Kirabo

by Ronnie Rowbotham

  Kirabo grabbed Brady’s arm as they heard the wolf howling once more, only now it was much closer and much louder. Together they ran as fast as they could towards the house. It was only as they drew close that they could see it properly. It was tall and narrow, and leaned slightly to one side. It reminded Kirabo of an old man leaning on a walking stick and for some reason she felt sad for the house. Weak yellow lights glowed at every window and a sign outside said:

  ‘The Rickety Shack Hotel.’

  Brady and Kirabo ran up the steps and knocked on the old wooden door.

  Slowly, the door opened a crack and an old lady looked out. She looked nearly as frightened as Kirabo and Brady.

  “Please go away, I have no more room,” the old lady whispered.

  “We are lost, please let us come in,” Kirabo pleaded. “We only want to rest a little while.”

  There was a loud screech from behind the old woman. She turned to see what it was, allowing the front door to swing open.

  There was chaos inside the hotel. Music was playing very loudly. Kirabo and Brady watched in disbelief as a large green troll staggered through the reception hall and crashed into the staircase. He fell onto his bum and looked around in a daze. “What hit– what hit me?” he groaned, before falling on his back with a loud thud!

  A ghost floated up through the floor and spotted Kirabo and Brady in the doorway. “New arrivals,” he announced with glee, floating over to them.

  The old lady gave a weary sigh and sat down on a chair that was just next to the front door. “My beautiful hotel,” she moaned, putting her head in her hands.

  The ghost hovered before them. He was a young boy all in white and wearing a paper party hat. “We don’t get many zombies to the Halloween Ball,” the ghost said, giving Brady an odd look, “but the girls will be interested in meeting a new witch,” he said to Kirabo, before giving a quick blow on his paper trumpet and floating up through the ceiling.

  Kirabo and Brady gave a wary look at one another. They both wondered whether to go further into the house or to turn and run back into the woods.

  “I’ll get you, just you see,” a witch screamed as she flew down the staircase on her broomstick chasing another witch. “I’ll change you into a slimy slug, my lovely, hahahaha,” she screeched as she fired a magic spell at the first witch.

  The witch saw the spell heading towards her and ducked. The spell flew right over her head.

  “Missed me,” she mocked before flying off into the dining room.

  The spell hit Brady in the chest. There was a flash of light and a loud ‘whoosh’ as Brady vanished in a cloud of smoke.

  Kirabo screamed with shock.

  “Brady!” Kirabo yelled, looking around for her friend. But it was too late, he’d disappeared. Suddenly Kirabo felt something cold and slimy slide onto her foot. She looked down and screamed again. There was a large black slug on her foot. She was about to shake it off when she saw the little white face with dark eyes – it was Brady, he’d been turned into a slug.

  “Ah, another witch to enjoy the fun,” the witch said, climbing off her broomstick and walking over to Kirabo. “I’ve never seen you around here before?”

  “Change my friend back this instant,” Kirabo demanded.

  “Why should I?” the witch asked. “Anyway, witches shouldn’t hang around with zombies. You should thank me.”

  Kirabo suddenly understood why the old lady hadn’t wanted them to come in. She had thought that she really was a witch and that Brady really was a zombie. Kirabo decided to try something.

  “I suppose you couldn’t change him back even if you wanted to,” she said, doing her best to sound like a real witch. “Don’t worry, I’ll change him back myself later.”

  “Oh, you will, will you? Do you know who I am? I am Elisha Boil-Puss, the most powerful witch there is and the most ugly.”

  Kirabo yawned, pretending to be bored, “Oh yes, I’ve heard of you. You are quite powerful, but I don’t think you are ugly at all.”

  Elisha Boil-Puss jumped up and down in a rage. “How dare you say that! Admit that I’m the ugliest witch here or I’ll turn you into a troll,” the witch threatened.

  “Now that I’ve taken a closer look, I’d say that you were almost pretty,” Kirabo said.

  “How dare you?” Elisha screamed with horror.

  Elisha’s sister flew back into the hallway. “Elisha, where have you been? I’ve been waiting to turn you into a toad.”

