Molly and the adventures of the Fluffalump

by David Barron

  Chapter Two Molly goes to School

  For a few days Molly never seen her new friend, and wondered if he had moved back to the old shed. She looked for him under the bed, then she tried the spare room, mum kept for guests, but he wasn’t there either, she even tried the shed. After a while she gave up and thought oh well I’m sure I’ll see him again, and went back to her usual, reading books and thinking a lot. The very next day mum was up very early, and Molly was dragged out of bed. "Come on now molly its school for you today."

  "Oh mum," said Molly; "I want to stay in bed for a little while longer."

  "No," said her mum, "Not today, don’t you want to get an education, you know you’ll need one if you want to get a good job when you leave you know." Molly did as she was told and got up, had a shower, and skipped down the stairs to breakfast. Mum was putting marmalade on some toast, and trying to eat that and stuff her schoolbag with her gym clothes, all at the same time.

  "There’s some Weetabix for you molly, now don’t use all the milk, you know you waste it." Molly ate her breakfast and was then hurried outside and into mum’s car for the short trip to school.

  At school she was taken into see Mrs Flomdoll and introduced to the rest of the class. "Good morning children, here’s a new girl starting today, her name’s Molly, and I want you to make her very welcome." Molly was shown to a seat beside a rather plump red headed boy, whose name was Roland, and who was also the class bully. At break in the morning the class were let out in the playground, for a little while and Molly was soon surrounded by the other girls in the class, who wanted to know all about her. Molly told them she had not long moved there and that her dad had a new job, that’s why they’d had to move from their old house. They were all really rather nice, but Molly noticed that Roland was standing with a few of the boys, and was taking a keen interest in what was going on. On the way back into class Molly was taken by the arm by a girl who said her name was Amy, and that she had better look out for Roland as he was a very nasty sort of boy. Molly said, she could look after herself, but she liked Amy, and they got on rather well together, and played together most days, when they were at school.

  After that first day Molly sat on her bed in her room, and thought about her first day at her new school, and well it wasn’t too bad and she had made a new friend. She’d had her dinner when she came home, so she had the rest of the night to herself, and as it was her first day, there was no homework. She lay back on the bed and closed her eyes, wondering if she would ever see the Fluffalump again, and thought maybe she had dreamed it. Well she had been quite stressed at the time, what with having to go to another new school. Why did dad have to keep moving jobs, and what did marine engineers do anyway. Just at that moment a rustling from under the bed, dragged her from her thoughts, and out from under popped the Fluffalump.

  "Well hello Molly what was school like today"; molly was completely shocked.

  "You, you’re really here aren’t you."

  "Well I think so or else I wouldn’t be talking to you now would I." Molly asked him, "Exactly what are you, and where have you come from?"

  "Well as to the first I am a Fluffalump and as to where I’m from, well everywhere really."

  "There are lots of us you know." Molly sat with her mouth agape and said,

  "You mean there are more like you."

  "Well there was last time I looked."

  "Do you have a name," Molly asked,

  "Well I do have a name but I very much doubt you could pronounce it."

  "Well I have been to school for rather a long time you know."

  "Ok then," said the Fluffalump, "My name is Googlieshmoogliebrrrickingfoss." Molly tried to say it, but gave up and told him she would just call him Fluff, from now on. Molly then asked him why she’d never seen any other Fluffalump’s.

  "Well as to that well we mostly are invisible see, and we only really appear to those who have a good heart."

  "We never appear to grown-ups, as they have lost their innocence, and would try to catch us and then where would we be."

  "They’d try to get us to do magic, and once they had those secrets, the world would be a far more horrible place."

  "You mean you can do magic," gasped Molly, "I thought that was just make believe, you know like in the Harry Potter stories."

  "Nope its true we really can do magic, but don’t ask me to show you Molly, for I get very tired indeed when I have to do any, and then I have to sleep for a week at least." Molly sat up for a long time questioning Fluff, and he asked her all about her life and her family and school.

  Finally mum came up to make sure that she was getting ready for bed, as it was eight thirty, and she needed her rest for the school tomorrow. Mum came into the room and asked who she was talking too; as she was sure she had heard voices, when coming up the stairs. Molly said, she wasn’t talking to anyone and that’s she’d just switched the portable TV off. "Oh that’s probably it then", said her mum, and got her into bed and kissing her, switched off the light, and wished her a good night. Fluff of course at the sound of mum coming up the stairs had wriggled a bit then just disappeared from sight. Molly awoke the next morning and peeped under the bed, but not seeing Fluff, she jumped up and got ready for school. All through the winter molly went backwards and forwards to school every day, and had lots of fun with her new friend Amy, but she never told her of the Fluffalump. He was her very special friend and he wasn’t for sharing. Anyway who would believe her, they’d all think she was mad. Every night after school, she’d done her homework, then settled down to have fun with Fluff, who was a great friend, a good listener, and was always interested in her day, and sometimes when she was really having trouble, with the homework, he would volunteer to help. The Fluffalump it turned out was a very wise creature indeed and he knew quite a lot about most things. At long last it was the day of the winter break from school, and molly had three weeks off for Christmas. She spent lots of time making decorations for the tree, and helping her dad put up paper chains and lanterns on the roof, to give the house a Christmassy feel. It was a very busy time for her, and she would often go to bed that tired, that she hadn’t even looked for Fluff. Christmas day came and Molly ran down the stairs in her dressing gown and slippers, and headed straight for the tree. Underneath were boxes with bows and all had bright wrappings and cards with the names on them. Molly looked for her name and pulled out her boxes, and started to tear the paper off. She had selection boxes and dolls that talked, and a pram, and dressing up outfits, and her favourite a large teddy with a red silk bow. Her mum and dad then came down when they heard the commotion from downstairs and dad had given her a big hug and wished her a merry Christmas. Mum had also given her a big hug and called her an angel, and asked if she was happy with what Santa had brought. Molly said that she was very happy and that this was the best Christmas yet.

  Away at the back of the tree Molly’s dad had found a small box wrapped in brown paper and tied with string, addressed to Molly.

  "This is addressed to you love, how did that get under there."

  "Funny kind of Christmas wrapping, did you get this for her," he asked mum.

  "No it’s not one of mine I’m quite sure."

  "Oh well open it up then Molly and see who it’s from." Molly could not think who would wrap a Christmas present like that, but tore the paper and slipped the string off. Inside there was a stone of bright red which seemed to have gold stripes through it, and when she looked at it in the light, it turned a bright blue with silver stripes. Her dad said,

  "Here let me look at that Molly," and held it up for a closer inspection.

  "I’ve never seen anything like this before, how remarkable; who do you think it’s from Molly." Molly thought and finally said,

  "It must be from Amy, she was over last week, and maybe she put it under the tree dad."

  "Oh ok", said her dad and passed the stone back to her, but Molly knew now where it was from, and asked if she could take some of her toys upstairs
to her room. Mum said that was ok and Molly rushed up to see Fluff.

  Fluff was sleeping under the bed, when Molly got to her room, so she knelt down and said,

  "Merry Christmas Fluff," Fluff opened his bright green eyes and yawned,

  "Yes Merry Christmas Molly." Molly thanked him for the stone, and asked where he had gotten it. Fluff said,

  "Oh here and there", and sniggered a little.

  "Do you like it?"

  "Yes she said it’s wonderful." Fluff said that if she was happy then he was happy too, and came and sat on the bed.

  "I have a special treat for you Molly later, will you come with me and meet some of my friends." Molly said, she would be delighted, and so Fluff told her he was going but he would be back later to fetch her, there were lots of preparations to make.