Headline: Part 1 - 3 are written by Anne. Part 4 is written by Chantal and Part 5 - 14 are again written by Anne.
My thanks goes to Chantal for her one written part in this story. Without her help I'm not so sure whether I would ever have finished this RR.


Title: Halloween RR - Witches in Schooner Bay

Summary: Witches invading Schooner Bay to Halloween and causing trouble and mischiefs in the little sleepy town and Gull Cottage, too.

Ratings: T

Disclaimer:  The characters of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir are belongs to 20th Century Fox and the David Gerber productions. And the characters of Aunt Clara and Endora (both from Bewitched) who are involved in this story  don't belongs to me either. I only borrowed them and will return them unharmed from whence they come.

All other characters, plots, story lines and development of  GAMM and Bewitched characters belong to the authors and may not be used or changed without express written permission.



Part 1


    The following lines were read in the Schooner Bay Beacon:

         The Schooner Bay Community offers the following
         Halloween warning to all citizens: We have become
         aware that there is a very strong possibility that
         several witches will invade Schooner Bay and
         vicinity on Halloween. It is urgently suggested that
         everyone keep eyes and ears open. It is quite
         possible that said witches are already in town.
         Therefore regard everything with suspicion.

         We must make sure that none of the townspeople
         become victims of these witches.
                           ****************
    But this warning was too late for Penelope Hassenhammer. She was on her way home when a kind looking woman spoke to her. "Hey, young girl!" the woman said pleasantly. "Could you tell me where I can find Mr. Gregg?"

    Trustingly, Penelope answered, "Yes, you can find him in his office right over there." and pointed in the direction of Claymore's office.

    "Thank you, my dear." the woman answered, friendly back again. "And have a nice day."


    Penelope had hardly turned her back on the woman when the witch conjured up for her a couple of gigantic ears. Without noticing them, Penelope continued on her way home.

          

 Part 2

 
     The following day, when Candy and Jonathan got home from school, they found Martha and their mother in the parlor.  Both children were quite excited when they came in the room. "Mom, Martha, you won't believe it." both called at the same time.


    "Wouldn't believe what?" Martha wanted to know.


    "They are here!" Jonathan said mysteriously.


    "Who are here?" now Carolyn wanted to know because she hadn't any idea what her two talked about.


    "The witches, Mom, the witches. Remember the warning in the Beacon!" Candy said.


    "This is getting weird, if you ask me, Mrs. Muir. If you know what I mean! WITCHES! Why would witches invade Schooner Bay and to which end? I don't believe it." Now, Martha was completely off the roll. She understood nothing more at all.


    "But it's true." Candy continued. "And now I'll tell you why it's true. Jonathan and I got the news in school. Penelope Hassenhammer has met one."

 
    "Penelope met one. I don't understand." Carolyn interrupted her daughter. "Why do you believe that, Candy?"


    "Quite simple, Mom." Candy continued further. "Penelope wasn't in school today. Mrs. Stoddard was completely baffled, because she had never experienced Penelope playing hooky before. So she was about to ask Mr. Hampton. But before she could left the classroom Mr. Hampton came in and told her why Penelope wasn't here yet."


    "And why not, Candy?" this time it was Martha who interrupted Candy.

    "I'll tell you, because we other children got the whole conversation. Mr. Hampton told Mrs. Stoddard that Penelope's mother had called this morning and had told him why Penelope couldn't come. The conversation on the phone had been the following:


    The phone had rung and Mr. Hampton had picked it up and had answered.
                              
                        'Hello, who is there?'
  Mrs Hassenhammer was
                        on the other end. 'This is Mrs. Hassenhammer,

                        Mr. Hampton. And I wanted to tell you that
                        Penelope can't come to school today, because
                        she feels very sick.'


                        'Sick?' was Mr. Hampton's answer. 'Why is
                        Penelope sick?  I don't understand.'


                       'I tell you, Mr. Hampton and I'm asking you
                       please not to laugh.' Mrs. Hassenhammer was
                       very excited.

  
                       'Why should I laugh?' Mr. Hampton was totally
                       confused.

                       'May I continue now?' Mrs. Hassenhammer pleaded.

 
                       'Of course, you may." Mr. Hampton answered.


                       And then Penelope's mother began her story and Mr.
                       Hampton had listened spellbound.


                       'When Penelope came home yesterday, I got a terrible
                       fright when I saw her. I didn't trust my eyes. Penelope
                       suddenly had gigantic ears. She wanted to know why
                       I looked so pale. And I told her. First she wouldn't
                       believe me but when I showed her to a mirror she got
                       a terrible cry cramp when she saw her ears. I couldn't
                       calm her at all. Therefore I immediately called Dr.
                       Ferguson. Of course, he wanted to know why he needed
                       to come and I told him that I couldn't explain it on the
                       telephone. So he came by. He gave Penelope a
                       tranquillizer and she's still lying in her bed now asleep.
                       Dr. Ferguson thought it would be better if she stayed at
                       home for a while. I hope you understand, Mr. Hampton,
                       that, in this case, it is the best for her.'


                       Mr. Hampton had been full of concern when he had
                       answered
Mrs. Hassenhammer.

                       'Of course, Mrs. Hassenhammer, I do  understand that. But
                       one last question: What about Penelope's  ears? Are they
                       back to their normal shape again by now?'
                  
                       'They are, Mrs. Hampton, but Penelope still is in shock.
                       Goodbye, Mr. Hampton, and thanks for your understanding.'


    "That was it what the Principal had told Ms Stoddard. And now Ms Stoddard was suddenly understanding, so that actually no more normal lessons were taught. In the whole school from there on we had only one single topic. How could it be possible that something like that could happen to Penelope? And suddenly it was clear to all of us, for there was only one explanation: There are WITCHES in town."


    Candy was too moved to continue so Jonathan did it. "Suddenly, it was so far along that we don't trust even each other. Everybody eyes the other with distrust. It's terrible, I can't believe it. Why did this happen to all of us?" Jonathan was completely destroyed on the ground.


    But before Carolyn could give her son an answer, Captain Gregg appeared by the fireplace. He noticed the depressed atmosphere in the room and wanted to know. "What's the matter with all of you?  I never have seen you in such a depressed mood."


    "We'll tell you, Captain." it was Candy's voice who had said that. "Captain, we have a problem. And this problem is called by the name 'WITCHES'."


    Daniel's face began darkening as Candy mentioned the word 'WITCHES'.

             

  Part 3

     In the meantime, the small illustrious group of the witches was complete. Edwina, the top witch, had found a gruesome home for herself and her five sister-witches. This house lay not too far from Schooner Bay.  Their next attack had already been planned, and the next victim on their list was Claymore Gregg.


     Claymore had no idea that witches were working their mischief in Schooner Bay because he hadn't been in town for a while. Today he got back from a trip to a friend. It was very late in the evening when he stopped his car in front of his office. He got out of the car and went to the door, put the key into the key hole, turned it around and opened the door.


