by Ellen Oh
Harper screamed.
Dayo screamed and Leo jumped.
“You scared me!” Dayo sputtered. “Are you okay? Was it another vision?”
Harper nodded. “The tree,” she said. “They’re in the tree.”
“What? But how?”
Before Harper could explain, Holly suddenly appeared.
“I heard the drums, and Michael got up and just started walking out!” she cried.
Harper leaped to her feet and raced up the stairs, Dayo and Leo close behind her. Michael’s room was empty. She hurried into her room, grabbed her shaman bag and ran downstairs.
Holly was floating next to her as they ran. “Which way did he go?” Harper asked grimly.
“Follow me.” Holly flew in front of them.
Harper followed as fast as she could and was so relieved when she spotted Michael’s form up ahead.
“There he is!” she shouted.
They all raced toward him, when a heavy mist appeared rapidly, and they could no longer see anything. Harper froze and fell to the ground as Dayo and Leo crashed into her.
“We can’t see anything,” Leo said. “What do we do?”
“Look, there’s no fog at our feet,” Dayo said.
She was right. The mist seemed to hover several inches off the ground.
Dayo took out her phone and used the flashlight app. It penetrated the fog a little, giving them barely a one-foot radius that they could see.
“Holly!” Harper shouted.
The little ghost appeared immediately.
“What happened? Why aren’t you following me?” Holly asked.
“We can’t see through this fog,” Harper said.
Holly looked confused. “What fog?”
“There’s a heavy fog surrounding us right now,” Harper explained. “We can’t see where to go because of it. If you can’t see it, then it mustn’t be real.”
“So, what do we do? He’s getting away,” Holly said.
“Holly, if you can’t see the fog, then you can still lead the way, but you have to stay real close to us so we can see you,” Dayo said.
She reached over to hold Harper’s and Leo’s hands. “We need to stick close together or we’ll get lost.”
They followed Holly closely, but with the thickness of the fog, it was really slow going.
“This is no good!” Harper cried. “We’re losing him.”
She opened her bag and pulled out her mudang bells. Shaking them hard, she yelled, “Go away, fog!”
Before her, a clear pathway opened up as the fog reacted to her bells.
“How’d you do that?” Leo asked.
“This isn’t real fog,” Harper said. “It’s created by the Razu.”
She shook the bells hard in front of her, and cleared an almost ten-foot radius around them. Now they could follow Holly, who flew ahead. Soon, they saw Michael’s little form trudging forward.
“Michael!” Harper shouted. “Michael, Michael, Michael!”
Both Leo and Dayo started shouting his name also. Michael stopped and turned toward them in surprise. He smiled up at Holly, who fluttered about him.
As they reached his side, they heard him say, “Holly, watcha doing out here?”
“Michael, you have to go home!” Harper yelled.
“Sorry, Harper. I was following the drums.” He turned as if he was listening to something else, and he began to walk away again. Harper grabbed him and picked him up, walking quickly in the other direction. “No, you need to go home right now.”
“But the drums,” Michael said in a dreamy voice. “I need to go find them.”
“No, you don’t. Come on, everyone, let’s talk to Michael really loudly so he can’t hear those nasty drums anymore.”
Leo started singing a terrible tune in a terrible voice while Dayo recited a long and boring poem and Harper repeated Green Eggs and Ham in its entirety. In this manner, they returned back to the house. Once safely inside, Harper put headphones on Michael’s ears and told him to stay in bed and not take them off for any reason.
“Leo, you stay here and make sure Michael doesn’t leave this room!”
“Don’t worry, he’ll be safe with me,” he said.
“Harper, it’s nine forty-five,” Dayo said. “How will we get to the grove on time?”
“There’s a golf cart in the back of the house,” Leo said. “It’s just like driving the race cars at the track.”
Harper grinned evilly. “Where’s the key?”
KELLY TO THE RESCUE
Tuesday, October 31—Later that night
Dayo sat nervously next to Harper. “You sure you know how to drive this thing?”
