Witchpoint

Witchpoint by JG Hampton, smashwords edition 2016, Witchpoint by JG Hampton

Respect the time of the author by paying for the e-book before downloading; e-books make great gifts, but do remember to pay for them before downloading. Enjoy other books by the author: Confession of a Former Fairy Godmother, The Secret in the Garden, Diary of a Wimpy Czarovitch, Haunted Tales, Halls and Toys, Pinkalotta Pipsqueak in Bullies for You, Polygamy was it Worth Dying For? Abraham Lincoln and His Sons, Abraham and Mary in Love, Abraham’s Princess, The Bog Queen’s Mile High Pie Fly, Charlotte and the Humongous Bat, Charlotte and the Ice Cream Factory, Charlotte and the Easter Rabbit, Thomas Edison Reinvents Himself, The Bedtime Game, The Snow Queen’s Life and Times and Three Ornery Blind Mice, and Abraham’s Princess.

Prologue

Clementine Archibald, eight years old, was studying in the school library at Witchpoint Academy with Pierce Youngblood, who was a year older when he whispered: Your Grandmother eats children. That’s why she started this academy; so she could trap unwitting children and put them in the deep freeze; perhaps she intends to eat you, too. The girl gave him the evil eye and he just shrugged his shoulders. She may be able to fool you, but she’ll never fool me. His dark eyes met her blue ones with that knowing look. Making his point further he held up a volume. Look at this book she authored. Clementine glanced at the cover of a red book he was holding. The title was: The Preparation of Children" by Crystal Archibald, Ph.D.

What do you think? he asked poking her unpleasantly in the arm. Oh, don’t be silly. That’s not a cookbook. Grandmother is a leading educator of children. You attend one of the best private academies in the United States.

"She’s a witch who eats children just like in the story about Hansel and Gretel. Several students disappeared forever last semester. Why isn’t the book Hansel and Gretel by the Grimm’s brothers in the library?

That’s pure nonsense. Several students were expelled because of their lack of work. said Clementine in her grandmother’s defense." She tried to stare him down, but Clementine had to blink first.

Oh, don’t be so obtuse, Clementine. She says we’re eating Buffalo meat, but what’s she eating? It’s nice fat children no doubt. Mark my words. If I disappear this semester, I’ve left a paper trail with enough evidence to indict your grandmother and her feckless brother. Clementine got up from the table sauntering out into the hall. Her heart was beating rapidly. Pierce was always able to get her goat. Of course his suppositions were ridiculous or were they? She had never read Hansel and Gretel and ordered an illustrated version of Grimm’s Fairytales on line at Amazon.com that afternoon.

When it came in the mail in a brown paper wrapper; she found it one of the most intriguing books she had ever read. It opened up a veritable can of worms for the young girl to investigate.

Chapter One – The Family Business

Clementine, who had just turned eight, felt the sun on her brow as she looked out of the window of the third story turret and gazed at the dozens of pink lilies and the purple wisteria blossoms that draped the old wooden bridge.

A sudden gust of wind moved the petals and disturbed the surface of the water. Grandmother had long admired Monet’s water lily pond and so had copied one at her estate. She couldn’t but help feeling happy and beautiful in this exotic water garden.

Clementine loved living here at Rooks Hall, her grandmother’s home. It was similar in architecture to the Biltmore Estate near the Smoky Mountains, but it had been created entirely by magic. At least the magic that gold coins produced – American workmen had built it. Her grandmother was the High Witch of Newton, Utah. She had emigrated from England when she was a young woman after her education was completed. At the time she had felt that sorcery in England emphasized too much of the dark arts and she felt that happiness made for a strong body. She always had and always would cherish this philosophy of life. Loving her life, she was contented. Both of them cherished each other and made each other happy. Clementine weekly wrote letters and frequent e-mails to her parents who were touring China, but was thoroughly content living with her dear Grandmother. Clementine even looked like a small replica of her grandmother, but with honey blond hair. She was more than a chip off the old block. They appreciated the same dry humor.

