked over his sheets at me with a ‘what on earth is going on?’ look.
Throughout the day I noticed strange looks in peoples eyes. Their gaze lingering on me for a fraction too long. It felt as if they were leering, ready to pounce. If I wasn't already anxious enough, it just made my nerves ten times worse. I stuck as close to Robin as I could. Sitting down to lunch, my table started asking constant questions whether the food was all right.
It was all becoming too much — something had gone wrong, or this was some awful practical joke…
In classes, Magisteer Wasp insisted on only asking me the answers to the questions, even when I know I got them wrong he said I was right. Everyone in the class applauded violently. Except Robin.
In Numerology, Magiste
er Commonside insisted that all my numbers were in alignment. “The magical double’s are exuding from every pore of your body! Elevens, Twenty-twos! Thirty-three’s!” I didn't know what he was on about, but he seemed charged with more emotion than I had ever seen in him.
Robin was becoming increasingly frustrated, especially when Yearlove ignored his homework that he’d spent so long on, preferring to announce that my homework was the best he’d ever seen, without looking at it.
At dinner, I was exhausted. This popularity thing has got out of hand. People were being too nice, it verged on madness. For instance, all my dorm had shifted so close around the table to me, that I had no room to eat. And then, there was an argument as Ramid Khan and Jack Zapper from another form came over and asked to sit with us—or more specifically, with me. Gret, Joanna and Dennis stood, ready for a fight.
“He’s our form mate!” said Gret.
“Yeah, go get your own, this is our table, it’s already too cramped!” said Dennis.
Jake stood and squared up to Dennis. “What is this supposed to mean?”
“You can’t hoard him,” said Ramid. “It’s his decision, isn't it Avis?” I could feel a fight ready to break out.
“Look,” I said as all eyes rested on me. “This is very flattering, but really, this is too much—”
“See!” Gret cried. “You've upset ‘im now!”
“It wasn't us who upset him!” cried Jack Zapper.
Now Hunter stood pointing frantically at them. “It was too! He was fine until you came over.”
I left as quickly as I could, pulling Robin along after me. I was so glad that he was immune to the jumper—for something had gone wrong. Terribly, terribly wrong.
***
“That’s the last piece of wood,” said Robin, spelling it to the door.
“Do you think it will hold?” I said, biting my nails.
BANG! BANG! BANG! Came the crowd outside our dorm room. They were trying to get in. As we got back to the dorm, person after person knocked to ask if they could come in. But they didn’t go away when we asked them too, they just stayed. Then fighting broke out, and now they were all trying to get in.
“Something’s gone wrong hasn't it?” I said.
Robin shot me a fierce glance. “Of course it has! It’s that bloody jumper!”
“Do you think Magisteer Simone found out and put a curse on me?”
“No!” said Robin exasperated with me. “It’s from a Djinn! Do you know how dangerous it is to take a prize from a Djinn?! Did you listen to nothing that Yearlove said?”
“Yeah but…”
“Come on mate, admit that it’s your fault.”
“Fine, it’s my fault!” I cried, anger rising at Robin. “It’s the spiked boulder that did it. The cut in my jumper, it made all the magic go wrong. Stupid Hunter convincing me to go, and stupid Simone for having a spiked boulder!”
“Don’t blame her, we trespassed…”
“It was your idea! And I saved your life!”
“It was Hunter’s idea actually. And thanks,” he said, not very convincingly. BANG! BANG! BANG! Came the crowd outside. Some of the wood on the door splintered with an ominous growl. I was starting to sweat now. What would they do if they did get in? Robin began looking outside the window to see if there was an escape we could make, before he turned back glowering at the jumper. “Listen, you need to take the jumper off…” he said. I hesitated. “You have to take it off Avis!” BANG! BANG! “Do you not understand? It’s gone wrong! Listen to them out there, the jumper has sent them crazy! Don’t tell me you actually enjoy it?”
“Of course not, its just…”
“It’s just what?!”
“It’s just nice to be liked, to be popular for once.”
Robin stared at me, deep brows furrowed and I noticed large black bags under his eyes. “So… that’s what you wished for… I’m your friend. I have stuck by you through everything…” he turned to the window again and looked out, arms folded as another loud BANG echoed across the room. He couldn't even look at me. “You value our friendship that much, that you aspired to be so popular that you wouldn't need me anymore. I am the default friend, the one that will always be here. Reliable Robin waits around for his friend that everyone loves, is that it?” he said in a slow, soft voice.
“No! It’s not like that. I just wanted to… I don’t know, it was stupid now I think about it. But I never took our friendship for granted. You’re my best mate.”
