The Problem Child

by Michael Buckley

  “Look for something that gives you a jolt,” Uncle Jake shouted. “You’ll feel the magic if it’s going to work down here.”

  Sabrina dug through more pockets, discarding anything that didn’t feel powerful. Finally, she reached into a pocket and it felt as if something inside had given her an electrical shock.

  “What are these?” Sabrina asked, yanking out a pair of slippers.

  “The Shoes of Swiftness,” Uncle Jake shouted. “Put them on!”

  Sabrina eyed the slippers closely. “What do they do?”

  Uncle Jake was too busy with the crab to answer, so Sabrina kicked off her shoes and pulled on the slippers. She immediately felt an energy, much like the one the Wand of Merlin gave her. It was incredible and powerful.

  Just then, Uncle Jake cried out in pain. Sabrina spun around and found him up against a wall with nowhere to run and the crab raising a deadly spike to skewer him. There was no escape for him.

  “No!” Sabrina said, instinctively running to his side, and as she did, something marvelous happened. Her feet moved so fast she was able to snatch her uncle out of the way of certain death. In a flash she and her uncle were standing next to a dumbfounded Daphne.

  “OK, that was cool,” Daphne admitted.

  “I’ve got an idea,” Sabrina said, staring up at the hole. “Grab on to my arms and hold on tight!” Daphne slipped her hand into her sister’s. Uncle Jake reached down, grabbed his overcoat, and then slipped his free hand into Sabrina’s. The Cruel Crustacean charged at them, but in the blink of an eye they were gone. Sabrina’s legs became a blur and in no time the trio were propelled upward as if they were attached to a powerboat motor. They rocketed to freedom through the hole, shocking the merman guards. Sabrina spotted the Vorpal blade, still in the chubby hands of the mermaid princess, and darted in her direction. As they passed her, Uncle Jake snatched it away.

  “Thanks, beautiful,” he quipped.

  The Little Mermaid screamed with rage and a gurgling alarm was sounded. A second later, Sabrina watched as the massive doors to the chamber began to close.

  “They’re trying to trap us inside!” Uncle Jake warned.

  “Hang on!” Sabrina cried and started kicking, this time aiming for the narrowing gap between the doors. Again the group rocketed forward, just slipping through before the doors crushed them to death. They streaked across the main hall, out through the gate, and into the busy streets. Kicking as hard as she could, Sabrina propelled the family down the road, sending mermen and mermaids leaping out of their path. Once they were safely away from the palace, Sabrina angled toward the surface.

  “Any idea where the boat is?” she said.

  “Over there!” Daphne said, pointing to the bright orange anchor they had tossed over the side.

  “I recommend we get there as fast as we can,” Uncle Jake said, pointing below. Sabrina looked down and saw an army of angry merman guards swimming toward them. Following on their heels was the enormous hermit crab.

  Sabrina kicked faster toward the surface. Unfortunately, she misjudged the power of her feet and the group exploded out of the water, flying fifteen feet into the air. A moment later they came crashing back down into the river. Uncle Jake was the first to struggle to the surface again. He pulled Daphne and Sabrina over to the boat and they all climbed in. Uncle Jake snatched up the oars and rowed furiously, but they’d forgotten to pull up the anchor; it held them in place.

  “I can’t breathe!” Daphne cried suddenly. Uncle Jake dropped the oars and yanked the sticky starfish off the little girl’s head with a slurp! Daphne gasped at first but soon she was breathing fine and helped Sabrina pull off her own starfish. Uncle Jake shoved his into his overcoat.

  “Might come in handy someday,” he said, as he began to pull up the heavy anchor.

  The first wave of merman soldiers leaped out of the water like dolphins, flapping their tails back and forth to stay above the surface. They were several yards away from the boat but held their tridents menacingly as they approached the family. A second wave of soldiers appeared behind them, followed by the rising shell of the giant hermit crab. It opened its ugly mouth and a high-pitched scream erupted from its throat. When the first trident struck the side of the boat, Sabrina knew they had to do something, and fast. She leaped to her feet, snatched a length of the anchor rope, and moved to the back of the little boat.

