Chapter Eight — Ms. Kelly to the Rescue

The door opened. Amelia held Mei’s arm. Both girls were hiding behind a bed. It was daytime, but the room was not very bright.

The door opened more.

“Come on, you two,” a woman said. Her voice was kind. “No games now. A bad spirit×精霊、魂 is here.”

Amelia looked. She saw a woman with dark skin and black hair. She wore a pretty shirt. The shirt looked like Mei’s drawings. The woman had a leather bag. The bag had paper and sticks×棒 in it.

Mei stood up. “You are Ms. Kelly?” she asked. “The new teacher from Australia?”

“Yes,” she said. She looked at Amelia’s arm. “You are not Hana. Your spirit is lost.”

Amelia came out. She was a little scared, but also happy. “You know about our bodies?” she asked.

“Yes.” Ms. Kelly looked up. They heard loud footsteps. “We’ll talk later. We have to go now. Ms. Fujiwara is coming. Her magic is strong, but my magic is stronger.”

Mei looked scared. Ms. Fujiwara was there! Her shadow×影 was big and scary on the floor. It looked like a monster with long claws×（動物の）かぎ爪 and horns. But Ms. Fujiwara looked normal.

“Look!” Amelia said.

Ms. Kelly did not look. She took two sticks from her bag. One stick had pretty pictures on it. The other stick was plain. The first stick was black on the end, with paper on it.

She hit the sticks together. It made a loud sound.

The skeleton×骨格模型、骸骨 in the room moved! The paper on Ms. Kelly’s stick glowed×光った. The skeleton ran out the door and into the hallway. It was protecting them.

Ms. Fujiwara’s shadow moved. Ms. Fujiwara pulled the fire alarm×火災報知器. It was very loud! Students ran into the hall. The skeleton fell. Its bones went everywhere.

“Ms. Fujiwara took the easy way out,” Ms. Kelly said. She took the girls to a door. “Come. We will talk under the big tree in the schoolyard. The tree is very old.”