  “I’m here, Philomena. This young witch thinks I’m pretty,” Elisha Boil-Puss cried.

  Kirabo took a deep breath to steady her nerves as Philomena Boil-Puss flew over.

  “Let me turn her into a dripping bogey,” Philomena begged.

  “You can try, if you don’t mind being turned into a pool of sick,” Kirabo said nastily. Although she was frightened, she had really started to enjoy herself. “Now change my friend back or you will regret it.”

  The Halloween Ball suddenly came to a stop. The music ended and all of the ghosts, witches and trolls stopped dancing and drinking and came to stand around the small group in the hallway.

  “You dare to challenge me to a Witch’s Duel?” Elisha said, outraged.

  “No, I erm…” Kirabo stammered. “Oh please turn my friend back to how he was,” she pleaded.

  “No,” Elisha said spitefully.

  “By the rules of the Witch’s Duel, each witch must have someone to help them. You have to turn her friend back to normal or the duel cannot go ahead,” the old lady said, getting up from her chair.

  “You can help her,” Philomena hissed.

  “This is my hotel and if there is to be a duel here I will make sure it is done fairly,” the old lady said.

  Elisha looked as if she was about to sulk but she waved her hand and whispered a spell. In a flash, Brady reappeared next to Kirabo.

  “Oh, Brady,” Kirabo said, flinging her arms around him.

  “Right,” Philomena said. “I suggest that the witch who can scare the other the most will be the winner. The loser will be turned into a flea. Then she can live in my hair.”

  “Agreed,” Elisha said with a twinkle in her eye. It was obvious that they had done this before.

  “The duel will take place on the stage in the hall,” the old lady called out. “In five minutes the two witches will walk out on stage with their faces covered. On the count of three, both witches will reveal their faces. The one who gets the worst fright will be the loser.”

  “Agreed,” Elisha said with excitement. “I have a spell ready,” she cackled.

  “Agreed,” Kirabo said miserably.

  The whole party of ghosts, witches, goblins and trolls rushed off to get the best seats in the hall, ready for the duel.

  “Oh, Brady, what are we going to do?” Kirabo cried once they were alone.

  “I don’t know,” Brady admitted. “I think we are really in trouble this time.”

  Kirabo saw her reflection in a mirror. “And I thought being a witch would be fun,” she said sadly. “Hang on I think I have an idea.”

  Before Kirabo could tell Brady what she had in mind the old lady came back and showed them to a small room that led on to the stage.

  “Put a spell on yourself to make you look as scary as possible. Then cover yourself up and let your zombie friend lead you onto the stage. When I say three he can pull off your cover and we will see who gets the worst fright,” the old lady explained. She paused, looking carefully at Kirabo. “I do hope you win, the Boil-Puss sisters will ruin my hotel by morning if they are not stopped.” She gave Kirabo a little smile before walking onto the stage.

  There was a riot in the hall. The goblins were throwing chairs at the trolls, while the witches swung from the lights, casting spells on one another. Brady slowly led Kirabo onto the stage, her black cloak with silver stars covering her entire body. The audience booed and laughed at the two of them.

  Then Philomena led her sister onto the stage. She too was covered i
n a black cloak. This time the audience cheered.

  Philomena sneered at Brady, “Once your little friend is a flea, I’m going to turn you back into a slug and keep you as my pet forever,” she laughed, pointing a crooked finger at him. Brady gulped in panic.

  “Oh my poor, poor hotel,” the old lady said to herself, as a chandelier fell from the ceiling and crashed to the floor. She took a deep breath. “On the count of three, reveal your witch,” she yelled. “One, two…”

  Philomena cheated. She pulled the cloak off her sister early. Elisha Boil-Puss had turned herself green, with large boils covering her whole body. Every now and then one burst with a loud pop, allowing the pus to explode everywhere. One of her eyes had popped out and was resting on her cheek. Snot ran from her big nose and dripped onto her pointy, hairy chin. Worst of all, her hair was now a mass of slimy worms that slithered on her head. She looked horrid. Two ghosts even flew out of the hall through the nearest wall screaming, while some of the goblins fainted.