    At the moment as he put his right foot in the door way, he fell into a deep hole.  A horrified cry from Claymore followed when he fell further and further into that dark hole. Finally, he came to stand on the planks of an old sailing ship. Before he could realize where he was, a terrible hurricane came up and the ship began moving up and down more terribly.


    Only now Claymore registered where he was. A new terrible cry of his followed. "NO!" and then suddenly he felt dreadfully bad. He began to weaken as the waves got bigger and bigger. He was so seasick, he couldn't even cry for help.


    And then suddenly the scene changed and Claymore found himself back in his own bed. He was dreadfully green in the face and he still felt unbelievably seasick. Somehow he still managed to call Dr. Ferguson for help before he had been completely overcome.


    Brenda, the witch who had thought up this trick, was enormously satisfied with the result of her joke.  She shook with laughter at the wretched sight of Claymore Gregg, and thought to herself. 'What an idiot!'

                       ***************
     At the same time, in the gruesome house, two another witches were planing the next step. Melissa and Edwina planned to cause unrest in Gull Cottage. And they had thought up an particularly underhanded plan. Both knew that the ghost of Captain Gregg still haunted the place and that Mrs. Muir had moved into the cottage a short time ago.  They knew that the Captain and Mrs. Muir were in love with each other. And both witches had still to settle an open issue with him. "Edwina, now we will have our revenge on Captain Gregg. He shall atone now for the ignominy which he has done to us." Melissa said.

      "Yes, Melissa! Now comes our revenge." was Edwina's furious answer. Both witches intended to make Carolyn and Daniel intensely jealous. They intended to promote discord between the Captain and Mrs. Muir.

                          
  Part 4

 
      "But we must be quiet!" Edwina reminded her sister, looking around suspiciously as the other witch cackled in delight at what was to come. "We don't want Mr. Turner to foil our plans, do we?"


      Melissa hissed at the very name. "NO! He shall not take from us what is our due! We have waited too long for this! You are right, sister. Stealthily must we act if we are to be successful." Her expression grew thoughtful. "Hmmm... Who shall we use as bait for the Muir wench? That irish chap who fancies himself a writer, perhaps?" Melissa suggested, a glint in her eye.


      Edwina sniffed disdainfully. "No. Too obvious. Besides, she already knows what he's about. Give the girl some credit, dear. She has eyes to see and knows how to use them. No," she continued pensively, "this requires a more elaborate approach. Let me think..." Edwina's  eyes grew wide and her mouth stretched into a demonic smile as the idea struck her. "Brilliant! She will never suspect a thing! Oh, Melissa, revenge is finally at hand!"

           (Chantal)

  Part 5


        On the following day, two more adult townspeople became the victims of a nasty witch attack.  Wanda and Hilda, two other witches, had chosen Ed Peevey and Norrie Coolidge as their next victims Ed was their first victim. Wanda lured him with a bogus phone call out of his office. The message was: "Ed, you are urgently needed in Gull Cottage."  Of course, Ed thought it was Martha who had called for him. But it was Wanda, who had spoken with Martha's voice on the phone. And Ed was promptly taken in by it. So he hurried on the way to his truck.


         But, while, only about fifteen steps away from his truck, the car suddenly changed into a gigantic monster. Ed got a great fright. At first glance he was rigid with fright. But when the monster was going to attack him, the stiffness moved and Ed ran for his life.

         The monster followed him with big steps. Ed ran and ran without knowing where. He finally arrived in front of Dr. Ferguson's practice, the monster still behind him. Ed looked around briefly, noticing that the monster was still behind him.


          In his fear he pounded as wildly as he could at the doctor's door. At the moment when the monster reached him and wanted to grip him, the door was opened and Ed landed full speed in the doctor's arms.  The monster vanished as suddenly as it had appeared and was never more to be seen.     
      ************

          At the same time, in Norrie's restaurant, Norrie was just in the kitchen when three monster lobsters appeared before him which Hilda had sent him. Norrie began yelling for help as these monster lobsters were there to attack him.  But nobody heard his cry for help. The exit to safety was blocked by those lobsters. Norrie sat in the trap. There was no way for him to escape. The lobsters attacked him with zeal. One caught Norrie with his scissors at the right upper arm.

           Norrie cried with pain and then fainted. He was hardly unconscious when the lobster abandoned him and all three lobsters vanished in the same manner they had got there.  The lobsters had hardly disappeared when Norrie's cook found him unconscious with a strongly bleeding wound on his right upper arm. The cook immediately called Dr. Ferguson and asked him to come very quickly to Norrie's restaurant as it was a matter of life and death.


            Now, Dr. Ferguson had completely finished with the nerves. First, Penelope Hassenhammer, then Claymore Gregg and now Ed Peevey and Norrie Coolidge. Who would become his next patient? This was really too much work for a single doctor alone. At this time he couldn't suspect that he had been selected as the next victim of the witches.


            Wanda and Hilda, who had watched the scenes, were fiendishly happy. Edwina was right, Schooner Bay was a perfect place for their Halloween fun.

              
  Part 6


              In the meantime, Norrie had been treated in the hospital. Due to the deep wound, Dr. Ferguson had brought him there. Mr. Coolidge's wound had been sewn with several stitches.  Norrie had had to be tranquilized on the way there because he had constantly mumbled something about gigantic lobsters which had attacked him. Now, the doctor was hardly in his practice again when he was attacked by Mr. Peevey. Dr. Ferguson wasn't prepared for this attack at all.

***********

              He had let Ed in his practice after he had fallen into his arms. Before Dr. Ferguson had left his practice to hurry to Norrie's restaurant, he had given Ed a soothing syringe so that he would slumber blissfully.

************
              Mr. Peevey grabbed the doctor by the neck and began to strangle him. At the same time he yelled. "You won't get me, you monster. I'll kill you before you can kill me."

              Ed's stranglehold got firmer and firmer. Good Dr. Ferguson hardly got any air. He despaired to escape from this embrace and he groaned. "Mr. Peevey! NO! I am Dr. Ferguson, your friend. Let go!"


              But it was in vain. Ed wouldn't let off. On the contrary, he yelled again. "No! You are the monster which wanted to catch me earlier. You must die." Ed wouldn't let up.

             With his last strength, Dr. Ferguson got hold of a syringe with a tranquillizer. He gave it to Ed and suddenly, he let go and sank to the floor. The good doctor wheezed for air after he had freed himself from the stranglehold. Dr. Ferguson didn't understood this at all. The syringes, the ones he had given Mr. Peevey, ought to have worked up to at least the next morning.  He couldn't know that witches had their hand in this again. They had awakened Mr. Peevey and had suggested him that the monster would come back and fetch him. So Ed had believed the doctor had been that monster which had wanted to fetch him on the street.


