could ask you about your own boys, I suppose, were that kind of stuff to be known.”
“You all are not going to win, Mrs. McClafferty,” Scroggins said smugly. “We’re closer than you know, and once that treasure is returned to us, my first order of business will be to order a moratorium on all wolves.”
“We’ll see, my dear Mr. Scroggins,” McClafferty replied with a smile. “My family and I have waited too long for this Halloween’s arrival to see defeat at the hand of a disingenuous, would-be bandit masquerading as an elementary school teacher, and his band of ne’er do wells!”
“Your family’s time on this planet is rapidly drawing to an end,” Scroggins retorted, “and I for one am counting the moments until that occasion with the greatest of anticipation.”
“Time will be the ultimate judge then, I suppose, betwixt the two of of us,” Mrs. McClafferty sniffed. “Until then, Mr. Scroggins.”
“Ma’am.” The tall schoolteacher stood aside to let her pass. He smiled grimly to himself. He could only hope to see what her face would look like once she found out what had happened to her prize kestrel, no doubt making its way back to her home right now.
No one would give the encounter the slightest bit of interest, except for the dark eyes looking on from the shadows … dark eyes that understood there was more than routine or chance to the meeting that had just unfolded. The dark specter who had so long ago seen to the safekeeping of Elvira Hanson’s map emerged from the shadows and propelled himself upwards on his gigantic broomstick. His voluminous body was instantly swallowed up by the dark and gathering clouds that had begun to form over the small town of Portersville.
New Challenges
“Goood moorrning Lancers!” the coach’s voice called out to the gathered students in the hall, in a pitiful imitation of Robin Williams’s “Good morning Vietnam!” mantra. “Today’s special assembly will highlight one of the newest clubs here at Mayfield High School, and that’s our Tae Kwon Do Club! Tae kwon do is a time-honored martial arts discipline that can instill stamina, courage and strength in a participant’s soul. We will now have a demonstration from two of our athletes, Ian Samuels and Joel Franklin! Gentlemen?”
Joel Aubrey Franklin could think of about one hundred places he’d rather be right now, and being slammed against the harder-than-they-should-be floor mats by Ian Samuels, new boy in school and all around resident jerk, bully—and most importantly for Joel, rival for Polly Fleming’s affections—was not one of them. But he had promised the coach that he would do this for him and for the Tae Kwon Do Club. Joel prided himself in being a man of his word.
“You’re nothing, Franklin,” Ian whispered into Joel’s ear after each completed takedown. “I am so much better than you in every way imaginable.”
It was hard to dispute that. In addition to being the captain of the Tae Kwon Do team, Ian was tall, dark, the girls all thought he was hot. He was a multisport athlete—football, wrestling and tae kwon do of course—and most impressive of all, he was the owner of a sleek new silver sports car. How any teenager could drive something like that around was absolutely mind boggling for Joel. Most teens Joel knew could barely get their shoes tied and shirts properly buttoned, let alone command a vehicle like that. For Joel, though, Ian was, above all else, a bully. He had seen it at school during gym class. Joel had felt it firsthand, too. Ian never bullied in public. It was when he got you alone, and that’s when he got Joel—and while he was squeezing him, he asserted how much better he was … better, taller, stronger, better looking, just better. Joel had to admit that he was probably right. It must be nice, Joel thought, to be so much better.
And Joel hadn’t thought Polly was that kind of girl either, the kind who were so impressed with shiny new things, the kind who fell for what was clearly just a lot of flash and shine, but here she was running up to greet …
“Ian, you were fantastic!” she gushed. “Your moves were too fast to follow!” She doesn’t even sound like herself, Joel thought. Polly didn’t gush, not ever.
“All in good training, babe,” Ian said.
“You… . uh … did well too, Joel,” Polly said, looking at Joel as he pulled himself up off the floor.
“Hey, I thought for the demonstration we had decided to switch off on aggressor and defender,” Joel said, approaching Ian.
“Yeah, but why mess with something that was going so smoothly?” Ian replied. “It was all for the good of the club anyway, right, Franklin?”
“I guess,” Joel said flatly.
“You know, if I didn’t know any better,” Ian went on snidely, “I’d say you might be looking to show off in front of someone.” He began to shake his head. “The Good Book says that pride goeth before a fall, Franklin, best to remember that. We all can’t be sensei, and it’s just as important to be a good follower.”
First of all, Joel thought, Ian Samuels quoting the Bible to him was like the devil hosting a tea party for the heavenly host; and if anyone was looking to show off in front of Polly, it would be Ian. Joel seethed as he watched Ian stroll away with Polly, his Polly on Ian’s arm … no doubt headed off to his great big shiny silver car. He was so lost in his thoughts that he scarcely heard Ellis Sigler walk up.
“Earth to Joel,” Ellis was saying, “come in, Joel!”
“Oh,” Joel grunted.
“Nice demonstration over there,” Ellis said. “You could give the crash test dummy a run for his money.”
“You’re a funny guy,” Joel said. Ellis followed his friend’s eyes to Ian and Polly, who were talking nearby.
“I think you’re turning a little green, dude,” Ellis said.
“Whatever,” Joel returned.
“Here’s your stuff.” Ellis pushed Joel’s bookbag in his direction.
It had been one year since the momentous events of last year’s Halloween season. For Joel, many of the details had become a bit foggy. He recalled major events, such as how he and the witch Zeldabub had fought the goblin Googamond before the Pearlie Gates, and how they had prevented Googamond from turning last year’s Halloween into a never-ending affair. But there were many things that he was less clear about. Had his younger brother Jasper and Jasper’s best friend Dreyfuss really lost their faces? Had their hometown of Portersville really become overrun with Googamond’s creepy friends? He couldn’t recall as clearly … but everything turned out all right in the end, so maybe it didn’t matter. And with all that had gone on since then, last year seemed seemed eons ago. Tenth grade had come on like a freight train for Joel, upturning his world in a millisecond. Conducting that train, no doubt, was the changed relationship between him and Polly. They had been friends since grade school, until the advent of Ian Samuels to Portersville.
“Hey, are you listening to me?” Ellis asked, touching Joel on the shoulder.
“What?” Joel asked, distracted.
“Your horizons, Joel,” Ellis said, “I said that I think you need to really think about broadening your horizons.”
“What
