17 June, 1873

To my reader, this journal;

Greetings again! It's been a while let's see…oh wow three years since my last entry. So much has happened during that time. I am free from Madame Sullivan, she was a good teacher but I am no longer living in fear of her. The Witch of the Waste is nothing more than an old woman now, a very odd woman to say the least. She likes looking at Calcifer and saying 'Oh! What a pretty fire.' I'm glad I didn't peruse her any more than I did! And speaking of him, he may have also been set free but he still likes staying with our dysfunctional family, I told him he's going to have to move the castle if he is planning to stay.

I am now happily married, more than happily married, to my beautiful and loving wife Sophie. I love her dearly, she's just amazing! I'm glad I found her and that she's not…irritating. Oh, by the way, if you ever see quotations yelling about getting down stairs or something, that's probably Sophie. I put a spell on a pen I found so I don't have to do any writing, I only have to talk. Anything that is said near it will be recorded…and my dear Sophie can yell pretty loudly.

"Howl! Have you finished cleaning upstairs yet?"

No I haven't Hunny! I'm just…

"I don't care what you're doing finish quickly and come down for lunch! It's getting cold!"

Ah, that's my dear wife. I better continue cleaning or she will go cleaning witch on me and will throw all of my things out. I'll write later if I can.

Back from a long break,

Howl Jenkins

30 June, 1873

To my reader, this journal;

I think a quick explanation is needed for the finding of you. Yesterday the cleaning witch came out of Sophie showed it's nasty side if I didn't clean my old bedroom which will now be the guest room (aka my escape room), she'd just throw everything out. I'm glad she didn't on her first rampage where she was just my cleaning lady. She ruined my hair potions in the bathroom and it turned by hair from its beautiful blond color to the black that I have now and had when I was younger (I still say she sabotaged me). Unfortunately as a wizard I find everything important to me so I didn't want anything thrown out. I told her I would sort it out as best as I could then headed up here. Every time I open the door memories come flooding back so instead of cleaning I just looked through my old toys and such…this later wouldn't satisfy Sophie but I didn't really think that at the beginning…I was digging under my bed and then I found you covered with dust and almost moldy. I cleaned you off and flipped through your pages and I saw a lot of blank space. I think I'm going to start writing a book called 'My Everyday with Sophie' and it will be my diary entries about my wonderful wife. I think it'll sell very well.

"Master Howl!"

Yes Markl?

"You better hurry up and clean! Sophie's coming up to see that you have!"

What? Aw! She's coming up the stairs as the cleaning witch!

"Howl! Are you done?"

"Argh! My room's not ready yet!"

Wait Markl! I haven't cleaned anything…Sophie, Darling…

"Don't you 'Sophie darling' me, this room's a mess still!"

I can clean it in a matter of minutes…

"Can you now? What's that? A diary? Maybe it has reasons behind why you never cleaned your castle…"

I was just finishing writing in it dearest. Actually why don't you write some in it?

"Don't you try to charm me Howl, I know your tricks. I want this room clean before dinner. That's a half an hour."

Yes dear. Whew. I better go before she turns me into a broom.

Hastily yours,

Howl Jenkins

1 July, 1873

Huh? What's this?

Howl's so lazy that he actually put a spell on a pen to write for him? Wow, it works well too…it writes everything I dictate…haha, Howl you wizard. Well I guess since I'm here I should write an entry.

I finally got my favorite wizard to finish cleaning up this room. I'm sure he just took the easy way out though. Look at that, he even dusted! The little stinker…I guess everyone did their part of cleaning except the Witch of the Waste. She can't even feed herself anymore…at least it seems that way. She has very few clear days the past two weren't either of them. Even Calcifer moved the house next to the river so Markl and I could do the wash. Which reminds me…I haven't gotten to that boy's room for two weeks. I'll write that down for later.

I hope to have the house cleaned by lunch because my sister Lettie is coming over for the first time to meet my husband. She's been very busy with her store. I really think…

"Sophie?"

Howl?

"What're you doing up here? Is that…?"

Oh! Hehe, Howl I didn't…

"No, no! just keep doing what you're doing I'll just go back and…"

Here. This is yours. Write in your diary. No Howl, get back here!

"Sophie?…well okay then. This is Howl signing for Sophie…"

I'll be back later,

Sophie and Howl Jenkins