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SHE LANDS ON A TREE trunk, in a dark and quiet place, no wind, no stars in the dark sky above as if nature’s elements have just disappeared!
Nina finds this unnerving. Looking around in the darkness as her eyes adjust she only sees a witch’s star formed out of old tree stumps, with her standing in the centre.
Shadows of trees can barely be seen in the dimly lit sky as if a blanket has fallen on this cursed land. Only a small light up ahead shows the way. Reaching for her wand, Nina begins to make a spell.
‘Witchy witchy woo. Mother nature hear my cry.'
Reaching into her witch's pouch, she takes it out and sprinkles magic dust. ‘I offer you the tail of a rat, the claw of cat, through the darkest night and brightest day give me the light of the sun.'
Nothing happens. Standing for a moment, Nina is shocked. How can this be?
I must go on she thinks; never stay still too long, Father says. She takes a deep breath, with one foot in front of the other, not knowing where she is going, she moves forward. She has her witch sense as if eyes follow her every move. Shadows seem to move around in the thicket, but with such a stillness in the air, this is not the wind moving amongst the trees.
Is it her mind? Or her witch’s sense? A single whisper starts to echo through the spiny black trees. ‘She is here; the Red Witch comes.'
The eerie sound of echoes makes Nina tense. Is the Red Witch following her, and for the love of mother nature, who is whispering? The whispering grows. She can make out different voices, men, woman, young boys.
‘The Red Witch is coming; the Red Witch is coming,' they whisper.
Not far from the small light the voices stop. Nina is brave, but she is still a young girl, with no skilled magic. Besides herself, feelings of fear make her thoughts race; her mind turns to Relck.
‘I'm with you,' he would say, but, where is he? Feelings are mixed, hurt as well as petrified, she has no choice but to face what is in the light. Near to the door, she stops a few feet from it. The door is black like the sky. A small voice croaks. ‘Who are you?' ‘How did you get past the witches and wizards?' ‘Who are you?' Nina replies, ignoring the question.
Suddenly the voice sternly croaks with a cough. ‘I'm asking the questions, little girl.' ‘You are a frog.'
‘A frog, bah, he scoffs. I'm a toad, and my name is Cobby,' he says rudely.
‘What do you want here? He demanded.
‘I don't know; it isn't my choice. A snowflake fell from a tree into my hand, which burned, and I land here. Wherever this is?'
‘What is your name?' Cobby croaks.
‘Nina.'
‘Oh, you better come in. I guess the door is open for you. You should see Mr and Mrs Tinkerer.'
Turning towards the door, Cobby disappears through a small flap. She nervously touches the doorknob, turns it unhurriedly, it opens to a room with unidentified surroundings. Something catches her eye in the room, and objects draw her attention; it looks much like the inventors. Weirdly stranger objects though. An old man is busy making a spell in a huge mortar and pestle. An open fire burns with a bubbling cauldron as flames burn fierce red colours, Toots comes to mind again. Observing the environment, she quietly scans if it's safe? There are two chairs near the fire, and somebody is sat on one next to a table in the centre of the room.
Cobby croaked, ‘this is Nina.'
‘Ah, so you've met Cobby. Hope he wasn't too rude, he's sulking at the minute,' said a warm voice from the chair.
Nina turns to look at Cobby. She smiles, seeing him in the full light. He is a large toad, dark green colour, with an eye patch. Nina frowns, wondering why he is wearing an eye patch.
‘You're looking at my eye, aren't you?'
‘Behave, leave the girl alone.' Mrs Tinkerer said.
‘He's not happy we needed something from him to make your gift.'
‘Ah, so it's you who took my eye and my beautiful warts,' croaks Cobby.
‘I'm sorry, that's horrible. Nina doesn't want to hurt his feelings, after all, she's only just met him.
‘Don't encourage him, we asked him first. You're an old misery! You sound like Mr Tinkerer,' she cackles, reminding her of her Grandma's mannerism.
‘Leave me out of this'. Chuckles Mr Tinkerer.
‘Ignore him, when we borrow anything such as warts the magic grows them back before the new moon.' Mrs Tinker said.
