CHAPTER FIVE

WITCH UNIVERSITY – FRONT GATES – MORNING

Ethan comes out, and turns to one of the two stoned gargoyles who guard the front entrance.

Ethan: Hi, boys. Look, I know that you're spying on Marnie Piper. There's no need to hide it. I just don't know who you work for.

The gargoyle in front of him groans.

Gargoyle: Rike I gorrrawoing to terr rou.

Ethan takes out two hamburgers and waves them in front of it.

Ethan: You know; just tell me and these babies are yours.

WITCH UNIVERSITY – HALLWAYS – MORNING

Marnie is walking in the hallways of Witch University. Ethan catches up to her.

Ethan: Marnie! Wait!

Marnie: What'd you want, Ethan? I'm very busy.

Ethan: Just give me a moment.

Marnie: That's funny, 'cause I'm so busy I can't even give you a moment.

She begins to leave but he grabs her arm.

Ethan: Please.

He looks around to make sure the coast is clear.

Ethan: (Whispers) Marnie, you can't trust the chancellor. She is up to something with Scarlett's father and Professor Grogg.

Marnie: What are you talking about?

Ethan: They're all part of a group that my dad used to belong to, called the Dominion. They're using you to rule Halloweentown and all its creatures. Marnie, they're evil.

Marnie: No, you're lying. They're the good guys. Unlike you, Ethan!

She flips her arm out of his grip and walks away. He catches up to her. Just then, Sarox, Dylan, Marlene, Max and PJ appear from down the hallway and see them.

Ethan: Marnie! Please! You have to believe me. I know what I did was awful, but I never wanted to hurt you. Marnie, please. You can't trust them.

Marnie looks unsure. Then, she states her decision.

Marnie: No. Leave me alone.

With that, she disappears down the hallway and the others follow her. Ethan just stands there, looking sad.

Sarox and the others catch up to her.

Dylan: Marnie, what was that? He was telling you the truth, I could tell thus far.

Marnie: Whatever. I've got more important things to do.

Dylan: Like what?

Marnie: Like opening the box before tonight when it's Halloween.

Marlene: How do you plan on doing that?

Marnie: I have an idea.

WITCH UNIVERSITY – FRONT YARD – MORNING

Marnie, Sarox, PJ, Marlene, Max, and Luke come out through the front doors and continue to the end of the school grounds.

Luke: Marnie, think it through. It's going to be very dangerous.

Marnie: I realize that.

PJ: Then you know what's going to be at risk if you do it.

Marnie: I know, but if I don't figure out a way to open the box before tonight, then everything's going to be at a bigger risk.

Luke sighs.

From afar, they're being watched by Scarlett. She opens her witches' glass and contacts her dad.

Scarlett: They're leaving the school. I'm gonna follow them.

Silas: No! Let them go! Send in the "grong". Let him watch over them.

WITCH UNIVERSITY – FRONT GATES – MORNING

A taxi is waiting outside the front gates. Marnie and the others embark. When they look at the chauffeur, he turns out to be the skeleton taxi driver, Benny.

Benny: Hey there! (Sees PJ) Oh, hi-yah, PJ. Haven't seen you in a long time. Well, actually in a short time for a thousand-year-old skeleton.

PJ: Hey, Benny!

Marnie: Hey, Benny, can you take us to my grandmother's home, please?

Benny: No problemo! Be there in no-time!

Max: (Whispers to PJ) We have a taxi driver with no eyeballs?

PJ shushes him. Benny doesn't seem to have heard him.

PJ: (whispers) Be careful what you're saying.

Benny: All right now, hold on tight!

With that, Benny pushes the clutch and steps on the pedals. The car rushes away in a speed of lightning.

WITCH UNIVERSITY – AGGIE'S VICTORIAN OLD HOUSE – MORNING

The taxi stops outside the gate of Grandma Aggie's Victorian old house.

Benny: Here we are.

All the passengers disembark. Some of them seem to still be reeling from the wild ride, most specifically Max and Sarox.

Marnie: Thanks, Benny.

PJ: Yeah! That saves us a lot of time.

Max: Yeah, now we have plenty of time to puke.

Marnie can't help but burst into laughs at Max' sarcasm. Meanwhile, Benny begins to drive off.

Benny: See you!

They wave him goodbye.

Marnie: Come on.

They all head into the front yard of Aggie's house then into the back yard. There, Professor Periwinkle, Marnie's professor, is waiting for them.

Marnie: Professor Periwinkle, thank you so much for coming. I don't want to get you into trouble, but I just can't trust anyone else.

Prof. Periwinkle: Oh, you know I live for danger. Now, what might I be able to help you with?

