The Stone Witch (2 page)

“I have bad news for you,” said Mr Blood. “Strong witches can cheat death. They put their magic into something else before they die.

“They stay dead for seven years. Then, if their magic is strong enough, they start to take life from other people. The witch comes back to life in a new shape. And she comes back with even more power than before.”

The villagers began to panic.

Dr Hawkins looked pale. “What can we do?” he asked.

“If you do nothing, she will feed on you, and grow stronger,” said Mr Blood. “She will soon come back to life in her new shape. Then she will open the cave herself.”

 

“So you have two choices,” said Mr Blood. “You can do nothing and let her come back. Or you can let me open the cave now. Then I will try to stop her.”

Some of the people shouted, “Kill her!”

“We do not want her to come back to life,” said Dr Hawkins. “Please try to stop this now.”

“Very well,” said Mr Blood. “But I warn you, there will be a curse on the tomb. When I open the cave, the curse will start to act. I don't know what will happen. But I am sure it will be bad.

“Now, I will need some help to shift this stone slab.”

Nobody moved.

Nobody wanted to help open the tomb.

Mr Blood sighed. “Someone, please get me a stick.”

A very old man stepped forward. He had a long thick piece of wood in his hand.

“Use this,” the old man said, handing the stick to Mr Blood.

“I will help you,” said Dr Hawkins.

He and Mr Blood placed the stick into a gap behind the slab. They pulled on the stick.

The slab began to move. It fell away from the pile of rocks and slid down the slope. It made a wild screech as it fell.

Then there was silence.

 

 

Mr Blood walked into the open tomb. Mary stepped forward to follow him. Edgar grabbed her arm.

“Are you mad?” he hissed. “Did you not hear the story?”

Mary pushed his hand away. “Don't you want to see what's inside?” she said. She went into the tomb.

Dr Hawkins looked at Edgar. They were both worried. Slowly, they went into the cave.

There were lots of strange objects on ledges along the walls of the cave.

Edgar saw small bottles of red liquid, and ugly little carvings made out of bone.

They walked on. Edgar was too scared to breathe.

They reached the back of the cave. There was nothing there.

Edgar sighed with relief and put his hand against one of the walls.

Above him, something slipped and crashed to the floor.

Everyone jumped.

Edgar gave a shout of terror and pointed. The thing that had fallen was a human skull.

 

They all looked up. There were more bones lying on a ledge above them. And there was a rough stone statue of a witch. Words were carved on the rock under the ledge.

Tick tock

Tick tock

Bone to stone

Stone to bone

“What does that mean?” asked Dr Hawkins.

“The witch put her magic in that statue,” said Mr Blood. “We must destroy the statue to stop her.”

“But the statue is made of stone!” said Edgar. “How can we destroy it?”

Mr Blood didn't have time to reply. They heard shouts of fear from outside the cave. They ran out into the light.

The villagers were all standing around the very old man. He was sitting on the ground. A woman began to scream.

Edgar looked closer, and gasped with horror. The old man had turned to stone.

 

“What is going on?” shouted Dr Hawkins.

Edgar looked over at him. Dr Hawkins seemed much older.

“What is it?” Mary asked Mr Blood.

Mr Blood turned to face Edgar and Mary. His face seemed older too.

“Are you alright?” said Edgar.

There was more screaming. “The witch is coming for us!” howled one woman.

Another old man had turned to stone.

The people began to run back down the slope.

“Time is passing too fast!” said Mary.

Edgar looked over at her. She was standing next to Mr Blood.

Mr Blood looked old. He was stooping. But Mary had grown. She was almost as tall as Mr Blood.