"Now aim and say, 'Gimme some lightning.'"
When Sabrina opened her eyes, that same thunderstorm was building in the sky above her. There was static energy in the air that caused the hair on her arms to rise. She felt supercharged, like she was filled with enough power to do anything she could imagine, like there was nothing that could hurt her. All of her fears and worries about Red Riding Hood and the Jabberwocky faded away and for the first time in a year and a half she felt calm and confident. It was a sensation so incredible she wondered if there was a way to feel it all the time.
In an instant, a bolt of lightning plummeted to the earth and crashed into the bank of trees. They disappeared for a moment in a flash of brilliant white light, which was followed by an earth-shaking boom!
When it was over, the trees were cracked in half. Many were on fire.
"Nice shot, kiddo," Uncle Jake said. "I think you're a natural."
"Could lightning kill the Jabberwocky?" Sabrina asked. She imagined unleashing the wand's power on the monster and smiled.
"It won't kill it," Uncle Jake said. "But it would knock the ugly sucker off its feet, hopefully long enough to get your parents back."
Just then, one of Puck's pixie minions zipped across the field. It stopped at Puck's ear and buzzed excitedly. Puck's eyes lit up and his wings popped out of his back.
"There's someone in the woods watching us," he said, as he lifted off the ground.
"Looks like we're going to get a bit more practice," Uncle Jake said to the girls. "Come on!"
They all raced toward the forest and plunged into its thick brush. Sabrina quickly caught a glimpse of someone running far ahead--a man. His speed was superhuman, and she watched him leap effortlessly over a downed tree. Before they could get a good look at him, he was gone.
"I'm going to follow him," Puck shouted, zipping into the woods.
"Be careful!" Sabrina shouted.
"And what would be the fun in that?" the boy said and disappeared into the forest.
"He's just dumb enough to confront that guy," Sabrina said.
"Naw, he wouldn't fight unless he had an audience. He'll be fine," Daphne said.
"I hate to admit it, but he's a lot like your dad and me," Uncle Jake said. "I can see why Mom and you love him so much."
"Love him? I don't love him. He's a pain in the butt!" Sabrina shouted, a bit louder than she meant to.
*
The group waited an hour and a half before they gave up on Puck. The boy could always fly home, so they got into the old car without him and cruised back down to the town. As they passed a diner, Uncle Jake slammed on the brakes and abruptly pulled into the parking lot.
"This place is the best!" he cried.
Sabrina had spotted the Blue Plate Special several times since they had moved to Ferryport Landing. It was right next door to the Ferryport Landing Post Office and had a neon sign of a grinning waitress holding a bright-blue tray of burgers and shakes. It was the kind of place her parents would have taken them to after a movie or a visit to the Central Park Zoo. Just looking at the sign made Sabrina's mouth water for the kind of old-fashioned egg cream her father had gotten her addicted to. That and a plate of cheese fries was a meal made for a king, even if it was made by witches and ogres. Granny had told her the Blue Plate Special diner employed a lot of Everafters.
The inside of the restaurant was decorated for the holiday season, with little Christmas trees painted on the windows and long strands of garland hanging from the ceiling. There were booths along a bank of windows, personal juke boxes at each table, and a counter at the front where people drank coffee and read the newspaper. A dessert case in the corner spun slowly, tempting diners with cheesecake dripping in strawberry sauce and chocolate parfaits. Overworked waitresses rushed from table to table, refilling coffees and shouting their odd diner-speak to the short-order cooks in the kitchen. The place smelled like hamburgers and mashed potatoes, and Sabrina knew everything would taste a little like chicken. She was in heaven.
At a table at the far end of the restaurant sat Mr. Swineheart and Mr. Boarman. They set down their coffee cups and waved to the group. The girls waved back and then slid into a booth near the door with Uncle Jake. They each snatched a menu from behind the ketchup caddy and scanned it eagerly.
"I swear I'm going to eat everything on this menu," Daphne said. "Who wants onion rings?"
Uncle Jake didn't respond. He gazed around the room, looking depressed.