Free Wand of the Witch by Daniel Arenson Page B

field and bounced back.
    "Hello, Bullies," said the figure in the shadows. Romy kicked the fireball forward, and Jamie saw the witch.
    She was a young, beautiful woman with golden hair and ghostly white skin. She wore black robes and a pointy hat.
    "So you're Dry Bones's daughter," Jamie said. "I'll enjoy killing you like we killed him."
    She thrust her sword. Madrila swung her wand, and blue light flew. The light slammed against the sword, parrying like a ghostly blade. Lightning flew from Madrila's other hand, slammed into Jamie's chest, and pain exploded.
    Jamie fell. The world spun. Romy leaped, wings flapping, and tried to bite Madrila. The witch snarled, pointed her wand, and shot black lightning. The bolts hit Romy, tossing her against the ceiling. The demon grunted and crashed onto a table, breaking jars and bottles.
    "Romy!"
    Jamie snarled and leaped up. Before she could attack Madrila, the door opened. Grunters rushed into the room, grunting and snapping their teeth. Jamie swung her sword, spraying green blood. Romy leaped off the table, shook her head wildly, and leaped toward the creatures.
    Madrila smiled and pointed her wand at Jamie. Green light blazed. Jamie parried. The spell bounced off her blade and hit a grunter. The creature froze, then puffed up. Fur sprouted across it, bright green. It suddenly looked like a giant fluff ball. It squeaked miserably.
    "Ooh, fluffy!" Romy said, distracted from the battle.
    Smiling crookedly, Madrila aimed her wand at Romy. Light flew and hit the demon. Romy froze, eyes widening. With a puff , orange fur sprouted across her. She became a ball of orange fluff, a good six feet in diameter.
    "I feel fluffy!" Romy said, her voice now high pitched and squeaky. "Jamie, want to pat my fur?"
    Jamie didn't. She ran toward Madrila and thrust her sword. But Madrila was too fast. She shot her wand at Jamie, and the light hit her chest.
    Jamie froze and growled.
    Oh bloody hell.
    With a pop, she turned into a giant, pink ball of fluff. She could barely see through the fur covering her; it felt like living inside a dandelion.
    "Ooh, you're pretty now, Jamie," said the orange fluff ball. "But I wish I were pink too. Pink is my favorite color."
    Madrila placed her hands on her hips and smiled crookedly. "My my, look what's become of the brave heroines." She tapped her fingers against her thigh. "Let me see, what shall I do now? Burn you two? Sew you into sweaters? Or maybe... maybe I will use you as bait." She nodded. "Yes, I like that. Bait for more Bullies."
    Jamie couldn't tell for sure, but it seemed like Romy was pouting.
    "But I want to be a sweater," fluffy Romy whined.
    Jamie tried to swing her sword, but couldn't even see it; the weapon drowned in her fur. She tried to charge toward Madrila, but ended up only rolling. The chamber spun around her, and when Jamie screamed, only a squeak came out.
    Madrila laughed cruelly. "Grunters," she said, "roll these two downstairs and stuff them into cages. I'll have more use for them later."
    The grunters rolled Jamie onto a staircase. She squeaked as they rolled her downstairs. The house spun around her. Romy was rolling downstairs behind her, crying for joy.
    "Faster!" the demon said. "Faster!"
    Soon Jamie and Romy rolled into the basement. Cages filled the place, creatures inside them. Jamie saw a toad in one cage, a monkey in another, and two piglets in a third. Other cages were cloaked in shadows. The grunters rolled Jamie and Romy into one cage and locked its door. Laughing and grunting, the grunters stepped back upstairs.
    Jamie shuddered, her fur twitching. Romy's fur pressed up against her.
    "Jamie, do you want to play marbles?" Romy asked.
    Jamie roared in rage, but it sounded only like a puppy yapping. "Romy, we are turned into balls of fluff. We are locked in a witch's basement. How on earth are we going to play marbles?"
    "But I'm bored !" Romy said.
    With a sigh, Jamie huddled closer to Romy, so that their fur mingled. At least