Elisa Button and the Nightwalker

Chapter 10

"Elisa, you're awake?"

Elisa opened her eyes and saw Lizzie gazing down at her.

"Lizzie, w-what happen?" Elisa wanted to know.

Sophie appeared by Lizzie's side. "You passed out for a few moments," she told her.

Elisa leaped to her feet. "Oh, no, Philbert," she cried.

"It's okay, Elisa, I'm fine."

Elisa looked over to see Philbert back to being his young self standing in between Mary and Nightmare.

"I'm better than fine," the ogre said as he flexed his muscles.

"When the nightwalker exploded it unleashed the life energy it had adsorbed and it went back into its original hosts," Mary explained."

"Unfortunately that include the Shadow Witch," Nightmare said with a snort.

"What did she do?" Elisa asked.

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "You know, she spouted off the same old bad guy cliches and flew away."

"So, the nightwalker is destroyed," Elisa said solemnly. "I wanted to help it."

"But you did," Mary said softly.

Just then Elisa noticed that all her fellow witches and Philbert were smiling. Even Pogo who peered from behind Philbert's left leg had a slight smile.

"Not all of the nightwalker have exploded," Sophie said. She and Lizzie stepped aside and standing behind them was a girl with black hair and a dark complexion who stared at Elisa with red eyes.

"Are you the nightwalker?" Elisa asked the girl.

"I was," the girl replied.

"Are you angry?"

"No," she said bluntly. "I'm indebted to you?"

Elisa's eyes become round with surprise. "Indebted? To me?"

"Yes, Elisa. I've existed since before time itself. I've witnessed the birth of the universe. Seen the dinosaurs walked the Earth. Watched man leave the sea to walk on land. Yes, Elisa, I witnessed the evolution of your world, but now I can take part in it. I have been around since the beginning, but this is the first time I've ever truly lived and for that, Elisa, I would always be grateful."

"First you're going to need a new name," Lizzie told her. "I mean, we can't keep calling you the nightwalker anymore."

"I agree," the former nightwalker said.

"Why don't we let Elisa decide what her name should be?" Philbert suggested. "Afterall, she gave me my name."

Everyone turned to Elisa.

It did not take Elisa long to decide the perfect name for her. "We can call her Eve," she said."Because she is the first of her kind."

"Then Eve it is," the former nightwalker said approvingly.

"Eve, you're welcome to stay at the Witch Academy until you get settled," Sophie offered.

"Thanks," Eve replied, "but no thank. I want to travel the world. Meet new people. Feel the grass beneath my feet."

"Excuse me, Miss Eve," Philbert said nervously, "but may me and Pogo join you."

Pogo burped in agreement.

"Of course you can," Eve said happily. "I'd be glad to have someone with me so I wouldn't have to be alone."

So off they went. A former nightwalker, a friendly ogre, and a frog turned girl, in search of fun and adventure.