Free Time of the Witch by Mary Downing Hahn

feet digging into Maude's shoulder. "But don't tell your aunt. Grace Randall doesn't believe in witchcraft. She'd never allow you to seek my help. It must be our secret, Laura, ours alone."
    I stared into her eyes, still afraid of her, not sure whether I should trust her or not.
    "You will need to bring a few things with you if I'm to help you," Maude said softly. "You must bring something that belongs to your parents; a picture of the two of them together will do. I will also need something that belongs to. Jason and something of Grace's too. One of her brushes would do nicely. To make a binding spell I must have things from the whole family."
    "Should I bring something of mine?"
    "Yours?" Maude chuckled. "No, no. Just being there will be enough for you, my dear child."
    "How much will it cost? I've got thirty dollars left from my summer spending money."
    "No, no, Laura. I've known your family for a long time, a very long time. Let's say I'm doing this in memory of my friendship with Margaret." She smiled into the darkness behind me and Soot stirred again, ruffling his wings. "Now go on home, Laura dear. I shall expect
you tomorrow night. If you're frightened of walking through the woods in the dark, you may bring Wanda with you, but no one else is to know, not even Annabelle." Maude stepped off the road onto a narrow path I hadn't noticed before and waved her stick at me. "Good night, my dear. I shall look forward to your visit tomorrow night."
    As the shadows closed around Maude, I ran up the road toward home, my heart pounding with fear.

Chapter 10
    When I got home, Aunt Grace was sitting on the front steps waiting for me.
    "Where have you been Laura? I expected you back over an hour ago." She smiled at me. "I was afraid something had snatched you away."
    I stood at the bottom of the steps, looking up at her, feeling uncomfortable about the promise I'd made to Maude. "I'm sorry. I forgot all about the time. We were watching TV and talking and stuff, you know." I edged up the steps, wanting to get past her and into the house, then upstairs to the privacy of my room.
    Aunt Grace patted the step next to her. "Why don't you sit down and join me for a while? It's such a lovely night. Just smell the honeysuckle, Laura, and look at all those stars." Aunt Grace hugged her knees, her face soft and young in the moonlight.
    "I was thinking of going up to bed," I said hesitantly. "I'm kind of tired tonight. But I guess I could sit for a little while." Uneasily I dropped down on the step next to her, wishing I could just run upstairs and pull the covers over my head.
    "Did you run all the way home? You're out ot breath." Aunt Grace smoothed my hair, and I flinched, remembering the touch of Maude's bony hand. "You weren't scared, were you?"
    I shook my head and we sat quietly for a while, listening to the crickets and gazing across the valley at the mountains, silvery and unreal in the moonlight.
    "How's Annabelle?" Aunt Grace asked.
    "Oh, she's okay. She and Charlene were getting set to watch a horror film."
    "I hate scary movies," Aunt Grace said.
    "Some of them aren't so bad. And most of them are too dumb to be scary."
    "Real life is scary enough for me."
    I stared at her, surprised. "What are you scared of?"
    Aunt Grace smiled. "I've got my share of little fears hidden away, Laura. Everybody does."
    I knew I did and I knew Jason did. He never even tried to hide his. And Wanda was scared of the dark and Maude and horror movies and who knew what else? But it was hard to imagine Aunt Grace afraid. Unlike Mom, she seemed brave, ready to face anything.
    "I thought Mom was the coward of the family," I said, "not you. She was nervous every single night here. She kept locking the doors and closing the curtains and turning on lights. You never even bother with stuff like that."
    Aunt Grace got up and I followed her into the house. "Your Mom got married and she had you and Jason," she said as I paused at the foot of the stairs. "That's