Grimaldi sniggered.
Mr Shivery Tim Bear stood next to Graham in silence. The polar bear didn’t look very impressed.
‘If you successfully cross the water without sinking, you could earn yourself your first badge! But . . .’ Graham paused dramatically. ‘You won’t just be rowing across to the island . . .’
‘Oof!’ exclaimed Amelia, as Frankie pushed in front of her, eager to be first to hear how to win the new badge.
‘You will be racing!’ Ricky declared, taking over from Graham. ‘The first Rainbow Ranger to reach the coast wins an I GOT THERE FIRST badge. So, in an orderly fashion, go and pick a vessel!’
Without hesitation, the Rainbow Rangers scrambled forwards, desperate to find a boat and win the race.
Florence pushed her way through the crowd and launched herself into a small polka dot boat. A huge wave of water rose in the air, soaking a shocked Ricky and Graham.
Amelia and Squashy made themselves comfortable in a black and white stripy boat, while Grimaldi found a swirly patterned one.
Tangine chose the most extravagantly decorated boat in the docks; adorned with four wrought iron posts and lavish frilly red curtains. It rather resembled a floating fourposter bed.
In the water next to Amelia was Frankie. Her narrow boat was covered in green spikes – it looked a bit like a floating cactus. ‘Don’t expect to beat me,’ Frankie said with a glare, poising herself for the race.
Amelia rolled her eyes and braced her oars.
‘Good luck Amelia,’ whispered Grimaldi from the boat next to her. ‘And make sure you don’t let Frankie win!’
‘Don’t worry, I’ll try my best!’ Amelia said, smiling. She looked out towards Sugarplum Island as it glimmered on the horizon.
‘Okay, Rangers!’ Graham shouted across the docks to the eagerly waiting racing creatures. ‘Before you set off, there is one thing to be aware of – there have been rumours of shadows beneath the waves of the Sea of Sparkles; wiggles in the tides and secrets in the sea spray . . .’
‘Graham, you’re doing your annoying explaining-things-in-weird-ways-nobody-understands thing,’ said Ricky.
Graham sighed. ‘Fine. There’s weird stuff in the sea but no one knows what it is. Okay?’
The Rainbow Rangers muttered nervously amongst themselves and Grimaldi peered warily over the side of his swirly boat. Amelia leaned across and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. ‘Whatever it is, it can’t be as bad as what lives in the Putrid Pond or beneath the Nocturnian graveyard, right?’ Grimaldi giggled and nodded.
‘You’ll be fine!’ Ricky reassured everyone with a big grin. ‘Just stay in your boat and everything will be grand.’ The Rainbow Rangers were silent.
Ricky cleared his throat. ‘Alrighty then! Let’s get this show started. Ready, steady . . . ROW!’
Nobody moved.
Apart from Florence.
‘OH, COME ON WIMPITS! IT’S JUST A SILLY SEA STORY!’ called their yeti classmate who was already ploughing through the waves using her own great paws instead of oars. ‘THAT BADGE IS MINE!’
At the word ‘badge’ Frankie suddenly begun to row. ‘I’m totally getting the I GOT THERE FIRST badge!’
One by one, the Rainbow Rangers began to move away from the dock and then, when nothing odd seemed to happen in the water below, they each sped up until a fully-fledged race was on. Splashes and sploshes and shrieks of delight were heard as the Rainbow Rangers pulled themselves across the water.
‘Come on Grimaldi, let’s go!’ Amelia called, setting off through the water as fast as she could row. But the little reaper was tucked away inside his boat, frozen to the spot.
‘I . . . I’m worried about what’s under there . . .’ he peeped over the side of his boat.
Amelia saw her fellow Rainbow Rangers rowing away across the water and felt that extra badge slipping away, too. ‘It’s fine, Grimaldi!’ she urged. ‘Look, nothing is happening! Row next to me the whole way.’ She smiled encouragingly. ‘You can do it!’
Grimaldi hesitated, then pulled himself up into a seated position. He began to slowly move away from the dock.
‘That’s it, you’ve got this!’ said Amelia. ‘Now, just move a biiiiit faster and then we can beat Frankie!’
Grimaldi began to pick up speed and soon the two friends were flying across the water to catch up with the rest of the Rangers.
Amelia rowed as fast as her little arms would go, with Grimaldi close behind. ‘I knew all those years of rowing along the River Styx with Grimpapa would pay off!’ he called out.
