Chapter #7: The Old Woman's
Organ
Scruffy
heeded the warning when he happened upon a big old
house. It was a formidable structure topped with gables
and gargoyles. Ink black smoke billowed out of the
chimney pipes with such fervour it created a low drone
reminiscent of a fog horn. The yard was guarded by a
viscous wolf who made his presence known with drool spewing
growls. It was not a place for
skunks.
Without
hesitation Scruffy backed away and ventured into the
forest. It was there he heard the clang of a hammer on
metal. To scruffy's surprise he spotted an old woman
working on a rusted old pipe. She noticed Scruffy
hiding and gave him a toothless smile. "Who are you,
Little Skunk," she inquired. And Scruffy, not to be
rude, stepped out from behind the stump and introduced
himself.
During the
short conversation Scruffy learned that the old woman was a
lover of music and was collecting discarded pipes to build a
giant organ. "Help me bring this big pipe into the house and
I'll tell your fortune over lunch" the old woman
promised. That was an offer Scruffy could not refuse,
for if this woman was a fortune teller, she might know the
whereabouts of Aurora Island. After the pipe was
dragged into the yard they entered the house. Along the
way Scruffy heard that droning pipe --
goooooooooooooooo.
Lunch was
served in the kitchen. The wolf sat in a corner -- his
unblinking eyes never left the little skunk. It was a
mistake to be in there, Scruffy thought. He tried to
make an excuse to leave. "Nonsense," the old woman
said. I'll show you the parlour where I keep my crystal
ball. Scruffy got up and walked into the next room and
in no time at all the door slammed behind him. The key
was turned as the old woman cackled from the other
room. "Ha ha ha, I've got you now. You will be an
excellent addition to my
collection."
"What ever
do you mean? Oh, please let me out," Scruffy
cried.
"You will
be transformed into stone and sit on my roof forever
more" The old woman's laugh reverberated through
scruffy's head. He was destined to be turned into a
gargoyle!
If Scruffy
was not to spend eternity on the old woman's roof, he would
have to escape. But the room was windowless and if he
could open the door, the wolf was on the other side ready to
pounce.
He looked around the room for any
tools to help him escape. In the corner, a crystal ball
hovered weightlessly in mid air. If scruffy looked hard
enough, it showed pictures. Scruffy could see visions of
people and places. Everyone he saw seemed to be in the
forest looking for something. Over a side table there
was a wall of pictures. It was then Scruffy noticed the
people he saw in the crystal ball were one in the same.
All the people on that wall were doomed to become lifeless
gargoyles. Scruffy scampered up the side table and
ripped his picture down. He vowed that it was not going
to happen to him nor anyone!
A day and a night passed and
Scruffy was still trapped. When he put his ear to the
wall, he could hear the old woman's movements.
Sometimes she could be spotted through the keyhole in the
kitchen. Other times he could hear music coming from an
adjoining room. He spent his time reading and brushing
up on the sciences. Knowledge was the key to
escape.
By sheer luck, Scruffy found a
passage to another room. It was then he learned the old
woman's weakness. There was a treasure hidden in the
woods. Inside was a potion that would render her magic
useless. Escape was at hand, but first Scruffy found a
way to let other people know. He left clues to help
future prisoners escape and find the treasure. If he
couldn't thwart the evil woman, someone else might have
better luck. After all, great things can be achieved
working together. As Scruffy left the house, he made
sure he left the door open.
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