Haunted Castle on Hallows Eve

Annie.
    â€œTrue, but I have more than just rhymes,” said Teddy. He pulled a twig out of his pocket. “See?”
    â€œWhat’s that?” said Jack.
    â€œâ€™Tis an enchanted hazel twig,” said Teddy. “Its magic is strong enough to change me into anything I want.”
    â€œOh, wow,” said Annie.
    â€œDid Morgan give you that?” asked Jack.
    â€œNo,” said Teddy. “Morgan and Merlin do not even know I have it. A forest sprite, a cousin of my mother’s, gave it to me, in case I was ever in urgent need.”
    â€œSo what do you want to change into?” asked Annie.
    â€œWhy, a raven, of course!” Teddy said.
    Teddy’s crazy
, thought Jack.
    But Annie didn’t seem to think so. “What a cool idea,” she said.
    They’re both crazy
, thought Jack.
    â€œâ€™Tis cool indeed,” said Teddy. He held up the twig.
    â€œWait a minute!” said Jack. “Do you have a plan? I mean, what’re you going to do once you change into a raven?”
    â€œI shall fly up to the mountain nest,” said Teddy. “Find the diamond. Bring it back. Mission done.”
    â€œAnd what do
we
do?” asked Annie.
    â€œWait here for me. I’ll be back as soon as I can,” said Teddy. He climbed up onto the window ledge. His moon shadow stretched across the floor.
    â€œGood luck!” said Annie.
    â€œThank you!” said Teddy. He raised his hazel twig.
    â€œStop!” said Jack. “Can we discuss your ‘plan’ a little more?”
    But Teddy was already sweeping his hazel twig through the air. He waved it from the top of his head to the tips of his toes.
    â€œTeddy, stop!” said Jack.
    But Teddy started his rhyme:
    â€œO hazel twig from hazel tree!
    Make me a raven—”
    â€œQuick,” he said, “a word that rhymes with
tree
?”
    â€œWait!” said Jack.
    â€œDoesn’t rhyme with
tree
,” said Teddy.
    â€œThree!” said Annie.
    â€œBrilliant!” said Teddy. He started again:
    â€œO hazel twig from hazel tree!
    Make me a raven one, two, three!”
    He waved the twig wildly.
    â€œCareful!” said Jack. He ducked and covered his head.
    Suddenly he heard a roar. He felt a blast ofheat. Then he heard a strange screech.
    Jack looked up. Teddy’s hazel twig had fallen to the floor. Jack saw Teddy’s shadow on the floor, too. But it was no longer the shadow of a boy.
    A chill went through Jack.
    A large raven was perched on the window-sill. Moonlight shone on its sleek blue-black wings, its shaggy throat feathers, its thick neck and big beak.
    A second raven stood beneath the window. It looked like the first, only smaller.
    Where’s Annie?
Jack wondered wildly. He tried calling her name. But a terrible croak came from the back of his throat: “AWK-NEE!”
    Jack felt as if he were caught in a terrible nightmare. With jerky turns of his head, he peered down at his own body.
    His arms had turned into jet-black wings. His legs were spindly twigs that ended in four long, skinny toes with curved claws.
    Teddy had accidentally changed them
all
into ravens.
One, two, three.

“ C RA - JAH ! CRA - AWK - NEE !” Teddy croaked.
    Teddy was speaking Raven now, but Jack understood him perfectly. Teddy had said,
Sorry, Jack and Annie!
    Annie stepped forward. She fluttered to the window ledge and perched with Teddy.
    â€œ GRA - QUORK !” she croaked.
That’s okay! This is fun!
    â€œ QUORK ?” Jack squeaked.
Fun?
    â€œ GRO - JAH !” croaked Annie. “ KAH - SPREE !”
Come on, Jack! Let’s fly!
    Annie and Teddy lifted off the ledge and disappeared into the moonlit mist.
    This can’t be real
, thought Jack.
It can’t be real!
    He looked at his feathers and claws. He stretched out his right wing, then his left. He flapped them both. Before he knew what was happening, he lifted clumsily off the floor and landed on the window ledge.
    Jack saw Annie and Teddy flying around in the moonlight. They were zipping about like acrobats—diving and tumbling through the air.
    â€œAWK-NEE CAW!” Jack croaked.
Annie, come back!
    â€œSPREE! SPREE!” she called.
Fly! Fly!
    â€œAWK-NEE!”
    Annie rose from a dive. In one easy swoop, she glided up and sat beside Jack on the window ledge.
    This is so much fun, Jack!
she croaked.
Don’t just sit here!
    Teddy flew by them.
I’m off to the mountain-top!
he