  “three,” the old lady called out.

  Brady had his eyes shut, so he wouldn’t be put off by the horrid sight. He pulled the cloak off Kirabo.

  Kirabo stood, dressed as she had been. In front of her she held up the long mirror she’d taken from the hallway. Elisha Boil-Puss saw her reflection for the first time and screamed in horror before fainting with the shock. The spell was immediately broken and she returned to normal.

  “You tricked us!” Philomena screamed, pointing an accusing finger at Kirabo.

  “No, she did not,” the old lady said sternly. “The duel was to see who could scare the other witch the most. She won fairly. If anyone cheated then it was you.”

  Philomena opened her mouth to speak but then shut it again, lost for words. There was a loud moan from the body of Elisha as she slowly came round.

  “Okay, witch,” she said as she got to her feet, “you beat me. I admit I was terrified. Change me into a flea.”

  “I will give you a choice,” Kirabo said in her best witch’s voice. “You can be a flea forever or you can repair all the damage you have caused to this hotel and then you and all of your friends can leave.”

  “We’ll fix all of the damage,” Elisha said gloomily.

  At once the crowd began clearing up their mess.

  “Oh, thank you,” the old lady said, rushing over and grabbing Kirabo’s hand. “I never thought a witch could be so kind.”

  Kirabo smiled, not daring to tell her the truth.

  “Let me take you to the kitchen where I’ll make you a nice treat.”

  Kirabo was about to agree but she saw Brady frowning.

  “What’s wrong?” Kirabo asked.

  “I can hear someone calling, just through there,” he said, pointing to the room they had just come from.

  As Kirabo and Brady walked into the room they found themselves back in the attic with the large cardboard box behind them. Brady’s mum was standing in the doorway.

  “I thought you’d never come out of there,” she said, smiling. “Do you still want to go trick or treating?”

  Kirabo and Brady looked at one another.

  “We’ve already been,” Kirabo said with a giggle.

  Whale Song

  It was the first day of the summer holidays and the local swimming pool was already full of laughing children splashing about. Brady wasted no time before jumping into the pool and letting himself sink all the way to the bottom, before pushing off from the floor and bursting out of the water with a big splash. Kirabo stood at the edge of the pool, her big brown eyes wide with fear.

  “This is the shallow end,” Brady’s dad, Pete, explained as he got into the water. “With your arm bands on you’ll be very safe.” He reached up to help Kirabo into the pool.

  Kirabo took a step back from the water’s edge.

  “I don’t like it,” she said weakly.

  “Didn’t your mum or dad ever take you swimming?”

  Kirabo just shook her head. A large tear ran down her cheek.

  “Please try,” Brady said, swimming over to the side of the pool. “You’ll love it, really.”

  Kirabo looked at the bodies swimming under the water, while others jumped about and splashed one another. Even the noise of the fans and the strange echoing of the children’s laughter frightened her.

  “I tell you what,” Brady’s dad said, climbing out of the water and kneeling next to Kirabo. “Shall we go and get dressed and watch Brady from up there,” he said pointing to a viewing gallery. “We can even get a cup of hot chocolate while we watch. What do you think?”

  Kirabo’s face broke out into a huge smile and she flung her arms around Pete.

  “But I don’t want to stay in here all by myself,” Brady complained miserably. “I’ll have no one to play with.”

  Brady saw how frightened Kirabo was and felt bad for being selfish. “I’ll come too,” he sighed, climbing out of the water.

  “It looks like its hot chocolates all round,” Pete said.

  It was much later in the day when Kirabo opened the door to the attic. Brady was already there. He had put three boxes together and was sitting inside drawing buttons and circles on one of them.

  “Hello,” Kirabo said.

  “Oh hello,” Brady said looking out from the box.

  “I’m sorry about spoiling your swim. I didn’t mean to.”

  Brady sighed. “I know you didn’t. It’s just I’ve been looking forward to going swimming all week. Dad’s not going to be off work for another week now.”

