16 Raiding the Lee’s household

At home, Jackson was yapping. He seemed hungry. Zoraida was also meowing. She seemed hungry, too. David already took Aaron, Josh, and Suzy to work. Isabella had gone for her regular grocery along with Dante while Zen had taken Michael outside for their usual walk. Only Ellie and Eleanor were left at home. The two maids were cleaning the house. They were in baby Michael's bedroom when they heard their noisy pets. They went down to check what was causing the noise. When they got down, Ellie tried to give Jackson dog food while Eleanor gave Zoraida cat food, but the pets were still noisy. Jackson kept going to and coming back from the windows. They seemed to be telling something. Ellie and Eleanor peeked outside from the window sill. They saw two women wearing long dresses like they were some bohemians who got lost in the modern world—apart from their dresses, they had big earrings and necklaces, and they strutted towards the house.

In the minds of Ellie and Eleanor—no, they couldn't just enter any house—they should know that it's uncivilized to enter premises without knocking, without the owner's permission—that'd be trespassing. But the door was open. They'd also assumed that the strangers entered the open gate without ringing the bell. Ellie and Eleanor did not know what to do. Their appearance and the looks of the strangers' faces had a sinister ring to it, and they guessed it right because when they ran to the door to block their entry, Bella waved her right hand. The maids' eyeballs hanging in its lobes would tell how frightened they were. The impact of the door being smashed by—they didn't know what force—and abruptly opening wide—almost threw the two maids on the floor. Then, Bella and Jezebel entered proudly. Jackson ran towards the two; jumped, but Bella was quick to wave her hand. Jackson found himself tied and his mouth muzzled. Zoraida jumped at the witches, but she, too, was rendered helpless by Bella, suffered the same fate as Jackson. Ellie and Eleanor were appalled at what they were seeing. Everything was like a fairy tale they read from Michael's books except that these two were the villainous witches. Jezebel turned to the two maids and cast a spell. Ellie and Eleanor found themselves tied together, their back against each other. They were horror-stricken. The cruel hags laughed, then, they raised their sticks to the sky and at their own behest were gone.

Ellie and Eleanor were trying to untangle the ropes in their hands when Zen and Michael came back. A few minutes passed and Isabella and Dante also arrived. They were all open-mouthed at what they found—the gate and the door open, the maids and the pets' hands and body tied— the pets' mouths muzzled.

Isabella did not waste time; she called Aaron. Aaron called Josh and Suzy over the intercom; told them that there's an emergency. When they were inside the car, he told them of what happened at home, as David drove.

Ellie and Eleanor stuttered as they narrated their story to the family. They told them about the two witches casting spells, how they dressed and looked. But Aaron wouldn't believe what he thought was a "fairy tale—maybe you've been imagining things because of over-reading fantasies," he told them. Isabella, Josh, and Suzy were quiet. They did not want to contradict Aaron. He had been tired from working.

David and Dante seconded Aaron and asked whether Ellie and Eleanor had flu—suggested that the ones who broke into the house were, maybe robbers. Aaron rather believed the two. They were maybe right, he thought. He asked all the maids to check whether there were things or money missing in the house.