              Dr. Ferguson saw in Ed Peevey's case only one way.  He needed the help of Martha Grant. He knew she was the only one to which Mr. Peevey would still listen.  After he gradually recovered from Ed's attack and finally could breath again, he called Ms. Grant. Ed lay slumbering peacefully on the floor.

***********
             At the same time in Gull Cottage, Martha was just in the kitchen when the phone rang. She hurried out of the kitchen to answer, picked it up and heard somebody eloquently with a squeaky voice. "Hello. Is that you, Ms. Grant? This is Dr. Ferguson!"

              'Oh, my god.' Martha thought. 'What could have happened to that young doctor that he speaks with a squeaky voice?' and she answered him. "Yes, doctor, I'm still here! Tell me what has happened and why your voice sounds so hoarse?"


               "Listen, Ms. Grant. I need your help and that very quickly. It is Mr. Peevey. He has turned completely. I can't explain it on the phone. I only ask you: Please come very quickly before still more accidents happen."


                "Of course, I'll come as fast as I can, doctor!" Martha answered quickly and hung up. She hurried into her room, grabbed her jacket, her purse and the car keys and hurried to the front door.


               Just in the moment when Martha opened the door, Mrs. Muir came down the stairs and noticed that Martha wanted to leave the house in a big hurry. She called after her and wanted to know, "Martha, where are you going in such a big hurry? Did I miss something?"


               Martha heard Mrs. Muir's voice and turned around. "Dr, Ferguson called for me and wanted me to come very quickly. Something about Ed. I don't know. The doctor didn't want to tell me on the phone what really happened to Ed. Please, I'll tell you later when I know for sure. Good bye, Mrs. Muir, see you later." with that Martha hurried out the door and had shut it. 
            
 
  Part 7

             Martha had hardly left the house when a deafening noise was heard from the direction of Carolyn's bedroom. Carolyn jumped and thought. 'What was that?' and then immediately hurried to her bedroom to see what had caused that noise.

           *************
             The noise had been caused by Clara, Samantha Steven's forgetful aunt. She had buzzed through a fireplace once again. And this time it had been, by accident, a fireplace of Gull Cottage.  Completely flabbergasted and with soot-smeary face, she sat in the fireplace of the master bedroom and was thinking. 'Where am I?'  The only thing she knew for sure was that it wasn't the home of her niece Samantha.
**************
             Daniel also had heard this terrible noise. He appeared before Carolyn in the master bedroom to take a look at what had caused that noise. And there he saw her, an elderly female was sitting in the fireplace, totally confused. Daniel's face darkened as he became conscious that only a daft witch could penetrate his house. She had entered his ship without his express permission, so he intended to assign her a terrible lesson. He was about to attack Clara  when Carolyn entered her room and stopped him. "NO, Captain!" she pretended to be protective in front of Clara.
 
            "MADAME, step aside. I'll dropped that female pirate over board. She has entered my ship without my permission and by the way, she is a WITCH! And I hate witches!" Daniel was in a terrible rage now and thunder rolled through the air.


            "Very well, Captain. But I'm warning you. Should you attack her, I'll never speak with you again. I really mean that." After a short time thinking, Carolyn had noticed who has showed up  in her house. Carolyn stepped aside.  


            "Mrs. Muir!"  Daniel knew that Carolyn really seriously meant it with her threat and stopped his tirade. He could recognize, by the look in Carolyn's eyes, she knew exactly who the female witch was. "Well then, you better tell me, my dear, who that person is before I explode again."


            "Alright, Captain." Carolyn said with a more soothing voice now and helped Clara on her feet at the same time. "This, Captain, is Aunt Clara. And yes, she is a witch. But she isn't a bad one, believe me. And I'll tell you the whole story later when and how I met her the first time. I think she is here by accident. You must know she is rather forgetful."


            "I believe you, my dear. But how did she get here when she didn't want to be here? I must say, this whole situation doesn't please me." The Captain seized an extremely bad feeling. Now he was very sure that witches had their hands in it. His face darkened again.

            Carolyn noticed it and said. "I don't know how she got here. But I'll ask her."


           When finally Clara recognized Carolyn's voice, it became quite clear to her that she hadn't arrived where she wanted to be. She had lost bearings momentarily. And now her voice was back. "I don't believe it. Is that really you, Carolyn? Where am I? I wanted to be by my..." she didn't finish when she noticed Captain Gregg and recognized him. "Carolyn, don't tell me you live with a ghost?" Clara a little flabbergasted and a little frightened.


            Carolyn was baffled as to why the Captain had made himself visible to Clara. "Yes, Clara. It's me, Carolyn. I'm glad you recognize me. And don't look so frightened, you are really safe here. And now I'll tell you where you are. You are in Gull Cottage, my home. And now you should tell me why you have ended here."


            Clara seemed a little eased after she knew she was safe. "Oh!" was her comment now. "I don't know how I got here. But it was really an accident, something brought me here. I was flying through the air when suddenly a bad wind came up and sent me to this place. If you'll excuse me, I really must go. My niece is waiting for me and I think I should leave before she misses me. Maybe we can talk later, Carolyn."


            "Clara, wait!" Carolyn called but it was too late.  Aunt Clara was gone. But before Clara had vanished, she had left, in her daft way and without suspecting it, a small miracle.


            Daniel touched Carolyn by accident just in moment when Clara was gone. Both felt the touch and were taken aback. It did feel wonderful. Daniel couldn't help himself and took Carolyn in his arms and kissed her. If he took her by surprise, she didn't act like it. On the contrary, she kissed him fiercely back.


           In this moment, neither noticed that they were watched by one of these nasty witches Brenda knew she had to inform Edwina about the new situation. And she thought on her way back to the creepy witch house, 'Edwina should now begin with her and Melissa's revenge. Now is the best time to execute the intrigue.'
                      ************
           Meanwhile, Martha had arrived at the practice of Dr. Ferguson. She was just in time, too, because Ed had been awakened by these rotten witches again and intended to attack the doctor once more.  Martha got a shock when she saw her beloved Ed wanting to pick up the doctor by his neck again. She cried aloud and reached at the same time for Mr. Peevey's arms to stop him from strangling the doctor. "ED, do you hear me, let go of Dr. Ferguson's neck! You'll kill him. ED, what has gotten into you? STOP that at once!"

         Suddenly, Mr. Peevey was himself again when Martha's voice penetrated to him."Martha!" was the only word he could bring out before he sank to the floor again.

           Dr. Ferguson was completely finished with nerves now. "Thanks, Ms. Grant. If you hadn't come at the right time, it would have happened around me." His voice still sounded very squeaky.


           "You're welcome. But, you should tell me what had really happened and why Mr. Peevey wanted to kill you." Martha looked at Ed Peevey who was still sleeping on the floor again and then at the doctor. She hadn't any idea what was going on here.


