The Demon Notebook (16 page)

“Jenny!
Rachel!
”

***

With panicked shouts Grace, Jenny, and Rachel thundered through rooms and corridors, knocking over chairs and tables as they pursued the non-Una.

“Oh God,” breathed Rachel, “where have they gone?!”

“The P block,” Jenny said suddenly. “Go.
Go!
”

Sprinting for all they were worth, they pushed through the double doors to the P block. They stopped dead and gasped at the horrible sight before them.

The non-Una knelt on the floor, pinning Adie to the ground with one hand and holding a triangular object in the other. A Ouija board lay unfolded beside her.

“No!” Jenny shrieked. Taking off at full speed, she slammed into the demon, letting her momentum carry both of them to the end of the hall where they crashed through the emergency exit, tumbling out into the open air. The non-Una let out a piercing screech and lunged for Jenny's throat, scratching her nails down Jenny's neck as she cemented her grip. Suddenly, Rachel was on top of her, grabbing her hair and pulling back with all her might. Adie and Grace scrambled from the building and joined the fight, but to no avail. Even with all three of the girls pulling at the non-Una's arms and pounding on her back, her grip on Jenny's throat wouldn't loosen. Jenny began to lose consciousness.

“Girls, I heard screaming—oh my
God
!”

“Ms. Lemon,
help
us!” shouted Grace.

The teacher snapped herself out of her shock, then pulled on a piece of string around her neck, revealing a small wooden charm. Lunging forward, she held the charm beneath the non-Una's nose and jumped back as the demon snorted loudly and leaped to her feet. All four girls were scattered across the ground as the demon stood snarling, her hot breath puffing out clouds of steam in the cool evening air.

The doorway to the P block crashed open again.

“Whatever's going on here,” said a surly voice, “it's nothing to do with me, and I'm not—whoa!”

Tracy stopped at the doorway, taking in the sight before her. The fiendish-looking creature that resembled the girl she most liked to pick on had fiery red eyes, and its matted hair stood out from its head, framing a reddening face. As she watched, its canines sharpened and grew, and it pulled back its lips in a maniacal grin. Tracy whimpered.

“Where's the orb?” Ms. Lemon whispered urgently.

“I don't know,” Grace cried in reply. “She doesn't have it.”

Tracy edged along the wall. As the last bus of the day rounded the corner and turned into the school gates, she broke into a run.

“Tracy,
no
!” Adie took off after her as the others once again grabbed the non-Una. She fought back ferociously, tossing them aside one by one and cackling wickedly at their feeble efforts. Ms. Lemon took one hit and stumbled badly, banging her head against the open P block door. The non-Una hissed in delight as the teacher lost consciousness, then seized Grace by the hair and pulled her close.

“It's all over now,” she growled.

Meanwhile, Adie was gaining on Tracy. She leaped onto her, gripping her jacket sleeve and spinning her around, just in time to see the school bus suddenly lose control and careen toward them at full speed. Tracy twisted around trying to shrug Adie off her back but fell backward instead. A navy-blue object bounced out of Tracy's pocket.

“Grace!
The
orb!
” screamed Adie.

Grace looked up just as Adie scooped up the orb and flung it toward her friend. As it sailed through the air, Grace used every ounce of strength she had to launch herself from the demon's grip and reach to the sky. The orb glinted momentarily in the twilight and smacked right into Grace's palm.

“
Now!
” she screamed.

Like lightning, the enchanted ropes were flicked around the non-Una's wrists, and she was pulled to her knees. Grace sank to the ground and whispered the incantation.

“I curse you, Demon,

Hound from hell!

And banish you

Back to the well!”

The orb bounced out of her hands and exploded at Una's feet. A swirling mist erupted from it, encircling the non-Una in ever-decreasing spirals. It screamed as one fiery arm was pulled from Una's body, followed by the other. Its clawing fingers reached out to grab hold of Grace, but were immediately enveloped by a howling whirl of lost souls. The bus thundered toward Adie and Tracy, and the demon shrieked as it was wrenched from Una's body, finally revealing its wretched face, snapping at Jenny to its left and Rachel to its right with its hideous fangs. Within a split second its head was engulfed by screaming spirits as if they were drawn to it like moths to a flame. Adie jerked Tracy backward into a ditch, and the bus swept past them, missing them by a breath. The demon howled one long, last time as it was crushed beneath the awesome sound of the lost souls and disappeared into nothing.

***

“Ms. Lemon, are you all right?” said Grace.

“What? Are you…What's happened? Is it over?”

“Yep,” said Grace, helping the teacher to her feet. “It's all over.”

