Helen Speaks

Lucy Skylark Entry 17, 30th June.

Dear Vera,

Oh goodness, do you remember my magical barrier net that I put in place at the Fae Cinema? I assumed that was the end of the matter as I’d seen nothing out of the ordinary there since. In fact, I was really pleased with that as a bit of magical work – it felt much more witchy than reading palms, like my fellow witch Olive used to do!

But Teddy and I went in to watch a film the other day and the girl at the counter stared at us in the most hostile way.

“You’re not welcome here,” she said.

“What?”

“You’re not welcome. Your little net was a trap. You can fix it, or no more movies for you.”

“What do you mean?”

Teddy started laughing. He was looking around, and I did too. I didn’t see it at first. Like I said, there was nothing out of the ordinary. But where I was just looking, Teddy saw it. “Lucy, you took all the magic out of them,” he said. “Nothing weird about this place at all.”

I looked back to the girl and she made a face. “He’s right. We’re just… normal now. We’re completely cut off. I’ve grown spots. I have to eat food when I’m hungry and I have to stop when I’m full. I have to get a haircut.”

That reminded me that I’ve not had a haircut since I came to Barkmouth! Mum’s friend used to do it. I’ve just been wearing a ponytail more often. I’m not sure witches are meant to care about their hair.

“You’ve got to do something about it,” she said, suddenly more pleading than hostile. “We’re stuck and we’re miserable.”

I promised to do what I could and Teddy and I walked down to the basement where I’d made my barrier. The wall where the gap had been was warm, and it felt like it was vibrating somehow.

It was meant to be a barrier, but I think it was soaking the magic up like a sponge. Draining all the Fae magic from the residents and blocking them from their world.

I’d done something really quite frightening, Vera! But if I could do it, surely I could undo it? I found my little steel needle… and then I had an idea. I had a wooden needle from a tapestry kit at home – I went back to get it, and then when I returned, I unstitched the entire barrier with the steel needle – suddenly we were flooded with all the weird images and music again – and redid it with the wooden one.

When I went back upstairs, there was the girl at the counter and some people queuing up, but they all suddenly jumped up as if they were just pretending and came and shook my hand, and attempted to shake Teddy’s hand too. The girl shyly told me that we could have our film tickets for free with no obligation.

Vera, I think I’ve figured the barrier out! I’m going to enter this into my spellbook.

Hope you’re well.

Your friend,

Lucy.