The Ball of Balls

Chapter 22

Arriving at the devil's trap, Miles and Rey noticed that something in the room had changed. Barbara Bushtroll sat in the circle of the devil's trap and on each of the five points of the star an altar had risen.

''So you have completed your task, what now, you ask,'' Barbara said, eyes white again.

Taytay rolled his eyes and said with an irritated voice: ''Ugh, she is still here.''

''Ignore her,'' Miles said. ''Put the artefacts down.'' Miles started to puzzle where each artefact was supposed to be and grabbed them from his pockets. He also took off his cap to get the tiara.

''The chosen one from the prophecy, wow! It was someone we know!'' Barbara whispered quietly. Rey looked suspiciously at Barbara and had the tendency to perform an exorcism, while she took the hourglass and the sphinx from Miles. Miles and Rey looked at the vague symbols on the altars. It took a while before they found out which object was supposed to lay on which altar. They placed the artefacts on their places and they clicked.

''DON'T, YOU POOR SOUL, I SAY STRICT! DON'T LET YOUR FINGER BE PRICKED-'' Barbara screamed, but she was interrupted by the loud sound of the wall opening behind her.

Behind the opened wall was a little chAmy with a chest in the middle. A big lock was on it. Next to the chest stood a spinning wheel and above it hung a sign. Miles came closer and read the sign: ''Who wants to take home the treasure has to pay with iron and blood.''

''Uhm... Wat?'' Miles said, while looking at Rey for a response. Rey looked dubiously at her sword, carefully placed it next to the spinning wheel and said: ''Iron...''

''Oh, I get it... and blood,'' Miles finished and, as if in slow-motion, walked to the spinning wheel to pricked his finger on the spindle.

''STOP!'' Taytay shouted in fear after finishing Barbara's rhyme in his head. But it was too late. Miles had pricked his finger and had fallen down on the ground. ''NOOOOOOOOOOOO!'' Taytay exclaimed. ''Now I will never become a real fairy!''

The chest opened and the golden ring became visible. Rey picked it up and said: ''Finally, after all those years. After all that hard work. The ring.''

Barbara Bushtroll said slowly: ''In the hands of the right the ring will cause delight. In the hands of evil it will cause upheaval.''

''I know your plan, Rey. I saw the pictures in your cabin! You want to destroy the ring. But please don't do it! I beg you! It's my only chance to become a fairy,'' Taytay said pathetically. Taytay did his best to look at Rey with puppy dog eyes, but he failed miserably.

''Like the troll said, the ring can't fall into the wrong hands,'' Rey responded and she ran out of the cave.

Taytay tried to shake Miles awake, but he didn't succeed. He looked desperately at Barbara, but then thought of a plan. ''I have to get Dean!'' Taytay shouted and he teleported away with full confidence.