by Sarah Webb
“If you ever need a friend,” she says instead. “Remember that. You can count on me, little nightingale.”
I squeeze her hand.
“I’m sure your parents will understand if you really don’t want to go,” she adds.
I smile at her to say, Thanks. But I can’t cancel the trip. Mum and Dad wouldn’t be angry, although Min would kill me. For days I’ve heard nothing but China this and China that from my sister. How Chinese people invented money, clocks, fireworks, kites… But the real reason I can’t cancel the trip is this: I keep hoping that visiting my past home will stop me worrying so much and make me able to speak. How it will do this, I don’t know. But what I do know is that I don’t want to be silent Sunny for ever.
Chapter 9
“I’m not sure about all this May Day nonsense tomorrow,” Mum says, drumming her fingers on the kitchen table. The four of us are having breakfast together. “It’ll be dark at that hour of the morning. What if something happens to you? I know Alanna says it’s an island tradition the year you turn thirteen, but you’re only eight, Min.”
“Nearly nine,” Min says. “And Sunny can’t go without me. For obvious reasons.” She mimes not being able to talk. “And we’re only washing our faces in dew and collecting slugs. What’s going to happen to us? Ooh, attack of the deadly Little Bird slugs. Doo-do doo-do,” Min sings in a spooky voice, wiggling her fingers in the air.
I giggle – Min can be quite funny sometimes. Dad puts his hand over his mouth and I can tell he’s trying not to laugh too.
“Don’t encourage her,” Mum tells me with a frown. Uh-oh, I think Mum’s in one of her sensitive moods. She does look tired. She hasn’t bothered with make-up today and the skin around her eyes is dark.
“We have to be in the field before sunrise for the dew thing to work,” I say. “And Alanna will look after us. We’ll be fine, Mum. Please?”
Mum murmurs something under her breath. Mum likes Alanna, but she thinks most of Alanna’s traditional spells and herbal remedies are nonsense. “A load of old hocus pocus,” she always says.
Dad puts his hand over Mum’s. “Sunny’s right, love, they’ll be grand. It’s a bit of fun – let them go.”
Mum sighs. “I hate it when you all gang up on me. And don’t come running home when you slip on all that dew and break your ankles, girls.”
“We won’t be running anywhere if we break our ankles,” Min says.
“Doh!” Dad joins in.
Mum’s had enough. After glaring at Dad, she stands up and walks out of the room. She gets upset easily and she doesn’t like being teased – who does?
I look at Dad. “Shouldn’t you go after her?”
“Don’t worry about your mum,” he says. “She just has a few things on her mind.”
“So can we go out with Alanna or not?” Min asks, ignoring what just happened.
“I guess so,” Dad says. “But if you wake us up at four in the morning, I swear I’ll murder the both of you. Leave the house quietly. And don’t be bringing any blooming slugs back with you either, got it?” He shudders. Dad hates slugs and snails as much as he hates slimy food.
“Got it, Pops,” Min says. “Thanks. You’re the best.” She gives him a big hug. He chuckles, delighted, and ruffles her hair. I wish I could throw my arms around him like that. If only I could worry less and be more fun. If only my life was easy, like Min’s.
I’ve never been outside at four in the morning before, and it’s exciting, but a bit creepy. Alanna offered to come and collect us from the castle, but Min wanted to walk down to the harbour, just the two of us. She said it would be more of an adventure that way. Mum wasn’t keen, but Dad talked her round. Goldie wanted to tag along, but we decided it was better to leave him in the kitchen as he might bark and wake people up – not that there are many people on Little Bird to disturb.
As we’re walking down the lane towards the harbour, where we’re meeting Alanna and Mollie, I have to keep breaking into a run to keep up with Min, who is hyper-keen to get there. Min insisted on carrying the torch and she’s swinging it around, so it’s hard for me to see the road properly. The moon is still casting a ghostly glow over everything.
“This is going to be so much fun,” Min says. “I can’t believe Mum let us out.”
“It’ll be fun until you spot a rat or something.”
“I like rats,” Min says firmly, trying to sound all brave.
“How can you like rats? They’re disgusting. They eat rubbish.”
