The Stone Witch (3 page)

 

“Quick!” said Mr Blood. “The witch has put a time curse on us. We are all growing old very fast. And when we get too old, we turn to stone!”

Dr Hawkins leaned against a rock, panting. He looked very old.

“What do we do, Mr Blood?” Mary asked.

“Get young people to help,” he said. “They will have the most time left. And you must get the stone statue from the tomb.

“The witch will grow stronger every time one of us turns to stone. She is feeding on our lives.”

Mr Blood went on, “There is no time to destroy the statue. So you must find a place to put it where no living person can survive. Then the witch will die as soon as she comes back to life.”

“The stream!” Edgar shouted. “Nobody can live under water!”

“Good!” said Mr Blood. “Throw the statue in the stream.” Then he turned to Dr Hawkins. “Go and call for help!” he shouted.

But Dr Hawkins had turned to stone.

Edgar ran for help.

Mary and Mr Blood went back into the tomb.

The statue had moved a little way along the ledge. It was moving towards the mouth of the cave.

Mary looked at Mr Blood and gasped. His hair was white. His skin was pale and wrinkled.

Mr Blood said, “The witch's statue is starting to move. Her magic is working. You have to get her to the water before she comes to life. After that it will be too…”

 

 

He stopped talking. His skin went grey.

Mr Blood had turned to stone.

Mary ran outside and looked down to the village.

Edgar was running back. He was pulling a barrow with him, but he was alone.

He ran up the slope. All around him there were people who had turned to stone before they could get home.

How can Edgar run so fast with a heavy barrow?
Mary thought.

As he got closer, she noticed he had a beard.
He's a man now
, she thought.

 

 

“You look different, Mary,” said Edgar in a deep voice.

“So do you,” said Mary. “Hurry, or it will be too late!”

They pulled the barrow into the tomb.

“Mr Blood!” Edgar cried, seeing the statue.

“Come on, Edgar! There's no time to lose!” Mary shouted. “We have to get the witch statue to the stream.”

The stone witch was now standing down on the ground.

“The statue is moving by itself!” cried Mary. “Come on!”

They pushed the stone witch over onto the barrow and slowly dragged it out of the tomb. There was no track down to the stream.

They slid and pushed and bumped the barrow down the slope towards the water.

The stone witch's hands and feet began to move on the barrow.

Down in the village nobody was screaming any more. There was no sound at all.

“I can't keep hold of it much longer,” said Edgar. His voice was tired.

Mary looked at him. His hair was gray, his face lined.

She looked down at her arms and saw that her skin looked old too. She gave a small cry and let go of the barrow.

The barrow was too heavy for Edgar on his own. He let go.

The barrow began to bounce and tumble down the slope towards the water.

They chased after it. The barrow stopped at the bottom of the slope, a little way from the stream.

The stone witch had fallen off the barrow. She lay on the ground. Her hands were starting to move, opening and closing.

Mary and Edgar got to the bottom of the slope.

They were weak and frail now. It was hard to walk, but they pushed and rolled the stone witch towards the stream.