They giggled as they passed Tangine. Pumpy’s end of the bed-boat was, rather tellingly, much further down in the water. They gradually overtook Rainbow Ranger after Rainbow Ranger. As Florence was whizzing through the water just ahead, Amelia had a brilliant idea.
‘Hey Florence!’ she yelled, slowing down a little, with Grimaldi following suit. ‘If me, you and Grimaldi tie, then maybe we’ll all get the bonus badge!’
‘OOOH, GOOD FINKING AMELIA!’ said Florence. The three friends rowed side by side and made for Sugarplum Island. They were SO close now! Then . . .
BOMP!
Something knocked the side of Amelia’s boat sending her wobbling off course. She shrieked as the little stripy boat span out of control.
‘Oops! Sorry! Didn’t see you there,’ Frankie said, smirking, and raced off in her spiky boat, overtaking Grimaldi and Florence who had slowed down to check their friend was okay.
‘WANT ME TO GO SIT ON FRANKIE?’ shouted Florence.
‘You guys just keep going, and I’ll meet you at the island!’ Amelia replied, waving them forward. ‘You still have a chance to beat Frankie! Go, go, go!’
She didn’t mind being left behind just as long as Frankie didn’t win.
Florence saluted, then she and Grimaldi raced on ahead to try and catch Frankie, as more and more Rainbow Rangers began to overtake Amelia’s boat.
Suddenly, Amelia felt something damp on her bottom. When she looked down, water was oozing into her boat.
‘Oh, no,’ Amelia gasped. One of the spikes on Frankie’s boat had made a big hole in the side of Amelia’s little stripy one. Squashy bounced into the growing puddle of water and tried to lick it up.
‘It’s okay, Squashy,’ said Amelia, picking the pumpkin up and hugging him to her chest. ‘I’m going to shout for help, then Ricky and Graham can come and rescue us.’
But just as Amelia was about to flag down the two unicorns, she felt a strong wind blowing back the hair from her face.
Her boat was moving.
CHAPTER 4
THE ISLAND IS YOUR PLATE
‘How is this happening?’ Amelia murmured, hugging Squashy tighter.
The little boat was heading straight for the shore of Sugarplum Island, overtaking all of her fellow Rainbow Rangers, and Amelia wasn’t doing a thing!
Amelia peered warily over the side of the boat, feeling slightly nervous about what she might see. Ricky and Graham had warned them about odd things lurking beneath the water – perhaps they were right!
To Amelia’s surprise, she couldn’t see anything but her reflection and the bubbles created from the speed at which the boat was moving. But then Amelia thought she could hear something, a faint humming sound. She looked around, but everyone was too far behind her now for it to be any of her fellow Rainbow Rangers.
‘Do you hear that, Squashy?’ asked Amelia. She thought that she was even beginning to make out a tune. Squashy certainly seemed to be waggling his stalk from side to side in time with something . . .
But, before she knew what was happening, the boat ploughed itself up on to the sandy shore and Amelia could hear the tune no more. Amelia looked back at the water breathlessly, feeling utterly confused about what had just happened.
One by one the other Rainbow Rangers began to pull up on to the shore next to her including a red-faced Frankie Steinburg. ‘You CHEATED!’ she snapped, storming up to Amelia’s boat.
‘Tru
st me, I really, really didn’t,’ said Amelia, still feeling confused. ‘I didn’t do anything!’
‘You’re LYING!’ said Frankie, whose neck-bolt was spinning in anger.
‘OH, SHOVE OFF,’ said Florence, stomping over and pushing Frankie out of the way. ‘WELL DONE, AMELIA! YOU’RE A ROWING CHAMPION!’
‘You won the bonus I GOT THERE FIRST badge!’ Grimaldi cheered as he arrived in his little boat.
Amelia shook her head. ‘I . . . I . . . I didn’t do anything!’
‘DON’T BE SO MODEST!’ Florence scooped Amelia up into a big hug. ‘YOU WON FAIR ’N’ SQUARE.’
The Rainbow Rangers gathered around Ricky and Graham as the two unicorns presented Amelia with her bonus I GOT THERE FIRST badge.
Frankie stood glaring at her, both arms folded across her chest.
‘Welcome to Sugarplum Island!’ said Ricky. ‘We’ve got LOTS of exciting activities ahead of us this week. Graham has given each of you a special Rainbow Ranger Guidebook, which has a map of the island and tells you exactly what you need to do to earn each badge. You have the whole half-moon holiday week to complete as many as you can.’
