by Debbie Dadey
“You do have a Plan B, don’t you?” Natalie asked. She wagged her finger in front of Penny’s nose. “Good thinkers always have a Plan B. Sheesh. I haven’t even had my installation ceremony and I have to do all the thinking. I don’t know what you would do without me.”
Penny wouldn’t really hit Natalie. Penny had never hit anyone in her life. But Luke stepped between them just to be on the safe side.
“Of course Penny has another idea,” Kirin said. Her unicorn looked at her hopefully.
Penny nodded. “I told you I found three ways to rid the world of changelings.”
“Weren’t you listening?” Kirin pointed her horn straight at Natalie’s forehead.
Natalie backed away from Kirin. “Well, let’s just hope it’s better than making omelets,” Natalie said. “After all, it was ridiculous to think that we could feed eggshells to all the adults who’ve been bewitched by the evil queen of the Shadow Realm.”
“She has a point,” Luke said.
“You’re taking her side?” Penny snapped. “Again?”
“I’m not taking any sides,” Luke said. “But face it, we’re not the Easter Bunny. There’s no way we could deliver enough eggs. Now tell us, what were the other two ways to rid the world of changelings?”
Kirin nudged Penny. “Tell them,” Kirin said. “We’re running out of time.”
Penny took a deep breath. She hated it when Natalie was right, but had to admit that her plan had failed. “All we have to do is find the amulet that binds the switch between changeling and human,” Penny said.
“I told you,” Natalie huffed. “We don’t have time to fry up omelets.”
“Not omelet, egg brains,” Kirin said. “Amulet.”
“What’s that?” Natalie asked.
“It’s a magic charm,” Penny explained. “The only way to command changelings is by holding something of theirs as ransom. Obviously, that’s what the Boggart Queen is doing.”
“You mean that for every changeling, there must be something of the changeling’s that the Queen is keeping?” Luke asked.
“Exactly,” Penny said. “The Queen must be hiding it somewhere. Many times it’s hidden in jewelry then buried in a secret place.”
Natalie tapped her fingernail against her front teeth. “What could it be?”
“It could be anything,” Penny said. “A strand of hair. A piece of clothing. Even a torn off toenail.”
“Ewwwwwww,” Natalie said. “I’m not going anywhere near monster toe jam.”
“You’ll have to,” Luke told her. “If that’s what it takes to save the world.”
“Save the world! Save the world!” Dracula repeated. A bubble of flames popped out his nose when he hiccupped. Luke quickly stomped out the fire before it could burn up Mr. Leery’s yard.
Natalie sniffed the burnt grass and asked Penny. “Did you say that the amulet could be jewelry?”
Penny nodded. “Sometimes the jewelry has secret compartments with the changeling’s things hidden inside.”
“That’s it!” Natalie said smugly. “Principal Bender was wearing a strange yellow necklace. It had beads big enough to hide something in.”
“That’s brilliant.” Buttercup spat out the frayed end of Natalie’s hair ribbon. “We must find that amulet before she buries it,” Buttercup said. “Or the Queen will become too strong even for us.”
“And just how are we supposed to figure out where the Queen will bury the necklace?” Natalie asked. “We can’t even figure out what to turn in for our science project plans. They’re due on Friday, by the way.”
Luke pounded his head with his fist. “What’re we going to do? I don’t have any ideas.”
“Turkberries! Turkberries!” Dracula said. The dragon hopped up and down and smoke curled out of his nose.
“What about turkberries?” Luke asked.
“Grow them. Grow lots of them. For your science homework,” Dracula explained.
“No!” Penny said. “You know you’re allergic to them.”
The dragon slumped back to the ground. Luke draped his arm over the dragon’s neck in a hug. He felt very protective of his magical link. “Thanks for trying to help, buddy. But nobody on this side of magic knows about turkberries.”
Kirin rolled her eyes. “Oh, be done with it and just build a maze. Then you can put the rat in it and see if she can find the piece of cheese. It would be fun watching her scurry round and round until she’s dizzy.”