“Yep,” Harper said. “I had to listen to Kelly complaining about driver’s ed for months. Also, I’ve played lots of Super Mario Kart.”
“That doesn’t reassure me!”
“We’ll be fine!”
“Do you even know where you’re going?”
“That’s what GPS is for.”
Harper turned on her phone’s GPS, started the electric engine, and maneuvered onto the road. After a few jerky stops and starts, she drove the cart smoothly.
“This road isn’t on GPS, Harper,” Dayo announced.
“Rats!”
“I’ll show you the way,” Holly piped up as she suddenly appeared before them. She was floating in the space between the steering wheel and the dashboard.
Harper braked suddenly with a loud Gah! “That would be great!” she said. “But please do me a big favor and never scare me like that again.”
Like before, they followed the little ghost over the winding roads. They passed the resort and found themselves driving right by Olivia’s house. It was pitch-black.
“Do you think they’re all sleeping?” Dayo asked.
“I’ve got a bad feeling,” Harper said.
Just then, it began to rain hard. They continued to drive quickly down the roads, following Holly through what became pouring rain. Even though the cart had a roof, they were soon soaked as the winds drove the rain sideways and bounced off the ground into their faces. Lightning and thunder filled the skies, and suddenly a tree came crashing down in front of the cart.
All three of them screamed.
“Why did you scream, Holly?” Harper asked after they all caught their breaths. “The tree can’t hurt you.”
“I screamed because you both did,” Holly said. “It was fun.”
Dayo started laughing. “All this fun is gonna give me nightmares for life.”
Harper had gotten out of the cart and was looking for a way around the tree. She returned to them, shaking her head. “No way around—we’re gonna have to climb over it.”
They left the golf cart and were about to climb over the tree when they heard the beeping of another golf cart. Surprised, they turned to find Kelly driving toward them with an angry expression on her dripping-wet face.
Both Harper and Dayo froze in shock, their mouths gaping open. Kelly was still wearing her flapper costume, but now she looked like a glittery drowned cat.
“What’s gotten into you guys? Mom and Dad are going to kill you, Harper! Come home right now!”
“I thought you were still at the party. How’d you find us?” Harper asked.
“I broke one of my heels, so I went back to the house to get a new pair, and when I didn’t see you guys, I made Leo tell me where you went! And I’m so annoyed because it was really hard tracking you with Find My iPhone because you weren’t on any main roads!”
Harper shared an impressed look with Dayo. “She tracked us.”
“I can’t believe I’m missing the rest of the party because of you guys,” Kelly ranted. “Just look at me! I’m a mess! Now get in that cart and come back right now!”
Harper shook her head. “People are in danger. We have to save them.”
“I don’t want to play games with you, Harper. I just want to get dry! Now let’s go!” Kelly reached out and grabbed Harper by the arm and
pulled hard.
At that moment, Holly surged into Kelly’s face. “You leave Harper alone!”
Kelly screamed and fell back with a splash into a mud puddle. “Did you see that? Did you see a little girl?”
“That’s Holly,” Dayo said as she pulled Kelly up. “We have to go. You can either come with us or go home.”
Harper nodded. “I’m sorry, Kelly. We have to go save your friend Megan.”
“Megan?” Kelly asked in complete surprise. “What does this have to do with her?”
“She’s probably been taken by the monsters,” Dayo explained as Harper climbed over the tree. “It’s why we asked you to give her the penny necklace—for protection—but I’m guessing she didn’t wear it, and neither did you.”
“No,” Kelly replied slowly as she followed Dayo over the tree. “She said it was sweet but it didn’t match her dress. She asked me to hold it for her. And then she disappeared. I figured she went back to her room.”
“We know where she went,” Harper called back grimly. “We have to save her.”
Kelly stopped. “No, Harper. We have to go home. I’m not listening to another word of this.”