He didn't turn around, but stayed stubbornly still with his arms crossed. “Look, I was excited about the prospect of having a wish. When I found that incense holder at the carnival, I bought it because it had the same mark on it as my pendant. I didn't know it had a Djinn inside. Only after our lesson with Yearlove did I realise that. And then, I admit the idea of having that wish consumed me. You only want what you don’t have, right? I just wanted people to like me without any predisposition about what my name is. You saw that girl that attacked me in the Chamber, just because I’m a Blackthorn? I raised the Djinn and asked if I could be popular, some part of me thought Tina would… like me again. Everything was working fine, until I snagged it on that spike.” I sighed as Robin still scowled out of the window. “…I’ll take the jumper off…” Now he turned slowly and waited, arms crossed.
Goodbye jumper, I said solemnly in my head. This was the right thing to do, it had gone bad. I sighed and pulled it upwards.
But… it wouldn't budge. I frowned and tried to slip my arms out of the sleeves, but they wouldn't go. The jumpers wool arms contracted, holding onto my arms tight. “I can’t get it off!” I said, panicked.
“Oh, you really will do anything to try and keep it won’t you!” Robin cried.
“No seriously Robin, help me!” Robin came over and took hold of the bottom of the jumper and yanked, but it just contracted and stuck to me like a coiling snake.
“Oh…” he said confused.
BANG! BANG! EEEEK! — the door cracked in its frame. Bits of wood we spelled to the door were splitting. “We need to get out of here!” I said.
Robin span around. “How? Where?”
“The clock tower.”
Robin shook his head. “Yeah but how do we get out of this room first?”
“Isn't there a spell that can help us?” I said hopefully.
“Oh yeah, there’s the transportation spell we learn in about six years, or the flying spell we’ll never learn if we get killed by the mob out there!” he gesticulated frantically.
“Can’t we fire spell our way out? Use it as a distraction?”
Robin just looked more maddened by the second. “Yes, lets do that, lets set everyone on fire!”
“As a distraction?” I offered hopefully as three more loud BANGS split a piece of wood in two.
Then Robin looked at me with an open mouth. “Fire?” he said. “The fireplace!”
“We can’t get up their can we? Anyway I don’t like small spaces,” I said as Robin jumped forwards and peered up it. Then, in a flash he was inside. A second later he had disappeared. As the door smashed once again, the hinges squealing I realised it wouldn't hold any longer. Without a second glance, I jumped into the fireplace after Robin.
It was just big enough. It was a good job we were both thin, Hunter certainly would not have managed it. All I could see looking upwards was Robin shuffling upwards kicking soot and dust in my face. It was black and the smell was awful, like a hundred crap barbecues. I had my feet perpendicular to the wall and slid myself up, getting the jumper all dirty. Then, below us I heard a big CRASH! They had smashed the door open. Now, shouts and cries filled the air, followed by disappointed wails and moans. I had to find a way of getting the jumper off.
Robin pulled me out through the fireplace of an old classroom above. I stumbled through the ash and soot and came to a stand. Patting ourselves down we sent plumes of soot into the air causing much coughing. We were a floor up, above the madness downstairs. It looked like this
classroom hadn’t been used in a hundred years — old leather bound books lay strewn around on oak desks and the window was boarded up.
“We need to get to the clock tower without being seen…” I said. After performing a couple of spells over ourselves, we set off. Robin unlocked the door of the classroom, I grabbed him, set the destination in my head and double tapped the shoes.
We pushed open the roof hatch and clambered inside. The wooden rafters reached up ever so high into a tall pitch. The room had two very large glass clock faces at opposite sides to each other, telling the time backwards. To the left was a huge bell and a load of cogs and nubbins that made the clocks work. Robin looked better already for being up here in the quiet, calming seclusion of the clock tower. The views up here were outstanding, I had spent many an hour watching the sunset and sunrise over the hills of Happendance.
Robin sat cross legged and very still, he was more terrified than me, and I was the one everyone was after, the one with the jumper that wouldn't come off.
“This is bad, a Djinn…” Robin kept repeating over and over. “We need to tell the Lily as soon as we can. He will be able to sort this out.”
I sighed. “I can’t tell the Lily.”
“Why on earth not?!” said Robin sharply.
“Because he will exclude me from school!” I said. “Think about it, if I tell him the truth, that I raised a Djinn, he will exclude me immediately.”
“Just say… it was an accident, that you didn't mean to.”
“He will know it wasn't.”
***
At ten to midnight, Robin stood and announced that he was going to get some food. His stomach had been rumbling for the last three hours and now he couldn’t wait any longer. “I’ll go,” I said as Robin laughed maniacally. “What? I can use the shoes, be there and back in a second. Look I can’t hide up here forever!”
Avis Blackthorn and the Magical Multicolour Jumper (The Wizard Magic School Series, Book 2) Page 22