Chapter Twenty-Six



Kellie was halfway down the driveway before she stopped and remembered Darry and Amy. She turned around and saw that her cousin wasn't behind her.
Kellie called, sniffing the air. No one answered and no one appeared. 'That man must have caught them, that mean's I'm the only one who can get Willow to turn us back!' Kellie thought.
She began running down the driveway again, trying to remember which way to the Summers house. She began running down the sidewalk, trying to remember the way they came. Luckily, she picked up on the scent that she, Darry and Anya had left when they had come to Amy's house. 'Of course, I'll just follow the scent.' Kellie decided, proud of herself for thinking up such and good idea.
Kellie began walking more slowly, so she could smell the scent; there were lots of other scents on the sidewalk but the freshest ones were hers, Darry's and Anya's. So, it was easy to follow. The sidewalk soon ended at an intersection, and a busy one at that. Cars zipped by, heedless to the little rat at the end of the corner. Kellie was panicking, she kept running off the corner and into the bushes and then returning to the corner again. Kellie cowered at the corner, her eyes darting back and forth.
Slowly, the cars began to deplete; a few zipped by, blowing a strong wind against Kellie's fur. Without thinking, Kellie darted into the road, her claws clicking against the pavement. She dodged a car and bolted onto the opposite corner, breathing hard and feeling like her heart was caught in her throat.
However, Kellie realized that she had crossed the road; hopefully she wouldn't have to cross another. Slowly, the rat began walking down the sidewalk again, still following the scent. It was only when she was halfway down the sidewalk when she realized that the scent would lead her to The Magic Box and not the Summers house.
Kellie sat down to think, curling her tail around her furry body. Perhaps it would be better to go to the Magic Box; Willow might be there. Or, maybe she could find a book of magick that had the spell where she could turn herself and Darry and Amy back to people. Proud of her new idea, Kellie continued walking down the sidewalk toward the Magic Box.

Willow and Buffy entered the Magic Box; Anya looked up from her spot behind the counter. She frowned. "I thought you were more customers." Anya grumbled and walked out from behind the counter.
Willow looked around the shop, noticing the people browsing the shelves. "You have customers Anya." Willow told the ex-demon.
"Yes, I know but you can never have too many customers. Customers equal money." Anya said and smiled.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Okay." She muttered and sighed. She looked around. "Um, we were hoping that Darry and Kellie were here." Buffy said.
"Well, they're not. Are you going to buy things? If not get out." Any grumbled, clearly in a bad mood, and picked up a feather duster.
Buffy frowned. "What's wrong with you Anya?" Buffy asked.
"Nothing, nothing at all." Anya muttered and dusted a dustless counter.
"Something's wrong…what have you done?" Buffy asked.
"Done? I haven't done anything." Anya muttered and attempted to avoid Buffy's stare. "Oh alright, I took Darry and Kellie to Amy's house and after what happened last time, I'm worried…" Anya answered and then clamped a hand over her mouth.
"What? What happened last time?" Willow asked.
"You took them to Amy's house?" Buffy exclaimed, her dislike for Amy clearly showing.
Anya groaned. "Yes, I'd tell you that Darry made me do it but I know you wouldn't believe me." Anya said, giving them a slight smile.
Willow said, "What happened last time?"
Anya shook her head. "I can't tell you." She said, holding up her hand as though to say that she swore on the Bible that she wouldn't tell.
Buffy frowned. "Anya, what happened? Why would Darry and Kellie be in danger?" Buffy hissed.
Before the ex-demon had a chance to answer, the bell above the door rang and another customer entered. Before she was halfway in the store, the customer let out a startled yelp and jumped back.
"There's a rat in this store!" She exclaimed. A murmur went through the other patrons of the store.
Anya panicked. "No, there are no rats in this store." She said and looked over at Buffy and Willow. "If there is a rat find it now." She whispered.
Buffy and Willow split up, searching for the rat, as Anya went around to calm all the clienteles down. Willow walked near the door and spotted a large rat on the ground, looking very scared and confused. She bent and picked the rat up, hiding it in her hands.
She looked over at Anya, who smiled. "See, no rat." Anya said. The customers looked at each other and then went back to their shopping.
Willow carried the rat back over to the counter; Buffy and Anya joined her.
"Stupid little rat, ruining business." Anya hissed and snatched the rat away from Willow.