Buttercup thumped her paw on the ground. “Very funny, mush brain. But if they want a good grade all they have to do is grind down your horn to find out what it’s made from.”
“Watch out, rat,” Kirin warned. “This horn is nothing to joke about.”
“Stop it,” Penny said. “All of you. Arguing is not going to help us get a good grade.”
Luke fell back against the scratchy trunk of a dying tree that stood in Mr. Leery’s yard. “I can’t get another failing grade,” Luke moaned. “If I do, I’ll be grounded until I’m ninety-two.”
“I’d rather be grounded by my parents than held captive forever by the Boggart Queen,” Penny told him.
“Good point,” Luke said, standing up straighter. “What do we do next?”
“Find where the Queen is hiding the necklace,” Penny said. “We need the stuff inside to change everyone back to normal.”
“Easy to say,” Natalie told her. “Not so easy to do.”
“Wait!” Luke yelled. “I think I know where to look!”
When Luke told them his idea, even Natalie was impressed. “You just might be right,” she said. “Let’s go.”
“Not without us,” Kirin said.
“But we can’t parade through town with a unicorn, a dragon, and a rat,” Penny said.
“There is no way we’re going to let you go alone,” Kirin told her.
Luke nodded. “She’s right. We need all the help we can get. I’ll get the invisibility web. We’ll just have to hope it’ll work one more time.”
Luke tiptoed into Mr. Leery’s cottage, careful not to wake the old man and cat. He returned with a pile of sticky netting: the invisibility web.
“It’s in pretty bad shape,” Natalie said as Penny and Luke worked to cover their links with the web. “Maybe it’s time to bribe Snuffles into weaving another.”
Snuffles lived in the bushes that formed the border between the real world and the world of magic. The giant spider wasn’t exactly mean, but she wasn’t friendly either. She preferred to be left alone. The only way the kids were able to get her to weave her magic web of invisibility was to bribe her with vinegar potato chips. Hearing the spider munching on potato chips was something that gave the kids nightmares, so they tried not to bother her very often.
“There isn’t time,” Luke said. “We’ll have to make this work as best we can.”
Penny and Luke spread and smoothed and slathered the web across their patient links. Finally, the kids stepped back to examine their work. One of Kirin’s golden hooves winked through a flimsy part of web, and a spike on Dracula’s tail poked through, but other than that the links were invisible.
“It’ll have to do,” Penny said. “Now, let’s go save the world from the evil Boggart Queen.”
8
“Shh,” Penny warned a few minutes later. The kids kept their heads down and stepped quietly along the sidewalk. When Kirin’s hooves clomped over a driveway, Penny coughed to cover the noise.
Mrs. Chang stopped pruning her roses to watch them pass, the pruning shears poised in the air as if ready to bite. The bush had been cut so much it was nothing more than stubble.
“Why doesn’t Mrs. Chang give it a rest,” Natalie said, “before she kills that poor bush?”
“Did you write about Mrs. Chang in your journal?” Luke asked.
“Of course. She’s always outside pruning her bushes and pulling weeds. I think she’s using her garden as an excuse to spy on everyone,” Natalie said.
“Don’t you get it?�
�� Penny asked. “That isn’t Mrs. Chang. The Queen read your notebook and told the changeling that all Mrs. Chang does is prune and pull weeds. So that’s all the changeling knows to do.”
The kids glanced at their neighbor. The cool breeze whipped strands of her hair into snarls, and there was a slight greenish tinge to the skin around her lips. “A changeling,” Luke whispered. “Who else has the Queen taken captive?”
The kids looked up and down Rim Drive. Mr. Olsen watched them from his porch swing. Mrs. Zaluski peered at them through the front window.
“Could it be that everyone is a changeling except for us?” Luke asked.
“If they aren’t now,” Kirin said, “they will be soon.”
Luke picked up the pace, leading the way down Rim Drive. They turned the corner and headed up School Road. Dried leaves and lost homework tumbled across the deserted street. Giant CLOSED signs were plastered on doors to the comic book and ice cream shops.
