Chapter 11

How to Become a Pig

Despite all the commotion, Becca had landed safe and sound on her broom. She stared at me blankly.

“Where in the world did you get those ridiculous sunglasses?” the witch asked me.

“I took them from the bat I liquefied,” I told her. “It was clear that he was working with those boys.”

“And how is it possible that they managed to get in?” the witch bellowed. “Huh? You didn’t let anyone hear the magic word, did you?”

The witch didn’t wait for me to answer before unleashing hundreds of lightning bolts at me. I managed to duck the first few and flew into the tunnel to hide. But just when I thought I was safe — ZAP! I instantly fell to the ground.

“I’ll deal with you later!” I heard Circe yell. That was the last thing I heard before I passed out.

Luckily, the witch didn’t worry about Hundredeyes — that is, me — for a while. When I came to I was dizzy, but I managed to crawl to the end of the tunnel. The three girls were back on the island in the center of the cave. Michael and Tyler were still lying on the ground where the witch had left them.

“Excellent! We now have a couple of guinea pigs on which to practice my spells!” the witch said. “That is lucky, isn’t it, my dears?”

The little girls kept staring ahead, icy and expressionless.

“Let us forget the brooms and take advantage of these two young lads for the following trial!” Circe continued, bolts shooting from her eyes. “I learned the following spell from my grandmother — it was one of her specialties. Watch closely, girls!”

Circe pointed her long wand at two toads and began chanting:

“Darkness, lightning bolts, and fright,

Fill the air with hazy light.

Study the animals one by one,

And turn each into a pig, just for fun!”

When Circe finished, there was a puff of white smoke. When it cleared, two pink pigs stood where the toads had been.

“Ha ha ha! It’s always as fun as the first time!” the old hag said with a grin. “And now, my dears, it is your turn to try . . . on them!” She pointed to Michael and Tyler, who were starting to wake up.

The short-haired girl picked up the wand and pointed it at Michael and Tyler. With glazed eyes, she started reciting the spell Circe had just used.

Tyler tried to distract her. “Hey, hi there!” he said. “Do you know how a hog gets fat? He eats like a . . . pig! You’re not laughing? It was a good one, though — hey, wait!”

She didn’t wait. A puff of white smoke clouded the air again.

“Hey! Look what you’ve done to me!” Tyler complained, pointing at the corkscrew tail sticking out of his pants.

“Hush!” the witch bellowed. “Or I’ll turn you into a ham! Your turn,” she said to the other girl. “Hurry up! It’s almost midnight!”

The other girl recited the spell again. But when the white smoke cleared, only Tyler was turned into a pig!

“It’s not enough! It’s not enough!” the witch said angrily. “Both boys at the same time!”

Circe muttered something, and Tyler became human again. “Come on, little girl,” Circe said, turning to Becca. “It’s your turn now. If you pass this test, you will have the privilege of becoming my assistant! Don’t disappoint me!”

Becca picked up the wand, and stared at her brothers blankly.

“Becca, fight it,” Michael pleaded. “Please!”

“Becca, come on, we’re your brothers! Can’t you see that?” Tyler yelled.

“Well, well, well,” the witch said, getting closer. “What have we here? My future assistant’s brothers! What an honor! In that case, I won’t make sausage and bacon out of you two after all. Consider your lives spared!”

“Are you serious?” Tyler asked, full of hope. “You’re not going to kill us?”

“Why should I?” Circe said with an evil grin. “You two will make beautiful toads to add to my collection! Ha ha ha! Let us proceed!”

Becca stepped closer. In a few moments, I would lose my friends forever!

Then I noticed something. Michael wasn’t carrying his backpack!

He must have lost it in the tunnel when he was trying to run away, I realized.

That meant that it might still be near me. Maybe we still had hope after all!

I crawled backward down the tunnel for a few steps until I spotted the backpack. Inside was Tyler’s latest invention, smoke strings. It was a gadget he’d created for Halloween. It shot silly string made of colored smoke. Useful, huh?

“These things make such a mess,” Michael had said when explaining his plan. “Mom and Dad hated when we used them in the house. But they’ll work perfectly here. By the time the witch realizes that we got in, we’ll already be gone!”

I hoped he was right. I quickly set Tyler’s contraptions on the floor and pointed them toward the cave. From inside, I could hear the witch encouraging Becca to recite the spell. I knew I had to move quickly. I was running out of time!

I fumbled through the bag, looking for the last thing I needed, the most important one. A match. There were none.

We were done for.