Hey Everybody!

My hotel in Düsseldorf didn't have WiFi, so you get your update today instead. On the plus side, I did get started on the next chapter early!

Corona Pax: Hello again! Things are certainly heating up for everybody around Ivy. And it isn't over yet...

Tmntfan4ever : Happy (albeit late) Halloween! And no worries-I don't intend to have as big a break as I did before, and I hope you know how much your review means to me. I hope you like this chapter!

GoldGuardian2418: Your perception on this story is as wonderful as always. Thanks you so much for the compliment and the review!

So Ivy's got a plan-let's see how it turns out...

CHAPTER ELEVEN

November 7

10:36 am

Ivy leaned against the door frame to the witches' common room, listening to Gretchen ramble.

"-and he may seem a bit spacey, but he's really very sweet. Have you met him yet?"

Ivy noticed the lingering worry in Gretchen's eyes and decided to ease her mind, "I haven't been exactly seeking out a guy with an ax in his head."

Gretchen smiled and Ivy forced herself to relax. The witch had barely let Ivy out of her sight since she'd come back, and Ivy guessed she was still turning Jack's words over her head-just as she herself was. Her eyes darted over to watch the hands of the old clock shoved into the corner. C'ome on, c'ome on…

Gretchen hoped her nerves weren't obvious to the girl. She snuck another glance at the human, who had her arms crossed lazily as her gaze tracked a wayward spider.

The mayor had sent a message by ghost to the witches moments before Ivy had returned, summoning them to the town hall. She felt a little guilty about breaking their other appointment, but she was more concerned about leaving Ivy.

She straightened up as Helga materialized into the room, broomstick in hand. Helga smirked at Ivy's twitch, then narrowed her eyes at her sister. "Where's Rosie?"

Gretchen sighed heavily, grabbing her handbag and tying it to the end of her broom. "Your guess is as good as mine. If she comes home, Ivy, don't let her leave again. She's been avoiding her chores all day."

Helga looked out the window before calling to her sister. "Let's get going, Gretchen. We don't' have much sunlight left."

…...….

Ivy gave the witches a fifteen minute head start before she crept along to the storage room, startled to find it unlocked. She grabbed a lantern from the floor and held it high, holding back a gasp.

When Gretchen had show her the room before, the shelves had a few empty patches, but the majority had been at least partway filled.

Now, only a few dried leaves or berries remained. Ivy sneezed from the dust and set the lantern on a high shelf, her gaze searching for the book.

There!

Laying hazardously on the edge of the workbench was the leather bound book, a huge knot holding it closed. Ivy pulled the book to her, using her sleeve to wipe off the cover.

Halloween Town Herbal Stock (Third Edition)

Ivy felt a twinge of gilt seeing Gretchen's messy scrawl, but pushed it down. She tried to yank on the knot, only to get rope burn.

Hissing, the human spotted what looked like the wing of a metal bat, the edges torn and jagged. Holding the book in one hand, she grabbed the wing and with a few saws had broken the rope.

The moment she opened the book, a face came stretching through the pages, screaming it's cover off.

Ivy gave a scream of her own, but kept her hold on the book.

"THIEF! TREASON! INVADER!"

The screams grew louder and Ivy swore, knowing she didn't have much time. Ignoring the book now copying her profanity, Ivy wrestled through the pages, her eyes growing wide.

Stinging Nettle...2 Caterpillar Hairs….0

Poison Ivy...3 Spider Eyes…0

Giant's Ward...0 Pumpkin Seeds…..1

Nightshade...4 Pig's Snout…..0

The trail of zeros grew longer the further the dates were from Halloween, Ivy slightly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of things that the witches would have. "I wonder-"

"IVY!"

The human let out a screech to rival the book's as a pair of nails dug themselves into her shoulders, ripping her away from the book. She landed on her back, looking up into the furious black eyes of Gretchen.

The book was still shrinking, but Gretchen sent over a spell with enough force to send it speeding against the back wall of the storage room, where it sat whimpering.

Ivy scrambled to sit up, but a spell from Helga sent her flying to join the book. She groaned and pushed herself up on her elbows, her shoulders hiking up defensively. A patter of feet revealed Rosie hanging n the doorway, her eyes wide as she stared at the human on the floor.

"What in the name of Halloween were you doing?" Gretchen exploded, the trees outside bending under her energy.

Ivy stood up, suddenly aware of the magic in the room as she met Gretchen's gaze. "Nobody was telling me anything, so I thought I'd check for my-"

"You deliberately disobeyed!" Gretchen yelled, sparks leaping from her fingertips. Even Helga frowned at her sister's fury. "You went behind our backs-"

"Why are you guys having such a huge shortage?" Ivy interrupted.

"That is a problem due to you, human," Helga spat. "Don't try and act righteous!"

"What do you mean it's my fault?" Ivy yelled, confusion coloring her voice. "What do I have to do with your damn plant problem?"

"Stop it!" Rosie screamed, startling all three. "Stop fighting!"

Ivy ignored the glares of the witches and closed her eyes, fighting to keep control.

