Susan Wylde and the Ghosts of Halloween

By S.G. Eastment

Will the girl witch Susan Wylde learn enough magic to defeat the Ghosts of Halloween?

 

Susan Wylde thinks she is just an ordinary girl living a boring life with her ill father, until she is attacked by a dragon, turns herself invisible, and is invited to study at Wonderworks School of Magic, a school on a floating island that travels the world.

At Wonderworks, Susan soon learns different types of magic, plays magical sports, battles monsters, and visits magical cities, but someone is summoning the Ghosts of Halloween.  Susan must stop them or Halloween will last forever! 

• Language: English
• Publisher: S.G.Eastment
• Release date: Oct 31, 2020

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

THE DRAGON

Susan Wylde dived to the floor just in time as the huge white dragon swooped over her.

Food, the dragon said, I could do with a nice human to eat!

Susan was sure that was what the dragon was saying but she hoped she was wrong.

Susan didn’t believe dragons existed, but now they seemed to, she didn’t want to end up as a snack for one of them.

She picked herself up from the floor and decided to run. She wished now she had not gone outside her house to look at the dragon.

A few moments ago, Susan had been bored. She had been home with her father and grandmother, staring out of her bedroom window.

Life is so boring, Susan had said, getting up, going to school, watching television, going to bed. I wish something exciting would happen in my life!

She had been reading her book on world myths, she loved books and she loved reading about monsters and magic. She would often daydream that she was a witch who could do magic and use it to fight monsters like dragons and vampires.

If only I could be a witch, said Susan, and could do magic!

Susan had a very active imagination, her grandmother thought it was far too active.

And then it had happened.

Susan had looked out of the window and seen a dragon swooping over her house

She had fallen off her chair with a bump.

A dragon! said Susan excitedly to herself, I must be daydreaming again.

She looked out of her window a second time and could see nothing.

I was daydreaming after all, said Susan disappointingly, sitting back down, I wish the dragon had existed, it would have been amazing.

Then there had been a great whoosh and the dragon had swooped again over her house and she had nearly fallen off her seat a second time.

The dragon was massive, the size of a small airplane, and had seemingly appeared from nowhere.

Susan didn’t hesitate any longer, she jumped off her seat, ran downstairs and out the front door.

The dragon had disappeared again.

It must exist! said Susan to herself, it must exist!

Susan looked up for a second and saw a massive winged shadow. She leapt out of the way just before the dragon flew over her.

There was no doubt about it now, she was certainly not dreaming. Above her, in the sky, was a white dragon, its wings spread out as it soared in the sky.

Suddenly the dragon turned and saw Susan again and it swooped down. Susan moved just in time, hiding behind the dustbins. She could feel the air created by the flapping of the dragon’s wings. Susan peered over the bins to take a look to see where the dragon was and her heart nearly leapt out of her mouth.

The dragon’s head was coming down, on its long snake-like neck, down the alley.

Food, said the dragon again, and it licked its lips.

I’m going to be eaten! said Susan to herself, it is very exciting to see a dragon, but I don’t want to be eaten by one!

Some time ago, Susan had wished that her life had been more exciting, now she wasn’t so sure.

Well, it is certainly more exciting now, said Susan to herself, what’s more exciting than being chased by a dragon and being eaten by one?

I can smell you, said the dragon, I can smell you, and I can’t wait to eat you!

Susan could see the dragon turning again towards her.

If only I could make myself invisible, said Susan, she squeezed her eyes closed as if that would make any difference, waiting for the dragon to breathe on her or just eat her up in one gulp.

I’m going to become frozen Susan, said Susan to herself, to be defrosted later for dinner!

But nothing seemed to happen. Susan opened her eyes and her heart nearly leapt out of her mouth, the dragon was staring straight at her but didn’t seem to notice.

The dragon was straight in front of her, so close that she could reach out and touch his snout. His breath was so cold that Susan could feel frost appearing on her. And yet the dragon couldn’t do anything.

Susan couldn’t understand what was going on.

Then she reached out one hand and she had the shock of her life, she couldn’t see her hand.

She held up both hands but she couldn’t see them.

She looked down but couldn’t see her own body.

Somehow, she had turned herself invisible, her wish had come true.

Then the dragon began to sniff with its nostrils. Susan didn’t hesitate for a moment, she ran for her life.

Pity, said the dragon to himself after a while, I could have done with a cold snack for the journey.

Looking as rueful as a dragon could, the creature flapped in its great wings, nearly blowing Susan over, and leapt into the air.

Susan dared not move until the dragon was little more than a speck in the sky and then the dragon was gone.

Susan jumped up immediately and rushed into her house, finding it hard to catch her breath.

She rushed into the kitchen, she could hardly wait to tell her grandmother.

No running inside the house, Susan, said her grandmother, who was helping Susan’s Dad with his lunch.

I’ve just seen a dragon! said Susan.

Susan expected her grandmother to be so shocked she would drop the plate and cup of tea she was holding, and it would smash.

Instead, her grandmother simply carried on feeding Susan’s dad.

Susan looked at her father who was sitting in an armchair looking out of the window. Her father had dementia, which meant his memory had gone, and he could barely remember Susan or her grandmother. Now all he did was stare out of the window. Her mother had died when Susan had been very young.

You have been reading too many of those books on myths, said Susan’s grandmother, helping Susan’s father with his cup of tea, I told you that your imagination would run away with you.

I think I turned myself invisible, said Susan, breathlessly.

Susan’s grandmother now looked shocked.

It must have been magic, said Susan.

Susan’s dad took in a sharp intake of breath, his eyes suddenly wild.

Magic indeed, said Susan’s grandmother angrily, you are upsetting your father.

It is true, said Susan.

You are reading too many of those books on magic and myths, said Susan’s grandmother.

Susan realized she couldn’t convince her grandmother, but her dad was strangely staring at her thoughtfully as if he had been listening to what she had said.

Now go outside and have some fresh air, said Susan’s grandmother.

Susan sighed as she went back outside, she couldn’t have made it all up, could she?

Yes, she had to admit, she had a very active imagination. Sometimes she would daydream that she was flying through the air, and at night she had dreams that she was visiting a flying school to learn magic. Sometimes she wished it was all true.

Once she had thought she had actually seen a floating island passing over her house, another time she was sure she had seen a sea serpent stick its head out of the water in Tenby as if looking which way to go, a third time she was sure she saw a young woman dressed in white walking into the water at Bosherston Lilyponds and disappear. She had even thought she had met a giant outside St Govan’s Chapel but when she had looked again, he had disappeared.

More than anything, said Susan, I wish I was a witch who could go to a wizard’s school and learn magic!

And in that instant, something happened, something that could only be called magical.

There was a bright flash outside the window, which got bigger and bigger as if something