Before she could turn back, Harper grabbed her hand and called for Holly. The ghost girl immediately appeared in front of Kelly’s face, causing her to scream.
“I’m sorry I scared you,” Holly said. “But you gotta let Harper and Dayo go, or a lot of people are going to die.”
Kelly followed them without another word. The rain came down harder. Harper’s shoes were filled with water and caked in mud, making them hard to walk in.
“I think we’re almost there!” Harper shouted.
Holly nodded and flew ahead. Harper, Dayo, and Kelly locked arms to keep going, their heads down against wind and rain, when abruptly, everything stopped. They were in the grove, shivering from the cold and wet, but relieved to be out of the rain.
Kelly blinked her eyes in bewilderment and slowly rotated in one spot. All around them the storm raged, but here, close to the trees, it was a perfect clear night.
“This is all a bad nightmare,” Kelly whispered. “When I wake up in the morning, everything will be fine. I just have to get through this night.”
“Harper, look!” Holly was flickering in distress.
On the ground in front of the lightning-struck tree were numerous bodies lying in a circle, their feet pointing toward the tree.
“There are twelve people here,” Dayo said. “They look like they’re sleeping.”
“They’re under a spell,” Harper replied. She opened her bag and pulled out her penny pouches and placed one on each person.
“Oh no, that’s Megan!” Kelly cried.
“Quick, we have to move them away from the tree,” Harper said. “This is the tree that the Razu are imprisoned in. I saw it in my vision.”
Dayo shuddered as she grabbed a sleeping victim under the arms and dragged him away. Kelly was pulling Megan away from the tree but slipped and fell. Harper ran over to help her and noticed her bare feet covered in mud.
“What happened to your shoes?”
“When I ran out of the house, I just grabbed a pair of flip-flops. I don’t even know whose they were,” Kelly said. “I lost them in that crazy storm back there.” She looked frightened. “This is Gorgon Grove, where those horrible murders occurred. Is Megan going to be all right?”
“That’s why we’re here,” Harper said. “I’m hoping they can’t proceed since they’re missing the thirteenth sacrifice.”
“But that’s okay, since one of you will easily fit the bill,” a voice rang out from behind them.
They turned, to see Olivia’s mother pointing a gun at them. She was wearing a raincoat and boots and an angry expression.
“Mrs. Bennington,” Harper said. “How could you do something so evil?”
They stared as Mrs. Bennington’s face seemed to lose focus for a moment. “I’m not evil,” she whispered. “You don’t understand. A mother would do anything to protect her child.”
“But this is wrong! You can’t do this!”
“I have no choice,” Mrs. Bennington whispered. “They promised not to harm Olivia. They even promised never to show themselves to her. I don’t want my baby to ever know the ugly truth. That her bloodline is evil.”
“You’re killing innocent people!”
“If it means my child is safe, then yes. A thousand times, yes!” Mrs. Bennington shouted.
“No, Clarissa, this is not your fault.” Todd Bennington finally arrived, carrying a box of things, with Mrs. Nakamura trailing behind him. They both were soaking wet.
“You!” Clarissa turned the gun on her husband. “How dare you show your face here after deserting me and your only baby!”
“I’m so sorry, love,” Todd said, tears rolling down his face. He put the box down on the ground and approached his wife. “I thought I was saving you both. Instead, I cursed you.”
“Do you know how hard it was?” Clarissa asked. “Do you know how your board of directors treated me? Like dirt! Like a gold digger! They thought I was stupid. Not good enough for the Bennington name. What a joke! If they only knew the truth! So, I went back to school. Got a business degree from the University of Miami. I took that boat every day to go to classes. And I taught myself everything I needed to know to make this business work. Because I had no choice! The Razu threatened to kill Olivia, just like they killed our little baby boy.”
“I’m sorry . . .”
“No, you’re not sorry!” she said fiercely. “You ran away. You were relieved. You were able to escape from hell on earth. And you left me and Olivia behind to save your own skin.”
