The Way of the Warrior-Wizard
Chapter 6: Charlie the Bogle

Duncansat up with Caleb and Cara, waiting for the midnight hour to strike. Davy sat in between Duncan and Caleb as they sat on the wooden floor of thefarmhouse, their "flashlights" (as Canadians referred to torches), ready. Caraheld a camera, which she had set for use in the dark. They were all waiting expectantly for Charliethe House-Bogle to return. Duncan had doubts as towhether they would ever see the fantastic phantom, but he kept these to himselfas Cara peered up the flight of stairs leading to the attic.

“I’ll catch him with the camera this time,” Cara said, “I’llshow Josh and that troop of clowns he runs around with what’s what.”

“I think you should all stay away from that Josh character,”Duncangrumbled, “he’s gotten us into enough trouble as it is. Has he been bothering you at all since theincident?”

“No,” Cara replied, “I’ve been bothering him. I keep threatening to send the bogle afterhim, and he keeps telling me that bogles don’t exist...well, now I’m going toshow him some proof.”

“He’ll just say that we took a picture of a lamp light,”Caleb told his sister, “he won’t believe us either way...and I don’t think youcan capture ghosts on camera, Cara.”

“Well, I think we can with this one,” Cara told themconfidently, “Auld Charlie won’tdisappoint us.”

Duncansighed, wondering why he was not in his warm bed right now. He was having difficulty focusing on ghostsright now, because he was too worried about the prospect of working withProfessor Donaldson the next day. JeromeDonaldson was worse than any old ghost.

“I know you don’t think bogles exist, either, Duncan,” Cara chided herbrother, “I can hear you thinking that thought right now.”

“Are you a telepath, then, Cara? I thought that was Fiona’sspecialty...who, by the by, has the right idea in keeping to her bed.”

“Well, go back to bed, then, Fearful Fred. We brave ones will await the bogle’sappearance. What time is it, Caleb?”

“Five minutes since the last time you asked,” Caleb informedher, “it’ll be at least twenty minutes until midnight...and even then, Charliemay not be punctual. There’s no hard andfast rule saying that bogles have to come out at midnight. He could wait until four o’clock in themorning.”

“I’m definitely not waiting until four in the morning,” Duncan protested, “I’vegot to face Donaldson tomorrow. I don’tcare so much about Josh anymore...but Professor Prig? That’s an entirelydifferent story.”

“You’re not still fretting about that?” Caleb exclaimed,“You’re just helping him with his grad students. You can do that with your hands tied behindyour back.”

“Donaldson will tie my hands behind my back,” Duncan muttered ruefully.

Their conversation was cut short by a loud knocking sound, which repeated itself two timesafter the initial knock. Davy stared intently in the direction of the sound, giving a low-throated growl.

“It’s him!” Cara whispered, training the camera on the stairsleading up to the attic, “Charlie always knocks three times before appearing.”

“It’s probably the hot water heater,” Duncan suggested, “the knocking sound couldbe caused by calcium build-up. We’llneed to get Father to look at it in the morn.”

“The hot water heater is in the basement, Dunc,” Cararetorted, “not in the attic. Theknocking sound clearly came from the attic...our Davy knows that, because dogs are sensitive to ghosts.”

“It could be the hot water pipes up here,” Duncan continued, ignoring Davy's canine wisdom, “after all, the hot water’sgot to travel up from the basement.”

“Except no one’s running hot water right now,” Caleb concurredwith Cara, “I think it’s Charlie. I sawhim before, at the old house!”

Caleb was the only one of the younger family members who had claimed to see the famousbogle at their elder-brother Jamie’s farmhouse in Drumnadrochit. He had told them that the ghost had lookedlike their father, although that seemed impossible because Hamish was stillalive.

“Look!” cried Cara, “There he is!”

Davy whimpered slightly at the faint form which was gliding down the stairs; and it did indeed looklike an apparition of their father, Hamish. Duncanlooked at the image suspiciously, as though he could not quite believe it.

“I’ve got to check to see if Father’s still alive!” Caleb calledout suddenly, running down the hallway and bursting into his parents’room.

Duncan and Davyfollowed him, Duncan curious as to how any of this could possibly be happening. As they entered the room, Hamish awoke with astart.

“Raaaaarrrrrghhh!” he yelled.

Their mother, Kyra, turned on a light immediately as Davy jumped up on the bed and began licking Hamish in an attempt to calm him.

“Hamish!” Kyra soothed him, “You’re having a dream...a nightmare!It’s another of your war visions. Itwill be okay!”

Hamish appeared befuddled, confused, and disoriented. He stared at the two boys in consternation.

“Wha...what is the meaning o’ this, troops?” he muttered, “Gae backtae sleep, all o’ ye.”

Hamish fell back into the pillow of his bed, just as Caracried in a disappointed tone, “The bogle’s gone!”

Kyra ordered Davy off the bed before gathering the hem of her long blue nightgown, jumping up herself, and striding down the hallway angrily, pulling Duncan and Caleb along with her to where Cara stood with the camera. Davy followed, dashing half-way up the stairs which lead to the attic. He peered upwards in a confused manner, his nose sniffing the air furiously in a futile attempt to catch the elusive bogle's scent.

“Cara, Caleb, and Duncan MacGregor, for very shame on the three of you!” Kyra scolded them, “Youwill all get back into your beds—this instant, do you hear me? Neverawaken your father when he’s in a deep sleep.”

The trio hung their heads and sheepishly obeyed their mother. They were followed by an equally contrite Davy, who slunk underneath Duncan's bed. As Duncangot back into bed himself, he felt foolish. Theymust have been seeing things...something that would not be out of the ordinaryin this family, even for the dogs among them.

The family is daft, Duncan thought as hedrifted off into his own land of dreams.