“I just do.”
There’s never any point in arguing with Min – she never changes her mind – so I say nothing. Also, we’re drawing close to the harbour and I can see Alanna and Mollie waiting for us under the lamp, which means they might be able to hear me. Mollie’s in a silver-and-black striped sweatshirt and Alanna’s wearing her big red cloak with the hood that makes her look like Little Red Riding Hood. I smile to myself. One of the things I love about Alanna is that she never worries about what other people think – she just wears what she likes. And, boy, does she have some strange clothes.
Min sprints the last few feet towards them, taking the torch with her and leaving me to stumble the rest of the way in the dark.
“OK, where’s this magic dew you’ve been promising us?” she’s asking Alanna when I join them. “Will it really make my skin beautiful?”
Alanna smiles. “Good morning to you too, Min. Hi, Sunny. And, yes, it’s certainly supposed to. Follow me, girls. We’ll try the grass beside Red Moll’s Castle. I’ll explain what to do when we get there. And then I’ll show you some special May Day fortune-telling.”
“Hey, Sunny.” Mollie bumps her shoulder gently against mine. “You OK?”
I smile at her.
“Don’t know about you, but I’m half asleep,” she continues. “You awake?”
I shrug and then nod.
We follow Alanna up the hill and climb over the gate that leads into the field surrounding the castle ruins. The grass is glistening with tiny drops of water and I’m glad that Mum made us wear our wellies.
“Now, soak these cloths in the dew, girls,” Alanna says. She hands us each a square of white muslin the size of a face cloth. “And then dab them on your skin and you’ll all have beautiful complexions for the whole year.”
“Here’s hoping.” Mollie bends down and rests the cloth on the grass for a few seconds. Then she pats the damp square over her face. “It’s actually very refreshing. A bit cold, though. Hope it sorts out my spots. I hate them.”
“Everyone gets spots. It’s perfectly normal,” Alanna says. “You have lovely skin, Mollie.”
“Thanks,” Mollie says happily and she dabs the cloth over her face again.
We all do the same, soaking our cloths and bathing our faces. Mollie’s right – it’s nice: cool and tingly.
As she washes her face, Min wiggles her bum and sings a song that she’s made up to the tune of “Call Me Maybe”: “I’ve just met dew, And this is crazy, But feel my skin, It’s gorgeous, maybe.” She bursts into giggles at the end.
“Min!” Mollie groans. “That’s terrible.” But we’re all grinning at her antics. My little sister may be crazy, but she is funny.
Chapter 10
That afternoon we go to Alanna’s cafe to meet Landy. According to Mollie, he’s found something in the woods behind Lough Cara that he’s desperate to show us because we’re the only people on the island who will appreciate it. He refused to tell her what it was, though, and we’re all dying to know, especially Min. Alanna has to stay and run the cafe, so Mollie promised to fill her in when we get back.
It only takes about fifteen minutes to walk from the cafe to the woods, but we have to go past the edge of Lough Cara and it’s always tricky to avoid the swarms of midges that hover near the water. Sometimes the tourists wade in the rushes on the banks and disturb them, and, boy, do they regret it!
“Come on, Landy,” Min moans as we tramp around the lake. “What’s the big
secret? What are we looking for? Is it a squirrel or something? I love squirrels.”
“I’m not saying, Min, so stop asking,” he says.
She pulls a face at him.
“She’s been up since four this morning,” Mollie says. “She might be a bit tired.”
“I’m not tired!” Min looks disgusted.
“What were you doing up at four?” Landy asks.
“We were bathing our faces in dew and making May Day spells with Alanna,” Min explains. Then she makes her voice go all mysterious. “We were discovering the name of our one true love.”
“Really?” Landy says. “Go on, tell me. Who’s your one true love, Min?”
“The name begins with an L,” she says, gazing at him like a lovesick puppy. She’s shameless! Landy just grins, though. He knows all about Min’s crush on him and thinks it’s funny.
Mollie snorts with laughter. “Min, it was so not an L. It was more like a W.”
“It could have been an L,” Min says stubbornly. “Maybe I just left my slug on the flour for too long.”
