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.But as Sabrina got closer she got a jolt of surprise.The fence was actually made from bleached human bones.The yard was full of broken cauldrons and animal skeletons, including the skull of a catlike animal with massive tusks.The house had a heavy wooden door on the front and two little windows that looked like eyes staring down at them.If Sabrina hadn't known better, she would have thought the house was scowling at them.She opened the gate, stepped into the yard, and walked to the front door.A wind chime on the fence clinked as it caught a soft breeze.Sabrina examined the chimes.They were made from dried ears and rusty screws.She cringed."Don't look," Sabrina said."We won't," Daphne and Uncle Jake replied from far off.Sabrina turned to see her little sister, her uncle, and Elvis still cowering at the gate."Come on!" she said, reaching into her pocket for a boost from her wand."Don't be a bunch of cowards.""I've got a bad feeling about this," Daphne said as she and the group took a hesitant step into the yard.Sabrina knocked on the heavy door but there was no reply.She knocked again with the same results."Maybe she's out," Daphne said."Out? Where is she going to go? She's a witch," Sabrina argued."Maybe she's at the witch grocery store.I don't know," Daphne said testily."There's no such thing as a witch grocery store," Sabrina argued.Her little sister was getting on her nerves."Girls!"Uncle Jake shouted."Let's just go in and get this over with.If she's not home, then we'll search for the sword and count our blessings that we didn't have to see her."Sabrina pushed on the door and it opened."Stay together," she said to the group as she stepped inside.Immediately, Sabrina felt her body tingling.Magic was all around her.She scanned the room and found it filled with old jars and buckets of icky black goop.There was a table off to the side littered with ancient books and odd potions that bubbled and hissed.The floor was filthy and the only light source was a roaring fire in the fireplace.A crud-covered chandelier hung from the ceiling and there were little dried apples on the fireplace mantel.A door on the opposite wall was ajar but from where they were standing they couldn't see what might be on the other side.Sabrina stepped over to the table and picked up one of the enormous books.Inside she found the scrawls of a shaky hand, describing mysterious incantations in both English and a language she had never seen before.Something inside her wanted to speak the words out loud.She was sure something amazing would happen.She flipped through more pages and realized the paper felt odd on her fingertips.It felt almost alive.She looked at it closely and realized little hairs were sticking out of it.It was made from skin! She dropped the book and took a step backward, only to feel a blast of intense heat from the fireplace behind her.She spun around and saw the flame reaching out to her.She could have sworn there were faces in the fire--faces that cried out for mercy and freedom.Suddenly, there was a horrible scream.It had come from behind the door of a neighboring room.Everyone froze.Uncle Jake looked like he was going to be sick.They crept toward the door and pushed it open.Gathering all her courage, Sabrina stepped inside.There was Baba Yaga.The crusty looking woman had dry gray hair and a long pointy nose.Her fingernails were nearly as long as her arms and her face was wrinkled and scarred.She had one milky white eye that seemed to look in a different direction than the other, and her teeth were sharp in a way that could have only happened by filing them down.She was sitting in a chair made of bones and animal skins watching a soap opera on her television."Welcome, Grimms.I'm sorry.I didn't hear you knock," she said in a thick Russian accent.She grinned and gestured to her TV."I get so caught up in my stories.Hope just caught Bo having an affair with Marlena.You should have heard her scream.It was hilarious.But, that's what Hope gets.She was cheating on Bo with John when they went to Spain.Now's not the time to get on the moral high-horse."The family stared at the witch, dumbfounded."You've never seenDays of Our Lives?"she asked.Everyone shook their heads."Oh, well," the witch said as she was lifted out of the chair and placed on the floor by an unseen force."Relda has told me about your problem.I believe I can be of some assistance.""So, you're not going to eat us?" Daphne said."Not today, child.Perhaps when you are older.Children are mostly gristle at your age," Baba Yaga said as she turned to Jake."But you, on the other hand.I thought I told you I would feast on your innards the next time I saw you in my house."Uncle Jake shuddered."We need your part of the Vorpal blade," he stammered."I wouldn't have come if it wasn't important.""You Grimm men are a bit jumpy.Spaulding Grimm was the same way when he brought me the blade," she said."What's the matter, Jacob? Do I make you nervous?"Sabrina clutched the wand in her pocket and stepped forward bravely."Are you going to give us the blade or not?" she said."For a price," the witch said."A price?" Sabrina said."There is always a price, child.""OK, what do you want?" Sabrina said, reaching into her other pocket.She pulled out a couple dollars in change.She urged her sister to do the same.Daphne managed to produce a little rubber ball, a button, a paper clip, and ten cents."Isuppose if this isn't enough, we could mow your lawn in the summertime, maybe dust your bones and headstones.""I want the wand," Baba Yaga said.The words felt like a slap in the face to Sabrina.For the last few days, she had felt confident like never before and it was all due to Merlin's wand.When she had it in her hand, she no longer had to run.Bad guys backed away.It was the source of her power and it dissolved her fear.Asking her to give up the wand was like asking her to hand over a leg or an arm."I don't know what you're talking about," she lied.The witch smiled broadly, revealing a mouth full of puffy gums."The child has been touched, Jacob," she said, eyeing the man."Just like her uncle.""No, she hasn't," Uncle Jake said with a sneer as he turned to Sabrina."Give it to her, 'Brina.""No," Sabrina said."We might need it when we face Red Riding Hood and the Jabberwocky""No wand, no blade.It's that simple," Baba Yaga said.Sabrina took the wand out of her pocket and pointed it at the old woman.Her hand was shaking with anger."Then we'll take it from you!""Sabrina, think about Mom and Dad.We need the blade, not some lousy magic stick," Daphne pleaded, but was drowned out by the rumbling thunder overhead."Sabrina, give the wand to Baba Yaga!"Uncle Jake shouted.Sabrina shook her head."Give us the blade!"The witch cocked an eyebrow at her and sneered."You don't want me as your enemy, child."Suddenly, Uncle Jake reached into his pocket and removed a small fire-red stone.Energy emanated from it and filled the room, and suddenly a shocking force yanked the wand out of Sabrina's hands, sending it sailing across the room and into Baba Yaga's hand.The energy running through Sabrina quickly faded, only to be replaced with a rage at her uncle for betraying her."OK, old mother," Uncle Jake said."You've got your payment.Let's see the merchandise.""Very well," the witch said as she stepped across the room to a table where an old mug sat that read FOXY GRANDMA.It was filled with wands.She carelessly stuffed Sabrina's in with the others and opened a drawer in the table.Inside was a shiny piece of metal.She took it out and handed the piece of blade to Jake.He studied it [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]