27. Upon a Wooden Steed He Rides

Chapter 27

Upon a Wooden Steed He Rides

H ugo leaned forward on the broomstick. His chin was inches from the hickory handle. His hair blew wildly, and his face had become wind burned. He pulled back on the handle, beckoning Galahad to climb higher and higher. They flew past the town center with blazing speed. The townsfolk gazed up at the sight of a person riding a broomstick flash by in an instant. Many seemed to questioned if that’s what they actually saw before returning to their daily routines.

Hugo flew across Wildgrove Park. His eyes frantically searched for any signs of Alice beneath the treetops below. Their branches swayed back and forth to conceal their secrets. Hugo and Galahad climbed higher to see more. The number of trees expanded before them.

They flew past the clearing where months before he had learned to fly Galahad. They traced his normal walking path, searching for any signs of Alice. Hugo only saw the budding limbs of trees.

They stopped. Hugo sat up, scanning as much of the park as possible. His head moved from spot to spot, searching for any signs of movement. His breathing intensified—short, rapid breaths in and out. His nostrils flared, trying desperately to let in as much air as possible. His thoughts traced back to the last words he said to her—words that couldn’t be unsaid and would haunt him for eternity.

Elizabeth, help me find her. Please help me find her, Hugo thought .

There was only silence.

“I don’t see her,” Hugo said to Galahad.

It spun around in slow circles, giving Hugo enough time to continue his search. His heart thumped against his chest; the rhythm increased with each passing second. He held his breath for a moment and closed his eyes.

The rhythmic beats of the heart monitor filled the room. It was dark. Only the soft glow of an overhead light above Elizabeth’s bed illuminated the area. An oxygen tube was placed in her nose. Wires connected to heart monitor leads crisscrossed her body before disappearing under her hospital gown. She wore a purple knit hat on her head; her vibrant auburn hair was a distant memory. Her face was sunken and skeletal. Her breath grew shallower with every passing moment. Hugo held Elizabeth’s frail hand as—

“Not now.” Hugo opened his eyes. “Focus. Find Alice.” He was jolted back to the task at hand. He scanned the park one more time. Still nothing.

“Alice!” Hugo yelled.

Faint screams echoed in the distance to the west—a woman’s scream of agony.

Galahad snapped around; the momentum nearly threw Hugo off balance. He gripped the hickory handle tighter. His shoes planted on the footrest. He leaned forward; his eyes locked in on the target. With a loud “Yah,” they took off .

Galahad flew along the outside of Wildgrove Park. Newbury Grove faded into the background. The setting sun descended behind the tree lines. The pair dove, flying even with the tops of the tree. The trees were a dizzying blur on either side as they flew past. Hugo focused his eyes on the dirt service road that appeared.

“There,” Hugo said. “Go down there.”

Galahad banked sharply to the right. Hugo leaned into the turn to maintain balance. They flew into the tunnel of barren trees. Their branches cackled at what was about to transpire within the shadowy depths. They followed the winding road until Hugo saw it up ahead—Alice’s black SUV.

They zipped past, weaving in and around the trees now standing guard over the dark ritual about to transpire. His eyes widened at the sight of Alice tied to a tree, struggling to break free. He recognized the woman standing behind her. Johanna.

“Alice!” Hugo shouted.

Johanna whipped around. Her eyes widened with the surprise of seeing Hugo approaching on a broomstick. She flicked her wrist, and a black bolt shot out of the twisting wand. It streaked across the sky, heading straight for the charging wooden steed.

Galahad pushed up to avoid the oncoming assault. The overbearing trees blocked any escape. A branch smacked Hugo in the face, causing him to fall backward and pull up on Galahad. Their momentum spun them around. The black bolt struck Galahad on its left side.

The surprise attack of the tree branch and the force of the bolt knocked Hugo off balance. His fingers released their grip of Galahad. He went tumbling through the air. The ground was hard and unforgiving. He grimaced at the impact as pain exploded through his ribs and side. He tried to gasp for air, but couldn’t. He fought for breath a few more times before air filled his lungs once again.

Galahad spun through the air and crashed into the ground head first. It flipped end over end before coming to a stop on the ground. It lay there, motionless .

Johanna smiled at her deeds. She turned back toward Alice to witness the end of her handiwork. A forceful explosion of energy lifted her up. Johanna was slammed onto the ground, and the impact momentarily stunned her.

The wand flew through the air, bouncing off a tree and landing in the underbrush. Johanna tried to get up, but she couldn’t move. She tried to squirm, but the unseen force held her in place.

Alice’s eyes focused on Johanna. Her hand raised as far as she could in the restraints. Alice clenched her fist tighter. Johanna begged for Alice to release her as the force constricted her.

“Get the wand,” Alice shouted. “Stab the necklace with it.”

Hugo sprang up. The pain along his side caused him to grimace and stumble to one knee. He picked himself up and ran over to where the wand ricocheted. A pile of discarded sticks lay at the base of the tree. He grabbed at anything that appeared to be a wand.

“Is this it?” Hugo yelled. He held up a grayish stick in the sky.

