42

I darted back into the house, shouting over my shoulder for Dad. The witch stood in the kitchen doorway, Sally clutched tight against her. Behind them was the flickering glow of the fire at the front of the house.

“Daddy!” cried Sally. “Mommy!”

“You’re all going to die,” crooned the witch, backing slowly down the hall. Smoke drifted around her, making Sally cough.

In her white hospital gown, the evil old woman looked like a ghost. But the ghosts were gone, I thought, shaking so hard with fear I could barely move. There would be no Bobby to come to save us now.

“You thought you could steal my teddy bear,” she hissed. Her wispy hair stood out from her head in patches and her fat white tongue roamed around her scrabby lips like a slug.

The witch took another step back. “For years I searched and waited and searched. And you thought you could just come here and take it from me!”

She grabbed at the teddy bear in Sally’s arms but Sally clung tight and wouldn’t let go.

“I’ll teach you,” growled the witch. “I’ll get you just like I got that other brat.”

“Bobby will save me,” said Sally, hugging the moth-eaten teddy bear. She squirmed but the witch grinned, showing her blackened teeth, and clutched Sally tighter.

The air was thick and hard to breathe. “Let her go and you can have the teddy bear,” I said, moving deeper into the house toward them.

She just laughed and plucked something out of her pocket. It was only when she flicked the end of the wooden match against her fingernail that I realized what it was.

And only then—too late—did I smell the gasoline all around me.

I dove, launching myself down the hall, and flinched from the tiny flame of the match as it sailed over my head.

WHOOOOOSH!

There was a soft, deadly sound as all the air rushed away. I felt myself being sucked backward. I felt the white heat before I heard the explosion of fire.

“Jason!” screamed Sally from far away.

I couldn’t breathe. My throat burned and my lungs felt full of needles. On hands and knees I crawled down the hall, feeling the fire leap higher behind me.

“Sally! Jason!” It was Dad, trying to get in. But the back door was a sheet of flame, the kitchen was full of fire.

We were trapped. There was no way out.

The old witch threw back her head and howled with glee.

Sally kicked with both feet and her heel connected with the old lady’s knee. The witch let out a yelp and Sally punched her in the stomach.

For an instant her claws relaxed their grip. Sally squirmed and was free.

“Go, Sally,” I yelled and started after her.

The witch leaped in front of me, her eyes fiercer than the fire. She’s only an old lady, I reminded myself as I kept going. Then she snatched up something from off the floor—a gasoline can.

That stopped me.

“Your little sister won’t be so pretty as a crispy critter, will she?” taunted the witch, swinging the can so that gasoline spattered the floor between us. “She’ll never escape me. I’ll make a torch from her pretty blond hair. A blazing torch!”

The witch swung the gasoline can again. This was it! I lashed out with my foot and caught the can squarely, knocking it out of her hand.

Shoving her with all my might, I pushed past and raced after Sally, calling her name.

Flames licked the wall. The front door was no longer visible as the fire leaped high, nibbling at the ceiling. The smoke was so thick I could barely see my hand in front of my face.

“Sally!” I called.

“Jason!” Her voice sounded distant and I couldn’t see her.

Beside me the grandfather clock made a sighing noise. Startled, I whipped around just as the old clock was engulfed in flames. The face still watched me but all its old menace was gone. Now it just looked surprised as it melted away.

As the clock wobbled and crashed to the floor the smoke parted and I finally caught sight of Sally.

She was surrounded by a ring of fire.

I called her name again but it was like she didn’t hear me. She looked around wildly, her face white and her eyes big.

Then suddenly she ran right into the flames.

“Sally!”

I hurled myself through the fire after her, holding my arms over my head.

But she was gone. Choking on the smoke, I dodged a falling beam and fell.

As I looked up I saw Sally. She was on the stairs to the second floor, running up and still clutching that stupid teddy bear.

I called out in horror, knowing she couldn’t hear me. The upstairs hall wasn’t yet burning but I could see the glow of fire from the bedrooms. It was only a matter of minutes before the whole second floor went up in flames.

Scrambling to my feet, I rushed the stairs. Behind me somewhere deep in the house I heard my father calling.

I felt a leap of hope. “Dad!” I yelled. “Sally’s upstairs!”

My eyes searched the smoke for a glimpse of him. But suddenly something huge shot out of the dark and bowled me off my feet.

There was a shriek of triumph and the witch shot past me and scuttled toward the stairway. I lunged after her, grabbing for the hem of her ghostly gown.

Missed!

The old lady seemed to fly up the stairs. I dashed after her. She snarled and turned on me. An instant too late I saw the gas can aimed at my head.

WHAM!

The world went black.

When I opened my eyes there was a sheet of flame between me and the top of the stairs.

I heard a shrill scream and looked up to see Sally running with all her might down the upstairs hall. The teddy bear dangled from one small hand. It was like she was Bobby, running for his life.

Behind her came the nanny, the witch!

“Give me my teddy bear!” she shrieked, her voice louder than the roar of the fire.

All around them flames danced along the walls and edged across the ceiling. Sparks fell to the floor and little fires sprang to life everywhere.

Sally ran faster, her terror growing.

I had to get to her. I scrambled to my feet and charged the flames in front of me. But the heat blasted me backward. It was so intense my skin felt blistered.

I looked up and Sally was still running. But the witch was gaining on her. I could see foam flying from her mouth.

My heart felt like it was bursting. I lowered my head to charge the fire again but the flames roared up at me, higher than ever.

“Give me my teddy bear!” screamed the witch. “It’s mine, MINE!”

With a stab of horror I realized what was happening. Above me I heard Sally’s little footsteps desperately running, the witch’s gaining, always gaining.

Bobby was gone. Sally was going to take his place. Sally and the nanny would both die here and haunt this awful place forever.

“No!” I screamed, running once more at the fire.

But it was too late.

Sally hit the banister and with a loud crack it gave way. Her scream turned my heart to ice.

Her little body hurtled through the air, the flames leaping high to meet her.

And then—

“Jason!” Dad appeared out of the smoke, covered in soot. His voice was raspy and his clothes were singed. “Where’s Sally?” asked Dad, panting with exhaustion.

Blinking away tears, I couldn’t speak. I pointed with a shaky finger. Above us another section of the banister fell away, showering sparks everywhere.

Dad gasped and choked. While all around us the fire raged red and white hot, Sally floated above us in a cool blue bubble. Bobby was in the bubble with her and between them they were holding the teddy bear.

“NO!”

A mad scream pierced the air with such fury even the fire shivered. The witch stood against the banister, leaning out, shaking her fist at the bubble. “You can’t get away. You’re mine.”

Her eyes were blazing coals and her mouth was a black hole flecked with foam. She lunged at the bubble.

The banister gave way and the witch teetered out over nothing. For an instant she swayed, still snarling. Then the fire leaped up and hugged her tight.

There was a loud CRACK and everything crashed in at once—the banister, the hallway, the ceiling, the floor. The witch. All of it went up in an explosion of flames.

But somehow we were still alive.

The house heaved a deep sigh as the roof fell, bounced, and settled to the ground for good. The house and everything that had happened here was finished. But for some reason I wasn’t scared anymore.

Then I noticed I wasn’t hot anymore, either. The blue bubble was floating toward us and the fire fell away from it. The bubble wrapped around us and we sailed out over the house down to the cherry tree.