Surprisingly, it was Helga who broke the tense silence. "It is far more than, as you so carelessly put it, a mere 'plant problem.' She sighed, forcing herself to take a calm tone-for her sister and Rosie's sake. "Every year after Halloween, Gretchen, Rosie, and myself go on a long gathering for supplies in the upcoming year. These are our healing herbs, food staples, and the like."

"So...what does that have to do with me?" Ivy asked, her foot beginning to bounce with discomfort.

"Because when somebody-" here Helga turned to glare at Gretchen, "-decided to have a human as a pet, we can't go resupply?"

"I said I'd work it out!" Gretchen snapped over Ivy's indignant "Pet?"

Helga's glare increased. "Your idea of 'working it out' is ignoring the problem? It takes the three of us months to get this done!"

Ivy let her arms fall from their defensive cross. "What does the town usually do when you're not here?"

"Usually, there wouldn't be a problem," Gretchen explained, refusing to meet Ivy's eyes. "But on last year's gathering, we found a sickness had killed almost all our supplies. We've been rationing for months as it is-we just didn't tell Jack."

"'Cause he'd tell the mayor and he'd get everybody worried," Rosie finished, seeing the question on Ivy's face.

"We have some more tucked away, but we didn't want to give them out until we figured out what to do with you." Helga finished, causing Ivy to stiffen up again.

"And when were you planning on telling me?" Ivy snapped.

"It isn't your business, human!" Helga fired back.

Ivy ground her teeth in frustration. "When will it be my business what happens to me? You guys sound just like the doctor!"

WHAM!

Two spells sent Ivy crashing back to the floor, only to feel Gretchen towering over her. "Do not ever compare me to him again, girl." Gretchen's dark tone sent a shiver of fear through Ivy, sapping the rage out of her.

"I...I was out of line," she said softly.

"You were more than that, Ivy girl," Gretchen said, crossing her arms as she gazed down at Ivy. "But then, you're only human."

And for some reason, that was worse than anything else that had been said.

Ivy swallowed thickly and pushed herself to her feet, careful to keep her eyes down. Helga huffed and led Rosie from the room, the young apprentice stumbling over her feet.

Gretchen let out a long sigh, then let her arms fall to her sides. "We'll figure out how to handle the situation. But be warned-" here Ivy steeled herself to look into Gretchen's eyes- "-I do not ever want you going behind my back again, understood?"

Ivy shuddered and held her twitching hands together. "I get it."

Ivy didn't move until Gretchen had left the room, and even then the human stared at the book laying on the floor.

Gott, I messed up.

Ivy slipped out the back door, running her hands through her hair as she settled herself on the bottom step, fearful to leave the witches' place.

"Wind?" She asked softly, noticing the leaves on the trees shudder as she spoke. When she got no reply, Ivy raised her voice, panicked. "Not you too! WIND!"

"Yes, Miss Ivy?"

Ivy almost laughed in relief. "Wind…" she reached down to pick some mud off her boots. "I screwed up, big time."

"I discerned that from the screams of the witches' supply book," the wind remarked dryly. "As did, I believe, half the town."

Ivy groaned at put her head between her knees, and the wind decided to take pity on her. "Fortunately, I doubt few bothered to make the distinction between the everyday shrieks and the book."

"Gretchen and Helga did," Ivy mumbled, her voice muffled by her knees.

"I see." The wind blew about her shoulders, but ceased when she shivered. "My apologies."

"It was awful," Ivy moaned, misunderstanding the wind's comment. "Gretchen was even more pissed than Helga, and now she's never gonna trust me again!" Ivy made to lift her head, but deemed the action too much work. "This day sucks."

The wind made no comment.

An idea fueled Ivy to look up in the air accusingly. "Did you know about the shortage? And how it's my fault?"

"I admit I knew the witches had been having difficulties for a few months," the wind admitted. "However, I did not factor in your presence or it's affect-and I am sorry for not warning you."

"It's not your fault," Ivy grouched.

"Neither is it the witches or yours," the wind reminded. "These things will do happen."

"But the town needs that stuff!" Ivy protested. "And where am I supposed to go? Why did Gretchen even take me if she knew she needed to leave?"

"Because her concern for your situation at the doctor's outweighed her common sense," the wind snapped. Seeing Ivy recoil, the wind backtracked. "She already knew she had one problem. She didn't' want to leave another unsolved."

Ivy nodded sullenly, guilt at her Gretchen-Doctor comparison causing her to bite her lip close to the bleeding point.

Suddenly, little dirt tornadoes whipped up, and Ivy gripped the step in shock. "Wind? Alles klar?"

"Of course, Miss Ivy!' The formless being sped around the yard. "I've had an idea to fix your problem!"

"Really? Great!" Ivy jumped up and teetered dangerously in the winds. "What is it?"

"In due time, Miss Ivy-give me but an hour."

And ignoring Ivy's cry of, "Come on, you too?" the wind sped down the road.

Now, where is the pumpkin king?

Oh boy. Ivy did not help her case today.

And for those of you asking about Jack-as the wind shows, he's going to play a major role in the next few chapters!

Alles klar= Is everything ok, alright, ect.

See you on Saturday!

-Aria