Wizards of Waverly Place
Something Wicked This Way Comes
An original fanfiction by Tna-Alysse
Based on the hit TV series created by
Todd J. Greenwald
Chapter
1
Pausing at the basement landing, Harper bid Alex goodnight, thankful to have earned her driver's license, all the while 'another job well done,' thought Harper teaching Alex an important lesson about mortals- learning how to live without magic. She then turned inside. Careful to lower her head so as not to bump into the overhanging pipe, she descended into the dark space.
After extensive preparations for bed, Harper was finally on the verge of sleep, letting thoughts of the day's wizard misadventures emerge as the foundation for tonight's dream, when suddenly she felt a strange presence in the room. Or perhaps there was a small animal scurrying about. But animals make noise, right? The silence had begun to unnerve her. Her breath hitched as she gripped the pink leopard comforter.
"Alex?" she called out.
She considered the possibility that her mind was playing tricks on her. However, once the two dress forms fell forward, Harper remained unconvinced. The translucent window beside the forms gave way to a ribbon of moonlight, which shed light on a dark figure weaving between the clothing rack and tables that were pushed against the wall opposite Harper's bed. Her mind clearly was not messing with her.
"Ung!" The comforter was immediately thrown to the side. "Uwaaaa!" She hoped her wails would draw the attention of the Russos before the creeper in the room got to her. "I-I kn-know karate!"
The figure softly returned, "Please wait! I can explain." He reached out to catch her hand, but Harper was quick to let her white pajama sleeve slip through his fingers. Harper feared to look behind her as she raced upstairs.
"Alex! Justin! Mr. Russo! Heeeeeelp!"
Swoosh! Harper burst into the main room, forcing the door close. Slam! She backed away from the door, frantically scanning for any nearby large object to block it. She quickly settled for resting a dining chair under the knob. I'm safe for now at least. What Harper did not anticipate was running into the young man standing in back of her.
Startled, she shrieked, "Kya!"
"Harper, what's wrong?" Justin grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around to face him.
She found herself face-to-face with her boyfriend's best friend. Her cheeks grew warm. Even though her crush for the older Russo had faded to admiration since she developed a relationship with Zeke, Harper couldn't help the fluttering feeling flow through her body. His face was only inches from hers. He stared at her with a concerned brow.
A flash of purple light blinded them. Harper appeared dazed for a moment, an effect she had yet to get used to whenever Alex decided to announce her presence magically. After blinking several times, Alex and Justin's faces came into focus.
Annoyed, Alex poked Harper with a stick of jerky. "Hey, what's with the yelling?"
"That's what we would like to know," a deep voice above them responded. "It's one in the morning; you all should be asleep in bed."
Jerry and Theresa walked down the spiral staircase to the main level, stopping at the dining table; the couple turned to face the children, expecting an explanation.
Releasing Harper, Justin took a step back and folded his arms to get a good look at the distraught girl. Face pale (with traces of pink), eyes glittered in fear, hands trembling, she looked about ready to faint.
With a cursory glance at her parents, Alex asked, "You brought a back scratcher?"
"Your father thought it would be necessary for protection from an intruder," her mother answered.
Bristled, Jerry proudly waved the item. "It's all I had next to the nightstand."
"But there is an intruder!"
"What?" the Russos all chorused.
"There is an intruder," Harper repeated.
Stepping forward, Theresa's expression turned serious. "Are you sure, Harper?"
"I-in the basement." Harper pointed to the blocked door. "I felt something try to grab my hand as I ran upstairs, but I got away." She directed her gaze at Alex and Justin. "Please do something." After taking a bite from the stick of jerky, Alex pulled her shaking friend in for a one-armed hug.
Theresa patted her husband's shoulder. "Jerry, I think you should go check."
"Um, right. Alex, get my bat, Harper, wake up Max and bring him down for back up, and, Theresa, stay behind us with Harper."
"So, what'd I miss?"
Max jumped onto the scene with such vigor that would make the monster hunters (not that he would notice since he inadvertently led them to their deaths) leap out of their shoes. His eyes were gleaming. Theresa suspected her son forwent her direct orders to set aside his video game and go straight to bed since he had school the next day. The Russo family was used to his antics. However, this was not the right time to be fooling around, MAX! The family threw him an annoyed look.
Alex offered Jerry his customized metal bat. Justin quickly filled his younger brother in while their father whispered the plan. "Max will slowly slide the chair out from underneath the knob. When I open the door, Justin is going to go in first—"
"Good for you, Dad." Alex waved her fist. "Use him as a shield."
Justin muttered, "Wow, thanks, Dad."
"Come on. You three are skilled in magic. What is a measly bat going to do against an intruder?"