  “What are you doing?” Uncle Jake said as he finally dragged the anchor out of the water.

  “I have absolutely no idea,” Sabrina said and she took off toward the front of the boat and leaped onto the water. Her legs were going a mile a minute, so fast Sabrina couldn’t even see her own feet. Each step was so quick she found she could run on top of the water as if it were pavement. She raced across the surface of the Hudson River toward the shore. With the rope in hand she dragged the boat behind her, leaving a powerful wake that built up strength and slammed into the merman army like a tidal wave.

  When she reached the shore, she was so excited that she kept on running up the embankment, across some train tracks, narrowly missing the express to Grand Central Station, and into the forest where she finally came to a stop. Sabrina’s feet felt like they were on fire. She kicked the magic slippers off as quickly as she could. The energy that they had given her quickly faded, and suddenly, she wanted to put them back on even though she knew they would burn her feet. She was about to actually do it when Uncle Jake handed her the Wand of Merlin.

  “I found this in the bottom of the boat,” he said.

  Sabrina snatched it away, surprised by how greedily she wanted it. The magic swirled through her and she smiled. Daphne gave her a startled, disapproving look but she ignored it.

  “Well, that’s two out of three,” Uncle Jake said, holding up the piece of the broken sword. He looked down at the inscription on it.

  BEG THE HAG OF THE HILLS, it read.

  Sabrina dipped a washcloth into the bowl of cool water that sat next to Puck’s bed and wrung it out. Then she patted it across the boy’s fevered brow. He mumbled incoherently for a few moments and then went back to sleep.

  Granny and Uncle Jake were in the living room, busily searching the journals for references to a “hag of the hills,” while Daphne had long since surrendered to sleep and was napping in a rocking chair next to the bed. It was late, and though Sabrina knew a cup of coffee would keep her awake, the bitter taste wasn’t worth it. Instead, she found that by lightly touching the Wand of Merlin in her pocket, she got enough of a jolt of energy to completely refresh her. She wanted to look after Puck in case he woke and needed something.

  A wave of emotions overtook her—emotions she didn’t understand: genuine concern for the boy, anger at his recklessness, confusion at the memory of their kiss. She felt like crying when she realized how vicious her rejection of him had been.

  “Hey, stink-bottom,” Sabrina said, wondering if the boy could hear her. If he could, he’d never let her live down any kind words she might say to him. Besides, trading insults with her seemed to be his favorite game. Maybe it would make him feel better deep down.

  “You realize you’re a terrible burden on all of us. Look at you lying in that bed. You’re not fooling anyone. I’d bet a hundred bucks that you’re faking all of this just for the attention. Well, your pampering is about to come to an end, buster. When we have all the pieces of the Vorpal blade, we’re going to find the Blue Fairy and put them back together. Once we kill the Jabberwocky, Red Riding Hood will be no problem. Mom and Dad will come home and then we’re shipping you off to the Faerie folk. You’ll be back to being a pain in my butt in no time at all.”

  She looked over at her sister to make sure she was still sleeping, too, and then removed the wand from her pocket. She laid it on the bed and examined it with awe. Just having it near made her feel like everything was going to be fine. She could handle everything herself. Puck would live and she’d bring her parents home. Nothing could get in her way.

  “Are you OK?”
Daphne asked.

  “I’m fine,” Sabrina said, snatching the wand off the bed and stuffing it back into her pocket.

  “You were staring at that thing for fifteen minutes,” Daphne said. “I said your name a few times but you didn’t hear me.”

  Sabrina shot a glance at the clock on the wall. Her sister was right. “I have a lot on my mind.”

  “I want you to give that thing to Granny,” Daphne insisted. “It belongs in the mirror where it will be safe.”

  “It’ll be safe with me.”

  Daphne got out of her chair and crossed the room. She stood over Sabrina and looked at her closely. “But are you going to be safe from it?”

  “You’re being silly.”

  “No, I’m not,” the little girl said a bit too loudly. “I saw your face when you used the wand. It was the same face you had when you used the shoes.”

  “What face is that?”

