Wiggin Academy and the Forbidden Curse

“Are you kids ready?” asked Professor Gregor.

“Yes!” They all shouted with fire in their eyes and excitement in their small jumpy legs. All of Mako’s classmates had gathered in front of the massive doors, which lead to a series of twisted paths outside of Wiggin Academy borders. Every single kid was dressed in a costume, and in their small clenched hands was a pillow sack or a pumpkin bag to collect as much candy as they can tonight.

Professor Grimaldi appeared dressed in same her navy-blue cloak, but she had a pointy witch hat on, which strangely suited her more than everyone thought it would. “I believe it is time to depart,” she said curtly.

“We’re still waiting for Professor Cain to arrive,” said Professor Gregor.

“He’s said that he’d join us later,” said Professor Grimaldi.

“Alright then,” Professor Gregor put his hands on his hips. “You all know the rules; stay where I can see you and make sure you partner up with a friend.”

“Yeah, yeah we get it already,” said an eager kid at the front wearing a warlock costume.

Professor Gregor huffed. “Fine, let’s go!”

They strolled for a little while leaving the Academy behind them. When they all reached a dirt path (that was lonesome and grey) the teachers told them to wait. All of the kids look back and forth but nothing was in sight, until they heard lazily wheels scurry towards them. It was a raggedy old carriage driven by an old man with skin as grey as the clouds.

“Is he alive?” Penelope whispered.

“Doesn’t seem like it,” answered Aiden.

“Alright kids,” said Professor Gregor, “get on the carriage and watch your step.”

Professor Grimaldi opened the small door that was barely hanging onto the rusty hinges. One by one, each kid boarded the carriage. And they were amazed. Inside of the carriage looked completely different from the outside. There was enough space for all of the kids and probably more. The whole structure was painted a dark mahogany and had velvet cushioning lined up as seats. Three crystal chandeliers hung from the top and they cascaded their golden light onto the extravagant interior.

Professor Gregor joined them but Professor Grimaldi sat with the gloomy driver. The carriage ride was faster than it seemed. In less than twenty minutes, they had reached Grimoire Square. It was decorated appropriately for the festival. All the shops and homes were decorated with jack-o-lanterns and plastic ghosts. Creepy music played throughout the Square as everyone was handing out candy and setting up their shops for business.

“Wow,” all the kids were in wonderment. They all seemed so small in front of the spirit of Halloween.

“Don’t be shy,” said Professor Gregor. “Go get as much candy as you can.”

Mako, Penelope and Aiden separated from the group and started going door to door for candy, chips and some even gave little toys. But what made them the most excited was that one lady up on the hill gave full-size chocolate bars to every kid. Mako and Aiden were about to fall from exhaustion, but Penelope just dragged them to the next location.

Mako and the rest of the group that joined them, climbed down the hill and found their professors in the main Square eating candy apples. Professor Cain had arrived as well, and as expected he didn’t have a costume on. His normal brooding glare was scary enough. Even Neo arrived with an odd prison costume.

Mako took a seat on the bench and dug through her bag for a treat. She pulled out the small bag of sugar clusters; they were hard sacks of rainbow candy, that are sour at first and the more one sucked on them, the sweeter they’d get. Aiden enjoyed a lollipop next to her, as Penelope relentlessly ran up and down the street next to them for more.

“Where does she get her energy from?” asked Aiden with a tired sigh.

Mako barely had the voice to answer him. “No idea,” she mumbled after her face twisted because the next piece was a little too sour.

“I get tired just looking at her,” he said.

“You have to give it to her though,” Mako said, “she makes it a lot more fun.”

Penelope was practically dragging her sack of candy on the floor. She joined them on the bench with a wide smile. “I think I beat my last year’s record,” she said. “I was always able to carry my bag, but not this time.”

She squeezed herself into the tiny space beside Aiden with a satisfied expression. She pulled out the massive chocolate bar out of her bag after she dug it out. Penelope took two seconds to devour the treat and she inhaled the juice-box another man gave. They were pretty bummed about receiving a box of juice, but now they could not be more appreciative.

“Did you see Neo’s prison costume?” asked Penelope. “It was really cool, not as cool as ours though.”

Aiden peeled off his mask. “I need to use the washroom,” he handed Penelope his stuff and walked into the closest shop.

As Mako enjoyed her candy, she noticed something peculiar concerning Neo. He looked slightly anxious around the other teachers. He smiled but barely spoke to any of them, Mako understood that those teachers looked intimidating, but he was their colleague, he should comfortable. Mako watched him leave the crowded space all of a sudden. He marched off through the closed off street where no one was handing out candy. Mako saw him leave the street and enter a lonesome building that looked like an Inn of some sorts.

Aiden returned and he assessed Mako’s weary expression. “What’s wrong?”

“Does Neo seem odd to any of you?” she asked.

Aiden and Penelope shared a stare. “Yeah, he does,” said Aiden.

“He seems like a man with many secrets,” remarked Penelope as she peeled open a lollipop. “And someone who keeps a lot of secrets isn’t reliable.”

Mako as she got out of her seat. They two followed Mako after they left their bags of candy hidden behind the bench. Mako, Aiden and Penelope could all hear the rowdy people inside the Inn. So, they knew that they wouldn’t be seen or heard if they entered.

Mako pushed open the door and they were welcomed with a busy restaurant where people ate, drank and then would fall asleep on the beds upstairs.

“He’s right over there,” whispered Penelope.

Neo was sitting in the dark corner of the room with another man they couldn’t quite see. Many shadows covered the pale complexion, but as the kids approached around the large pillar, the strangers voice was most eerie and downright scary.

Aiden got down to his knees and crawled under the table behind Neo. Mako and Penelope followed quickly so they wouldn’t get caught. It didn’t seem like a bad idea at first, but then a group of men came and sat at the table they chose.

“Someone just kicked my tailbone,” hissed Aiden.

Penelope groaned. “Oh! Get this foot off my back.” Someone’s muddy foot was using Penelope as a stool.

“Shhh! I can’t hear them,” said Mako as she got kicked and knocked on the head herself. She tuned in her ears and listened through the commotion.

“What’s taking so long?” asked that raspy, deep voice.

“I’ve almost figured out the curse,” said Neo. “The book was written ages ago and it’s not like I have a translator.”

“We don’t have time,” said the deep voice. “What if the brothers find out?”

“They won’t,” said Neo. “No one suspects a thing.”

Mako, Aiden and Penelope gaped at each other. “This isn’t good,” said Mako.

“Did you hear that?” asked the raspy, deep voice.

“We need to go,” whispered Mako.

Aiden and Penelope crawled out from under the table with Mako and they ran back to their bench. They grabbed their sack of candy and returned to the Square with the teachers and their classmates. They strode through their classmates and teachers pondering over what they just witnessed.

“I don’t think Neo’s up to any good,” said Penelope.

“What could he possibly be planning at Wiggin Academy?” asked Aiden rhetorically. “He would be a fool to mess with the headmaster.”

“He spoke of some curse,” said Mako. “And who was that man he was talking to?”

“Who knows,” said Penelope, “but he didn’t sound any nicer either.”

The entire class was returning to the Square to head back to Wiggin Academy for the night. But supper came first and after all the candy, they were all famished. Everyone returned to the carriage and arrived at Wiggin Academy. Professor Gregor took them to the grand hall where the entire school was present. The hall and school were decorated for the festivities like the Square. Mako, Penelope and Aiden took a seat with the rest of their class to chow down on some meat, stew and loafs of warm bread with butter. With their full tummies, everyone returned to their dorm rooms and went to bed.