           "Oh, yes, Ms. Grant, I'll tell you. Please sit down."

           Both made themselves comfortable and the good doctor told Martha what all had happened here in town in the meantime. Martha listened spellbound to the doctor's squeaky voice.After he had finished, Martha was taken aback. 'So Candy and Jonathan were right.  There are witches at work here in Schooner Bay.' Martha thought to herself.And now she was quite sure that witches were behind Ed and had suggested him he should attack the good doctor. 'I must warn, Mrs. Muir. I have the very bad feeling that these witches have cast their sights also on Gull Cottage.' Martha thought further. She didn't know that her worry was quite justified, and that the witches had chosen Carolyn and Daniel as victims of a very bad intrigue.


          Wanda and Hilda were still near and eavesdropped on Martha's train of thought. "Wanda, we should inform Edwina at once before Ms Grant foils the plan of Edwina and Melissa. I've tried to manipulate Ms Grant but I didn't succeed. She has a very strong will."


          "Then let's hurry to Edwina and the others." Hilda suggested and both went on their way, too.

               
Part 8

    The first who arrived in the creepy house again was Brenda. She had  a piece of interesting news for Edwina. Hardly arrived, she reported  what she had got by observing Gull Cottage. "Edwina, you won't believe it."

    "Won't believe what, Brenda? Tell me, why you are so excited?" Edwina's face darkened because she suspected bad tidings.


    "Clara popped in to Gull Cottage, and Mrs. Muir had a small talk with her. Captain Gregg was there too and Clara saw him. And when she  had left..." Brenda didn't finish because she began fiendishly laughing.


    Now Edwina began to explode. "BRENDA!" she yelled. "You tell me immediately what had really happened or I sent you to the sharks."


    Brenda's features stiffened, she knew that Edwina seriously meant her threat. "Okay!" Brenda answered abashedly. "I'll tell you. When Clara had vanished she left a miracle behind and the Captain and Mrs. Muir touched by accident and then they kissed each other. That's really what I wanted to tell you."


    Now Edwina exploded completely and it crashed terribly in the old timberwork. Suddenly, she was fiery red in the face with anger. She began foaming with fury and almost kindled a fire in the house. But she stopped a few seconds before the flames started to play about with fire. "Oho, this is excellent. So much better, because now the drama will be even more intensive. Maybe I should thank Clara for that accident, as she has given me and Melissa the perfect start for our revenge."


    Exactly at this moment Hilda and Wanda were also dropping in. Edwina hadn't expected both back so early. "What has happened now, then? You both shouldn't be here. You still should be in town. Don't tell me you have bad news for me, too." her voice sounded very dangerous again.


    "Edwina, there is a very big problem for all of us." Hilda reported her.

    "What big problem?" and it crashed in the old timberwork again. Hilda and Wanda winced. Both knew, Edwina was terribly irrational if she was annoyed. It was now Wanda's turn telling Edwina the bad news. "It's Ms. Grant, Mrs. Muir's housekeeper. She's  a big problem for all of us. She arrived in town just in the moment we had Mr. Peevey under our control again. She has messed up our whole fiendish plan. Now this young Dr. Ferguson has told her what has happened up till now in Schooner Bay. And Hilda had got some of her thoughts."

    "And what were Ms Grant's thoughts, Hilda?" Edwina's voice was full of anger.


    "She knew by now we are here to cause trouble in the town and what's even more worse: she has the suspicion that we have forecast a malicious way on Gull Cottage. And she wanted to warn Mrs. Muir that they had to expect a witch attack. I'm afraid she is the one who could torpedo yours and Melissa's intrigue. I tried manipulating Ms Grant but I didn't have any luck. She has a very strong will. I'm afraid she is a serious, increasing danger for us. What now?"


     "You really ask, what's now, Hilda!" now Melissa yelled and the thunder crashed again. "Quite simple, we must prevent Ms Grant leaving Schooner Bay. And I have a excellent idea how we could captivate her there." Her eyes glowed very fiendishly at these thoughts.
                  ***********        
     Around Schooner Bay, the sky started to dangerously darken. Terrible thunder crashed through the air and a dreadfu thunderstorm swept over the town. It crashed and hissed terribly. Martha was about to make her way to Mrs. Muir's car when she was lifted up by a bad gust of wind and flung full speed against the door of Dr. Ferguson's practice. Good thing the doctor had heard this deafening noise and found Martha unconscious lying in front of his door. "Oh, my God." he yelled against the terrible storm.


    With his last strength, he pulled Martha into the safety of his practice. Just in time, too, as he could close the door behind them before a bad approaching gust of wind got hold of him also. He knew he had immediately to inform Mrs. Muir.


     But just in the moment he touched the phone, he got a terrible electric blow. He started to tremble and then fell unconscious on the floor. Nobody outside the practice suspected that three unconscious people were lying on the practice floor. And outside the dreadful storm raged further.  Suddenly, a very fiendish laughter could be heard. Melissa was extremely satisfied with her work. Now, she and Edwina had free attack reign for their revenge.                      
            

Part 9

     Two days had now passed since Martha had left the house in a great hurry. And she still hadn't returned or had been in touch by phone to let everyone know that she had to stay in Schooner Bay a little bit longer. Carolyn was very worried about her.  Hopefully nothing bad had happened to her.  For two hours she had tried desperately to reach Dr. Ferguson but hadn't succeeded.  She had wanted to hear from him whether Martha had arrived in town unhurt or not.

      Then Carolyn had tried reaching Claymore or someone else in town but overall found the same result. NOTHING! The line to town was dead. Now Carolyn was really worried. "BLAST!" she cried. "What's going on here?"  Due to the exceptionally misty weather outside, her worry about Martha got bigger and bigger.

    Just in this moment, the Captain popped in. "Madame, your language!"   

  
      "Please, in the moment I'm not in the mood to discuss my language with you." Carolyn hissed. Of course, she soon afterwards regretted her outburst of rage. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way. It's only..." she didn't finish.

 
     "I know, my dear." and put his right arm around her waist to show her she wasn't alone in this bad moment. "If it is that urgent, I will look for Martha. And don't worry, Carolyn, I'll find her." he couldn't help himself, in this situation, calling her by first name. "And don't worry about me, either. This weather cannot stop me from looking for Martha." he had immediately noticed Carolyn's worried look out of the window. "I'll be back very soon, my dear."  He kissed her on the forehead and vanished.


     Of course, Carolyn was calmed by no means. Quite the reverse, her unrest grew greater. And she learned within a few seconds how she was right to worry.


     Daniel had hardly disappeared when out of the mid air, an extremely attractive young woman appeared before Carolyn. Carolyn knew only one thing - it wasn't a human person. But who was she? Carolyn would learn soon."Who are you?" Mrs. Muir wanted angrily to know. "And what do you want here? You don't belong here. This is my house!"