Tangine was flicking through his guidebook, when he suddenly stopped and put his hand up shakily. ‘Um, excuse me, but this badge here says FOOD FORAGING badge?’ He gulped. ‘As in searching for your food? As in . . . you won’t be serving us a three-course meal every night?’
‘EXACTLY!’ Ricky and Graham both looked very enthusiastic.
‘You’ll be learning to find your own food and prepare your own meals!’ said Ricky. ‘That’s how you’ll earn your FOOD FORAGING badge. Sugarplum Island is teaming with thousands of Bobbin-Berries, Frillyflowers and Dung-Pods of all shapes and sizes!’
‘OOO, DUNG-PODS!’ said Florence licking her lips. ‘GONNA FIND ME A ’OLE BATCH O’ THOSE!’
‘We’ll be eating off plates though, right?’ said Tangine, looking a little wobbly. ‘China plates? With swirly patterns?’
Graham looked down at Tangine and lowered his little glasses. ‘Oh dear, dear Tangine . . . The island is your plate.’
Tangine held Amelia’s shoulder for support. He took a deep breath. ‘Everything will be fine. At least I have my eyelid cream with me.’
The Rainbow Rangers spent most of the afternoon setting up their tents and gathering kindling for a campfire.
As the sun began to set, everyone gathered around the fire to sing songs and toast Midnight Marshmallows.
Amelia kept admiring her I GOT THERE FIRST badge on her sash; but she couldn’t help thinking she hadn’t really earned it. Something else had helped her to win the boat race, but she had no idea what it was.
Tangine sat on a log studying the Sugarplum Island map. ‘So, do any creatures live on this island?’ he asked. ‘And, more to the point, do any of them own a restaurant where I can get a nice cooked meal?’
‘Ah . . . nobody has lived on this island for years,’ said Graham. ‘Only bizarre bugs and teeny-weeny creatures.’ He shuffled his log closer to the fire. ‘Years ago, many Creatures of the Light lived on the island. But gradually everyone left and no one really knows why . . .’
‘They probably moved on before they got BORED to death . . .’ said Tangine, yawning. ‘Or starved from lack of quality waiter service.’
‘I like the idea of foraging for food that’s REALLY nearby,’ a werewolf named Stink said, glaring at Tangine pointedly and licking his lips. ‘But for now, why don’t we tell tragic stories around the campfire?’
‘Oooh, I have a story!’ said Graham. ‘Who wants to hear my story?’
The young Rainbow Rangers nodded and quiet descended over the group.
Graham cleared his throat and began. ‘Once upon a time –’
‘That’s not how you should start a campfire story,’ interrupted Ricky.
‘Oi! You just RUINED my moment,’ Graham huffed.
‘Don’t you know how a good campfire story works? You need to make it extra mysterious! Get the listener’s attention straight away,’ said Ricky, waving his hooves around dramatically. ‘It sounds like you’re about to tell us a love story or something.’
‘No, it does not!’ said Graham defensively. ‘I’ll have you know it’s a TRAGIC story . . .’
‘Bu–’
‘ONCE upon a tiiiiime!’ Graham sang so loudly that Ricky’s protests were completely drowned out. ‘There was a unicorn named Graham who realised he’d run out of TEABAGS.’
The Rainbow Rangers looked confused.
‘Wait. This is your tragic story?’ said Stink, scratching his hairy ears with a hind leg in disappointment.
‘How else would you describe running out of teabags?!’ said Graham. ‘Imagine setting yourself up with your favourite mug and a plate of biscuits, and then finding you can’t make a cup of TEA!’
There was a long silence. One Rainbow Ranger had fallen asleep sitting up.
‘I want to know what happens next!’ said Amelia supportively. She felt bad for poor Graham.
Florence shot her a doubtful look.
Graham’s eyes lit up. He sat up proudly and got ready to tell the rest of his story. But the Rainbow Rangers never got to find out what happened next. Because right at that moment, Gregory the goblin, who was sitting next to Frankie, sneezed loudly – and messily.
A HUGE globule of goblin snot flew into Frankie’s face.
Frankie screamed and Amelia and the other Rainbow Rangers looked on in horror as Bobbin the bat flew RIGHT through Sylvia the ghost’s tummy in fright.