The kids checked for traffic and rushed across the street, hoping no one heard Kirin’s hooves echoing on the pavement. They hurried around the side of Morgantown Elementary, leaning against the rough bricks to catch their breaths.
“Oh my, oh my,” Buttercup murmured. She scampered out of Natalie’s pocket and up to her shoulder. “Your heart is pounding a hundred beats a minute,” she told Natalie.
“So is mine,” Penny admitted as she followed Luke toward the back of the building.
Luke peeked at the parking lot. “What are all those cars still doing here?” he asked.
“It’s the teachers,” Natalie said. “They haven’t gone home yet.”
“But it’s almost dinner time,” Penny said. “Don’t they have a life?”
Natalie shook her head. “They’re probably in there plotting what homework to give us next. Teachers live to give homework. I even wrote about it in my notebook.”
Luke slapped his forehead. “Great. That means it’s going to be worse than ever.”
“This is too dangerous,” Penny said. “Maybe we should go home.”
“Home! Home!” Dracula repeated. The ground shook as he jumped up and down.
Luke turned in the direction of his link’s voice. “Shh,” Luke warned. “We can’t go home. We have to save the world.”
Penny felt Kirin’s warm breath blow her hair away from her face. Natalie reached up and cupped Buttercup in her hands so she wouldn’t fall off her shoulder. They all followed Luke.
They darted between cars.
They ducked behind Mrs. Bender’s SUV.
They sneaked beneath windows until they reached the area that used to be the playground.
“Mrs. Bender was over there,” Luke said. “Next to that fresh pile of dirt.”
“And you’re sure she was burying the necklace?” Penny asked.
“Well,” Natalie said, “we didn’t exactly see her bury anything.”
“What? Do you mean to tell me you dragged me across town and nearly got us captured by a gaggle of changelings for nothing?” Penny yelped.
“We saw her,” Luke said. “She was patting the ground. Maybe she buried something.”
Penny gritted her teeth. “I hope you’re right. For all our sakes.”
The kids sneaked onto the torn-up playground. Luke led the way to the spot where their principal had been digging. Sure enough, the ground was mounded and broken.
“It has to be here,” Natalie said. “So start digging.”
“You start digging,” Penny said.
“I’m not going to dig,” Natalie said, fluttering her nails in front of Penny’s face. “My nails have suffered enough.”
“Oh, for crying out loud,” Luke said. “Either help or get out of the way.”
“Help! Help!” Dracula said.
Penny frowned at Dracula. “Of course we’ll help,” she said.
“Then let’s get to it,” Luke said.
The kids kneeled on the ground and started digging. Well, Penny and Luke dug. Natalie stood off to the side, admiring her fingernails. They dug and dug and dug. Even Kirin and Dracula sifted through dirt clods. Buttercup sniffed and dug a tiny hole.
“Have you found anything that could be the amulet?” Luke asked.
“Nothing but rocks,” Penny said.
“And worms,” added Natalie, peering over their shoulders to look at a juicy worm sinking back into the dirt. Her voice quivered when she said it.
“Keep digging,” Luke told Penny.
The sun hung low in the sky and the wind whipped dead leaves across what used to be the playground. Bare limbs rattled in the trees overhead. And still the kids and their links dug, searching the muddy earth for a sign of the amulet that would save them all.
“What have we here?” A raspy voice came from behind them.
Natalie yelped.
Luke fell back on the seat of his pants.
Penny flung a handful of dirt in the air, splattering her hair with clods of dirt and worms.
The three kids faced Mrs. Bender.
Penny hated lying, but what else could she do?
“We . . . we . . . we’re working on our science project,” Penny stammered.
Mrs. Bender glared down at the kids. The wind whipped her frizzy hair around her face. She pursed her lips and squinted her eyes. It wasn’t a good look. Not good at all. Finally she spoke.
“And what kind of science project would have you digging in my nature center after school hours?” she asked.
“Soil analysis,” Luke fibbed. “We need samples of soil to see what worms prefer.”
Penny plucked a worm from her hair. “See? We brought guinea pigs for testing. Er, I mean worms.”
