burger, please,” she said, returning her focus to Garrett. “Have you ever wished for your dad to come back, Garrett?”
“Griffin!” said her mom. “That’s a very personal question!”
“It’s okay,” said Garrett. “I don’t care. He left two years ago. I was ten. I used to wish on my birthday cake for him to come back. But now that I’m older, I don’t wish for such stupid things.”
“I don’t think it’s a stupid wish at all, Garrett. I know lots of people who have wished for amazing things! Crazy things!” said Griffin, leaning across the table.
Cackling laughter caught Griffin’s ear from a few boothsaway. In full costume the three witches from Macbeth gnawed on chicken bones, with spinach and chicken flapping in their teeth.
“Oh, my gosh,” gasped Griffin, spotting them. “It’s the witches!”
“Who?” said her mom.
“What?” said Garrett.
Griffin’s heart raced.
One of the witches noticed Griffin staring at her. She waved her bony fingers and called to her, “‘In the cauldron boil and bake … Lizard’s leg and owlet’s wing …’ Right, my dear? ‘For a charm of powerful trouble.’”
“My goodness, they look lifelike,” said Griffin’s mom.
“They performed for my English class. Actors from some traveling theater company doing Macbeth, ” Griffin said, and gulped.
“Gnarly!” said Garrett.
“I’d love to hear what you two picked for your science night project,” said Dr. Penshine, changing the subject.
“Alchemy! Turning lead into gold!” said Garrett.
Just then the three witches left their table, heading for the exit. As they passed Griffin’s table, one of the hags leaned over and whispered, “‘When the hurlyburly’s done, / When the battle’s lost and won,’ ehh, my dear?”
The crone’s eyes swirled yellow.
When the three weird witches exited the restaurant, a cold gust of wind snuck through the doors.
“What does that mean?” Griffin asked her mom, shivering.
“I think it’s a line from the play. ‘Hurlyburly’ means everything’s upside down, lots of confusion. My goodness, those are either the oddest or most committed actors I have ever seen! They must be in character rehearsing their parts,” she said.
“What does the second line mean?” asked Garrett.
“‘When the battle’s lost and won’? I think it means someone emerges victorious from a battle between good and evil.”
Turn a single penny into gold.
Chapter
16
R ight here,” said Garrett as the Penshines’ car pulled up in front of a small, dark house without a single light on.
“Good night, Garrett. It was nice to meet you,” said Dr. Penshine. “Quite an evening, a real dinner theater experience with those actors!”
“Bye,” said Griffin, her eyes scanning the darkness around his house. Why did the witch say that to me? she thought.
“Yeah, thanks for dinner,” said Garrett, shutting the car door.
They waved through the window and watched as Garretttraipsed down the broken cement path to his house, netted in shadows.
“You know, Griff, when I was at the counter paying for dinner, the clerk gave me back a bunch of pennies.”
“Yeah?” Griffin said. She couldn’t stop thinking about the witches. What did they mean “when the battle’s lost and won”? What will I lose if I fail?
“Are you okay?” asked her mom, studying her in the passing streetlights.
“What were you saying about pennies?” Griffin asked, eyes darting. Did my mom find Mariah’s note under my bed?
“They reminded me of something that might help your alchemy project. There’s a charity called Pennies for the Planet.” Dr. Penshine rounded the corner, and a streetlight flickered on. “This charity helps protect the environment. Every year the projects change, but this year I think kids are collecting pennies to buy an acre of the rain forest. This saves it from being destroyed.
“All those ordinary pennies turn into something extra-ordinary when they’re
“Griffin!” said her mom. “That’s a very personal question!”
“It’s okay,” said Garrett. “I don’t care. He left two years ago. I was ten. I used to wish on my birthday cake for him to come back. But now that I’m older, I don’t wish for such stupid things.”
“I don’t think it’s a stupid wish at all, Garrett. I know lots of people who have wished for amazing things! Crazy things!” said Griffin, leaning across the table.
Cackling laughter caught Griffin’s ear from a few boothsaway. In full costume the three witches from Macbeth gnawed on chicken bones, with spinach and chicken flapping in their teeth.
“Oh, my gosh,” gasped Griffin, spotting them. “It’s the witches!”
“Who?” said her mom.
“What?” said Garrett.
Griffin’s heart raced.
One of the witches noticed Griffin staring at her. She waved her bony fingers and called to her, “‘In the cauldron boil and bake … Lizard’s leg and owlet’s wing …’ Right, my dear? ‘For a charm of powerful trouble.’”
“My goodness, they look lifelike,” said Griffin’s mom.
“They performed for my English class. Actors from some traveling theater company doing Macbeth, ” Griffin said, and gulped.
“Gnarly!” said Garrett.
“I’d love to hear what you two picked for your science night project,” said Dr. Penshine, changing the subject.
“Alchemy! Turning lead into gold!” said Garrett.
Just then the three witches left their table, heading for the exit. As they passed Griffin’s table, one of the hags leaned over and whispered, “‘When the hurlyburly’s done, / When the battle’s lost and won,’ ehh, my dear?”
The crone’s eyes swirled yellow.
When the three weird witches exited the restaurant, a cold gust of wind snuck through the doors.
“What does that mean?” Griffin asked her mom, shivering.
“I think it’s a line from the play. ‘Hurlyburly’ means everything’s upside down, lots of confusion. My goodness, those are either the oddest or most committed actors I have ever seen! They must be in character rehearsing their parts,” she said.
“What does the second line mean?” asked Garrett.
“‘When the battle’s lost and won’? I think it means someone emerges victorious from a battle between good and evil.”
Turn a single penny into gold.
Chapter
16
R ight here,” said Garrett as the Penshines’ car pulled up in front of a small, dark house without a single light on.
“Good night, Garrett. It was nice to meet you,” said Dr. Penshine. “Quite an evening, a real dinner theater experience with those actors!”
“Bye,” said Griffin, her eyes scanning the darkness around his house. Why did the witch say that to me? she thought.
“Yeah, thanks for dinner,” said Garrett, shutting the car door.
They waved through the window and watched as Garretttraipsed down the broken cement path to his house, netted in shadows.
“You know, Griff, when I was at the counter paying for dinner, the clerk gave me back a bunch of pennies.”
“Yeah?” Griffin said. She couldn’t stop thinking about the witches. What did they mean “when the battle’s lost and won”? What will I lose if I fail?
“Are you okay?” asked her mom, studying her in the passing streetlights.
“What were you saying about pennies?” Griffin asked, eyes darting. Did my mom find Mariah’s note under my bed?
“They reminded me of something that might help your alchemy project. There’s a charity called Pennies for the Planet.” Dr. Penshine rounded the corner, and a streetlight flickered on. “This charity helps protect the environment. Every year the projects change, but this year I think kids are collecting pennies to buy an acre of the rain forest. This saves it from being destroyed.
“All those ordinary pennies turn into something extra-ordinary when they’re
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