 
     "Now, wait a moment. Who says that it is your house? You only rented this place. This house really belongs to my dear friend, Captain Gregg. And I want to meet him again and I think I'll take Daniel with me when I leave this place again. And to answer your first question, Mrs. Muir, I'm NATASHA, a very dear old girl friend of Daniel. You see, I know everything."


     Carolyn started now to explode. How could this ghostly woman have the audacity to drop in unannounced HERE! Or had the Captain expected her visit without telling Carolyn? Suddenly, Carolyn felt terrific jealousy arising in her. And it now came to her full consciousness that Daniel had never told her anything about his relationship to other women of his past apart from Vanessa. Carolyn cooked with anger. She gripped the first object she could find and threw it in the direction of that underhanded female ghost. Of course she knew she couldn't hit that ghost.

     The thing went full speed through Natasha and of course Natasha began laughing like the devil and yelled. "You can't fight me, Mrs. Muir. I will win our duel. Daniel is mine and I'll take him away from you. And I'm very sure he wants to come with me and no one else. I will ensure that you will lose him forever. I'm coming back very soon." and then she vanished with a loud crash.


    Natasha had appeared so convincingly that Carolyn had believed her every word. Now Carolyn was sure Daniel had lied to her from the first day she had met him. Carolyn was half-crazed with jealousy. "I would kill him if he wasn't already dead. This common guy. Now wait, I'll pay it back on him. He can count on it!" she yelled in to the empty air.

 
     Carolyn couldn't suspect that the top witch, Edwina, had sent Natasha to her. Edwina was fiendishly pleased with Mrs. Muir's jealous outrage and thought. 'Full of it! This runs very well, better then Melissa and I had suspected. Revenge is really sweet. Now we have only to wait. Mrs. Muir will do the rest for us. But wait, I must be sure she'll choose the right man for that play.' So she decided further to keep Carolyn in sight.

                  *******************
    In the meantime, Daniel had discovered Mrs. Muir's station wagon but no trace of Martha. He didn't like this dreadful thunderstorm at all. He got the suspicion that Mr. Turner had his hand in this game, too. But he was thoroughly mistaken. Daniel knew through eavesdropping that Martha had been called away by Dr. Ferguson, that young pip. So he searched for Martha in the doctor's practice, too. But what a fright he got, since neither the doctor nor Mr. Peevey nor Martha could be found in the practice. Daniel knew they must be here. He searched in the whole house but no sign of the three persons. They were gone. But where and how?  The Captain knew no living person could survive in that thunderstorm outside.

     Now the Captain was worried, too. What should he tell Carolyn? He vanished and made his way home. He couldn't know that there still awaited a much worse surprise for him, in the form of the revenge angel, Carolyn.

          *************
    But where were Mr. Peevey, Dr. Ferguson and Martha now?  Had Daniel arrived a little bit earlier in the practice, the kidnapping of the three humans would have been foiled by him. Melissa had transported the three unconscious persons right under the Captain's nose into the creepy witch house outside of Schooner Bay.
          
 Part 10

   When Daniel popped into Gull Cottage again, he was greeted by a jealously foaming Carolyn. Before he could manage to tell her what he had found in town, Carolyn was already speaking furiously. "Wonderful, the heart breaker has the goodness to appear again. Such impudence. Why don't you stay with Natasha where you want to be? Or hasn't she found you? And don't tell me you haven't expected her. I know very well that you have." Carolyn was in a terrible jealous rage now.

   Before Daniel could realized what was going to happen, Carolyn gave him a slap with her bare right hand into his hairy face. At last Daniel realized what Carolyn was reproaching him with in her terrific jealousy. "I did what?" he yelled back. "What are you babbling about?  I've never seen Natasha but once in a time when I was alive but never since!  Very well, you believe I have an afterlife affair with her. But why do you believe that, Mrs. Muir? Has she appeared here while I wasn't here?"

   Before he could continue, he was interrupted by Carolyn. But now she was even more furious than before. "So you try to tell me again you haven't expected her. Very well. Now I'm very sure you have lied to me since the day we first met. I hate you! And don't you dare speak to me again. And you can count on it, I'll pay it back on you, Captain." she yelled with sarcasm in her voice and then ran like a fury upstairs to her room and slammed the door behind her.

   Daniel recovered slowly from Carolyn's appearance. Her blow had sat. Now Daniel was thinking. 'What did she reproach me for? I'm having a renewed love-affair with Natasha? This is ridiculous! So, Natasha had the impudence of appearing here and making Carolyn believe I would be interested in her again. MR. TURNER!' Daniel shot through his head. 'Who else could know about my early love affairs so well if not Mr. Turner?' he thought further. He should be throughly mistaken about this case also.

   And now he remembered Carolyn's last words, too. She had yelled she would pay it back on him. 'What if she had already made her threat true and was falling in love again with a living man?  Or perhaps had already flirted with him while I was searching for Martha?' Now the jealousy arose in him, too. And he disappeared with a loud thunderclap. The atmosphere in the house couldn't be more stuffy then now. It was really thick air.

   The Captain hadn't, in his rage, noticed that Jonathan had come in the front door and had closed it behind himself very quickly. Completely sopping and shivering through his whole body, Jonathan ran up the stairs to his room. He pulled immediately off his wet things and slipped into his warm pajamas. Quickly he hurried into his bed and pulled the covers around him to warm his body.      
              **************
   What happened, you ask? The boy had become the victim of an extremely insidious witch attack. He had tried to stay at Claymore's home because he had been surprised by this terrible thunderstorm. He had hardly been under Claymore's safe roof when he had been seized by icy fingers which had lifted him up, transported him out the door again and pulled him through the middle of the terrible thunderstorm, forward to his home, and had tossed him against the front door of Gull Cottage.
                  ***************
   Now Jonathan was lying under his pillow and still shivering with cold. He trembled so loudly that his teeth chattered.  Carolyn was in her room and still foaming with anger. She tried to make a phone call again, and was glad to see that the phone worked again. She still wasn't completely sure whom she should present to the Captain as rival. Who was available and courageous enough to fight with the Captain? Carolyn was thinking very intensely.

   But a noise from the direction of the children's room brought her back to reality. 'What was that?' she thought. 'I should take a look, maybe one of my children needs help.' At this moment, she forgot the rage against the Captain. She hurried to the children's room. When she opened the door, she got a fright when she saw her son lying in his bed and trembling. "Oh my God, Jonathan." she called and hurried to his bed. Putting her right hand on the forehead of her boy, she noticed that he was really glowing. "Jonathan, can you hear me?" Carolyn called. "Here is your mother. Could you tell me please what happened to you?"

  Jonathan slowly opened his eyes and saw his mother sitting on bed. "Mom!" he said in a thin, wavery voice. He managed with his last strength to say a bit more. "The witches, Mom!" before slipping away again.