Marnie: I need you to help send me and my friends to Gort's house, where all the missing things in the universe end up landing on. I know he has a time-portal, which he still has. So I need to use it and travel back in time to ask Splendora Cromwell how to open the box and…

Prof. Periwinkle: And save Halloweentown?

Marnie responds with a nod.

Prof. Periwinkle: (Giggles) Oh, that means you're ready!

Marnie: I think so.

She turns back to her friends.

Marnie: Listen up, what I'm going to be is very dangerous. So if you guys want to stay behind, I understand.

There is a beat, and then, Sarox smiles.

Sarox: I'm here to help, and that's what I'm gonna do.

With that, he goes to her side. Then, one by one, PJ, Marlene and Max join them. Now, there's only Luke left. He looks insecure by the idea.

Luke: Ah! What the heck.

He goes to their side, in the meantime, Max scoffs at him. Marnie and Professor Periwinkle join together their magic, and with a wave of hand, a portal appears two feet away from where they're standing. Marnie walks in first, and then the others follow.

GORT'S HOUSE – FRONT YARD – MORNING

The portal opens and Marnie, Sarox and co. walk out from it, then it disappears. Marnie glares at the house, looking nervous.

Max: Aren't you going?

Marnie: Yeah! Just gimme a minute.

She takes a deep breath, and then slowly walks up to the front door of Gort's house, followed by the others close behind her. When they come to the front door, she gently knocks and waits. One moment later, a vicious-looking black man with sharp goblin ears opens up and yells:

Gort: What?!

Marnie: Hi, Gort.

Gort: What're you doing here?

Marnie: Oh, well, see… I, uh, need to borrow that time-portal of yours to travel back in time.

Gort: And why would I want to help you?

Max: Because Halloweentown is in trouble, and we need to go back in time to find out how to fix it.

Gort: (Sweetly) Oh, how sweet, how brave, how noble. And, how foolish of you to think I would want to listen! (Yells) DON'T EVER COME BACK HERE AGAIN!!!

He slams the door in their faces.

Marlene: (Sarcastically) That was nice.

Marnie knocks on the door again. Gort opens again.

Gort: What now?

Marnie: Gort, please! We really need your help. All you have to do is let us borrow it for a moment, and that's it. You don't need to do anything else.

Gort: Oh, yeah? Well, I don't do charity work! Get the hell outta here!

He slams the door again. Sarox feels angered by his rude attitude and so thrusts out his Keyblade and points at the door.

Sarox: Wind!

A gust of wind bursts out from the end of his weapon and blows the door open. Then, he rushes into the house.

Gort: Aren't you gonna leave me alone?!

Sarox points his weapon in front of his nose to shut him up. Marnie and the others enter the house.

Sarox: I've had enough of your attitude, dude! We only need a minute to travel back in time and find out how to open a box. And whether you want to or not, you're not going to be in our way, because we're only going to use the portal, not steal it.

Marnie and the others look surprised by his sudden change of attitude – he has changed from a nice and obedient little boy to an angry and aggressive rebel.

Afraid of the weapon pointed in front of him, he simply nods. Then, Sarox slowly lowers the Keyblade.

Marnie and Luke go further into the house and find the time-portal standing by the chimney. It doesn't take long before the others catch up.

Marnie: Here it is. Now we can go back in time.

Gort: Um, one problem.

They turn to him.

Gort: I locked it up tight, and lost the key sometime after.

Max: Well, do you know where you might've lost it?

Marnie: Wait a minute, did you lose the key in the house?

He nods.

Gort: Yeah.

Marnie sighs in frustration. Sarox, Marlene and Max don't understand the problem, but PJ and Luke do.

Luke: Great! Now we can never get it open!

Marlene: Why'd you say that?

Marnie: Because whatever gets lost in other worlds end up winding in here, but things that get lost in here go poof.

Max: Poof?

Marnie: Poof, as in gone. Forever.

PJ grunts while Max sighs.

Max: Oh, great!

Sarox looks down on his Keyblade and then to the portal. Marnie sees him.

Marnie: Can you open it?

Sarox: I believe so.

He points the Keyblade at the portal's keyhole and shoots out a magical beam. As the magic unlocks the portal, a sound of key-twist is heard. The door opens and reveals a time line pointing to the past. Then Marnie and PJ each conjures up a flying broom. Marlene and Sarox jump up on PJ's broom while Max and Luke jump up on Marnie's.

PJ: You ready, Marnie?

Marnie: You bet. Let's race to the past!

PJ: Pedal to the medal!

With that, they fly off into the time line. Max and Luke yell out in fear while the others yell out in joy.