SUSANNAH STEWART | PUMPKIN JACK, BLOODY BONES, AND THE BAD CHILDREN, PART EIGHT

Sherlock to the Rescue

The brave little dog attacks Pumpkin Jack and Bloody Bones

Synopsis of Parts One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, and Seven

Pumpkin Jack has a plan to save himself and a reluctant Bloody Bones from life as Halloween decorations and to become fierce monsters once more. The other Halloween decorations, Agatha and Phineas Greystone, Ambrose and Oscar Swopes, Jacky O, and Dracula lecture, mock, and plead with Pumpkin Jack to accept his fate. Enraged, he threatens everyone and plans to use the children who visit the cottage in his scheme to get his power back. He knows he can feed on the cruelty in Muffy and Buffy Haynes and Vance Parker and the fear he can create in Melanie and Charlie Harrison. He unwisely ignores the threat posed by Susannah Stewart. Penelope gives the children permission to visit the attic, though she knows Pumpkin Jack is up to something. She sends her little dog, Sherlock, to watch after them. Pumpkin Jack traps the children in the attic.

In the heat of battle, heroes emerge, sometimes from the most unlikely of sources. Brian Herbert

Melanie and Charlie watched the attic door slowly shut. Along with Muffy, Buffy, and Vance, they will be trapped inside, at the mercy of Pumpkin Jack and Bloody Bones, who suddenly seemed very much alive.

Charlie thought he saw something connecting Muffy to Pumpkin Jack. He felt the energy from the two pulsing stronger with the triumphant smile on Pumpkin Jack’s face reflected on Muffy’s as she drew closer and closer to him. Charlie smelled burning wood, saw a wild flame, leaping, looking. It’s hunting for me, he realized, horrified and helpless.

Sherlock eased up to the slightly gaping attic door, and nosing it further open, went inside. He saw the threat to the children and went into action. Fiercely barking, Sherlock rushed at Pumpkin Jack and Bloody Bones, darting wildly back and forth, nipping at their feet. Pumpkin Jack and Bloody Bones were afraid to move while Sherlock was barking, snarling, growling.

Sherlock’s attack broke Pumpkin Jack’s hold on Muffy. She backed away, and the others followed. Then everyone except Charlie rushed for the door.

Muffy, Buffy, Vance, and Melanie tore out of the attic, pushing and shoving in a mad stampede to escape. The first three went running out the front door, past Penelope, without a by your leave or word of explanation while Melanie could only gasp, “Please see about Charlie.”

Charlie felt a soaring sense of joy and relief as he saw Sherlock holding off Pumpkin Jack and Bloody Bones. Seeing the others had already fled, he called Sherlock and turned to leave. Then he hesitated because he had the oddest feeling that Jacky O and Dracula were trying to tell him something. He concentrated, and it suddenly came to him.

The two of them wished Charlie not to run away but to stand and stare at the villainous duo. No, not just stare. He was to laugh and keep laughing. Ridicule would weaken the pair just as the fear and worship had strengthened them. He was still frightened, but he knew he had to try. It helped that plucky, courageous Sherlock was by his side. He started talking to encourage himself.

“That’s right, Sherlock. They’re not scary, just big goofy decorations, did you ever see anything so funny?”

At first, forcing himself to laugh was hard, but as Sherlock yapped and scampered, the laughter became genuine. Charlie continued laughing until he doubled over, with his stomach aching and tears running down his cheeks.

When at last, he stopped and looked again, the fiendish pair seemed strangely diminished, smaller, and nearly colorless with none of the perilous animation he had seen before.

“Come on, Sherlock. We can go downstairs now. I have to hurry. No telling what kind of wild tale Melanie is telling our parents. And I need to visit Susannah Stewart before I head home!”

Giving a last look and friendly wave to Jacky O and Dracula, Charlie left the attic and went downstairs to tell Penelope what happened.

Sherlock accompanied him, but first, aware of how very disobedient he was being but proceeding nevertheless, he hiked his leg and gave Pumpkin Jack and Bloody Bones a brief but explicit reminder of his low opinion of the pair.

To Be Continued Daily Through Halloween

Part one

Part two

Part three

Part four

Part five

Part six

Part seven