“Slug?” Landy asks.
“We collected slugs and put them on a plate of flour,” Min explains. “And they wrote the first letter of our true love’s name in the flour with their slime.”
Landy shakes his head. “You guys are bonkers. What about you and Sunny, Mollie? What letters did you get?”
“Sunny’s was a C and my slug was too lazy to move,” Mollie says.
“I’m glad you all like fortune-telling and magic,” Landy says. “I knew you guys were the right people for this trip.”
“Is that a clue?” Mollie asks.
“Might be,” he says. “This way.”
We follow him over the stone stile, into the trees, and then along the winding forest path. The air smells musty, of rotting leaves and damp moss. On one side of us is the lake, and on the other is the Atlantic Ocean. It’s amazing to think that the next piece of land is America. Cara Woods is not a place any of us go very often. During the summer and at weekends, it’s full of tourists hiking, but today we’re completely alone.
Landy stops suddenly in front of a gnarly old oak tree, and points at its base.
“There,” he says and steps back so that we can all see.
I peer at the tree trunk and then I spot it – a small wooden door, pointed at the top like a church door. Its doorstep is covered in coins and tiny metal trinkets, like the ones on my charm bracelet.
Min gasps. “What is it?”
“The door to a fairy house,” Landy says.
Her eyes widen. “Have you tried opening it?”
He shakes his head. “No. You try, Min.”
Min crouches down and pulls gently on the miniscule metal door handle. “Doesn’t work.”
“Maybe you need a secret password that only the fairies know,” Landy suggests.
Min’s eyes light up. “I bet you’re right. Salla kazoom!” she says, waving her hands in the air like a magician. Then she attempts to open the door again, but nothing happens, which is hardly surprising – salla kazoom is not exactly the most inspired fairy password.
“It’s an amazing door, isn’t it, Sunny?” Mollie says.
I nod.
“When did you find it?” she asks Landy.
“I spotted it the other day when I was down here with Dad cutting up fallen trees for firewood. It’s not the only door I’ve found either. I’ve counted three so far and there may be more hidden deeper in the woods.”
Mollie stares down at the door again. “Who made them, do you think? It wasn’t you or your dad, was it?”
Landy laughs. “I wish. Whoever made that door is a woodwork genius.”
“I thought you said it was the fairies,” Min says, sounding cross. She must have believed what Landy told us. But if Min had read anything at all about the Little People, she would know that they keep themselves well hidden. They’d never let humans see their doorways.
“Maybe it is, Min,” Landy says. “I’m not ruling it out.”
“Really?” Mollie asks, surprised.
He shrugs. “There must be something behind all those old fairy myths. And look at all the coins and things that people have left on the doorstep. They’re gifts for the fairies. To grant wishes. In fact, we should all make a wish right now and leave an offering. Here you go.” Landy reaches into his pocket and then hands each of us a coin.
“Thanks, Landy,” Min says, her eyes twinkling at him. She really does have it bad.
Mollie and Min place their coins on the doorstep.
I hold mine tightly in my hand.
“Sunny?” Mollie says. “Aren’t you going to make a wish?”
What’s the point? If the Little People do exist, they know what I want. It’s what I’ve wanted for years – to be able to speak.
I’m sorry, fairies, I think as I place my coin on the pile. I’m happy to give you this coin, but right now I’m all wished out.
“Can we see the other fairy houses now?” Min asks, hopping from foot to foot.
Mollie rolls her eyes at me and I smile. Min’s so impatient, but I’m glad to see she’s back to her usual self. I was beginning to wonder what I’d done to annoy her.
We find the second one easily – a midnight-blue door set into the earth under a big twisted tree root. The third one is harder to spot.
“I think it’s down by the lake,” Landy says. After leaving the path and climbing over some fallen tree trunks, we reach the mud and rushes at the edge of Lough Cara.
“There it is,” Landy says, pointing at a rocky outcrop. This one isn’t just a door but a whole house! It is made from wood and painted a mossy green, and is three storeys tall. It has two small red chimneys sticking out of a real tile roof and Gothic windows with pointed tips. It’s tucked under an overhanging rock to keep it dry.
