The Sorceress by Allison Hobbs Page B

extended upward.
    Stunned silent, Kali stared unbelievingly as it slowly lowered its arm. It repeated the up-and-down motion with its left arm.
    â€œOh, no!” Kali muttered when the stuffed animal began to flutter-kick, excitedly testing the movement of its legs.
    Using its rounded plush paws to grip the edge of the toy chest, Mr. Bear hopped off the toy chest, making a wobbly landing on the floor. Arms stretched out at its side, the panda steadied its balance.
    Kali drew back in fear.
    Mr. Bear, a once cuddly and adorable plaything, now seemed an animated menace. Swinging its arms, the jumbo-sized, black-and-white panda stepped aggressively toward her. It seemed agitated and intent on disrupting the tea party.
    Expecting to be assaulted with a barrage of flying cups and saucers, Kali closed her eyes. Ducking her head, she clutched her baby doll closely.
    The giant panda approached, but there was no onslaught of colorful porcelain.
    Instead of being pummeled with a teapot, she felt the brush of Mr. Bear’s fake fur against her arm. Kali was not soothed by the soft touch. Scared out of her wits, goose bumps prickled her flesh.
    â€œYou’re…in…danger,” Mr. Bear said in a mechanical-sounding voice. The faltering words were spoken through lips sewn into a smiling curve.
    Kali gasped, and then whipped around, gawking suspiciously at the TV. Surely the witch had a hand in Mr. Bear’s unnatural ability to walk and talk.
    The TV screen was dark. No spooky images.
    Kali listened for strange sounds but there were no shrieks or hair-raising screams from that foggy place where Eris lived.
    She let out a breath of relief, but then gazed warily at the black-and-white panda.
    Mr. Bear stared at her with unblinking marble eyes. A sound, like the hum of a motor, emerged from its stitched lip. Thehumming revved as the panda seemed to struggle to produce coherent speech.
    This time the panda’s curved mouth twitched, breaking stitches, and replacing the happy smile with a lopsided sneer. “The… evil…one—”
    The baby doll slipped from Kali’s arms. Frozen and scared speechless, she didn’t retrieve the doll. She couldn’t move or make a sound.
    â€œShe…will…harm…you.”
    It occurred to her to get up and run, but her limbs felt paralyzed. “Who wants to harm me?” Kali asked shakily, surprised that she’d recovered her voice.
    The motorized humming went into high gear and Mr. Bear began speaking without hesitation. “You have a ring—a possession that is extremely valuable. It could be dangerous in the wrong hands.”
    As if overcome with spasms, the bear’s broken-stitched mouth zigzagged in various directions. It was a frightening sight.
    â€œI don’t have the ring.”
    â€œEris will stop at nothing to get that ring from you. She intends to destroy you. Your parents, too.”
    â€œBut I don’t have her ring,” Kali insisted, frowning with fear and distress.
    â€œThere will be blood shed inside these walls.”
    â€œI’m scared.” Kali’s squeaked, terror-stricken.
    â€œYou must protect yourself with the goddess ring.”
    Kali picked up her doll and began rocking it frantically, as though the doll was wailing and demanding comfort.
    â€œMy daddy gave all my jewelry to charity,” Kali uttered helplessly. So many scary things had occurred lately, this bizarre conversation with a stuffed toy was beginning to feel…almostnormal. It was Mr. Bear’s dire warning about blood being shed that had Kali’s heart thumping.
    â€œThe goddess ring is here. and it remains inside the box. Keep it with you. It is the ring of eternal life, and it is yours…a gift from the goddess Kali.”
    â€œThe goddess Kali? That’s my name!”
    â€œYou were named for her…your godmother, the protector of children. The ring will keep you safe from harm,” Mr. Bear