‘Nina, well how you've grown. Come in, come closer, let me look at you and leave the darkness outside,' squinting, she scrutinises a vague look towards Nina.
As she awkwardly edges closer, the old man turns and smiles warmly at her. Stopping by the vacant chair, she looks to see whom this woman is.
‘Do I know you?'
‘You will not remember me; we came to see you when you were born. I know your family, and we have all been friends for a very long time. Sit while Mr Tinkerer finishes your gift.'
‘My gift'?
‘We, Toubale and ourselves have been working on something special for you. To help you in this strange and dangerous time.'
‘Do you need help, are you trapped in this dark place?' Mrs Tinkerer smiled.
‘Even if I didn't know who you were, just from your kind words inquiring if we need help when it is you in a strange dark place, my dear. I can tell, you have a good soul though. A heart so strong you can face anything. You must take after your Grandma. Smiling as if to say she knows her Grandma all too well.
‘Do you know who is taking witches and wizards?' ‘My friend, Dillwyn's parents, are also missing. One of my friends said it's the ice goblins.'
‘Yes, it's probably the ice goblins, they are clever scheming creatures. But they live in a different world, I for one don't know how you can get there.' Mrs Tinkerer continued.
‘But less of this and more of how did you past the trees'?
Smiling Mr Tinkerer said.
‘You mean the witches and wizards that shroud themselves with the trees and magic.'
‘More like live in them you mean. I don't know when one of those creatures last had a bath. They hide in them, from a dark, cold magic, someone has given you misinformation. Cobby by any chance?' Mr Tinkerer nodded in his direction.
Nina smiles.
‘He did mention they are in the trees, but magic doesn't work here.'
Mr Tinkerer looks over.
‘That's why I can't get this thing to work. The magic is not working, and who can do this?'
Mrs Tinkerer looks at Nina.
‘Only a Watcher has the power to stop magic! Do you know any Nina?'
‘No, I have seen two at Auntie Paulina's, but they never speak. They are quite scary.'
‘I think you need to speak to Relck; he must know something. After all, it is what he is to become.'
‘What! He is to become a Watcher?'
‘Oh, sorry dear I thought you knew; you need to speak to Relck about this.'
Mr Tinkerer approaches her, with a smile full of affection, he also looks pleased with himself at what he has crafted, handing Nina her magic gift.
‘Here's your gift.' He nods, handing Nina an object in a cloth.
‘What is it?' She asks curiously.
‘Every family has a magic product, and this is what we all have been working on, it's called the Telescope of Time. It can take you anywhere in the world and at any time, and possibly other dimensions. But remember your magic cannot affect the past only the present. If you go back in time you will not be seen; you will be invisible to the world. All you have to do is say where you want to go and turn the eyepiece.'
Pausing, looking at a small window as if looking for something.
Mr Tinkerer interrupts.
‘When we restore magic, you might want to go back to the order.'
‘Relck would do anything for you, just remember that my sweet girl.'
‘Go ahead try it now,' Mr Tinkerer smiled. Mrs Tinkerer joined in encouraging, eager to see their handy work.
Lifting the gift from the cloth, it is tiny, gold in colour, but just the right size for her witch's pouch. Placing her eye to the back lens, nervously she whispers. ‘Take me to the order'.
At a turning of the front lens, she and the magic item vanishes. Appearing in the great hall, to the surprise of everyone there. Nina is happy. Good, she thinks, no whirling into the unknown, it is much better taking the telescope than using the mirror.
Dillwyn and Toots look on in shock. ‘Wow, how do you do that?' He screeches in amazement.
‘It's my new gift from Mr and Mrs Tinkerer.'
‘Where's Relck?'
‘We don't know. Relck vanished when you disappeared through the mirror. We could tell something wasn't right when you went through. And he got anxious and left after you.'
‘I must see Grandma then, are you both okay?' Concerned, her heart races and she fret’s for Relck while thinking of her two friends.
‘Yes, we are fine, find Relck,' Toot’s hoots.
Lifting her new tool of magic, she looks through the eyepiece and turns the front lens. ‘Grandma's,' she says, commanding a journey.