  “You looked like you wanted to hurt someone,” Daphne said.

  “No, what I looked like is someone who isn’t afraid anymore,” Sabrina said. “Daphne, aren’t you sick to death of running all the time?”

  “The first thing I learned in Ms. White’s self-defense class is that there are things that you stand and fight and there are things that you run from. A smart warrior knows the difference. You used to know the difference.”

  “You know, when I woke up in the hospital you claimed that I didn’t include you in things anymore,” Sabrina complained. “Did you ever think that the reason is because everything I do is wrong in your eyes?’

  “We are still a team,” Daphne said. “And you are still wrong. You’re getting add . . . add . . . what’s that word Granny said earlier?”

  “Addicted?”

  “Yes, addicted.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Don’t you ‘whatever’ me!”

  They sat in silence and eventually Daphne got up from her chair. “I’m going to bed.”

  “Fine,” Sabrina said, still angry at her sister’s accusation.

  “Be careful, Sabrina,” Daphne whispered and she stepped out of the room.

  A loud, raspy breath woke Sabrina from her sleep. The room was dark and a girlish giggle sent Sabrina dashing to the light switch. She flipped it on and realized at once that she wasn’t in her grandmother’s room anymore. She was in her own bed and standing by it was the Jabberwocky and Red Riding Hood. Sabrina reached into her pocket and took out the Wand of Merlin. She aimed it at the monster and thought about big bolts of lightning rocking the sky.

  “How did you get in here?” she asked.

  The little girl laughed. “Silly.”

  “Where are my parents?” Sabrina demanded, eyeing Daphne. She was sound asleep and snoring heavily. Daphne could sleep through a war.

  “They’re safe. I’ve got my grandmother now and my doggy.”

  “You lie!”

  The little girl giggled.

  “Granny!” Sabrina shouted, but the old woman didn’t reply. “Mr. Canis!” There was no sound.

  “All I need is one more member of my family before we can play house. I need a little sister,” Red Riding Hood said. Sabrina gasped and the Jabberwocky took a step toward Daphne’s slumbering body.

  “No!” Sabrina cried and a flash of light exploded through the window. It hit the Jabberwocky in the back and knocked it to its knees.

  “Stop!” Red Riding Hood cried. “You’ll kill my kitty!”

  Sabrina didn’t care. She scampered out of bed as another bolt hit the downed beast. It screeched in pain. Dozens more blasts lit up the room. The Jabberwocky cried out as each one fried it with white hot light. To Sabrina, the cries sounded like pleas for mercy, but she wouldn’t listen. She wanted this thing dead and soon she got her wish. The monster slumped to the ground, gasped, and was still.

  Red Riding Hood rushed to the Jabberwocky’s body and cried in despair.

  “You killed her!”

  Sabrina smiled in triumph. She walked over to get a better view, but was surprised to find the monster was no longer there. Its massive, smoldering carcass had been replaced with the body of young girl with blonde hair. Stunned, Sabrina dropped to her knees to see the girl’s face. She brushed away the hair and gasped. “It’s me!”

  Sabrina turned to the mirror in her room and nearly screamed when she saw her reflection. Her legs were gone, replaced with hulking clawed feet. She looked down at them and noticed that she also had a long reptilian tail. It swung around the room uncontrollably, destroying the little desk and dresser. Her arms had become a scaly mass of muscles and tendons with razor sharp talons on her fingertips. She screamed for someone to help her but no one came. She was turning into the Jabberwocky. She was becoming a monster and no one could help.

  “They tried to warn you,” Red Riding Hood said. She laughed maniacally as she put a huge leash around Sabrina’s neck. “Come on, kitty. Let’s play.”

  “Sabrina!” a voice shouted. She felt someone’s hand gently shaking her shoulder. She looked over and saw Granny Relda’s concerned face.

  “You were having a nightmare,” she said.

  Sabrina looked down at her body. It was back to normal. She had had another of her awful dreams.

  “Are you OK?” her grandmother asked.

  Sabrina nodded.

  “Well, put on something warm. Your uncle and I have discovered who the hag of the hills is,” Granny Relda said.

