The Moving Castle: Howl's Moving Castle

Chapter 7

Gasping awake for real this time, Delacy glanced up at the stairs as she heard a bedroom door close. Turning towards to where Calcifer sat, she didn't have to ask the fire-demon if Howl had just returned, but she did so anyway.

"Calcifer, did Howl just get back?" She asked slipping away from the mattress on the floor, before walking towards the demon.

"Yeah, and he looks terrible!" Exclaimed Calcifer, glowing brighter. "You have to figure out how to break that spell on us and quick! Howl's running out of time!"

"You mean he's going to become a monster. Is that what you mean?" Delacy spoke with a glare, she knew this. She knew exactly what was happening to Howl because when she was the king's beast this was her fate. Losing her magic had been a blessing in some way, she wouldn't have to worry about becoming a beast anymore. But, the one thing she didn't know was how to break the curse that Howl and Calcifer are under.

"I can't tell you the details of the curse, lady. You should know that by now, come on!" Calcifer spoke with a roll of his flaming eyes.

"You know what Madame Sulaiman said to me?" Delacy whispered leaning down over Calcifer, she watched as the demon shrunk and hid behind his log. "She said that Howl's heart was stolen by a demon, you wouldn't know which demon would that be? Tell me now, what do you know?"

"I'm so sorry," Apologise Calcifer with a mocking and coy tone, as he unhid himself from the safety of his log. "But that would be confidential information."

"What if I throw a bucket of ice-cold water on you?" Delacy threatens with a glare, as he placed her hands on her hips. "Will that make you talk?"

"If you drown me! Howl will die too!" Calcifer yelp out.

"Hmm," Was all Delacy replied, turning away from Calcifer, she looked up at the stairs as her mind flooded with many different thoughts.

*****

When morning came, Sophie wandered out of the castle when it had stopped on top of a small cliff. Overlooking the Folding Valley, Sophie allowed her mind delve into the deep and serious thoughts about what had happened the previous day. But she soon looked over her shoulder when she began to hear the approach of the familiar 'bounce' of Turnip Head.

"Hi, Turnip Head," Sophie greeted the scare-crow. Turning to look at the castle, another thought entered Sophie's mind. The plane that was lodged in the castle and how she was going to get it out. "This isn't going to be easy."

It was almost noon when Sophie, Delacy, Markl, Calcifer, Turnip Head, and even Heen went to work to try and unlodge the plane out of the castle. With a rope attached around the plane, Markl, Turnip Head and Heen were outside with the end of it. Delacy and Sophie were inside, both women were on either side of the plane as they got ready to shove it out of the castle.

"Kay, ready!" They heard Markl scream from outside.

"Okay! Calcifer open it wider!" Sophie ordered the fire demon as she moves to the other side of the plane. "Okay, here we go!"

"Urg-ah!" Delacy groaned and snarled as she and Sophie tried to push the heavy machinery out of the living room.

The plane was stubborn and wouldn't move, Delacy could feel a small drop of sweat begin to build on her forehead, but she still continued to push the plane, even though her actions were futile.

"Ugh!" Grunted Sophie, tired and annoyed, she took a step back from the plane. " I said move!" And with that, she kicked the plane. "Come on!"

It almost seems that magic was transferred from Sophie and to the plane when the old woman kicked the plane. Because the machine's papilla began to spin as its motor roared to life, it wasn't long before it launched out of the castle and towards Markl, Turnip Head and Heen. Gasping, Delacy watched with a gaped mouth as the plane headed towards a screaming Markl who ran away and hid behind a boulder with Heen and Turnip Head not too far from them. When the plane stopped and became silent as it turned off, Markl, Heen and Turnip Head moved away from the boulder as Markl began to laugh a full-belly laugh.