Crystal Archibald, the grandmother, had married and raised her son while teaching private lessons to students in America who showed remarkable skills in the magical arts at the academy she had created called Witchpoint. Her son and his wife were both involved in worldwide investigations, mysteries and magic and were often missing in action as parents – leaving Clementine with her grandmother, the headmistress, for months at a time. Her parents had so many responsibilities. Right now they were in Peking and wouldn’t be home until Christmas vacation.

Where was Grandmother? Something was moving in the middle of the Elizabethan maze. There she spied her trimming the hedge around the sun dial with her large metal clippers. She was wearing her red lab coat with the pocket embroidered lavishly with a black W which was her customary outfit. Looking like a red woodpecker with her gray curls, distinguished nose and cheerful smile, she waved up at the window at her granddaughter when she sensed that she was being watched. Her large brimmed sunhat made her look much younger than her fifty-six years. Maybe there was time to sneak in her grandmother’s bedroom and help herself to some of her grandmother’s magic elixir. She’d seen grandmother use it twice before and she thought she knew the magic incantation that made it work. Sometimes it wasn’t easy being the granddaughter of a world famous sorceress.

Last January, Rosalind Dupont, one of the older girls had been disciplined by grandmother because she was always yelling out the answers without raising her hand and being called on. Out of spite, Rosalind had turned her wand towards Clementine and before she could protect herself her nose began growing. She’d had to wear that immense nose for a week before the spell wore off.

With a dab of grandmother’s new elixir placed on a handkerchief and worn in her pocket, the spell would have bounced back to Rosalind and she would have been the one wearing the huge snout. Rosalind had been expelled for a month and had written Clementine an apology, but Clementine always wondered if her nose had really returned to its own natural size. She wasn’t going to take any chances this year.

Quickly running down the hall to grandmother’s bedroom, she tiptoed in. Clementine would have to silence Grandmother’s magic mirror—the one who always told on her, or she’d be caught and tattled on. She grabbed a green knitted throw that lay at the foot of the canopy bed and tossed it quickly over the mirror.

What’s happening! shrieked the mirror, but the girl knew she was safe and she’d caught the mirror unaware. Over on the vanity along with the old woman’s favorite scents was the bottle of potion. Grandmother was uncanny and thoroughly bewitching creating magical formulas that no other sorcerers had created. The products of the patents sold at Witchmart made a small fortune for her every year. Clementine decided to take half of the contents of the bottle. It smelled like lavender and something that she couldn’t name- similar to licorice or was it sassafras? Clementine hurried to the kitchen to meet her granny. The stunning, cheery witch came in through the back gate and walked slowly into the gray stone kitchen.

Since summer break is almost over, child, let’s have a picnic in the walled garden. I’ll make some sandwiches and we’ll eat on the wrought iron bench under the apple tree. The hostas are larger and greener than I’ve ever seen them. The humming birds are darting in and out of the roses and the lilies; it’s a perfectly lovely time of year, said grandmother.

Grandmother, I had the same idea and I already made tuna sandwiches for us with lots of pickles, potato chips, and some of your fizzy black cherry soda. The picnic was as delightful as they imagined it would be with humming birds darting about the orange tubed shaped blossoms of trumpeter’s vine. The perfume of the roses filled the air along with the almost overpowering smell of the pink spotted lilies.

It’s a perfectly lovely time of year, said grandmother helping herself to a second sandwich. After they finished eating the old woman said: "Clementine, darling, I’ve got something for you that I think you’re old enough to need and take care of. It’s a protective charm that‘s made especially for our family members, so don’t give it away to just anyone. Wear it under your blouse next to your skin. I’m getting

Older and I’m not as quick as I used to be and sometimes things get by me. I’ll feel much better knowing you’re wearing this token."

Clementine held up the charm and gazed at the tiny gold figure. It was a small fairy with filigree wings. She couldn’t help but kiss the tiny creature as she dangled the chain between her fingers. She put her arms around her granny’s