The Magic School for the Utterly Hopeless (Completed/First Draft)

Chapter Fifteen

Behind a magic calling box, I stare at the Academy for the Gifted. Boarding students and teachers crowd the windows. All motionless. All turned to stone.

We were supposed to be here tonight getting back at a prank, but now we're here to rescue Peni. This is where the ogre brought him.

'Look, the front entrance is opening,' I say.

Eight ogres stomp out, grunt a few times and begin building a fire right on the front step.

Drat, the front entrance was the only way inside. We checked.

'I guess it's time for another fight,' says Eddy, cracking his neck. 'I'm ready.'

'I don't know,' says Rachel. 'All the commotion may endanger Peni.'

'I agree,' I say. 'We need a distraction. Get the ogres away from the entrance.'

'I'll do it,' says Hank. 'I'll get their attention. And when they come after me, you guys sneak inside.'

Whoa. I can't believe he wants to do this. Actually, I can. Hank's awesome. That's why he's my best friend.

I turn to him and say, 'Be the Knight, Hank. Be the Knight.'

'No,' he says. 'I'll be Peni. He was brave to check the street all by himself.'

'Just don't get caught like him,' says Rachel.

'Ogres may be strong,' says Hank, 'but they're slow as snails. I don't think they'll catch me.' He then gives us a wink and takes off. And as soon as he gets to the academy's open gate, he shouts, waving his hands in the air, 'Hey, you ugos.'

The ogres roar. They then stampede towards Hank and he bolts.

I'm so scared for him right now yet so proud.

When the ogres exit the academy's gate, the rest of us make our way to the entrance.

Fortunately, we don't run into any ogres when we enter. But there are more teachers turned to stone dotting the grand hall.

'Let's see where they lead,' I say, pointing.

Muddy ogre footprints cross the marble floor and continue up the grand staircase.

We follow them, eventually coming to a door. There's a horrendous noise coming from behind it. It sounds like someone's farting into a trumpet.

I open the door just a sliver and see a sleeping ogre in the middle of a classroom. It's snoring.

And behind the teacher's desk, is a cage. Peni's inside.

Opening the door fully, Peni sees us and waves.

We wave back.

I then mouth to Peni, 'Where's the key?'

He shakes his head.

'There it is,' whispers Rachel, pointing up.

It's hooked on a chandelier.

Sheesh, ogres are tall. Can we climb up somehow? What am I thinking? I'll just levitate it off.

'I'll cast Iskaru on the key,' I say.

Okay, you can't mess this up, Mikey. My magic is good. My magic is good. Remember to concentrate.

Imagining the key lifting off the chandelier and floating down, I say, 'Iskaru.'

The key unhooks.

My heart is pounding.

'You're doing it,' Eddy says in a hush next to me.

But then he pats me on my back and I suddenly lose focus.

The key drops to the ground with a loud ping.

The ogre stirs and we all just stand there, hoping he doesn't wake.

It doesn't.

Phew.

I give Eddy the evilest of stares before tiptoeing over to the key. I pick it up and go to the cage.

'I can't believe you came to rescue me,' Peni says softly.

'Of course,' I reply. 'We're friends. We weren't going to leave you with an ogre.'

When Peni's free, we hastily go back outside. And the moment we walk through the gate, Hank sprints out from behind a carriage ticket booth.

Running past us, he puffs, 'These ogres may be slow but they have so much energy.'

In an explosion of splinters, the ticket booth is no more. And in its place? Ogres.

Spells fly. And they all work, too, but they're not strong enough.

Monster ghosts go next but they just seem to tickle the ogres.

Time to run.

We catch up to Hank and are chased down several streets, markets and squares.

'Over there,' I pant, waving my hand towards a sign for the city's zoo. 'We can lose them inside.'

Once there, we jump the turnstiles and rush over to the first door we come to. We bust it open and scramble in.

Did they see us? I hope not.

'Where they go?' I hear one of the ogres slur several seconds later. 'They just in front of us.

'Maybe they vanish. Use magic. Go poof,' replies another.

'Should we tell Great Destroyer?'

'We keep to ourselves. I no want the Great Destroyer to be mad. We go back now.'

YES!

After the beasts leave and their grunts fade to nothing, we creep out from our hiding place.

'Now let's get to the lord's c--' I start.

'Hey, guys,' Rachel bursts out nervously, 'I think there's something on my back.' She slowly turns around.

And she does have something on her back. It's a huge bat.

I then notice a sign on the door we busted down. 'Vampire Bat Enclosure.'

Uh, oh.

The bat hisses before stinking it's fangs into her.