   Carolyn, now completely worried and not realizing what her son had said at the end, hurried to her room to call for Dr. Ferguson.  She tried to reach him but got no answer. Now she was even more worried. She couldn't know that Dr. Ferguson with Martha and Mr. Peevey had been kidnapped by a witch.

   What should she do now?  She hurried back to her son. When she opened the door again, she stiffened when she saw the
Captain standing at Jonathan's bed's. She had expected anything but not him standing beside her son.

   She was still furious with Daniel but tried to keep her emotions under control. Her son was more important at this moment then her revenge desires. So she closed the door behind her again and waited to take a further look at her son when the Captain had vanished.

   Edwina, who had watched the whole scene, was extremely dissatisfied with present situation. Melissa's and her intrigue had been going very well till Jonathan had showed up in Gull Cottage again.  Edwina cooked with anger. Which of her witches started this unpardonable affront? She had to find out and punish her terribly. Now she must pay attention that the reins didn't slip away from her and the sweet revenge be wrecked.
             
Part 11
   In a wild fury, Edwina raced through the air back to her sister-witches. Hardly arrived, she 
gave vent to her annoyance at once. "Which one of you had the impudence to start an unapproved
witch attack?" she yelled with fire in her voice.

The four witches present twitched at Edwina's unbelievable screaming. None of them had any
idea about what Edwina spoke at all. And none of them said a word.

Now Edwina got fiery red in the face. "I'm waiting!" she yelled again but this time with more
thunder in her voice.

"What unapproved witch attack? We don't understand." it was Hilda whose voice was back at
first. "We four were here all the time and waiting for your return. None of us have left the
house since you started the intrigue. We would never foil such a fiendish plan, anyway.
You should know that. And now you should tell us what was going to happen."

"Alright, I'll believe you. But should I find out that one of you lied to me, I'll kill her.
And now I'll tell you what happened. The intrigue was going very well till someone transported
Mrs. Muir's son very roughly back to Gull Cottage. He is now lying in his bed and still ill."

Edwina wanted to continue but was interrupted by Wanda. "And you think we did this impudence?"

"It was my first thought, YES!" still with ample fire in her voice. "If not any one of you
four did that, then who?" Now she noticed that the youngest of the witches' extended family
wasn't present. Immediately to Edwina came the suspicion that she might have been the one. So she
yelled. "Where is our youngest?"

She had hardly said this when Cynthia appeared on the projection surface. "I'm here, Edwina."
Immediately noticing that she was suspected, she started a bad affront. "I have done nothing bad,
Edwina. I was just about start an attack on my human victim when an icy wind caught me and sent
me to the country of the dreams. When I came to myself again, I saw what looked like a boy
buzzing through the air at an unbelievable speed and disappearing in the darkness of the terrible
thunderstorm. I was really powerless, Edwina. Please, believe me!"

"I will believe your story this time, Cynthia. But who would be so bold as to carry out such
underhanded attacks?" Edwina was thinking about who could be considered. And then it had to her
like a lightning bolt. "ENDORA!" she screamed with wild fire. Now Edwina exploded completely.
Wild lightning shot through the house and it crashed very dreadfully in the old timberwork. She
hate Endora in the same way she hated Captain Gregg.

Melissa stopped her in the last second before Edwina had completely burned off, in her
unbelievable rage, the whole house. "Please, Edwina, STOP! Who says our intrigue will be wrecked?
We only need to fan the fire correctly again to make the most of our revenge fully anyway. Should
Endora really be here also, I don't think that she has any idea what we are doing here." Melissa
said, with a bit more smoothing voice. "Let's not waste any more time and let's start the
jealousy intrigue again. Come on, Edwina, we can't have ruined our sweet revenge through
something like that anyway. It should be a small problem for us to get finished with a boy of 10
years." Melissa had a very devilish grin on her lips when she had said that.
************
At the same moment as the lightning twitched through the house, Martha awakened from her
unconsciousness. The room was dark so Martha couldn't see a thing. She still felt a little dazed
and began thinking. 'Where am I? I'm not in Gull Cottage, that's for sure. The last thing I
remember was crashing outside into the door of Dr. Ferguson's practice. But that's all I
remember now.'

She felt with her hands through the darkness and discovered something that felt a little firm
near her. She was frightened. It was a human body, that was for sure. She tried awarding
something in the darkness and she succeeded. It was Ed Peevey's body, she had touched. He was
still lying there lifelessly. Martha began thinking again and then it came to her like a lightning.
'We've been kidnapped! But why and who? WITCHES!'she yelled in her thoughts. 'I must
warm
Mrs. Muir! Somehow, I must manage to get out of here! But where have they brought me and

Ed?'

 While thinking, she heard the groans of a younger voice. 'Oh no, not Dr. Ferguson also! I must
get the two men awake, because only together have we a chance to get out of here.'

 Martha felt after Ed's body again. She touched him and began to shake him so that he would
come out of his unconsciousness again.
*************
Meanwhile, Daniel still watched over the trembling Jonathan. He spoke to him. "Jonathan, I
swear you, who ever has done this to you will pay for it. You can count on it. You are the son I
never had." In this moment his rage over Carolyn's outburst was gone. His only worry at this
time was Jonathan.

Carolyn had thought the Captain was gone. But when she opened the door to children's room
again, she saw that Daniel was still there. And then she heard something from him that she had
never suspected. Carolyn tried not to scream at the Captain's words.

Part 12

   Edwina was on her way back to Gull Cottage to bring the revenge campaign against the Captain to an end.  This time Melissa was at her side. When they finally arrived, she let Melissa take a closer look into Gull Cottage to see how the things were going in there.

   While Melissa was spying in Gull Cottage, Endora was having her fun with the townspeople of Schooner Bay.  By her witch magic, she had learned at the same time who she had attacked at first after she had invaded the little town. The boy's name had been Jonathan Muir. At the mention of the name, Muir, she remembered that Clara had mentioned the name of a Carolyn Muir, who lived here now.  It came to her like lightning, the boy had to be the son of this Mrs. Muir. And she also remembered  that her daughter, a long time ago, had talked about a woman named Carolyn.  Endora hadn't liked that her daughter had a connection with a female mortal either. But what should she do now?  Endora was thinking, 'I must undo my mistake.  Should my daughter, Samantha, find out whom I had attacked she would never speak with me again. I must act very quickly before she gets wind of my mistake. She would immediately spoil all my fun on Halloween and I cannot allow this.' So she made her way to Gull Cottage to undo her little fun with that boy.

   Edwina was waiting for the return of Melissa on the beach. Melissa appeared after ten minutes on the beach and reported to Edwina what she had watched. "Edwina, I think we will have an easy game to bring the jealousy drama again to walk."

   "Why do you think that, Melissa?" the top witch was curious.

   "Quite simple, I saw the Captain standing beside the boy's bed and talking to him."

   "You mean, he was already there."

   "Yes!" Melissa grinned devilishly. "May I continue now?"