“Someone’s put a lot of work into that,” Mollie says, crouching down to look at it more closely.
I look around then, wondering why Min isn’t squealing with excitement. She loves this kind of thing. I can’t see her anywhere. Where is she?
Mollie and Landy are so busy studying the house and talking about the real glass in the windows that they haven’t noticed she’s missing. I peer into the forest, looking for her yellow rain jacket or pink wellies, but I can’t see anything.
I pull at Mollie’s sleeve. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” she says, gesturing at the house.
“Min,” I mouth at her.
“Sorry, Sunny? I don’t understand.”
I mouth my sister’s name again, but she’s still not getting it, so I tweak her arm and then point at the forest behind us.
“You’re right, Sunny. Min will love this one,” Landy says, standing up.
I shake my head and wave my arms around while mouthing “Min” again. This time Mollie clicks.
“Oh, Min!” she cries. “Where is she?”
I throw both my hands up to say, I don’t know.
“Min!” Mollie calls loudly.
Landy joins in. “Min!” he shouts. “Can you hear us?”
There’s a splash from further down the lake. My heart stops. Min is a terrible swimmer. If she’s fallen in…
Then there’s a shout. “Over here! Help! I think I’m stuck.”
It’s Min.
Relief floods over me and I run towards the sound of her voice. She’s at the edge of the lake, up to her knees in sinking mud. When I reach her, she pulls one leg out, but the boot stays behind. Stay still, I want to tell her, you’re going to lose your balance otherwise. And just as I think it, Min tips sideways and lands in the brown gloop.
“Min!” Mollie yells, coming up behind me. “What are you doing? You’ll sink in that mud. It’s dangerous. Get up.”
Min is lying on her side in the soft mud, squealing. The mud is up to the top of her legs and she’s sinking fast.
“I thought I’d be able to get out on my own,” she says. “Stupid mud.” She hits the mud with her hand, making a bi
g splash.
“Stay still, Min, or you’ll sink even deeper,” Landy says. “I’m coming in to get you.”
“I’ll help you,” Mollie tells him.
He wades in slowly, and it takes a while, but he finally manages to pull Min out by the arms. Mollie holds his waist to make sure he doesn’t get sucked in too. Then, while Landy lifts Min onto solid ground, Mollie tries to fish out Min’s boots with a stick. It’s no use – they’re stuck in too far.
“You shouldn’t go near that lake mud, Min,” Landy says when they’re all back beside me on dry land. “It’s lethal stuff. Every year at least one cow or sheep gets stuck in it. And they’re not as lucky as you. They don’t always get rescued. Sometimes they drown.”
I shiver. Min may drive me crazy, but I don’t want to lose her.
“What were you doing in the mud anyway?” Mollie asks.
“Looking for another fairy house,” Min says huffily. “Landy said there might be more hidden around the place.”
“In the forest,” Mollie says. “Not in the mud. Come and see the one we found and then we’d better get you home before you freeze to death.”
“I have no boots,” Min says. “Someone’s going to have to carry me.” She looks pointedly at Landy.
Mollie rolls her eyes at me, but Landy just laughs.
“No problem, Min,” he says. “I’ll get you home safely.”
I’m so relieved that Min is all right that I don’t even feel irritated. That’s my sister for you. She can wrap anyone around her little finger.
After taking another quick look at the fairy house, we walk back home with Min riding high on Landy’s shoulders, her filthy jeans matting his blond hair with mud.
I love her so much. Despite how much she annoys me sometimes, she means everything to me. And I couldn’t even tell my friends that she was in danger. As the reality of it all sinks in, I realize that I have to get better, for my sister’s sake as much as my own. How can I possibly keep her safe otherwise?
Chapter 11
On the afternoon we’re leaving for China, Mum’s in a complete flap. She’s racing around the house, collecting even more of our clothes to squeeze into an already bulging suitcase. Dad and Min are waiting in the jeep outside. They’ve just dropped Goldie off at Mollie’s house. Dad is getting impatient now. He keeps beeping the horn, which is making Mum even more frazzled.