“You’re right,” he said. “I’ve been in hiding this whole time. I’ve been so afraid. Too afraid to come back and protect my family. I was wrong. So wrong. But I’m here now. Let me help you.”
“You’re too late,” Clarissa said. “And I will never forgive you.”
As the Benningtons argued, Harper and Dayo stealthily met up with Mrs. Nakamura, while Kelly continued to drag the sleeping victims as far away from the Razu tree as possible. Mrs. Nakamura brought over the box Todd had been carrying and quickly opened it. She handed them the necklaces, which they put around the necks of all the sleeping victims, then Mrs. Nakamura took out the copper wire and began to wind it around the Razu tree itself. Inside the box there were many large plastic bowls, several containers of salt, and two gallons of holy water.
Kelly had moved everyone as far from the tree as possible, to the edges of the grove but away from the continuing rain. Harper separated them into groups of four and circled them in salt, as well as with the large shallow bowls that Mrs. Nakamura had brought, and then filled the bowls with holy water.
Rushing over to her sister, Harper shoved a container of salt into her hands. “Kelly, whatever happens, no matter what you see or don’t see, you must stay in the ring of salt and keep it thick and unbroken around you,” Harper said. She took one of the penny necklaces and placed it over her sister’s head and gave her a few penny sacks.
Kelly sat in the circle, next to her friend. “What is it that’s coming, Harper?”
“The Razu. Demon monsters,” Harper said. She saw the panic and fright in Kelly’s face. “Even if everything in you says to run, please stay inside the salt circle. Only then can you be safe. And don’t break the salt line.”
The fight between Clarissa and Todd was raging out of control, when he grabbed for the gun and wrestled it out of her hands. He threw it aside and hugged her as she collapsed, weeping, into his arms. But then she gasped. Walking toward them from the rain was Olivia in her pajamas. Her eyes were open but unseeing, and she had the mark of the Razu on her neck.
“No, Olivia, not you! They promised me you’d be safe!” Clarissa screamed as she raced toward her daughter. Olivia was soaked but completely unresponsive, as her mother hugged her and stopped her progress. Todd seemed overwhelmed as he embraced his wife and daughter.
Harper and Dayo were frantically helping Mrs. Nakamura wrap the tree in copper when a rumble came from deep within the tree. Harper grabbed her bag, backing away, positioning herself between the victims and the tree. She pulled out her shaman bowls and bells and lit her purification paper. She captured the ashes in her bowl and filled the others with holy water. She raced over to the Benningtons and pulled them in front of the bowls.
“I need you to hold hands in a circle around Olivia,” Harper said. Dayo, Mrs. Nakamura, Todd, and Clarissa held hands and surrounded Olivia. Harper then ringed them all in salt, just as a hole appeared in the tree, shining with a ghastly red light. Claws scraped the sides of the tree as long pale arms pulled the first Razu into sight.
Dayo squeaked in fear. “I can see them, Harper,” she whispered. “Why can I see them?”
“Because they all can too,” Harper said, gesturing to the Benningtons and Mrs. Nakamura.
The Razu was sniffing the air, its slit-like nostrils opening and closing as it snarled and drooled. The monster tried to step out of the tree, and its flesh brushed against the copper wire, causing it to shriek in pain. It climbed up into the branches and leaped down to the ground. Two more Razu climbed out after it and came racing toward Harper, who stood in front of the others. They stopped at the salt line and murmured to each other as they circled around the salt.
“Close your eyes, and don’t let them sense your fear,” Harper said. “They can’t find you if you aren’t afraid. I know it might seem impossible not to be afraid, but any other emotion is probably fine. Be angry, be sad. Just don’t be afraid.”
The Razu standing before Harper made it almost impossible for her to follow through on her own words. It was more than twice the size of the soul eater she’d faced with her grandmother, with a bulk like that of a gorilla. Its huge head loomed over Harper, sharp fangs dripping with saliva and its two slit-like nostrils opening and closing as it sniffed out the fear.