From my little attic room, I could hear Grizz calling Wormella bad names for a very long time. Occasionally there was the sound of breaking china. The worst bit was when I could hear Charlie crying in fear.
I could hardly bear to think what was going on. I paced up and down the attic. If only I could get out of this room.
I pointed at the door, and shouted the first rhyme that came into my head.
‘Fart of dog and piglet’s snout,
Open the door and let me out!’
Nothing happened. My powers were a bit patchy, to say the least.
After dark, my door finally opened. Wormella shot into the room and plonked down a tray of bread and water.
‘Oh dear, Anna,’ she said. ‘Oh dear, oh dear,’ and burst into tears.
It was suspicious. I folded my arms and sat back on the bed.
‘Did Grizz send you?’ I asked.
‘No, Anna, dear,’ snivelled Wormella.
‘Are you sure she doesn’t want you to tug at my heartstrings?’ I said. ‘It’s just the sort of sneaky thing she would do.’
Wormella sat on the edge of the bed.
‘I-I-I just have to talk to someone,’ she said. ‘I don’t know what to do anymore.’
Great. So now I was an agony aunt.
‘Talk about what?’ I said rudely. ‘Trouble with one of your non-magic potions? Or have you suddenly noticed that we all live in a madhouse?’
‘I-I-I don’t know what to do about my sister,’ said Wormella quietly.
I rolled my eyes. ‘I think I’ve had quite enough of her for one day, thank you very much,’ I said.
Wormella carried on as if I hadn’t spoken.
‘She’s getting crosser and crosser every day,’ she sniffed. ‘And I know that it’s never going to improve,’ she said in a small voice. ‘None of the spells are ever going to work because… because I know we’re not witches really.’
My mouth fell open.
‘You know?’ I said. ‘Since when?’
‘Since ages ago,’ gabbled Wormella. ‘I never wanted to be a witch in the first place. I wanted to be an artist.’
‘Why didn’t you go to college to study?’ I asked.
‘I did. But then Grizz found Ancient Evil in a junk shop, and everything changed overnight,’ said Wormella. ‘She changed. She made me wear pointy hats and cook peculiar food and keep bats. She even made me change my name.’
Now I came to think of it, Wormella was rather a silly name. ‘What’s your real name?’ I asked.
‘It’s Gladys,’ said Wormella.
Laughter bubbled up inside me, but I pressed my lips tightly together to keep it in.
‘What’s Grizz’s real name?’ I asked.
‘Betty,’ said Wormella.
I bit back the laughter again.
Wormella was now unstoppable.
‘I was going to study art in Paris and New York and everything,’ she said.
‘And you couldn’t,’ I said slowly. ‘All because of Grizz and her book of evil spells.’
‘Yes.’ She started sniffling again. ‘And now it’s too late. I’ve wasted my life working for Grizz. I’m not strong enough to leave her, and anyway I’m too old to start again.’
I felt a wave of sympathy. I put my arm around Wormella’s shoulders.
‘Cheer up, Aunty,’ I said. ‘It’s never too late.’
I gazed through the chink in the planks towards the school. I sat up straight.
‘Listen,’ I said. ‘I think I’ve got a plan.’