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Description
Illustration for Chapter Eleven of 'Danny & the Dinner Ladies'.
Media: pen, ink, watercolour.

Chapter Eleven

Cooking Up A Storm

Mr Scarman pulled back his hood. He was glaring at the three women with a look of absolute fury on his face.

“How did you manage to escape?” he asked. “You were pinned to the cellar floor by a very powerful voodoo spell.”

“And very painful it was too,” said Violet Fungus crossly. “My arms and legs will be aching for weeks.”

“Thankfully, someone removed the pins from the dolls,” explained Olivia Nettle. “The voodoo spell was immediately broken.”

There was silence for a moment. Mr Scarman looked up at the sky. Danny and Jessica followed his gaze and felt horror pounding in their hearts. The evil face in the cloud was glaring down at them with moonlit eyes and its mouth was twisting into a grin.

Mr Scarman turned to face the three women again. “You’re too late,” he said. “The Prince of Shadows has almost fully materialised. It’s midnight and it’s the first full moon on Halloween in nineteen years.”

“The membranes between the worlds have never been thinner,” said Albert Grimly.

“There’s nothing you can do,” said Miranda Lear. “We’ve emptied your pantry, we’ve trapped your devilish cat and we’ve confiscated your potions and magic wands.”

“In other words, you are unarmed and completely helpless,” Mr Scarman said.

There was a pause.

Violet Fungus suddenly cleared her throat. “Excuse me, but I have to beg to differ,” she said. “We’re not unarmed. We’re carrying stainless steel ladles from the kitchen.”

Mr Scarman frowned. “Ladles?” he said and then burst out laughing. ”Are you threatening to clobber us to death with kitchen utensils?”

“Oh, nothing quite as brutal as that,” replied Olivia Nettle. “These ladles are very old and mostly made of iron.” She paused. “As I’m sure you know, iron not only wards off evil, it can conduct electricity too.” Then she turned to the others. “Sisters, are you ready?” she asked.

Scarlet Weaver and Violet Fungus nodded their heads. Like musketeers drawing their swords, the three women suddenly held their ladles in front of themselves and pointed the metal scoops at the sky. Then they made slow, circular movements in the air as if stirring the clouds. There was an angry rumbling sound above.

Immediately Danny and Jessica looked up.

It was an amazing sight.

Huge, dark clouds were streaking across the sky and being whisked into a vast spiral. It looked like a hurricane. The face of William Leach, howling in torment, was being torn apart by the winds. Very quickly, it dissolved into the spinning vortex of cloud.

Holding their ladles even higher in the air, the women then pointed them at the eye of the storm. A jagged bolt of lightning suddenly snaked down from the clouds and splintered into three forks just above the school. These forks of white-hot lightning then zig-zagged down to ground and within seconds had hit their targets.

There were loud screams, followed by a continuous sizzling noise that sounded like chips being fried in a pan of scalding fat.

And then silence.

Just as suddenly as it began, the storm stopped. The clouds dispersed and beams of bright moonlight flooded onto the school.

Scarlet Weaver, Violet Fungus and Olivia Nettle were lowering their ladles.

“You should be able to move now,” said Violet Fungus to the teenagers. “The magic circle has lost its power. You are free.”

Feeling shaky, Danny and Jessica moved their legs and looked around.

Mr Scarman, Miranda Lear and Albert Grimly were nowhere to be seen. And the only traces they had left behind were a few black specks of ash whirling about in the air and a lingering smell of overcooked sausages.

Description
Illustration for Chapter Eleven of 'Danny & the Dinner Ladies'.
Media: pen, ink, watercolour.

Chapter Eleven

Cooking Up A Storm

Mr Scarman pulled back his hood. He was glaring at the three women with a look of absolute fury on his face.

“How did you manage to escape?” he asked. “You were pinned to the cellar floor by a very powerful voodoo spell.”

“And very painful it was too,” said Violet Fungus crossly. “My arms and legs will be aching for weeks.”

“Thankfully, someone removed the pins from the dolls,” explained Olivia Nettle. “The voodoo spell was immediately broken.”

There was silence for a moment. Mr Scarman looked up at the sky. Danny and Jessica followed his gaze and felt horror pounding in their hearts. The evil face in the cloud was glaring down at them with moonlit eyes and its mouth was twisting into a grin.

Mr Scarman turned to face the three women again. “You’re too late,” he said. “The Prince of Shadows has almost fully materialised. It’s midnight and it’s the first full moon on Halloween in nineteen years.”

“The membranes between the worlds have never been thinner,” said Albert Grimly.

“There’s nothing you can do,” said Miranda Lear. “We’ve emptied your pantry, we’ve trapped your devilish cat and we’ve confiscated your potions and magic wands.”

“In other words, you are unarmed and completely helpless,” Mr Scarman said.

There was a pause.

Violet Fungus suddenly cleared her throat. “Excuse me, but I have to beg to differ,” she said. “We’re not unarmed. We’re carrying stainless steel ladles from the kitchen.”

Mr Scarman frowned. “Ladles?” he said and then burst out laughing. ”Are you threatening to clobber us to death with kitchen utensils?”

“Oh, nothing quite as brutal as that,” replied Olivia Nettle. “These ladles are very old and mostly made of iron.” She paused. “As I’m sure you know, iron not only wards off evil, it can conduct electricity too.” Then she turned to the others. “Sisters, are you ready?” she asked.

Scarlet Weaver and Violet Fungus nodded their heads. Like musketeers drawing their swords, the three women suddenly held their ladles in front of themselves and pointed the metal scoops at the sky. Then they made slow, circular movements in the air as if stirring the clouds. There was an angry rumbling sound above.

Immediately Danny and Jessica looked up.

It was an amazing sight.

Huge, dark clouds were streaking across the sky and being whisked into a vast spiral. It looked like a hurricane. The face of William Leach, howling in torment, was being torn apart by the winds. Very quickly, it dissolved into the spinning vortex of cloud.

Holding their ladles even higher in the air, the women then pointed them at the eye of the storm. A jagged bolt of lightning suddenly snaked down from the clouds and splintered into three forks just above the school. These forks of white-hot lightning then zig-zagged down to ground and within seconds had hit their targets.

There were loud screams, followed by a continuous sizzling noise that sounded like chips being fried in a pan of scalding fat.

And then silence.

Just as suddenly as it began, the storm stopped. The clouds dispersed and beams of bright moonlight flooded onto the school.

Scarlet Weaver, Violet Fungus and Olivia Nettle were lowering their ladles.

“You should be able to move now,” said Violet Fungus to the teenagers. “The magic circle has lost its power. You are free.”

Feeling shaky, Danny and Jessica moved their legs and looked around.

Mr Scarman, Miranda Lear and Albert Grimly were nowhere to be seen. And the only traces they had left behind were a few black specks of ash whirling about in the air and a lingering smell of overcooked sausages.