By sheer dumb good fortune or some wishing star, the girls made it safely to the store room at the back of the hall behind the stage. Better still, there was no lock on the door. Some scatty brained staff member had kindly- well accidently- left it open for them! Mildred only hoped no one heard the loud creek the door made as they slipped into the store cupboard.
"There it is!" Mildred said.
It had taken a few tries, but Maud conjured up the same spell Miss Crotchet had used to give a little more light about the place. Much better and safer than the little candle given the dusty paper around. The Broomstick Simulator hadn't been touched.
"Give me a hand getting this stuff off ?"
"Oh! It weighs a ton. How did Miss Drill and Mr Blossom lift it?"
"Jadu can you be look out? You can make yourself smaller then we can."
Jadu did so while Mildred Maud and Ruby together moved the accumulated bits bobs and bits off the machine and heaved it to the middle of the small space. She couldn't resist a look back at what they were up too though.
"Wow it looks weird!" she said.
Mildred quietly agreed. Up close the Mark Three looked even more scrappy and junky then she had originally thought. And the big red button had been spell-o-taped over. She only hoped the adults hadn't already started to pull bits and pieces off it!
"Let's see if we can start it." She said ignoring her own doubts. Worse, looking at the dials and switches realised something important they'd over looked. "oh. Do any of you know How to start it?"
No one did.
"I saw Miss Drill press a few buttons but not what order or which ones." Ruby frowned.
"We'll work it out. Logic. Or magic." Jadu shrugged.
"Maybe you shouldn't go on it after all…?" Maud tried.
"If Miss Bat can ride it so can I." Mildred insisted trying to sound brave. It came out a little louder then she meant it too. The others Shushed her
"It sparked out on Miss Bat!" Maud reminded her with a wince; but helped as Mildred the human clambered on anyway. It was tricky trying to sit as side-saddle as she could in her nightie. It was even worse with the helmet on and the vizor lowered. It was dark. And everything was muffed. Mildred hated it.
"Alright let's go."
"Give me time!" She heard Ruby grumble as she figured out the buttons despite pestering. "Yes! Here she goes-!"
Mildred felt the broom rise and lift her up a little, as if hovering, even though she knew it was still on its stand. She gripped it hard, suddenly very nervous. She could feel it humming and shudder, like a train moving on a track. Then at the press of a few more buttons the lower box of it begun to shake a little, then a lot. Mildred squeaked and braced herself for a white-knuckle ride. But nothing else happened.
"It's still loud."
"How is it Mildred?"
"What can you see?"
"Nothing. there's something wrong with it." Mildred said and explained "The helmets not working, the screens blank."
"Try pressing more buttons?" Jadu suggested. And pressed at least four at once. Maud pitched in too and Mildred also began feeling around one the visor for a switch, just the one hand on the broom.
"I still can't see any thi-WOAH!" She said.
At the same time as Ruby yelled, "Not that button!"
The Mark three jerked alarmingly A hiss of steam jetted out a side panel between the bolts, and a piston suddenly fired up. Mildred was span about. And then shot forward.
Very forward. Blasting through the door crashing off the stage and still going kind of forward.
"It has wheels!?" Maud shrieked. They'd seen it had had had casters and just assumed it was a garage board from moving the hulk about. But no, the wheels were powered and Mark three had become a mode of unreliable transport. It lurched off slash took off or rolled off however you wanted to describe the situation, holding it sole occupant to ransom.
And screaming all the while. Followed by three more yelling first years.
"She's going to crash!"
"Mil let go! Jump off!"
But she didn't. Mildred, for possibly the first time neither crashed, fell off, or let go the broomstick. Quite possibly because the one thing the Mark Three did have going for it was a cleverly enchanted gyroscope built into its base and several signals hidden in the paint job, curtesy of Miss Mould and Ms Nightingale. Not that Mildred knew or would be thankful for this.
Unfortunately, the moment Mildred had sat on the broom, the bell had gone for the night schoolers. The corridors she now unwillingly tore down weren't as empty as the ones she and her friends had crept down. The Mark Three carried down the corridor on it bouncing long rollercoaster way; with Mildred essentially blindfolded at the helm, screaming like mad and apologising to the girls she could hear leaping and squealing out of her path. Girls knocked into each other to escape but somehow no one was ran over.
Jadu cut down another hallway and ran on ahead like a screeching wild cat trying to warn those up in front to clear the way while avoiding becoming road kill herself. Maud was trying very hard to draw level with the Mark Three but had neither the speed on two legs nor the long reach of tentacles to simply pull Mildred to safety. Ruby followed trying to grab the tail end, yelling about pulling wire out or hitting the button. Behind her the other monsters, (including a teaching assistant two prefects and one of the kitchen ghouls) joining the chase, either to laugh or to help catch Mildred before she went down a set of stair or right out the fount door.
Had they not been so focused on trying to rescue their friend they would have seen a pale face in the dark suddenly appearing on the main stairs above them. and heard the snarl of "Stupid Wretched Girl!"
Mildred wasn't aware of that, fang fully. She had enough to cope with what with the horrible rushing sensation and blind panic. What she did hear over all the other noise was "Hold on! And That Stupid Thing Again-?! I said HOLD ON!"
There was a crackle like a storm, and then with a jolt Mildred was frozen in place mid buck. Machine and little witch, still as statues. Mildred gasped for breath, her own magic prickling against another far stronger, older power. A power that was holding her in place and space and time before setting her casually back down on the mechanical broomstick that whirred hissed and finally powered down.
The whole debacle had taken less the two minutes from start to finish, but it was far too long for Mildred. Panting, Shaken and Still blind Mildred caught the padding of six- well eight bare feet of her three friends and a sharp snap of sensible shoes. Then she was suddenly dazzled as the helmet snatched off her head so hard almost scalped her.
"You saved me!" Mildred gasped and blinked. Into the red eyes of a really angry vampire.
Mildred gulped, but still said very gratefully "Miss Hardbroom, you saved my life!"
"…Yes."
That was the vampire said before she hurried them all away from the Mark 3. Then reduced it to a smouldering wreck in another flash of blue lighting from her fingers.