  Kirabo came and sat on the floor next to the boxes.

  “What are you playing?”

  “You wouldn’t like it. I’m pretending to be in a submarine at the bottom of the sea. Look, these are the portholes and these are all the controls.”

  “Oh!” Kirabo said.

  The two of them sat in silence for a long while. Eventually Kirabo spoke up.

  “Can I get in?” she asked.

  “But you know what will happen if you get in,” Brady said, sounding worried. “Won’t you be frightened?”

  Kirabo thought about it for a little while. “If you stay near to me I’ll try not to be so afraid,” she said.

  “Okay,” Brady said smiling. “Come aboard.”

  Kirabo climbed inside the box and sat down. As she did, the brown cardboard box began to change. The drawn-on dials and switches, which Brady had only just finished, suddenly came to life, glowing and bleeping with information. The smooth brown box became strong hard metal painted bright yellow.

  “Oh wow!” Brady said in wonder. “Look out of the window, Kirabo.”

  The sea was the colour of the bluest sapphire and filled with life. Fish swam gracefully past their window, their reds, purples and yellows glinting in the beams of sunlight that travelled this far down. A large white Stingray seemed to glide through the water making both Kirabo and Brady gasp in wonder.

  “They are beautiful,” Kirabo said in awe.

  “Let’s explore,” Brady said excitedly. He took hold of the wheel and pushed it forward. Slowly the yellow submarine began to move into deeper water.

  “Look at all the beautiful plants down there,” Kirabo said, looking down at the ocean floor. “I had no idea it would be so lovely.”

  “You’re not frightened,” Brady said smiling.

  Kirabo laughed. “No, I’m not. I had no idea it would be so beautiful. It’s like we’re visiting another world.”

  “In a way we are,” Brady agreed.

  They travelled along the bottom of the ocean enjoying watching all the different types of life.

  “Oh look,” Brady said, pointing ahead of them.

  The ocean floor fell away into gloomy darkness. Brady gave Kirabo a worried look. “Do you mind if we go even deeper?” he asked.

  Kirabo looked frightened but she nodded and gave Brady a little smile. “Okay,” she agreed.

  The submarine went over the edge and sank even deeper into the sea. The beautiful blue sea ch
anged, becoming darker and darker.

  “What’s that down there?” Brady asked.

  Kirabo moved closer to the main window to try and get a better look. Down on the ocean floor was a large black shape. Brady flicked a switch and the outside lights snapped on. Brady moved the submarine towards the strange shape.

  “It’s a ship,” he said at last.

  “It must have sunk a long time ago,” Kirabo said. “Look at all of the plants growing over it.”

  “Can you imagine if it had a chest full of treasure inside,” Brady said with a big grin.

  Kirabo laughed too. “We’d be rich. We could buy anything we wanted to.”

  Suddenly there was a loud deep moaning that made the submarine shake.

  Kirabo stared at Brady in alarm. “What was that?” she gasped.

  “I– I don’t know,” Brady stammered.

  There was another moaning sound, only this time it sounded slightly higher than the first and came from under the submarine.

  “It’s a monster!” Kirabo cried. “We have to get out of here before it gets us.”

  “Take a look out of a porthole, see if you can see anything,” Brady said, quickly turning the wheel ready to take them away as fast as he could.

  Kirabo stood up and turned to look out of one of the small round windows in the side of the submarine. She screamed. A large eye was staring in through the porthole watching her. Brady turned to see what had happened. He too saw the huge eye watching them.

  As quickly as it came, the eye vanished. There was a sound like thunder as the thing outside hit against the metal hull of the submarine, making the whole thing shake. Brady and Kirabo fell to the floor as the submarine rolled through the water, sinking all the way to the bottom. There was an awful grinding thud as they landed on the ocean bed, just next to the sunken ship.

  Brady jumped to his feet and inspected the inside of the submarine. “We are okay,” he said. “We haven’t sprung a leak.”

  Kirabo climbed back into the seat at the front of the submarine and looked outside. The thing that had been watching them was moving down towards them. “The monster is coming!” she cried.