   "Of course you may."

   "I heard how Captain Gregg promised to the sleeping boy that the person who had done that to him would pay for it."

   Now Edwina was grinning, too. She knew now what Melissa wanted to tell her. "That's perfect! While the Captain searches for this underhanded person, we can work undisturbed again and rekindle Mrs. Muir's jealousy anew.  Marvelous! And we'll send her Natasha again."

   "Wait a minute, Edwina, we need a plan for the Captain, too. I have it! Excellent!" Melissa  called with fiendish laughter.

   "What's excellent?" the top witch wanted to know. "What have you in mind? Tell me!"

   "Since we haven't a real man at hand, why not using a fictional one for Mrs. Muir?  The Captain has only to believe that she is having a fiery romance with a real human man."

   "What do you mean by saying that?" At the moment Edwina couldn't quite follow Melissa's train of thought.

   "Listen to me, Edwina. This is what I have in mind. I'll write a very fiery love letter in a man's handwritting to Mrs. Muir. And on the envelope the following lines will be read: 'FOR MY FIERY LOVER, CAROLYN MUIR'. If this doesn't arouse the curiosity of the Captain then I don't know what will. We place the letter in the attic so that the Captain must find it. I guarantee you it will work. It will crash in Gull Cottage only in such a way." Melissa was full of fiery enthusiasm.

   Both couldn't know that they had been overheard during their discussion. In the meantime, Endora had arrived, too. She immediately recognized who the two witches were and thought. 'EDWINA and MELISSA, I could have imagined. So, the two are here wanting to make revenge on someone. And was what that, have I heard right, they mentioned the name Muir? So they planned an intrigue with her. Very well, ladies. But I will foil your plan. My dear Edwina, there is still open an old invoice and you will pay for it now.'

   Endora decided to listen to the conversation between these two witches a little bit longer. 'Maybe in this case I know how I can pay it back on her.' And she was right to listen further. In this way, she became aware that the witches had kidnapped three human people and that they were their prisoners in a house outside of Schooner Bay. Immediately, to Endora came a very underhanded thought. 'Marvelous. You are a genius, Endora. I only have to free these three humans', shuddering by that thought but her revenge desire was stronger, 'and then to start mistrust in Edwina's clan so that anyone would blame the other for letting the three human persons escape. And I then need only to wait for them to tear each other to pieces.' In her thoughts, Endora was devilishly laughing.
                
Part 13

   While Melissa returned to the creepy witch house to write that love letter, Edwina was observing the cottage. Without Melissa noticing, Endora was followed her and in this way, Endora became aware of where exactly the three kidnapped people were being held.  While waiting for Melissa's return, Edwina got more and more restless because there still weren't any symptoms for the Captain to search, in the foreseeable future, for the person who had done that to the boy.  Her unrest got bigger and bigger.

   But then suddenly, in the later morning on the following day, movement came into the matter. Daniel had watched over the lad the whole night long without knowing that he had been watched, too, by Carolyn. Jonathan began recovering from his terrible accident. He wasn't glowing anymore like before. His sleep got more peaceful now.  So Daniel was sure he wasn't needed at the moment to protect the boy. Before he vanished, he promised Jonathan, "I'll be back very soon, Jonathan, I promise." and then he was gone.


   After the Captain had left, Carolyn entered the children's room again and sat down on her son's bed. Now she watched his sleep and noticed also that his sleep had got more quiet. She didn't know why he was recovering so fast but it was identical anyway. Maybe the Captain had something to do with it. The main thing was, he was getting better again. She remembered again what Captain Gregg had said to her son last night.  'JONATHAN, YOU ARE THE SON I NEVER HAD.' Now she was thinking. 'Oh BLAST! Carolyn, the Captain cares for you and your children. I should have known. Why was I so blind?' Suddenly, a noise tore her out of her deep thoughts, it had come from downstairs. Carolyn hurried out of the children's room to take look what had caused that noise. She was halfway down the steps when she stopped because she saw Natasha standing in the doorway of the parlor.


   'Why is she here again?' Carolyn thought. And suddenly an idea came to her. Why not playing the role of the jealous woman through to the end? 'Whoever is behind the whole thing will never expect that I have seen through it.' Carolyn stepped in the role of the very jealous female again. "What do you want now, Natasha? Haven't you already what you wanted?" Carolyn yelled very fiery and hostile. "GO AWAY! And leave me and my family alone. And take your lover with you, I don't need him anyway. I think that's what you always wanted. Now disappear forever."


    Natasha was so totally confused by Carolyn's outburst that she couldn't say a thing. With this beginning, she hadn't reckoned. But then her voice was back. "So you won't fight for him any more."

 
     "NO!" Carolyn yelled again. "I'll tell the Captain that you are waiting for him, wherever that may be. But not here in my house. OUT!"


    "GREAT!" was the last word of Natasha triumphantly yelling and she vanished with a big thunderclap. Edwina was very sure she had already won the first round but she was terribly mistaken. In her joy, she didn't notice how much exquisite fun Carolyn had had.


   Carolyn triumphed inwardly. She didn't suspect at this time that the intrigue someone had spun still wasn't at the end. In the meantime, Melissa had come back and had placed the very fiery love letter, which she had written, into the attic.

              **************
   Outside of Schooner Bay, Endora had become aware where the three human people were being held as prisoners in the creepy house. While Endora was thinking it over how she could help the three prisoners to escape without the three suspecting that they had been freed by a witch, Martha had completely brought Ed back to consciousness again. Dr. Ferguson was also awakened. Ed was the first of the men whose voice was back.  

   Immediately he recognized Martha. "Martha, where are we? And what has happened to us?" It slowly dawned on him again. "Oh my God, did I kill Dr. Ferguson?"


   "No, Ed, you haven't killed him. He is still here with us. He is over there." Martha pointed in the right direction. "Can you see him, Ed?"


   "Oh yes, I see him." Ed whispered happily, glad he hadn't killed the good doctor. "Dr. Ferguson, could you come over here so that Martha needn't yell?"


   "I'll be right there."  With that, the doctor joined the two. "Martha knows something. She just told me we have been kidnapped by someone and she thinks the kidnappers are already here. And I'm glad that I haven't killed you!" Ed whispered.


   "Okay, Mr. Peevey. We should forget what happened a short time ago." Dr. Ferguson told Ed. He wanted to be reminded of the past few days as little as possible. And in the direction of Martha, he asked. "Please, tell me, what do you know so far, Ms Grant?"


    "I don't know where we are. But we must be quiet. I think ourkidnappers are still here in this moldering house." Martha continued in a whispering voice, simultaneously hiding from the two men that they had to deal with witches.


   "And how should we escape, Ms Grant? Did you already think of it? We need help from outside. But how can we make a connection to the outside world when we don't have a phone nearby? Or did you see one here, Ms Grant, since you are awakened?" the good doctor seemed a little helpless for a man.