Kellie panicked when Anya took her out of Willow's hands. She squeaked but knew it was no use because Anya couldn't hear her.
Kellie squirmed around in Anya's hands, clawing and squeaking.
"No Anya, be careful." Willow commanded and gently took Kellie away from Anya. "Don't hurt the little mousy." Willow cooed and pet the rat's head.
Buffy smiled. "Still have a soft spot for rodents there Will?" Buffy asked.
Willow smiled and scratched Kellie-rat behind the ears. "I can't help it, they're just so cute." Willow cooed.
Kellie frowned, though hard to do in rat form. Kellie squeaked.
Buffy looked at the rat. "It sure squeaks a lot. It's almost like she's talking." Buffy remarked.
Anya nodded. "Rats can talk, we just can't understand them." Anya said.
Kellie remarked.
Willow studied the rat. "You're right Buffy, like it's remarking on what we're saying." Willow said.
Kellie attempted to nod her rat head but just managed to make a bobbing motion. Kellie squeaked.
Buffy took the Kellie-rat away from Willow and studied her. Kellie kicked her little legs and swished her tail. Kellie commanded. Buffy stared at Kellie-rat.
"Willow, I'm going to ask you a big favor. You don't have to do, considering everything that's happened, but could you cast a spell to help us understand this rat?" Buffy asked.
Willow looked surprised. "Well…I could try but why would you want to understand it?" Willow asked.
"I just have a feeling." Buffy answered.
Willow thought for a moment and then chanted a few words, Kellie couldn't understand because she was having a hard enough time trying to understand what they were saying in English. Kellie felt weird and a little less like a rat.
Buffy studied her closely. "Can you understand me?" She asked.
"Yes." Kellie answered, surprised that her words come out in words instead of squeaks.
"Wow, good going Willow." Anya said. "Ooh, this could be good for business: if you by one item meet the talking rat." Anya muttered.
Kellie-rat looked over at Anya. "I don't think so." She muttered. "We have to save Darry and Amy, they're still at Amy's house." Kellie informed.
Willow took Kellie-rat away from Buffy. "Kellie? Is that really? How did this happen?" Willow asked.
Kellie looked up at Willow. "You mean you don't know, Amy said that you turned her human again when she was a rat before." Kellie said.
"Well yeah…" Willow muttered.
"Oh yeah, the simple plan." Kellie said. "You have to turn us human." Kellie told Willow.
Willow looked surprised. "I guess there's no other choice." Willow said.
"No, no other plan: all other plans aren't simple." Kellie said. "Except for the plan that we might be rats forever, but that's no a good plan." Kellie added.
"Well, looks like we have to pay a visit to our friend Amy." Buffy said.
"No, I have to watch the cash register." Anya said.
"Oh no, you're coming because you got them into this." Buffy said and grabbed Anya's hand. Buffy turned to face the people in the Magic Box. "Sorry folks, shop's gotta close early. There's a bit of a family emergency but the store will be open tomorrow." Buffy announced. The people grumbled and left the store.
"There goes the money." Anya muttered.
"You'll get over it." Kellie muttered.
The three girls and one rat left the shop and headed in the direction of Amy's house.

Back at Amy's house, Darry was busy working on a plan. Though, it wasn't a very big plan. 'Out, get out, out of box. Get out of box.' Darry thought as she ran circles inside the cardboard box.
Amy was huddled in the corner of the box. Amy asked.
Darry retorted, twitching her whiskers.
Amy muttered.
Darry answered.

Kellie peeked out of her place in Willow's hands. "Are we almost there?" She asked Willow.
"Yeah." Willow answered.
"Good, that's good." The little rat answered.
The trio neared Amy's house, Anya spotted it first. They walked up the driveway and Willow knocked on the door.
Amy's dad answered the door. "Willow, nice to see you. If you're looking for Amy she's not here." Mr. Madison said.
Before Willow had a chance to answer, Kellie poked her head out of Willow's hands and squeaked.
"It's one of the others mice, I caught two other ones trying to get out. I think they belong to Amy, where did you find her?" Mr. Madison asked and before Willow could stop him, took Kellie from Willow.
Kellie squeaked and attempted to claw her way out of Mr. Madison's grip.
"No." Anya said. "They're my rats." She said, quickly as though she was coming up with the lie as the words came out of her mouth.
"Yes, I lent them to Amy for um…food for her…snake." Anya said. Willow looked over and shook her head. "No, not her snake for her…salad. Yes, mouse salad, it's a delicacy where I come from." Anya quickly recovered her lie.
"Where are you from?" Mr. Madison asked, clearly disturbed by what Anya was telling him.
"Um…" Anya said, looking around. She saw a stake sticking out of Buffy's back pocket. "Transylvania." Anya answered.
"Oh, that's….nice." Mr. Madison said and handed Kellie back over to Anya.
"Yeah, isn't it?" Buffy asked. "Anya, here, decided that she wanted to keep the mice instead of letting Amy put them in her…salad. So, we came to get them back and we found little…Melissa running away here." Buffy said and pointed to Kellie.
"Oh, lucky." Mr. Madison said. "Let me get the other mice." He said and disappeared inside the house.
"Well, we're going to be asked over for dinner." Willow muttered, looking over at Anya.
"Do you really eat mice salad?" Kellie asked Anya.
"No, I've eaten much stranger things mind you. There was this one time…" Anya began.
"That's okay Anya, we'll leave it to our imagination." Buffy muttered.
Mr. Madison returned with the shoebox. "Here, this should make them easier to carry. The other two are in there." Mr. Madison said and handed the box to Anya.
"Thanks a lot Mr. Amy's dad." Anya said.
"Sure, anytime." He muttered, though it was clear that he wanted Anya gone as soon as possible.
"Well, we'll be going now." Willow said and smiled.
"Yes, I'll tell Amy you stopped by." Mr. Madison said to Willow.
The three said goodbye and Mr. Madison shut the door.

The trio quickly returned to the Magic Box and set the shoebox on the counter. "Okay, let's get you three changed back." Willow muttered and took the lid off the box.
Instead, Darry and Amy squeaked and ran around. Willow set Kellie into the box with the other two rats.
"Okay, here goes nothing." She muttered. "Cio Che Fu Non E Piu Cio Che Fu Fatto Disfa. Passato E Il Pericolo Finta E La Prva Metti Le Cosa A Pasto." Willow recited, remembering the words from the first time she preformed the spell.
There was a bright flash of pink like and Darry, Amy and Kellie became human again. Darry tumbled off the counter; the cardboard box lay flattened under Amy; Kellie blinked, surprised and disoriented.
"Good going Will." Buffy said.
Darry peered up from behind the counter. "Okay, I remember very little. What the hell just happened?" She asked.