Chapter Eleven — Shadows in the Stone

The magic portal×魔法の入り口 opened. Amelia, Mei, and Ms. Kelly fell onto a hard stone floor. Mei helped Amelia stand up. They opened their eyes. They were in a very big cave×洞窟. The air was wet and cold. It smelled like old dirt.

Some torches×たいまつ were on the cave walls. The light made shadows×影. The shadows looked like long fingers and big teeth. The portal behind them made a small sound and then disappeared. Now there was only a stone wall.

“Be quiet,” Ms. Kelly said softly. She looked around a big rock. They hid and looked. They saw Ms. Fujiwara. She was tying×縛る／縛った Koro to a big stone with a rope×ロープ、綱. The dog was making small, sad sounds. Koro did not fight. Her small body was shaking.

Ms. Fujiwara pulled the rope hard. Then she walked away into a dark tunnel×トンネル. There were many tunnels in the cave.

When her footsteps were gone, Ms. Kelly said, “Come.” Amelia and Mei went to the dog. “Hana?” Amelia said quietly. Koro’s tail moved a little. But her eyes were very scared.

“She is scared, but she is safe now,” Ms. Kelly said. “I need to see where Ms. Fujiwara went. Stay here with Hana. It is safer here.” She smiled a little. “Don’t worry. My magic is old and strong.” Then she went quietly into the dark tunnel.

Amelia and Mei sat next to Koro. They touched her fur gently. “It’s okay, Hana,” Mei said. “Ms. Kelly knows what to do.”

Koro moved closer to Mei. They looked only at the dog. So they did not see a big shadow move behind a stone. Then a deep voice laughed.

“Hello! Who is visiting my home?”

Amelia and Mei jumped up. A very big man came out. He looked like a sumo wrestler×相撲取り. He had a mean smile. He had no shoes, but he walked very quietly. It was Ms. Kelly’s uncle, Jintarra. He had two ropes in his hands.

“Don’t do anything silly, girls,” Jintarra said. He looked at Koro. “We don’t want the little dog to get hurt, do we?”

Amelia felt very scared. Jintarra walked closer. Soon their backs were against the stone. He quickly tied Amelia’s hands behind her back. Then he tied Mei’s hands. The ropes were very tight. “Now you can’t run away,” he said. Then he went into a different tunnel.

For a moment, they were too scared to speak. Then Amelia knew she had to do something. “MS. KELLY!” she shouted. Her voice was very loud in the big cave. “HELP US! JINTARRA HAS US!”

Mei shouted too. Koro was surprised and started to bark loudly.

They heard fast footsteps. “Girls! What’s wrong?” Ms. Kelly ran back into the cave. She stopped when she saw them.

But at the same time, Ms. Fujiwara came back through another tunnel with a cold smile. Then Jintarra came back too. He was pulling someone.

It was a blonde girl with no shoes. She wore a dirty hospital dress. Her hair was messy. Her eyes were wide and scared, like an animal. She made angry sounds, like a wild animal.

Amelia held her breath. It was her own body. Koro’s soul was inside it.

“Are you looking for this?” Jintarra said. He tied the girl to another stone.

Ms. Fujiwara looked at everyone. Her eyes shone. “Good job, Jintarra. Ms. Kelly, you thought you were hunting me. But now I am hunting you!”

Ms. Kelly stood strong. She held her special sticks×棒. “Let them go, Fujiwara. This fight is only with me.”

Ms. Fujiwara laughed, cold and sharp. “This fight is about everything! This bridge, these children, and the power my family should have!”

Ms. Fujiwara pushed her hands out. Dark lines with purple sparks×火花 came from her fingers. They went toward Ms. Kelly. Ms. Kelly hit her sticks together. CRACK! A golden-brown light came out. It made a shield×盾 and stopped the dark lines. The cave shook, and dust fell from the ceiling.

The fight started. Ms. Fujiwara sent dark energy again and again. Ms. Kelly stopped every attack. She hit the floor with her sticks, and sharp stones came up. Bright magic signs appeared in the air around her.

Amelia’s heart beat fast. Jintarra was watching the fight. This is our chance, Amelia thought. She looked at Hana, in Koro’s small body. “Hana!” she whispered. “Chew your rope! And tell Koro — in my body — to do the same! Bark at her!”

The dog barked at the girl in the hospital dress. The girl understood. She put her head down and started to chew her ropes too. The two dogs chewed hard.

The fight went on. For a moment, Ms. Kelly was stronger. She pushed Ms. Fujiwara back. The stone floor near Ms. Fujiwara cracked.