“It’s twisted and black,” Alice shouted. “Hurry.”

He searched through the brush. He discarded anything that wasn’t twisted nor black. He ventured further beyond the tree. He flipped over discarded leaves. Their damp underside did not reveal the treasure he sought. He fell to his knees, hands outstretched. He picked up anything, everything he could touch.

“I can’t find it,” Hugo said.

The sun retreated beyond the horizon. The orange jewels glowed. The yellow jewel flickered.

“Hugo! Forget the wand,” Alice shouted. “I need you to remove this necklace. I can’t hold Johanna down and remove it at the same time.”

Hugo continued his search. He brushed aside debris. He found nothing. He sat back on his feet to get a better view of the area. His eyes scanned everywhere. He lurched out with both hands to feel for the wand.

“Hugo!” Alice shouted once more.

Sticking out of the ground between a pile was the black wand. The tip was lodged into the wet ground beneath decaying leaves. Hugo crawled over. His fingers wrapped around the twisted design. He pulled the wand like he was unsheathing a sword, ready to slay a monster.

“I found it,” he said with a smile.

Hugo leapt to his feet, looking over toward Alice. Any sort of relief quickly faded. The sun disappeared beyond the horizon, and the sky turned bloodred. The amulet of witch’s fire glowed. Alice let out a primal scream. Her face contorted in torment. Tears flowed down her face as her gaze met Hugo’s.

Their eyes locked, not in longing or desire, but desperation. Her emerald green eyes begged for help. His icy blues were helpless but to witness the event unfolding before him. It felt like an eternity. The pain, the suffering, the torment. Her screams ripped through Hugo. His heart, his mind, and his soul shattered at what transpired.

Alice’s screams stopped, and her body leaned forward. Her head hung lifeless above her chest. Hugo tried to scream. He tried to produce any sort of noise. His mind raced for what to do next.

Hugo held Elizabeth’s frail hand…

He wouldn’t let his emotions slip back into his torment. Stab the necklace . He raced through the trees toward her. Johanna writhed on the ground, gasping to catch her breath from the crushing force, as Hugo rushed past her.

He held up Alice’s head, using his thumbs to pull back on her eyelids. Her emerald green eyes were vacant and lifeless. Tears rolled down his face. His muscles tightened, and his breath was short. “Alice, can you hear me?”

Alice’s face turned a shade of blue .

Johanna stood up and took a step toward Hugo. She kept her distance. “You’re too late,” she exclaimed. “The witch is no more. The world should thank me.”

Hugo guided Alice’s head back to its resting position and turned to Johanna with malice in his eyes. His nose twitched. An internal fury built within him. He raised the wand high above his head.

Johanna’s eyes focused on the twists. She grasped the faded silver cloak clasp on her lapel. She squeezed to the point that it imprinted into her hand. She mouthed the words, “Thank you.”

Hugo crashed the wand into the center of the amulet. Black sparks of arcane magick emanated from the yellow jewel. The amulet disintegrated before his eyes. The orange gems fell out of the gold disk. They slowly dissolved before hitting the ground. The gold chain faded into memory. The amulet of witch’s fire was no more.

Hugo watched Johanna’s hands turned to dust. She was being erased from existence—her fate the same as the amulet’s. The black wave of arcane energy slowly spread up her arms to her torso. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head. She gasped before smiling. Her legs and torso faded. The last remaining visage of Johanna Newes was her head turning to dust and floating away in the breeze.

Hugo pocketed the wand. He removed the restraints from Alice’s hands and chest. He caught her as she fell limply into his arms. He lifted her lifeless body. His arms gripped under her knees and shoulders.

“Come on, buddy. I need you,” Hugo yelled over to Galahad.

There was no response.

“Hey, we’ve got to go.”

There was still no response.

“Gally, come on, buddy, I can’t do this alone.” A hint of fear and panic appeared in his voice.

Galahad lay motionless on the ground.

Hugo ran with Alice’s body to the black SUV beyond the trees. His legs strained on the uneven terrain. He dodged around trees and other debris. Her body jostled in his arms. She grew heavier with each step. The strength came to him, and he continued forth. He had to get her to safety. He must get her to safety.

He slid Alice’s knees down his arm, freeing his hand to open the passenger door. He struggled to set Alice inside. Her limp body caught against the door. He was careful not to hit her head when he placed her inside the car. He strapped the seatbelt over her so she wouldn’t slump over.

He ran back through the trees to the lifeless broomstick. He stood for a moment, hoping it was only stunned. He bent down and brushed against it with his hand. It laid motionless.

“Please,” Hugo pleaded. “Don’t leave me too. I need you.” He gripped the hickory handle and lifted it close to his chest.

The hickory broomstick, the horse dog Hugo had named Galahad, was dead.

The sky grew darker, and shadows crept over the area. The trees cackled with excitement over what had transpired as they swayed in the breeze. Hugo stood up and rushed back to the SUV. He placed Galahad on the back seat. He climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine. The headlights fired up, fighting back against the oncoming darkness. He backed up and turned around. They sped away down the dirt path.