Fablehaven

Midsummer’s Eve gets off to an early start, confirming the adults’ fears that this one will be particularly chaotic. Kendra and Seth are sent to their room as the sunsets and are told not to look, listen, or leave their beds that are surrounded by an extra circle of salt to ward off evil. Seth ignores everyone’s warnings and looks out the window, causing the fairies in the jack o’ lanterns outside of the window to fly away.

Soon after, the children hear and see a baby on the roof that is being hunted by wolves and a terrifying, ghostly woman. Though they are aware that it is likely a trick, Seth opens the window and allows several dark creatures inside. The children throw salt at them and retreat to one of the salt circles to hold them off, and Dale arrives to draw the monsters away. The children remain safe in bed with Goldilocks the hen until morning, though they can hear sounds of destruction from the creatures that Seth let inside the house. Once the sun rises, Seth feels terrible for his irresponsibility and the siblings decide they need to go downstairs themselves since no adults have come to get them.

The house is destroyed after Midsummer’s Eve. Kendra and Seth find Dale, turned into a statue on the front lawn. Grandpa and Lena are missing, and the children decide they need to go find them. While exploring the grounds, Kendra and Seth stumble upon what seems to be a well full of delicious stew. They soon realize that they’ve stolen stew from the home of an ogress, and two satyrs appear to help them escape. However, when they learn of the trouble and the children’s missing grandfather, the satyrs decline to help and leave as quickly as they came.