Free The Broken Spell by Erika McGann Page A

weeds flying in her wake. Then, soaring up into a wide back-flip , she lowered herself gently to the ground.
    ‘Brilliant!’ Ms Gold was clapping feverishly. ‘Absolutely brilliant! You’re fearless, Jenny, just fearless.’ She cupped Jenny’s face in her hands. ‘A true witch.’
    Jenny blushed and grinned up at the golden teacher’s smile.
    Grace was silent as they trudged home through the woods. She felt physically sick after the shock of watching Jenny fall, and every time her friend laughed and joked about it she fought the urge to reach out and slap her. She hurried past Ms Gold and the others, afraid she might actually throw up.
    ‘You okay?’ Una said, catching up to her.
    ‘Fine.’
    ‘You don’t look fine. You’re really white.’
    Grace bit back tears and kept walking.
    ‘Is it because Jenny’s doing really well at the magic stuff?’ said Una. ‘You don’t have to worry about that.
You’re
good at loads of stuff. And you’ll get better, we all will. Sure, look at me. I spent the whole lesson with my feet in the air!’
    ‘Una, it’s not that–’
    Grace stopped suddenly. She could hear something in the distance. It was getting closer. A metallic sound.
    Clickety-click-click
    Clickety-click-click
    ‘Do you hear that?’ said Grace. ‘Sounds like a train.’
    Una shook her head.
    ‘It’s getting closer.’
    Clickety-click-click
    Clickety-click-click
    ‘Oh no!’
    ‘Grace? No, it can’t be.’ Una put her hands to her face and kept shaking her head.
    ‘Una, I’m scared.’ She reached out to grab her friend, but suddenly the sound was upon her.
    Clickety-click-click
    Clickety-click-click
    Grace squinted against the bright flash of light and the thunderous foghorn blast, covering her ears as she fell to her knees. When she opened her eyes, she was alone in the dark.
    The air was cold and she was breathing mist. She could feel the crackling of twigs and leaves beneath her as she slowly got to her feet. The woods were so quiet even her breath seemed too loud. She fought to slow her breathing and mute the sound, but that made the silence even worse. Stepping in the direction of the school, she winced at the noise she made. It seemed like every creature in the woods was listening to her, watching her. In the dim light of the stars even the trees looked sinister, stretching their black branches out to catch her hair and scratch her skin. She remembered her frightening experience in the stone house, when she had waited in the dark for the trapped souls that had whispered andscreamed. Alone in the derelict bungalow, she remembered the punches coming out of nowhere, invisible hands and fists that beat her and drew blood.
    Grace moved as quickly as she dared. But as she neared the edge of the woods there was a flicker of movement to her right. She froze. There, not too far from her, was something blacker than the dark. She stared and stared until… there, it moved again. It wasn’t an animal. Its surface was black and glossy. A black slicker. With a hood.
    Grace ran. She ran as if her life depended on it. The entrance to the woods was just ahead of her. Beyond that she could see the outline of the school building. She could hear the Mirrorman behind her. His feet pounded in time with hers, his breathing was loud and coarse. His slicker made a
shish shish
sound as he chased her.
    Her legs were burning as she rounded the school gates. Through the glass corridor there was a hint of light. There was someone still in the school. If she could get there, she’d be safe.
    There was a grunt in his breathing now as they sprinted towards the door. Grace ignored the increasing pain in her legs and smacked through the doorway, turning just in time to avoid his grasping hand, and bolting towards the light.
    The light was coming from the library. As she burst through the door, she threw a glance over her shoulder.
    Nothing. He was gone.
    ‘This isn’t a game,’ a voice was saying from deep inside the