Dire Woods

John Joseph’s footsteps got quicker and quicker as he neared the old manor. He knew just what to do. He’d obviously have to sneak off during the night while his aunt was asleep. Given the latest interactions with his aunt he couldn’t see her opening the door to the portal and waving him a fond farewell while wishing him good luck in his quest to get her removed as his guardian. All he had to do was wait until the wee hours of the morning and then he’d be back at school within minutes! For once he was thankful St. Francis Academy was mainly a boarding school. It meant most of the instructors lived right there on the grounds!

John Joseph decided to return through the empty kitchen, maybe he could pick up a snack on his way to his room. Unfortunately, the kitchen wasn’t empty anymore. A short, scrawny old woman, with greasy hair and a soiled apron was poking the fire vigorously. She gave John Joseph a nasty look as he slowly closed the door.

“Who the heck are you?” The old crone hollered through wrinkled lips.

“John Joseph,” he answered. “I live here.”

The worn old hag removed a blackened wooden spoon from her apron pocket and waved it in his face. “Not in my kitchen, you don’t,” she spat. “Get out!”

John Joseph ran through the kitchen and slid down the corridor. Putting on a burst of speed, he scampered up the stairs and down through the hall of portraits.

His door was open.

He approached it cautiously. The way things were going, who knew what, or who, was inside. His empty knapsack was propped against the wall and his Aunt Angerona was sitting on the edge of his bed. She was smiling pleasantly. John Joseph felt an unfamiliar tickling in his stomach. He slowly recognized it as fear.

“I took the liberty of unpacking your knapsack for you, John Joseph.” His aunt held his wand lightly in a delicate hand. “I put everything away but this.” She twirled his wand gracefully in the air and arched a sculptured eyebrow. “It’s in perfect condition,” she said with a laugh. “It actually looks like it’s never been used.”

John Joseph stood frozen in the doorway. The tickling in his stomach had turned icy cold. He was beginning to detest this aunt of his. He could hardly wait to get back to St. Francis Academy and Wizard Kilamo. He was definitely going ask to board at the school.

“Cat got your tongue, John Joseph? Or are you just slow and incompetent?” His aunt asked.

She tossed the wand onto the middle of his bed. “What a waste,” she stated. She got up gracefully and casually reaching down to straighten out the comforter. “Dinner is at 7:00, but I expect you’ll want to eat in your room?”

John Joseph nodded slowly. “I met the cook.”

Aunt Angerona smirked. “Ah, the lovely Marie,” she said with a chuckle. “You’ll be happy to know that despite her sparkling personality, she’s quite a decent chef.”

“Any other new arrivals?” John Joseph blurted. Where the heck had that come from?

His aunt turned and gave him a calculating look. “A friend of mine.” Her beautiful eyes narrowed. “From college. She’ll be arriving some time this evening. As for servants, I haven’t managed to find too many yet.”

“Where have our old servants gone?” John Joseph asked.

“Not that it’s any of your business,” his aunt replied. “But I retired them. They’d worked long enough at Alabaster Manor. It was definitely time for some new blood.” She chuckled softly as she strode out the door.

John Joseph’s dinner arrived at 7:05 p.m. The cutlery knocked on the door and the plate just whooshed right in. To his amazement, it was really quite good. It seemed that for once, this aunt had told the truth.

He went to bed early, knowing that he’d be getting up in the middle of the night. To his surprise, he fell asleep quickly then awoke at 2:30 a.m. He’d slept in his clothes, so he just had to straighten his socks and grab his shoes. He considered leaving his wand on the bedside table. He finally shoved it in his sock. No matter how useless it was, he’d still need it for school.

He inched out the door and down the hallway, sliding softly down the edges of the fir planking. The portal was just past the gallery of ancestors. A band of moonlight filtered through the hall window. It lit his hand as John Joseph reached to open the portal gate. He was almost there.

There was only one problem. The gate wouldn‘t open. He tugged it again, harder this time. Still nothing! Something had to be jamming the latch.

Something was.

It was a brand new, shiny, padlock.

“Going somewhere,” a dulcet voice asked from the darkness behind him.

John Joseph turned around slowly. “I thought I forgot something in the portal,” he answered. “I came to look for it.”

His aunt swung her gorgeous head from side to side. Clicking sounds came from her pursed lips. “Really?” she drawled.

“Why is there a lock on the portal?” he asked.

Angerona Alabaster stepped into the thin beam of light; her beautiful face a smooth mask. “An insecure portal is dangerous, John Joseph.” She waved her pale arms through the air. “Why, anyone could just drop in.” She gave her nephew a dangerous smile. “Or out.”

“But how will I get back and forth to school?” John Joseph asked.

His aunt made a dismissive gesture with a delicate hand, her bracelet shimmering in the moonlight. “Getting back and forth won‘t be necessary,” she replied. “You’ll be attending the local school in January. You start Monday.”