The Problem Child Page 17

  “Who dares enter my domain!” he bellowed.

  “Mirror! It’s us!” Sabrina said.

  Mirror reached up, removed a cucumber, and peered at the two girls. The clouds behind him quickly disappeared.

  “Well, howdy, Grimm sisters,” Mirror said. “Sorry about all the theatrics. I’m in the middle of my skin-care regimen. These cucumbers are lifesavers for my bags, but it’s a two-hour ordeal every morning. Do yourself a favor, girls, and don’t get old.”

  “We’ve collected all the pieces of the Vorpal blade,” Daphne said.

  “Impressive,” Mirror replied.

  “Each of the pieces had a clue on it to how to find the next,” Sabrina explained. “Unfortunately, the last piece had no hints,” she added. “Until we put the pieces together on the table. Then they glowed and some of the letters lit up like fireworks.”

  “We don’t understand them but we thought you might,” Daphne said.

  Mirror looked surprised. “You want my help?”

  “Well, I know you love word puzzles,” Sabrina said.

  Mirror grinned. “Wow! This is exciting. You know, most of the time I feel like I got stuck managing the supply closet while everyone else is out doing the exciting stuff. I don’t think you Grimms have ever asked me for my help. Oh, I’ve been waiting for this for such a long time. Wait right there!”

  Mirror’s face disappeared from the reflection, but moments later he returned, wearing an old-fashioned hat and chomping on a pipe. He looked like a supernatural Sherlock Holmes.

  “I’m sorry,” Sabrina said. “We’re in a bit of a hurry.”

  “Of course! What are the letters?”

  “L-F-E-H-A-U-R-B-R-A,” Sabrina said.

  The letters suddenly appeared in the reflection. “What do you think it’s supposed to tell you?” Mirror said.

  “Who the Blue Fairy is,” Daphne said.

  Mirror’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Indeed! Well, let’s have a look.”

  Suddenly the letters jumbled and were reformed into the words “Brael Rufha.”

  “I’ve got it!” Mirror said proudly “The Blue Fairy is actually Brael Rufha!”

  “Who?” the girls asked.

  Mirror studied the name. “Let’s try that again.”

  The letters jumbled and collected themselves into a new name. “Harrab Fuel.”

  “I’m pretty sure there’s no one in Ferryport Landing named Harrab Fuel,” Sabrina said, trying to sound encouraging.

  “I’m pretty sure no one in the world is named Harrab Fuel,” Daphne added.

  Mirror frowned at her and the letters swirled a final time. They rearranged into the word “blue,” leaving the F, H, A, R, R, and A on the other side alone.

  “All right, Blue Fharra,” Mirror said. “Anyone know someone named Blue Fharra in this town?”

  Sabrina jumped.

  “You know, don’t you?” Daphne said.

  “Could you move the H to the end?” Sabrina said.

  The letter floated over, making two new words: “Blue Farrah.”

  “The waitress!” Daphne continued. “Uncle Jake is not going to believe it. He’s known her for years!”

  “The Blue Fairy is a waitress?” Mirror said.

  “Yes,” Sabrina said. “At the Blue Plate Special. We met her yesterday. No wonder she was so relaxed when the Jabberwocky attacked. We’ve got to find her!”

  “But how? Granny and Mr. Canis are gone and Uncle Jake took a hike,” Daphne said.

  Sabrina reached into her pocket and took out a business card—the card Rip van Winkle had handed her after he had driven the family to the school. “I know someone who can get us there.”

  “What about Puck? We can’t leave him here alone,” Daphne said.

  “Mirror! You can look after him,” Sabrina said, then turned to her sister. “Help me move Mirror into Granny’s room.”

  The girls reached down and lifted with all their might, awkwardly carrying the enormous mirror out of the room.

  “Girls! Be careful!” Mirror cried. “If you break me, it’s going to take more than some cucumbers on the eyes to make me right.”

  When Rip van Winkle’s cab pulled into the driveway, the girls ran out to it and jumped into the backseat. Elvis tumbled in as well and the girls shut the door.

  “Take us to the Blue Plate Special,” Sabrina shouted.

