Ms. Ogletree, a teacher at the Academy, looked at her watch as she approached the meeting place. She was running a tad late for the lesson, but she wasn't worried. After all, she was the one in charge, and the girls knew better than challenge her...especially after what she'd done to Cassidy to teach her to watch her manners.
She pushed her way through the hedge where she held her secret class, saying, "And how are my little witches doing this aftern..." She stopped as she cleared the bushes and saw the "girls" there.
On the ground laid a scarecrow that looked like a fairly accurate depiction of Gilda. Next to it was a pile of clothes with a shiny looking object on top of them. She reached down and found that it was a brass doorknob. The raised surface was of a girl's face. It resembled Melanie, but with prettier features. Another pile of clothes was a few feet away, and an ugly little dog sat next to them, barking excitedly.
"Cassidy, I presume," the teacher said. The dog's excited yapping got louder. "Okay. Hush now, child." But the dog continued to bark until she pointed a finger at it and spoke a arcane word. The dog stopped moving, its eyes taking on a glassy look.
Ms. Ogletree looked at the scarecrow, doorknob, and stuffed dog that were her students. "Well, ladies," she commented. "It looks like we've got an invader in our territory."