Sylvia was outraged (you should NEVER pass through a ghost!).
And somehow, amidst the chaos, Kevin the cyclops set fire to his bottom.
CHAPTER 5
BEARDED BUGS
‘Well, I guess that’s story time over,’ said Grimaldi. Amelia picked up a bewildered Squashy, to keep him safe from the stampeding Rainbow Rangers.
Graham galloped past, taking Kevin and his burnt bottom to the moonlit water.
‘Well, I can’t say I’m all that bothered about teabags or boring Sugarplum Island,’ moaned Tangine. ‘I’m HUNGRY. I can’t possibly wait for Kevin’s rear end to be extinguished before eating. I’m going to go get some of the Royal Snacks that Mum packed for me.’
Tangine opened his tent to reveal a very content Pumpy munching through a tub of Revolting Rhubarb Bites. Every other tub that once contained a Royal Snack was now empty.
‘HEY! Naughty pumpkin! You’ve eaten ALL of my snacks!’ Tangine snatched the tub away. He looked as if he may explode with anger. ‘You’re out of control, Pumpy!’
Squashy waggled his stalk in amusement from his safe spot in Amelia’s arms.
‘WE COULD GO FORAGE FER FOOD,’ said Florence picking up a leaf and crunching it between her spiky teeth. ‘IT’S YUMMY! TASTES A BIT LIKE MOULDY SPLEEN,’ she added picking bits of leaf from the fur around her mouth.
Tangine huffed and walked further into the trees. ‘Come on Pumpy,’ he said sticking his nose in the air. ‘Let’s find a nice cheese and nostril baguette with extra toenail shavings.’
‘Tangine, I don’t think we’re allowed to wander off,’ said Grimaldi anxiously. ‘Plus, Ricky and Graham said that nobody lives here anymore, so there won’t be anywhere to buy food.’
‘I don’t believe that. Ricky and Graham are just saying there’s no one around so that we hunt for food on the GROUND. Well, I’m not doing that,’ declared Tangine. ‘There has to be a shop or a restaurant around here SOMEWHERE.’
Amelia sighed and looked over towards the campfire. Stink the werewolf was howling at the half moon, and Sylvia the ghost was flying in circles wailing. Amelia’s tummy rumbled and she had to admit Tangine had a point. Now it was night-time, she would usually be having her breakfast. ‘Let’s at least let Ricky and Graham know that we’re going for a walk,’ she said.
‘Um, Ricky!’ Amelia called over the chaos. But the two Rainbow Ranger leaders were busy trying to calm everyone down.
‘Co
me on. Nobody is going to notice if we’re gone for a bit,’ said Tangine. ‘My hunger is far more important than anything else. When I get too hungry, I shed unnatural amounts of glitter!’
‘EWW!’ said Florence as Tangine marched out of sight.
‘We can’t let him wander off alone,’ sighed Amelia. ‘Remember, ‘Never leave a fellow Ranger behind’! We’ll just have to make sure we return before Ricky and Graham notice we’re gone.’
‘Yeah, I don’t want to get into trouble before the half-moon holiday has even started!’ said Grimaldi, pulling at his hood nervously.
Amelia breathed in the warm night air as the friends trundled through a woodland made up of tall narrow trunks and an abundance of giant and exotic flowering plant life that they’d never seen in the Kingdom of the Dark. Everything was so pleasingly dead and rotten back home.
Florence assessed the forest floor for potential pit digging, and Grimaldi floated around the trees, round and round the trunks, over and under the branches. His scythe had an inbuilt torch, which was very handy for guiding the friends through the darkness.
Tangine had his Rainbow Ranger Guidebook in his hand and was studying the map on the inside page. ‘I think we should head THIS way,’ he said, pointing ahead. ‘There’s bound to be a nice place to eat at the top of the mountain.’
‘I AIN’T CLIMBING NO MOUNTAIN,’ said Florence.
‘Fine,’ said Tangine, turning around, ready to stomp off. ‘I’ll see you later then.’
‘YOU’RE BEING A STUBBORN LUMP!’ huffed Florence after him.
Suddenly, an orderly procession of bearded bugs flew past Florence’s head.
‘ARGH!’ she bellowed. ‘I FINK ONE WENT IN MY EAR!’ The little bugs scattered as she flailed her wonderfully large and hairy arms around.
Amelia Fang and the Half-Moon Holiday (The Amelia Fang Series) Page 2