  A snort and then a low snore was the driver’s response. Rip van Winkle was asleep.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me!” Sabrina shouted.

  “Wake up!” Daphne yelled. “We have to go kill a monster.”

  Still there was nothing.

  Each girl grabbed an ear and shouted as loudly as they could into it, but still Mr. van Winkle slumbered peacefully.

  “We have to use the horn,” Daphne said. “That’s what woke him up the last time.”

  Sabrina leaped out of the car, opened the driver’s door, and pushed down hard on the horn. There was a loud, gassy sound and a weak, fading honk followed by a clunk. Sabrina got down on her hands and knees. Underneath the car was a small, dangling mechanical device. She guessed it was the horn.

  “It’s broken!” she cried. “Everything on this car is broken!”

  “What do we do? We have to get to the diner!”

  Sabrina thought for a second and a crazy idea leaped into her head. She’d seen people drive cars. There were people in New York City who drove cabs who were nearly blind. How hard could it be?

  “Get up in the front seat. I need your help,” Sabrina said.

  “You have a funny look on your face,” Daphne said as she got out of the car.

  “Help me push him over,” Sabrina said. “We’re driving.”

  “Nuh-uh! That’s crazy talk!”

  “It’s the only choice we have,” Sabrina said. “Don’t worry. I’ve been watching how it works.”

  Elvis let out a whine from the backseat.

  “Daphne, we have to do this!” she continued.

  The little girl surrendered and together they pushed the old man to the passenger side of the cab.

  “I need you to handle the pedals,” Sabrina said. “My legs can’t reach.”

  Daphne reluctantly crawled into the space beneath the dashboard.

  “The one on the right is the gas and the other one is the brake,” Sabrina explained.

  “Crazy talk!” Daphne said, angrily.

  Sabrina climbed into the driver’s seat, adjusted the mirrors, and closed the door. She pulled the seatbelt over her shoulder and locked it into place. Then she took a deep breath and turned the key. The car roared to life.

  “What do I do?” Daphne asked.

  “Push on the gas,” Sabrina said as she pulled the car’s gearshift down into drive. The wheels squealed and the car lurched forward. “Brake! Brake! Brake!” she shouted but the car had already collided with the front porch. The mechanical Santa Claus crashed down from the roof onto the hood of the car. It’s robotic “Ho! Ho! Ho!”s slowed and slurred until sparks shot out of Santa’s ears and smoke billowed out from under his red cap.

  “Aww, man. We are so getting coal for Christmas,” Daphne said as she peeked over the dashboard at the mess.

  “OK,” Sabrina said, trying to relax. She looked down at the gearshift and realized she needed to put the taxi into reverse if she wanted to back out of the driveway. She pulled on the stick and the car rolled backward. When they reached the street, Sabrina turned the steering wheel and awkwardly guided the car onto the road. Then she put the car back into drive.

  “Give it some gas,” Sabrina said as they puttered along at five miles an hour.

  “No!” Daphne said.

  “It will take us a week to get there at this rate,” Sabrina cried.

  Daphne scowled and pushed hard on the gas. The car leaped forward and tore off down the road. Sabrina did her best to keep the old taxi on the pavement but it wasn’t easy. The steering wheel had a significant pull to the right and the car kept v
eering into people’s yards.

  “There’s a red light coming,” Sabrina said.

  Daphne pushed hard on the brake and the car stopped abruptly. Elvis rolled off the backseat and onto the floor.

  This went on for several miles, with the girls passing only a few curious drivers who wisely steered their cars far away from the jalopy. It looked to Sabrina as if they were going to make it to the diner without too much damage, until they made a turn into Ferryport Landing’s business district. She had always thought of the town as a slow, dull place. There was not a lot of traffic, but there were plenty of parked cars and with Sabrina’s lack of experience, she slammed into several of them. Car alarms blasted, causing her to instinctively turn the car away from them only to find she was now in the oncoming traffic lane, scraping against the cars on the other side. The sound of screeching metal made her cringe.

  Finally, they arrived at the Blue Plate Special and pulled into the parking lot of the diner. The girls hopped out and sprinted inside with Elvis in tow. The little bell rang roughly when they came through the door, causing a few customers to turn from their coffees and newspapers to see what all the commotion was about.

