The Mist of Moningsbury

Chapter Ten

"So that's the plan." Suzan said, sitting once again in the little cozy café with Ezra and Basil. The ghost known as Henry was seated close by and gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up once she finished speaking. She glanced over at him and grinned.

"That is absurd." Said Basil, a frown creasing his forehead.

She had expected this. "If we don't, we will lose our jobs."

"That's not certain." He retorted. "and if we do, we'll just have to get new ones."

She looked to Ezra instead, hoping to find some support from him. A cup of tea was clasped between his hands. Gazing thoughtfully down at his drink, he looked uncertain.

"I don't know Suzan. It does sound a bit dangerous. You could get hurt."

"Hurt?" Basil blurted out, "You can't get hurt by some mythical creature. There is no such thing as a...what was it?"

"Cockatrice. And if ghosts exist then I don't see why a chicken-dragon shouldn't either." Suzan folded her arms and glared at him, daring him to contradict her. She still knew he was dubious about the ghosts, but he could at least pretend to take her seriously.

Ezra sighed, placed his cup delicately down upon the table and looked at Suzan forlornly. "I know you'll go anyway, but I can't come with you."

She felt a pang of betrayal. "I thought you believed me?"

"I do, I just. I can't come."

"That's a poor excuse Ezra."

"I know, I'm sorry." He struggled to meet her eyes. Instead, he looked at Basil. "She can't go alone though."

Basil stared back at him. "No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Basil." Ezra said sharply, "You can't seriously let her go alone. She doesn't know her way around the forest."

"Then she shouldn't go."

Suzan placed a hand on his shoulder, "Basil" she said pleadingly, "I can't do this alone."

A sudden draft wafted around the stone walls. They both looked at him. Out of the corner of her eye, Suzan could see Henry making encouraging gestures. She would have liked all three of them to go, and thought Erza a bit of a coward for refusing to join her. Nonetheless, one helper was better than no helper. Even if he was being grumpy, difficult and disbelieving. She stared at Basil, trying to will him into agreeing through eye contact alone.

He looked unnerved by the sudden attention and averted his eyes down to his plate, making an aggressive stab at his slice of cake. "Fine." He finally said, "But we are not going at night. We'll go at the weekend. In the daylight."

She breathed a sigh of relief, "Agreed."

"Of course, I forgot you were scared of the dark." mocked Ezra. "I'm proud of you though." He gave Basil a hearty thump on the back.

Suzan could see Henry beaming at his table before running off, presumably to tell the others of her success in recruiting some help for the cause. Even if it was unwilling help.

"Hypocrite" she heard Basil murmur under his breath. Ezra didn't seem to notice the remark.

She stood up triumphant, her plate empty but for a few crumbs. "Let's go catch a cockatrice!"

****************************

It was a glorious sunny Saturday morning and the three friends were standing outside of Suzan's house.

"Be careful" Ezra was saying.

"You sure you won't come with us?" Suzan pleaded, "Please?"

He shook his head, "I'm sorry Suzan."

Meanwhile, Basil just glared at him. "You are such a coward Ezra."

"Don't be rude Basil." Suzan scolded. She placed a hand on Ezra's shoulder. "I'm sure he has his reasons."

Ezra scratched his nose and looked at the ground, blushing.

"Don't you?"

Basil answered for him. "He's been scared of the forest since we were kids. He's refused to go in them ever since."

"And for good reason." Ezra said, looking up defiantly.

"Witches don't exist. And neither do ghosts or cockatrices."

"Witches? There are witches in the forest?" Suzan felt a familiar build up of excitement. She knew she shouldn't get her hopes up about finding anything in the forest, but it would be hard to call her a non-believer now.

"When I was ten" Ezra explained, the sun lighting up his freckled face "I came across a witch in the Baten forest. I accidently broke her flower pot and she threatened to curse me. I ran away and, yes Basil. I am a coward. I'm too scared to go back, even now."

"It was probably just some old woman on a walk, messing with you."

"Who takes a flowerpot on a walk?" Suzan sided with Ezra.

"Look, believe me or not, all I'm saying is be careful."

"We will." She reassured him.

"Oh yes" Basil agreed, "We will do our best no to die at the hands of an old woman or a feral chicken."