Una—the real Una—staggered toward Ms. Lemon, clutching Jenny's arm. She blinked and squinted, like a newborn baby seeing the world for the first time, and occasionally squeezed Jenny's arm with her free hand as if she couldn't possibly be real. Una's hair was standing out from her head, and her clothes were torn and disheveled. Grace couldn't help smiling—Una looked like she'd just stepped out of a washing machine set to spin.

“Hey,” Una slurred, waving her arm loosely, “everybody's here. What's—ow!” Her hand flew to her face. “Ow! What the…?”

She ran her fingers over the emerging bruises on her cheeks, winced, then did the same to her ribs.

“Have you guys been beating me up?”

Rachel smoothed down Una's wild hair and gripped her in a hug that was a little too tight.

“We did,” she said, blinking back tears. “But now that you're back, we promise not to beat you up anymore.”

“It's really weird,” said Una. “I can't remember much since we did the Ouija board that night in the P block—there's just blurry bits and pieces. It's so freaky.”

Grace watched Una's pretty gray eyes and felt almost giddy with relief and happiness. When Rachel let go of her, she grabbed Una in a bear hug.

“Aw, stop with the hugging,” Una groaned. “I'm sore all over.”

Grace released her and kissed her bruised cheek. “We've missed you
so
much.”

“That's nice, but, you know, be gentle about it. Hey, do I have to thank you guys for saving me or something?”

“It's Grace you should thank. She did the worst part,” said Adie, wrapping her arms very carefully around Una's neck. “It's so good to hear the real you again!”

“Where's Tracy?” Ms. Lemon said suddenly. “Is
she
all right?”

“Seems like it.” Adie nodded toward the shaking figure slowly climbing out of the ditch. “Gave me a good punch in the stomach for my trouble too.”

They all looked toward Tracy's cowering figure. She paused to stare at them with a mixture of venom and terror, before rushing onto the now-stationary bus.

“Shame,” said Una, raising one eyebrow. “Looks like she got a good scare though.”

“Una!” Ms. Lemon warned. Una looked contrite.

“So all our spells worked then?” she said after a moment.

“Except for that very last one, yeah,” replied Grace.

“Does that mean that James O'Connor's in love with you, Grace?” Una grinned, finally managing to stand by herself.

“Was. He won't be anymore.”

“Not to worry. We'll do another one tomorrow.”

“You will not!” Ms. Lemon snapped.

“We will not, Miss. You're absolutely right,” Una said innocently, taking Adie and Rachel's hands and winking slyly. Grace grinned as Jenny threw an arm around Una's shoulder and squeezed.

“It's
so
good to have you back.”

“Believe me—it's good to
be
back!”

***

The following morning, a bruise-covered Una walked up to the other girls as they stood by Grace's locker.

“So you all forgot to mention that you got me suspended,” she said with a face like a bulldog.

“We did nothing of the sort,” snapped Adie. “The
demon
got you suspended.”

“Well,” said Una, unimpressed, “it would appear I'm still suffering from the fallout of that at home. I had to wash
and
dry the dishes last night, and Dad says I have to clean out the garage on Saturday. And when I complained he said, ‘I thought you would understand how serious this was, because you've been behaving so well lately.' Ugh!”

“Oh, yeah,” said Jenny, “the demon was a total teacher's pet. Everyone thinks you're a nerd now. Mr. Kilroy loves you.”

“Ahh, stop! I don't want to hear any more!”

“Still,” said Rachel cheerfully, “Tracy seems to have given you a wide berth this morning. Maybe the demon scared her off for good.”

“Let's hope so,” said Adie, picking up her bag. “Grace, are you coming?”

“I'll catch up,” replied Grace, waving them off. “Just need to grab my math book.”

Trotting over to her locker, she opened the door and dropped to her haunches with her bag just as the contents of her locker emptied, showering her in books. Tutting to herself, she threw them back in over her head and fastened her schoolbag again.

“You missed one.”

“Oh, thanks,” she said, taking the offered book without looking up.

“No problem. See you around, Grace.”

She glanced up just in time to catch James O'Connor's warm smile before he turned and headed down the corridor. Slowly getting to her feet, she gazed at his retreating back, then smiled to herself. She pulled her bag onto her shoulder and hurried after her friends.

I'd like to thank my mom, Eileen, for her endless love and support. And Oisín, Kunak, Marek, and Darius, because life is easy when you've always got people to lean on.

My editor, Marian Broderick, for sorting out my text and making a better book. To everyone at O'Brien Press, especially Susan Houlden for managing the project, and Emma Byrne for her brilliant design.

And a big thanks to my school friends who inspired this story—I promise I won't tell which parts are real and which are made up.

Erika McGann grew up in Drogheda, Ireland, and now lives in Dublin. She has a respectable job, very normal friends, and rarely dabbles in witchcraft. She loves writing stories that are autobiographical. Sort of.

The
Demon
Notebook
is her first book.