  A heavyset waitress with tight brown curls and old-lady spectacles appeared with a handful of menus. When she saw Elvis she frowned. “Oh, girls, I’m sorry. We can’t let you bring your . . . is that a dog?”

  Sabrina ignored the question. “I’m looking for Farrah,” she said as she and her sister scanned the restaurant. A horrible feeling crept over her as she eyed the place. Just two days ago this place had been a war zone. The Jabberwocky and Red Riding Hood had carved a path of destruction that only magic could have fixed in such a short time. Glinda the Good Witch and the rest of the Three often took care of such work for the mayor. It was their job to sprinkle forgetful dust on any non-Everafters traumatized by the unexpected appearance of monsters and the unexplained. What if Farrah had gotten spooked and made sure she was forgotten as well?

  “Honey, she’s not here,” the waitress said.

  Sabrina felt relieved. “Do you know where she is?”

  “Why, she’s on her lunch break,” the waitress said with a slight bit of irritation.

  Just then there was a loud thump that knocked a coffeepot to the floor. It shattered, sending coffee and glass everywhere.

  “That sounds familiar,” Daphne said, flashing her sister a worried look.

  Sabrina grabbed the waitress by the shoulders. “Do you know where Farrah went?”

  “Probably down to the elementary school. Today is election day,” the woman replied.

  The girls and the Great Dane raced outside and back into the cab.

  “We have to go to the school,” Sabrina cried.

  Just then, a second loud thump actually lifted the taxi off the ground.

  “Uh, we have a little problem,” Daphne replied, pointing behind her.

  The girls stared through the rear window. Standing behind the car was Red Riding Hood and her hulking nightmare, panting as if eagerly awaiting permission to rip them all limb from limb.

  abrina nearly broke off the gearshift when she slammed it into drive. Daphne stomped hard on the gas until her foot was on the car’s floorboard and the engine roared. The car lunged forward and raced across the parking lot; unfortunately, it didn’t get far. The Jabberwocky leaped into the air and landed several yards in front.

  “Brakes!” Sabrina shouted and Daphne obliged. The car slid to a stop inches from the monster’s scaly leg.

  Red Riding Hood skipped over to the car and tried to open the door, but Sabrina reached over just in time to lock it. The little girl scowled and pointed to the door. Her pet stepped over and tore it off its hinges.

  “I know you are trying to ruin the game,” Red Riding Hood said. “But I won’t let you.”

  Sabrina slammed the car into reverse and out into the street. Then she put it in drive and made a hard right at the next intersection. When she checked her rearview mirror, the Jabberwocky was still behind them, with Red Riding Hood on its shoulders.

  Sabrina made a hard left and then a quick right. Unfortunately, no matter how fast the cab went or how many turns she made, the monster and its mistress were gaining ground. They raced along the road that lined the Hudson River, and soon Sabrina saw the school. Red, white, and blue banners were everywhere, encouraging people to vote for mayor of Ferryport Landing. A small crowd of people stood outside in the parking lot and a few others shuffled out of the school’s wide-open main doors.

  “There it is!” Sabrina said. “Brake!”

  Sabrina made a rough turn, hit a patch of ice, and sailed across the parking lot like a runaway train. “Brake again!” she cried.

  Daphne pumped the brakes over and over but the old cab’s bald tires had no traction and the car slid right through the main doors and down the hallway of the school. Voters screamed and leaped out of the way, narrowly escaping as the big car raced past them. The old jalopy crashed through the gymnasium’s double doors and skidded to a stop.

  A crowd gathered around the car as the girls climbed out. Many of them were outraged and demanding answers. Sabrina tried to warn them about the monsters chasing them, but no one would listen. Granny and Mr. Canis pushed through the mob and stood between it and the girls. The throngs of people quickly grew quiet. Sabrina wondered why and then noticed Mr. Canis staring everyone down. He sniffed the air wildly and then raised a curious eyebrow.

  “Relda, the monster is coming. We have to get the humans to safety,” he growled.

