Free Spirits and Spells by Bruce Coville

true—”
    â€œThen the house is sealed, and we won’t be able to leave,” finished Denise, her voice husky with fear.
    â€œOh,” said Jenny softly.
    â€œThe first thing we should do is check that out,” said Travis. He looked around the table. “Derek, Matt …”
    â€œNo,” said Tansy. “All of us.”
    Travis nodded. “All right—let’s go.”
    Grimly the group stood and left the room. As they walked down the hallway, Tansy kept telling herself that they would simply go down to the main floor, open the door, and leave. They’d get a little wet in the storm, but other than that nothing would happen.
    They descended the stairs in wary silence, traveling two by two, with the creature bringing up the rear.
    When they reached the foyer, Travis went to the door.
    It wouldn’t open.
    After rattling the knob several times, Travis turned to Jenny. “Maybe you’d better try.”
    â€œMe?” she asked, looking puzzled.
    â€œWell, you do have spells for opening locks.”
    She blinked in surprise, then nodded. But nothing she could do would cause the door to open, either.
    â€œProbably the spell that sealed the house is stronger than the spells she was given to deal with locks,” said Denise.
    â€œWell, one of my powers is extraordinary strength,” said Derek. With that, he hurled himself at the door. It actually bulged outward—then snapped back, flinging him across the room.
    Tansy could feel a palpable fear rising in her chest. This was getting weirder by the second. “Are there any other doors?” she asked, her voice little more than a husky whisper.
    â€œOne in the kitchen, and one that leads out from the cellar,” Travis replied.
    â€œLet’s go,” said Matt.
    Derek and Jenny led the way, retracing their earlier path.
    To no one’s surprise, the kitchen door was sealed as firmly as the one in the foyer.
    They all eyed the cellar door nervously. It was their last chance.
    â€œWell, here goes,” whispered Travis. A shout of joy went up when he turned the knob and the door swung open.
    Their exultation quickly turned to terror.
    On the other side of the door was not the cellar, but a vast cavern. Shining their flashlights into it, they saw stalagmites and stalactites, strange rock formations, and something gray and shiny that looked like a giant fungus. In the distance they could hear a river.
    Jenny began to cry.
    â€œHome!” cried the creature.
    Tansy jumped. She had almost forgotten it was with them.
    â€œThat’s fine for you,” said Derek. “But it doesn’t help the rest of us much.”
    The creature made a scornful sound. “And if that had been a way out for you, were you planning to stay and help me find a way home?” it asked.
    Tansy felt a twinge of guilt.
    â€œI thought not,” said the creature, when no one spoke. “However, unlike you, I have every intention of seeing this thing through. Home can wait. It’s not much of a home anyway—though as much of one as I am ever likely to have now. But as I told you, I have some old scores to settle.”
    It was a much subdued group that gathered back in the library. Fear seemed to have drained their energy. Derek and Jenny stood by the door. Jenny, clinging to Derek, was weeping quietly. Noting that several of the candles had again gone out, Denise began to relight them. Travis and Tansy were whispering together, while Charity stood beside them, listening intently. The creature squatted in the center of the room, plucking books from the shelves with its tentacles and leafing through the pages as if it might find some answer in there.
    Outside, the storm continued to rage.
    â€œThis is crazy!” cried Matt. He was pacing back and forth by the windows. “We’re just sitting here like a bunch of idiots. There has to be a way out!” He looked at the others. Tansy