The Forest of Lost Souls by Anne Plichota Read Free Book Online

might be lost for ever in that fiendish picture. She stood there, breathless with panic, staring at one of the statues, which was eyeing her sternly. Picking up on its mistress’s anxiety, the Curbita-Flatulo began undulating on her wrist. Oksa gave a shiver as feelings of reassurance immediately washed over her.
    “Hang in there, Gus,” she murmured resolutely. “Come on, Dad, it’s this way.”
    They climbed the monumental staircase leading to the first floor and soon found themselves in the science room. The picture was a few yards away, gleaming with a strange shifting light. Surprised by the darkness in the room, Pavel bumped into a coat stand and sent it tumbling to the wooden floor with what sounded to the two intruders like a deafening crash.
    “Idiot…” hissed Pavel, cursing his stupidity.
    He took out his Granok-Shooter, muttered a few words and blew into it. A bright light appeared and floated in the middle of the room. Oksa dashed over to the picture.
    “We’re going to get you out of there, Gus!” she whispered, only a couple of inches away from the canvas.
    “Careful!” warned her father, pulling her back. “Remember what Dragomira said: don’t, under any circumstances, touch the Imagicon. Anyone who does so is in danger of being Impictured immediately.”
    He drew a fabric bag from his pocket, unfolded it and spread it out on one of the desks. Then, with the utmost care, he took hold of the picture by its wooden frame.
    “Open the bag, Oksa!”
    The girl obeyed, holding her breath. Pavel slipped the picture inside, then pulled the strings tight to fasten the bag and slung it over his shoulder.
    “Excellent,” he said. “Let’s go.”
    But as he put his hand on the door handle, a blinding light flooded the corridor. Oksa bit her lip to stop herself screaming. Someone had heard them. And, what was worse, they were coming upstairs! The caretaker? McGraw’s ghost? Petrified by such an awful thought, she wasted valuable time hesitating to follow her father, who was trying to pull her back into the science lab. The steps grew closer, sounding loud and threatening. Pavel dragged her inside the room and pushed her against the wall, thrusting a small capsule into her hand. Then he silently closed the door behind them.

    Oksa thought she was going to pass out when the door handle was pressed down with a creak. The caretaker—since that was who it was—poked his head through the half-open door.
    “Is anybody there?” he shouted, making the girl jump.
    Oksa had hoped he wouldn’t investigate any further, but the caretaker was a meticulous man with exceptionally keen hearing. The noise he’d heard from the ground-floor storeroom, where he was putting equipment away, had left him in no doubt: someone was inside the college. He’d been taken on a few days earlier to keep watch on the college during the summer holidays and to do some routine maintenance. This was his first night and there was already a problem—just his luck! He switched on the light in the science room. Pavel had seen to it that none of the bulbs were working. Only the light from the corridor illuminated a small section of the room.
    “Oh dear, I’ll have to change the light bulbs,” he muttered, taking out his electric torch. He took a look around inside. A large coat stand was lying on the ground.
    “That’s strange…” said the caretaker, frowning.
    He picked up the coat stand and began inspecting the room, determined to do his job properly. He looked everywhere, under the desks, in the cupboard, behind the door. Everywhere except the ceiling, where Oksa and Pavel were clinging like bats. The bemused caretaker finally walked out. A few minutes later, all the lights were switched off, plunging the corridors of St Proximus into darkness once more. Followed by her father, Oksa detached herself from the ceiling with a skilful somersault.
    “This Ventosa Capacitor is amazing!” she whispered enthusiastically, her cheeks