  “A monster?” one woman cried. “Who is this lunatic?”

  “He’s right,” Sabrina said. “We don’t have time to explain to you, but he’s not kidding. A real live monster is headed this way.”

  “Girls, what’s going on?” Granny said.

  “We know who the Blue Fairy is,” Daphne said. She reached into the car and snatched the bag that contained the broken sword and handed it to her grandmother. “She’s a waitress at the Blue Plate Special. Her name is Farrah.”

  “Relda, what is going on here?” Charming demanded.

  “Later, Billy,” Sabrina snapped. “We need to get these people out of here. There’s a Jabberwocky coming.”

  “Mr. Seven, pull that fire alarm,” the mayor commanded the little man. Mr. Seven rushed to the alarm and yanked it down hard. A siren wailed, drawing everyone’s attention.

  “There is a fire in the boiler room, people,” Charming shouted. “Please evacuate to the parking lot.”

  “Thanks, Mayor,” Granny Relda said. “Now we have to find Farrah.”

  “Who in the blazes is Farrah?” the mayor cried.

  From the evacuating crowd stepped the waitress. She still had on her work uniform with its little nametag. She looked bewildered and vulnerable. “I am.”

  “I’m sorry to do this to you,” Granny said, handing her the sack. “I know how important your privacy is, but we are in the middle of a dire emergency.”

  Farrah looked into the sack. “Of course,” she said, removing the bubble gum from her mouth. Granny quickly tore a sheet of paper out of the notebook she kept in her purse and handed it to the woman, who used it to wrap up the sticky substance.

  Suddenly, a sky-blue light began to seep out of Farrah’s clothing. It engulfed her body and grew so bright it made her impossible to look at. When the light dimmed, Farrah the waitress was gone. In her place was a tall, beautiful woman with light blue hair and skin like milk. Her eyes were twinkling stars and she had two pink-streaked wings on her back that fluttered softly.

  “It’s the Blue Fairy,” someone said from the crowd. Many of the Everafters who had exited the gymnasium rushed back in to get a good look at the mysterious figure.

  The Blue Fairy held out her hand and a little ball of blue light appeared. It crackled with electricity and Sabrina could hear a soft humming sound coming from it. The ball zipped out of her hand and flew into the sack that held the sword pieces. The bag immediately filled w
ith blue light. After a moment, the light faded and the Blue Fairy reached inside. When she removed her hand, she was holding the Vorpal blade, perfect and whole.

  Granny took it eagerly from the woman and thanked her.

  “Relda, give me the sword,” Mr. Canis said. “You can’t handle the monster and the child.”

  “You are in no condition, old friend. Don’t worry; I’ve had to fight a lot of monsters in my day. I suspect there will be plenty more,” she said and then turned to the crowd. “Folks, I recommend that you find somewhere safe to hide. Something wicked this way comes.”

  As if on cue, the Jabberwocky, with Red Riding Hood on its shoulders, stepped into the room. The monster set the little girl on the ground and sized up the crowd as if deciding whom to eat and in what order.

  “Grandma! Doggy!” Red Riding Hood cried as she rushed toward Granny Relda and Mr. Canis. “I have my family back. Now we can play house.”

  Granny lifted the sword threateningly.

  “My, what a big sword you have, Grandma,” Red Riding Hood continued.

  “Child, I am not your grandmother,” Granny said. “The two people you have kidnapped are not your mother and father. Your family is dead. They died hundreds of years ago and nothing you can do will bring them back. Pretending to have a family is not the same as having one.”

  “But we can play house,” the little girl said.

  “Playtime is over, little one. Where are Henry and Veronica Grimm?”

  Sabrina thought she saw a glimmer of understanding in the little girl’s face. As she stared up at Granny Relda, Red Riding Hood seemed to have a million terrible questions to ask. Maybe it was all too overwhelming for her, because she shook her head violently and her contorted, insane expression returned.

  “Kitty! Let’s take Grandmother and Doggy home with us,” she shouted.

  Granny raised the Vorpal blade to defend herself, but the monster was on top of her in a flash. It grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off the ground. The old woman dropped the sword and it clanged loudly on the gymnasium floor.