   But Martha was calmness in person. "No, I haven't seen a phone anywhere here, doctor. But I have a plan to get out of here without being discovered by the persons who hold us tight here." That Endora, a witch, would help with the fulfillment of her plan, Martha couldn't suspect.

                      
Part 14 (Final)

   In the late afternoon on the same day, Endora acted, for now she knew exactly how to free the three human people. Endora was thinking, 'Alright, Endora. First these mortals need a car to drive away from this place after they escape. Oh, yes, that is perfect.' Endora used her magic and transported Mrs. Muir's station wagon from Schooner Bay close to this creepy house where the prisoners were. She had the picture of Carolyn's car exactly in front of her eyes.

   At first glance, the car still stood before the doctor's practice then suddenly it was in the immediate vicinity of the creepy house, unable to be discovered by the present witches. She tackled the next step now. She knew exactly in which room of the house the two men and the woman were. It hadn't escaped her, by her observing, that there was an entrance to the house which her rivals had clearly overlooked.

   Endora had noticed that the elderly woman who was with the two men wasn't very anxious. She slipped, unseen by the three persons, into that room and invaded Martha's mind and told her how she and the men could escape. By observing, she had learned her name and used it. 'Ms Grant, listen to me.  You don't know me but I know you. I'm here to help you to escape from this place. Follow my instructions and you and your two companions will be out of here very soon. Right over there behind the right wall is a secret door.  Use it. It's your only way to escape from here. I've opened that door, so you and your companions can use it. Don't waste any more time. Oh yes, there is still something. Behind the house, you will find a car. That's all you have to know.' and with that Endora was gone.

   Martha acted after she had heard the voice who had talked to her in her mind. "Gentleman!" she called in whispering voice. "I've got it."

   "You got what, Martha?" Ed asked, curiously.

   "Don't ask any questions, Ed, simply follow me. This way, gentlemen."   The two men hadn't any idea what Martha was talking about, but they followed her without asking further questions. The three reached the secret door and found it open. All three escaped through that door to the outside. Martha looked around and discovered Mrs. Muir's station wagon. The car was there where the person had suggested it would be. Both men looked very baffled when they discovered the car too but didn't say a word this time either.

   All three hurried to the car, got in and Martha started the car. LUCKILY, the car key was in the ignition. Martha stepped so hard on the accelerator pedal that the car made a terrible screech forward. Both gentlemen found their hearts in their mouths at Martha's rapid style of driving. Neither knew why Ms. Grant was in a such hurry, and neither Ed nor the doctor wanted to ask about it. Both became full of fear and worries. Martha drove as if evil personified was after her.
                 *****************
   At the same time. Daniel had come back from his search without any results.  He would make a further search, but he needed a certain something out of his sea chest for that. He materialized in his wheelhouse to get the thing he needed. Before he could open the chest, his eyes discovered an envelope which was lying on top. 'What the devil?' he thought. 'I know this envelope wasn't here earlier.' Daniel's curiosity was awakened, he took the envelope and his face darkened when he saw what was written on top of the envelope. He read loudly: "'FOR MY VERY FIERY LOVER, CAROLYN MUIR'. I knew it. She had made her threat true. She is having a fiery love affair with a really living man. He must have been here when I wasn't here already." Daniel foamed with jealousy.  But he was also very curious and wanted to know what that man had written in this letter. He opened the envelope, took the letter and began to read.  His worst fears had came true. Carolyn wanted to leave him. Now Daniel began to explode and thunder crashed through the house.

   Carolyn was still downstairs and heard that thunder. She knew the Captain was back. But what could moved him to such rage? Carolyn didn't know but she would learn very soon. A extremely raging Daniel appeared in front of her, holding a letter in his hand.

   Before Carolyn could ask why the Captain was so furious, he began to yell. "You should explain this letter to me. And don't you dare say you don't know about this letter."

   "Captain, believe me, I have never seen this letter." Carolyn tried to remain quiet. "How...?"

   She couldn't finish because Daniel interrupted her. "So, you would really tell me you hadn't flirted with this other man when I was absent? And you won't tell me you have the intention to leave Gull Cottage and marry this buffoon?" Daniel yelled very fiery and thunder crashed through the house again.

   Edwina began triumphing already but her triumph wouldn't last long.

   Carolyn was just about to very forcefully respond to this outrageous accusation of the Captain when the front door was pushed open and Martha Grant appeared. She immediately noticed the explosively loaded atmosphere in the house and called. "STOP! Mrs. Muir, hold your tongue before you say something wrong."

   Carolyn wanted to answer Martha extremely sharply but Ms Grant didn't let come it to that. "Don't say a word, Mrs. Muir!" she hissed, "and this applies for you also, Captain. You both listen to what I have to say! After that, it's up to you to take me apart. And don't dare to interrupt me." Martha was in full flight.

   Neither Carolyn nor Daniel said a word but both threw each other speaking fiery looks.

   "Oh, good. Now I'll tell you." Martha spoke in a more soothing voice now. "We're having Halloween, you know that! Witches have invaded our town this year. They have been here for the last two weeks and have caused nothing but trouble. And you two have gone full flattering into their trap. You, Mrs. Muir and Captain Gregg, would have become victims of a quite common witch intrigue should I not have escaped out of their claws. This letter, Captain, in your hand, has been written by a very bad witch and no man. If you think it over, Captain, you know I am right. I hope I've cleared it up. You both should be consistent again now. I may be old, but I know how you both love each other. Now you can bite me."

   "I am sorry, Carolyn."

   "It was my fault, too, Captain. We both should have known. And we both have our temper. Now that I'm think it over, that was what Jonathan wanted to tell me when he was ill. Now I remember, he said to me: 'THE WITCHES, MOM'"
 
  "I disturb this idyll only reluctantly, however, if you would excuse me. My nerves could use a bit of rest and I think I'll spent the rest of the week in my own bed. Good night, both of you, and Happy Halloween."  With that, Martha entered her room and wasn't seen for the rest of the week.
                      ***************
   Edwina foamed with anger when she saw her beautiful act of revenge vanished into the air. Melissa was the first to get the full speed of Edwina's outburst of rage. In the moment she appeared in front of the top witch, she was met with the full force of Edwina's lightning.  Melissa didn't put up with this and paid it back on Edwina with the same coin. The battle between these two was fully under way. It hissed and crashed outside of Gull Cottage really terribly. Suddenly, the total chaos broke out over the beach below Gull Cottage when the four other witches joined Melissa and Edwina to learn how the intrigue had gone out. It thundered and the rain crashed over the beach.

   Endora, who was waiting a little out of the way, was the only witch who triumphed. Her revenge plan had been fulfilled. Her scornful laughter went down in the raging of the terrible weather.
                ***********
   And in the end, the true love had triumphed in this case again. And the bond between Daniel and Carolyn was closer than before.
           

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