“What’s wrong with you, Eddie?” said Harris. “Get the pendant!”

“But it was…,” said Eddie, staring at his bag, which lay a few feet away. “Alive?” It no longer had eyes or a mouth, only a logo and a zipper.

“What do you mean it was alive?” said Maggie, from behind him.

“It bit me,” said Eddie, keeping his eyes on the bag in case it made any sudden movements. What if it was playing dead? Holding up his forearm, Eddie examined his sleeve. It was intact. He realized that he hadn’t actually felt any pain. “Didn’t you see?”

“No,” said Harris, “I didn’t see. I’m a little busy here.”

Kneeling in the dust, Eddie turned around. Harris stood behind him, shining his flashlight at the pale faces staring from the shadows at the edge of the clearing. The Watchers had found them again.

“Hurry, Eddie,” said Maggie, standing beside Harris, holding her own flashlight against the tall, black-cloaked figures.

Suddenly, Eddie heard a different voice-a deeper voice, a smooth voice, like sweet dark syrup. Why do you want to hurt me, Eddie?

He gasped, realizing why his book bag had appeared to attack him. The Woman in Black had created the illusion. She was nearby, watching him through the veil between her world and his. She was trying to stop him. Scrambling toward his book bag, Eddie chanted, “It’s not real, it’s not real, it’s not real…” He looked away from the zipper, took a deep breath, and reached inside. He slid his hand back and forth along the bottom until his fingers finally made contact with cold metal, then he grabbed the chain and yanked it free. The bag began to writhe on the ground beside him, so he quickly kicked it away.

As he scrambled to stand, Eddie noticed that the carvings on the base of the statue looked different. They were larger than they were before, drawn with more detail. The etching of the dragon now had individual whiskers poking out from the sides of its mouth. The sphinx’s wings were constructed of intricately interlaced feathers. Several hairy little creatures seemed to stare at Eddie, their pupils dripping with anger. Hesitantly, Eddie inched forward, and the symbols began to move. They squirmed and pushed against each other, as if there was suddenly not enough space on the stone pedestal to contain them all. Before Eddie was able to back away, the creatures spilled from the statue’s base and rolled onto the dusty ground inches from where he stood. The monsters appeared to be made out of stone. They rose to their feet, like little moving statues. His first instinct was to run, but he stopped himself. “This must be an illusion too,” he whispered.

Still, he clenched his jaw as the tiny creatures collectively crouched around his ankles. The dragon lowered its head and began to growl as it eyed his shoelaces. Eddie held tight to the pendant and wrapped the silver chain around his wrist. He raised his foot and held it over the small group, threatening the creatures with the sole of his sneaker. Before he could take a step, the monsters leapt into the air. Eddie shrieked and ducked, preparing for the attack, but when none came, he glanced up. The dusty ground around his feet was clear. The monsters were gone!

“Arrgh,” Eddie cried through his teeth. “I can’t tell what’s real and what’s not!”

“Don’t think,” said Maggie, behind him. “Just do it, Eddie!”

Once again, Eddie turned around. His friends were still holding off the Watchers-the beams of their flashlights shaking as the creatures opened their gaping black mouths.

“You wanna switch places?” said Harris.

Eddie shook his head. “No,” he whispered. If he didn’t do this himself, he was certain he’d never be able to sleep again. He turned around. As he found the courage to take a step toward the statue, he saw a hulking mass of shadow rise up from behind the stone child. The Woman in Black wrapped her arms, almost lovingly, around the girl’s neck. Her hideous mouth pulled back into a grotesque smile. The black holes in her face bored into Eddie’s chest, and he felt himself almost pushed backward in revulsion. She was closer than ever to coming through the gate-Eddie could feel her presence trying to burrow under his skin.

She began to speak. She sounded tired. I have many friends, Eddie. My children. In his head, he heard her voice, each word like a bit of smoke releasing itself from a lick of flame. You have met some of them, haven’t you? she said, her mouth unmoving. You will be my friend too, my child. Listen to me. Give me what I want, and when I am through, I will give you anything you want.

Eddie tried to speak, but he couldn’t. Anything I want? What did he want? he wondered. What could she possibly give to him?

As if in answer to his question, Eddie suddenly found himself thrown into the air. Looking around, he realized he was in a school cafeteria, sitting on the shoulders of two football players. The entire school crowded around him. All of his teachers smiled brightly, and the prettiest cheerleaders chanted his name. Triumphant music began to play as-

Eddie sat on a gold throne in a room made of giant marble pillars that stretched as far as he could see. Enormous platters of food were piled around him-vibrant, colorful fruits, roasted crackling meats, desserts covered in so much whipped cream he could not tell what was underneath. The sweet smell was intoxicating. His mouth watered as-

Eddie flew high over a lush green countryside. Wind whipped at his face. Sunlight poured around him as he raced through the clear blue sky. Looking up, Eddie could see strange wings attached to his back. They appeared to be made of clouds…

Then he was back in the Nameless Woods-the pendant throbbing, ice cold, in his hand.

Anything you want, the Woman repeated.

He glanced at Harris and Maggie-his first real friends-who stood entranced and speechless at the sight of the Woman behind the statue, holding their flashlights against the Watchers at the edge of the clearing. Harris was beside him on his left, fierce courage written on his face. Maggie stood on his right, unflinching determination pulsing behind her eyes.

He remembered the conversation he’d had with Maggie at the beginning of the school year. She had told him, “Epic tales of good and evil are so unnecessary. Those kinds of battles are fought every single day, right here. Kapow.” Eddie recalled how she’d pointed at his head and fired her finger like a gun. He finally understood what she meant. Those kinds of battles are fought every single day-right here-inside every decision he made, in order to do what he knew was right.

I don’t need you to give me what I want, Eddie thought at the Woman. I’ve already got what I want standing here beside me.

He clutched the silver pendant in his fist and took a step toward the statue. The Woman rose up, towering over him like night. He stepped forward again just as the statue clearing turned dark. He glanced up. Blocking out the moon, the Woman’s face now glowered at him from the sky. He turned away and looked into the stone child’s eyes. She seemed to stare knowingly back at him, giving him permission to do what was needed.

Suddenly, the Woman in Black reached down at him with her shadowy hands, her arms stretching from the sky like tar pouring from a cauldron. Eddie cringed as her bony fingers swiped at him, but he felt nothing as her hands passed through him. She couldn’t hurt him-not yet, at least. He raced forward, lunging at the statue. Eddie grasped the key tightly. He raised it over his head, paused for only a moment to get the best grip, then plunged it into the stone child’s chest. In his head, Eddie heard the Woman scream. The pendant slid into the stone like a key in a door.

The forest instantly went silent-all sounds of wild creatures ceased. Eddie looked around and saw that the three of them stood alone.

The ground trembled. Where Eddie stood, the pebbles rattled like sand on a drum. Eddie turned back to the statue and watched as cracks spread from where the key had pierced it. Without thinking, he reached forward and grabbed the end of the pendant from which the silver chain dangled. Using the heel of his palm, he pushed as hard as he could, and the cracks crept out across the stone child’s chest and traveled down her alabaster robes. Dark lines raced across her body-out to her arms, up her neck, to her head, even across the book. Like ink on paper, the lines bled until every inch of her held a crack. Then she started to crumble. Eddie leapt away from her and ran to where Harris and Maggie stood.