  “Good! Where’s Uncle Jake?” Sabrina asked as she got up.

  “He’s downstairs having a drink,” the old woman said.

  “A drink? Why?”

  “To calm his nerves, I suppose. He’s not too excited about who has the last piece of the Vorpal blade.”

  “I don’t understand,” Sabrina said. “Who’s got the last piece?”

  “The witch,” Granny said. “The one they call Baba Yaga.”

  abrina had heard many stories about Baba Yaga and read even more. What she knew was disturbing. Baba Yaga was thousands of years old and it was rumored that she was a cannibal. Many of the family journals described heart-stopping encounters with her. They talked of her home, decorated with the bones of her latest meal. She seemed like an odd ally for the Grimm family, but time and time again the family had turned to her for help.

  Baba Yaga was responsible for the barrier that kept the Everafters in Ferryport Landing, but nothing she did came without a price. As payment for the spell, Baba Yaga had stolen the Grimm family’s freedom forever. A Grimm would have to stay in the town as long as the barrier existed.

  “So she eats people?” Daphne whispered to her sister in the backseat of the car as they drove to see the witch. Her arms were wrapped around Elvis as if he were a life preserver and she was lost at sea.

  Sabrina nodded. “That’s the story.”

  “That’s so gross,” Daphne said. She hugged the Great Dane. “Don’t let anybody eat me, Elvis.”

  Elvis whined, then turned his attention to a paper sack Granny had given them for the trip. Granny had stayed behind with Puck and said they would need whatever was inside to get to the witch.

  Uncle Jake was silent and pale as he drove the car along the road that snaked across Mount Taurus. The girls tried to ask him more about the witch. After all, he had come face to face with her and survived, but he seemed to be in a different world. Sabrina reached into her pocket and clutched the Wand of Merlin. A little charge raced through her and made her nervousness vanish.

  We’ll be just fine, she told herself. And if we aren’t, that old lunatic is going to regret it.

  Suddenly Uncle Jake pulled over to the side of the road and parked the car.

  “Why are we stopping?” Sabrina said, glancing out the window at the dense, snow-covered forest. The trees that lined the road looked black, even in the morning sunlight, as if their life force had been sucked out of them.

  “We’re here,” Uncle Jake replied. He looked out the car window into the woods and cracked his knuckles nervously
.

  Daphne stared out the window. “Where’s here?”

  Jake ignored her question. “You two stay in the car. I’ll be right back.”

  “What?” the girls cried.

  “I’ll be back soon.”

  “No way!” Sabrina cried. “We’re going with you.”

  “It’s too dangerous,” Uncle Jake said. “Trust me, girls. If I didn’t have to go, I wouldn’t. The last time I ran into Baba Yaga she told me she’d skin me and eat me as jerky. It’s best if you wait in the car.”

  “I can’t believe you!” Sabrina complained. “You’re treating us like a couple of little kids!”

  “Uh, we are a couple of little kids,” Daphne said.

  Sabrina ignored her. “We’ve seen bigger trouble than this Baba Yaga lady. We killed a giant. We stopped Rumpelstiltskin. Why, a couple of hours ago I rescued us all from a hermit crab as big as a house. We’re going.”

  Sabrina opened the door, got out of the car, and turned to her sister, “Come on.”

  “Fine, but if we get turned into jerky, I’m telling Granny,” the little girl grumbled, getting out of the car and pulling Elvis with her.

  “Just stay close, then,” Uncle Jake said.

  “Wait! The bag!” Daphne said. She crawled back into the car and grabbed the paper sack, then rejoined the group.

  Elvis led the way through the woods. They journeyed deeper and deeper into the forest, through glades that were deadly quiet. The trees were closely packed, as if huddling together might save them from something. The Grimms could feel an odd creepiness around them, as if they were being watched. Every twig that snapped or bird that whistled caused Uncle Jake to jump. Sabrina noticed he was sweating even in the frigid winter air.

  They soon found a path made up of white oval stones that stuck up from the ground at different angles, making it difficult to walk. Daphne quickly lost her footing and fell to her knees. As Sabrina helped her up, the little girl screamed.