Mrs. Bender stared at them for a full thirty seconds. “Very well,” she said. “I will look forward to seeing your results.”
Mrs. Bender marched back to the building. The kids waited until she disappeared inside.
“Are you nuts?” Natalie asked. “There’s no way my awesome nails are going to be covered in worm slime.”
But, Natalie was wrong. Very wrong.
9
“I can’t believe you told Mrs. Bender our science project was worms!” Natalie snapped at Luke.
“I didn’t see you coming up with an excuse for being in the nature center,” Luke told Natalie. They were in Mr. Leery’s backyard, trying to figure out what to do next. Kirin rubbed her horn against a tree. Dracula sniffed a cherry tree. Buttercup nibbled one of Natalie’s pink shoelaces.
Natalie pointed a finger at Luke. “That’s because you butted in before I had a chance.”
Penny had to smile. At least Luke and Natalie were acting normally again, even if all the teachers were acting like zombies or creatures from outer space. Normal for those two was arguing with each other.
“Listen,” Penny said. “There’s nothing we can do now except work on our homework and start the science project.”
Natalie groaned and rolled her eyes.
Penny continued. “If we’re going to have to do this together, we might as well make a plan.” Penny always felt better when she had a plan of action.
Luke nodded. “I’ll collect the worms and some shoe boxes.”
“Now we’re rolling,” Penny said. “I can get my dad to help me collect different kinds of dirt. Three kinds should be enough.”
Penny and Luke looked at Natalie. She folded her arms over her chest, but didn’t say a word.
“Well,” Penny asked Natalie. “What are you going to do?”
“Oh, all right,” Natalie said. “I’ll make some charts on my new computer. All we’ll have to do is fill them in once the disgusting little worms choose which dirt they like best.”
“Great. And after school tomorrow we can dig in the nature center some more. We have to find the amulet that will change everyone back to normal.” Penny gave Kirin a hug, wishing she could smuggle her unicorn into her bedroom for the night. It made her mad that Natalie could easily sneak Buttercup into her house.
Penny loo
ked at the magical web lying on the ground. If Kirin didn’t mind sleeping under the web, there wasn’t any reason why Kirin couldn’t go home with her.
Penny squeezed Kirin’s neck. “Hey, watch it,” Kirin said. “I’m not a stuffed animal.”
“I had a great idea,” Penny explained.
“Me, too,” Luke told her.
“I want to use the web tonight,” Penny and Luke said at the same time.
“I thought of it first,” Penny said, stomping her foot.
“I did!” Luke snapped.
Natalie laughed. “Don’t tell me the perfect kids are fighting each other.”
Penny grabbed the web. “But I’ve always wanted my link to come to my house.”
“I have, too,” Luke said, pulling the other end.
“You guys can fight about that stupid web all night,” Natalie said, gathering up Buttercup and putting her in her shirt pocket. “I’m going home.”
Buttercup cleared her throat and poked her nose out of the pocket. Natalie said, “I mean, we’re going home.”
“Thank you,” Buttercup said contentedly and snuggled down inside the pocket.
Natalie stopped beside Mr. Leery’s house and turned around. “By the way,” she asked Penny. “What was the third way to get rid of a changeling?”
Penny shrugged. “You have to make them laugh.”
“Laugh?” Buttercup poked her head up out of Natalie’s pocket.
“How in the world are we supposed to get teachers and the principal to laugh?” Natalie said. “They haven’t smiled since they were in diapers.”
Luke shook his head. “Mrs. Bender’s face might actually break if she smiled.”
“I guess we’d have to really crack her up,” Natalie said with a giggle that made Luke snicker.
Penny couldn’t help it. She felt jealous. Luke was supposed to be her friend, not Natalie’s.
Penny did something desperate: she let go of the web. “You can use the web tonight,” she told Luke.
Luke looked at her in shock. “Really?”
Penny nodded and watched Natalie walk across the street. But Natalie wasn’t thinking about the invisibility web. She was thinking about cracking up Mrs. Bender.