Hocus Pocus with a Twist

Chapter Five

We ran and ran until we got to the cemetery. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Come on, this is a graveyard." Max said, clearly annoyed with the cat.

"It's hallowed ground. Witches can't set foot here." The black cat said, stepping through the gate.

Allison looked at Max confused, "He talks." I said, answering for him.

"Follow me!" He called for us. We walked through the gate and a shiver went down my spine. "Over here. I want to show you something." He said, leading us to a grave. "Give you an idea of exactly what we're dealing with."

"'William Butcherson'? 'Lost soul'?" Max asked, reading off the stone.

"Billy Butcherson was Winifred's loved. But she found him sporting with her sister, Sarah. So she poisoned him and sewed his mouth shut with a dull needle, so he couldn't tell her secrets, even in death." The cat Relayed. Dani looked at me worried. "Winifred always was the jealous type."

"You're Thackery Binx." Allison said, connecting the dots.

"Yes." Thackery sighed.

"So the legends are true." Allison smiled in satisfaction.

"Well, come along." Thackery said, leading us away. "I want to show you something else." Dani and Max grabbed my hands and drug me with them.

Thackery brought us to a grave of a little girl, Emily Binx, Thackery's sister. "Because of me, my little sister's life was stolen." Max looked down and Dani gripped tighter on my hand. "For years I waited for my life to end, so I could be reunited with my family. But, Winifred's curse of immortality kept me alive. Then one day I figured out what to do with my eternal life. Now, I'd failed Emily, but I wouldn't fail again. When Winifred and her sisters returned, I'd be there to stop them. So for three centuries, I've guarded their house on All Hallows' night, when I knew some airhead virgin might light that candle." Thackery finished and we all glared at Max.

"Nice going, airhead." Dani spat.

"Hey, look, I'm sorry, okay?" Max apologized. He walked off but turned around and said, "We are talking about three ancient hags versus the 20th century. How bad can it be?" He asked.

"Bad." Thackery replied. Allison then opened the spell book. "Stay out of there!" Thackery shouted.

"Why?" Allison questioned.

"It holds Winifred's most dangerous spells. She must not get it." He warned.

"Well, let's torch the sucker." Max said, snatching the book and holding the lighter up to it. The flame went away from the book instead of burning it and it slightly burned Max, making him close it.

"It's protected by magic." Thackery said though it was quite obvious.

We hear the cackling on all too familiar laughs and we turn to look up. Max grabs my hand and pulls me to him as I grab Dani.

"It's just a bunch of hocus-Pocus." Winnie mocked from her broom. "Sarah." She pointed to her right. "Mary." She pointed to her left.

"Max!" I gasp as we start quickly backing away.

"Brave little virgin who lit the candle. I'll be thy friend." Sarah said, flying towards us. Max grabbed tight hold of me and Allison with Dani and we backed away quicker.

Allison then pushed Dani gently towards me. As I grabbed hold of her, Allison grabs a branch and starts swing it at Sarah. "Hey, take a hike." She says, hitting Sarah, who flies away slightly.

We duck back down by the rock we were at as Winnie calls for her book that is still lying on the ground. Thackery then jumps on it, enabling it to fly to her. "'Fraid not!" He yelled.

"Thackery Binx, thou mangy feline." She said in her high, shrill voice. "Still alive?" She mocked.

"And waiting for you." He shot back.

"Thou has waited in vain, and thou will fail to save thy friends, just as thou failed to save thy sister!" She cut him with her knife for a tongue.

Thackery then hissed at her as she squealed at him. "Grab the book!" Thackery yelled as Max grabbed it. We rushed and ran following behind Thackery. We were met by Mary but she was too clumsy and missed us.

"They can't touch us here, right?" I asked to be reassured.

"Well they can't." He said. I looked down at him with my mouth slightly open.

"I don't like the way you said that." Dani said, taking the words from my mouth.

"Unfaithful lover long since dead." Winnie recited. Allison grabbed Dani and Max hugged me tightly. "Deep asleep in thy wormy bed. Wiggle thy toes, open thine eyes, twist thy fingers toward the sky. Life is sweet, be not shy. On thy feet, so sayeth I!" She yelled. The graves began to dance like the floor. Max then held onto me and grabbed Allison who had Dani and got us out of the way as a coffin rose from the ground.

The graves stopped dancing. I moved my hair out of my face to see what would happen. Suddenly the coffin that rose broke open and a fist came out and soon a head. The body of Billy rose. He shook the dirt from his hair and looked to us. We screamed so loud I felt like I wouldn't be able to hear ever again. We all stood up and ran as fast as our legs could carry us. He looked back to his tombstone and sighed that he had been risen.

We followed Thackery through trees and fallen down moss. "In here!" He yelled charging into a hole. Dani followed, then me, then Allison, and finally Max with the book.