Max eyed Jerry knowingly. "You just don't want to use your favorite bat."
Jerry pointed at him roughly. "I only use it if the situation demands it."
"Now, Jerry," Theresa said in a warning tone.
He held up his right hand in mock surrender. "Look, remember the robber who used to steal tip jars and cupcakes?"
The Russo children looked at him unbelievingly. "That was you, Dad."
"I know, but you three worked as a team, coming together in a time of need to fight against a darker force of nature. You all could do that again. I believe in you guys."
"Oh, would ya get on with it already? The intruder probably left by now with all your yappin'."
"Alex is probably right," Harper added with a grim smile.
"Wow, you don't hear that too often," Justin muttered under his breath. Alex overheard this and counteracted by sticking out her tongue at him.
Turning the bat in his hand, Jerry edged toward the basement door. "Justin." He glanced at his son. "Wand at the ready."
Justin gave his father a firm nod. Jerry returned the gesture, and as soon as Max moved the chair out of their way, they flung the door open. Jerry flipped the switch. White fluorescent lights enveloped the room. As stealthily as he could, Justin crept into the basement pum, followed by his father and younger siblings- pum pum. Each of them rubbed their foreheads; as usual, they forgot to avoid the overhanging pipe. The pain quickly subsided. There was the possibility of danger in the air.
A flutter of movement from the left side of the bed caught their interest; the trinkets on top of Harper's blue armoire toppled over. Justin motioned his brother, sister, and father to block the entrance while he approached the bedside. In each step he took he imagined he could hear the theme from Jaws, the suspense increasing between pauses as his pace coincided with the dun-duns. Strange, very strange.
"Max, cut it out," Justin ordered over his shoulder.
"Yeah, Max," Alex reinforced.
When his brother half-heartedly apologized, Justin shook his head and continued on in his search for anything out of the ordinary. "Ah-ha!"
The younger Russo children ran over to their older brother. Their attention pinpointed on a brown lace-up boot peeking out from beneath the pink bed skirt. Just as Jerry walked to where his children were standing, the owner of the boot took this opportunity to escape and leaped out from under Harper's bed.
"He's getting away!" Theresa shouted.
That was their cue. Russo children raised their wands aiming at the rope cord on Harper's work table and guided it in the air toward the intruder.
Soap on a rope, soap fell off a rope,
Rope shot out of my hand, rope tie up that man.
The rope flew then entangled him like a dangerous vine.
Harper peered over Theresa's shoulder. "Is everything okay?"
"Great job, kids. I'll take it from here," said their father.
"Ung." The intruder struggled to get free and thereafter fell to the floor staring up at the Russos with a piercing expression. "You don't understand."
Max stepped in front of his older siblings to get a good look at the intruder. "Huh," he said. He considered the intruder's chin-length dark hair, brown eyes. After a moment's thought, Max cried, "Hey, I know you!"
"Wait…what?" The Russo family turned to Max for an explanation.
"Duh," he said as though the answer was obvious. Max kneeled down next to the intruder and jutted his thumb in his direction. "That's J.B.."
"Who?"
"J.B.," he repeated. "I'm surprised you haven't seen him before. He's been living down here for the past year. Haven't seen him in awhile though; last time I saw him was when Conscience decided not to be my conscience anymore." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully before smiling cheerfully. "Good to have you back!"
"Oh, my God. I change down here!" Harper yelled. Even though she was clothed at the moment, she chose to cover her chest with her arms. "Pervert!"
J.B. glanced at the distressed girl and frowned. "I am a man of my name. I was raised with the utmost sense of virtue. To think I behave contradictory is absolutely absurd."
Leaving Harper in the middle of the staircase, Theresa fiercely made her way to her son. "You have been hiding a friend in our basement for a whole year?" She put her hands on her hips. "Do you know how irresponsible and inconsiderate that is? What were you thinking?"
"Pfft." He shook his head. "I haven't been hiding him."
Alex snorted. "Well, there's no way Harper would be hiding a hot guy."
Harper shot her best friend a glare. "Thanks, Alex."
"Oh, you know what I mean. You're too good. Like this square over here." She smacked Justin in the chest with the back of her hand.
"Then please, Max, explain to us why there is a young man hiding under Harper's bed at this hour?"
"Pardon, but I may be of assistance," the intruder managed to say. The rope gradually tightened as its victim struggled.
"Theresa, let's hear him out."
"I would like to hear this from my son."
"Mom, what more is there to say?" He held out his palms, dumbfounded.
"It would probably help if you told them that I am a cat." The young man known as J.B. finally forced himself to sit upright, clenching his fists. "Or at least I was until midnight."
