Chapter 2

Krudsky's Wicked Plan

As the last occupants left the Carnival, the evening sky turned a bright crimson orange, and an unusual creature watched them from the nearby bushes. She lingered until everyone was gone before rushing through a hole in the fence. She kept to the shadows just in case anyone was still there.

The creature was a young goblin. She had short blond hair, and two small wing-like horns and wore bronze armour. The goblin had slinked out before the goblin hour to get an early start. She began to explore fascinated by everything she saw and eating some of the leftover stakes. As she turned a corner, she heard someone, curious she tiptoed over to the tent where the nose had come.

"Those confounded meddling mystery solvers!" Krudsky yelled in frustration. "If I see them again, I'll give them what for! How dare they ruin my show!"

"But sir, they were trying to help." Kath defended, earning a harsh glare. "Sorry."

"If word of this gets out, I'll be ruined. My career is already rock bottom as it is."

"It's alright sir. It's not your fault you're a big phoney." Jim stated, unintentionally annoying the obese man. He hit the ginger man hard on the head, causing him to see stars.

"I've spent a lifetime in search of real magic," he stated as he walked over to an ancient book. "I've studied every spell, spoken every incantation. There must be something I'm missing." He turned the pages until he came to one that had a picture of a sceptre with an orb on top. "Huh? The Goblin Scepter: Fabled wand of the great Goblin King. "Bewitched by the darkest magic..." he read. "...he who holds the Goblin Scepter holds the magic of Halloween in his grasp." he began to chuckle. The siblings just looked at each other with concern.

"It must be a sign. Somehow, someway, tonight the Goblin Scepter will be mine. Prepare yourself, Krudsky. You're finally going up in the world."

Hear this the young goblin decided to take action. She sneaked into the tent unseen.

"But how do we get the sceptre?" Jim asked.

"We don't even know where to look." Kath added.

Before he could answer, Krudsky felt a pinch on his neck. He squealed like a panicking piglet when its tail is caught between a gate. "Who did that?!" He yelled as he looked under the desk. Then a menacing shadow materialised on the tent wall. The siblings screeched in fear causing their boss to look up.

"Alright." The magician spoke in a way to try and sound brave. "Show yourself."

The goblin chuckled to herself, not noticing her foot was losing its grip on the floor. She slipped and knocked over a few props and fell into a bucket. The three turned around and made their way over to the other end of the tent. They peered down to see the dizzy creature in the bucket.

"What is it?" Jim asked.

"I think it's a goblin." Kath guessed.

"A goblin?" Krudsky exclaimed, he rushed back to the book and flipped through the pages. "Gremlins, Gindercreatures, aha, here it is, Goblins." he read the information on the page. "If a mortal catches a goblin on Halloween..." a gleeful gasp escaped his lips. "...the goblin's magic can be stolen using the following spell." A devilish grin formed on his face. He picked up his wand and went back to the helpless goblin. "By the fearful powers of Halloween night. Give to me this goblin's magic that's as dark as night."

The goblin tried to escape but even as she got out of the bucket, she could feel her powers being extracted from her. Krudsky cackled as he felt her powers become his own. "Look out Coolsville, The Amazing Krudsky has just gotten more Powerful!"

"But sir, what about the goblin?" Kath asked.

"Should we at least ask her to borrow some of her magic first?"

"I'm sorry, did you say borrow?" he rhetorically chuckled. "I'm not borrowing it, I'm stealing it. And not only that, I'm going to her as blackmail against the Goblin King to get his Scepter."

"But sir..."

"No buts Kath. Tonight I shall become the ruler of dark magic," he explained before an evil laugh erupted from his throat. "Now lock up that pest of a goblin."

"But sir..."

"WHAT IS IT JIM?!"

Jim pointed to where the goblin once was but was no longer there.

"Where's she go?! Don't just stand there, go find her, NOW!"

"Yes sir." They said in unison. They exited the tent and began their search. Krudsky followed suit. Suddenly from the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of green climbing over the fence and running into the bushes.

"Quickly, she's escaping!" He bellowed.

They ran out of the carnival and began to follow the goblin down the road.