The silence was suddenly disturbed by the urgent ringing of the front door bell. Bella looked startled, and in a flurry of temper went out into the hall.
It was after midnight when Rose Murphy discovered that Mia was neither in bed nor anywhere in the house. In a panic, the old woman woke her grandson and they rushed outside. Luckily, her two friends had not yet left and were sitting chatting in Daisy’s ancient Mini that was parked in the driveway. Rose was glad that she had already confided in them her misgivings about Bella Blackwell.
Rory raced out into the back garden, calling Mia’s name, while the three old friends marched purposefully up the driveway to Bella’s house.
‘I’m sure and certain Mia is here!’ proclaimed Rose, ringing the doorbell.
‘Open the door, Bella!’ she demanded. ‘I know Mia is there with you! Give me back my grandchild this instant!’
‘The poor child must be bewitched,’ insisted Ivy Harrington, as the three elderly women stood on the front steps of The Elms, hammering at the wooden door.
‘We must stop this Bella Blackwell woman,’ added Daisy Donovan, her fat cheeks flushed with temper. ‘Who does shethink she is, stealing away your granddaughter, Rose?’
Both Daisy and Ivy had become very agitated, knocking again and again and peering in through the broad, front bay window of the old house.
‘Let her find somebody else!’ said Rose angrily. ‘Mia is my grandchild!’
Much to their surprise, the heavy front door began to swing open, but there was no one holding it. They could see into the empty hall. They stepped cautiously inside, but there was no sign of Mia.
Bella suddenly appeared. She wore a strange coat which was layered with hundreds of fine, multicoloured feathers.
‘A flying coat!’ gasped Ivy.
Rose stood firm, facing the enemy. ‘Give me back the child, Bella Blackwell, and that will be the end of it!’ she demanded, her eyes flashing. ‘She is entrusted to my care by her parents and I’ll not let you harm her.’
Bella Blackwell moved menacingly towards them on her scrawny, birdlike legs. ‘Then you should have kept a better eye on her, shouldn’t you, Grandmother?’
Rose stared into Bella’s eyes, reading the hatred there.
‘Always the three of you together – I’m sorry that I cannot entertain you,’ she cackled wickedly and flew up in the air, up towards the ceiling just above their heads.
Rose grabbed a firm hold of the coat, sending two or three feathers floating to the ground. Bella laughed.
‘Rose, Daisy dear, and Ivy, I do declare that I’m sorry we cannot sit down and be civil and have a nice cup of tea and achat, but you know, I really must … fly!’
‘MIA!’ screamed Rose Murphy at the top of her voice, the sound filling every corner of the old house.
But before Rose had a chance to repeat her granddaughter’s name, Bella’s spell took hold of her and she found herself lying … stiff and thorny, covered in green leaves and fragrant pink blooms. Daisy had become a broad bush in full flower, and Ivy was transformed into a creeper, her tendrils curling along the ground, beside her friends.
‘MIA-A-A-A!’ It was her grandmother’s voice calling her, searching for her, trying to rescue her.
The seriousness of her predicament suddenly struck Mia and she tried to rush out into the hall, and call her granny’s name. But no sound would come from her lips, no matter how hard she tried to shout and scream, and her legs would not move. She stood mute and still and miserable as Bella dealt with the three old women in her own way.
The sorceress returned, her coat flapping, her eyes like black coals.
‘We must go immediately!’ she said sharply, ignoring the tears that welled up in Mia’s eyes. Petrified, the young girl followed her out through the open doors of the glasshouse and into the moonlight. Trig clung nervously to the inside of the huge pocket of Mia’s coat where Bella had placed him. He looked
It was after midnight when Rose Murphy discovered that Mia was neither in bed nor anywhere in the house. In a panic, the old woman woke her grandson and they rushed outside. Luckily, her two friends had not yet left and were sitting chatting in Daisy’s ancient Mini that was parked in the driveway. Rose was glad that she had already confided in them her misgivings about Bella Blackwell.
Rory raced out into the back garden, calling Mia’s name, while the three old friends marched purposefully up the driveway to Bella’s house.
‘I’m sure and certain Mia is here!’ proclaimed Rose, ringing the doorbell.
‘Open the door, Bella!’ she demanded. ‘I know Mia is there with you! Give me back my grandchild this instant!’
‘The poor child must be bewitched,’ insisted Ivy Harrington, as the three elderly women stood on the front steps of The Elms, hammering at the wooden door.
‘We must stop this Bella Blackwell woman,’ added Daisy Donovan, her fat cheeks flushed with temper. ‘Who does shethink she is, stealing away your granddaughter, Rose?’
Both Daisy and Ivy had become very agitated, knocking again and again and peering in through the broad, front bay window of the old house.
‘Let her find somebody else!’ said Rose angrily. ‘Mia is my grandchild!’
Much to their surprise, the heavy front door began to swing open, but there was no one holding it. They could see into the empty hall. They stepped cautiously inside, but there was no sign of Mia.
Bella suddenly appeared. She wore a strange coat which was layered with hundreds of fine, multicoloured feathers.
‘A flying coat!’ gasped Ivy.
Rose stood firm, facing the enemy. ‘Give me back the child, Bella Blackwell, and that will be the end of it!’ she demanded, her eyes flashing. ‘She is entrusted to my care by her parents and I’ll not let you harm her.’
Bella Blackwell moved menacingly towards them on her scrawny, birdlike legs. ‘Then you should have kept a better eye on her, shouldn’t you, Grandmother?’
Rose stared into Bella’s eyes, reading the hatred there.
‘Always the three of you together – I’m sorry that I cannot entertain you,’ she cackled wickedly and flew up in the air, up towards the ceiling just above their heads.
Rose grabbed a firm hold of the coat, sending two or three feathers floating to the ground. Bella laughed.
‘Rose, Daisy dear, and Ivy, I do declare that I’m sorry we cannot sit down and be civil and have a nice cup of tea and achat, but you know, I really must … fly!’
‘MIA!’ screamed Rose Murphy at the top of her voice, the sound filling every corner of the old house.
But before Rose had a chance to repeat her granddaughter’s name, Bella’s spell took hold of her and she found herself lying … stiff and thorny, covered in green leaves and fragrant pink blooms. Daisy had become a broad bush in full flower, and Ivy was transformed into a creeper, her tendrils curling along the ground, beside her friends.
‘MIA-A-A-A!’ It was her grandmother’s voice calling her, searching for her, trying to rescue her.
The seriousness of her predicament suddenly struck Mia and she tried to rush out into the hall, and call her granny’s name. But no sound would come from her lips, no matter how hard she tried to shout and scream, and her legs would not move. She stood mute and still and miserable as Bella dealt with the three old women in her own way.
The sorceress returned, her coat flapping, her eyes like black coals.
‘We must go immediately!’ she said sharply, ignoring the tears that welled up in Mia’s eyes. Petrified, the young girl followed her out through the open doors of the glasshouse and into the moonlight. Trig clung nervously to the inside of the huge pocket of Mia’s coat where Bella had placed him. He looked
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