Katy Parker and the House that Cried

by Margaret Mulligan

  The three of them wandered off back home, walking slowly and chatting as they went. A lull in the conversation gave Patrick the courage to spit it out, once and for all. “Charlie, we have something to tell you. It’s not a joke. We’re deadly serious. In fact it’s a matter of life and death that you believe us.”

  Charlie stopped walking and turned to face Patrick. “What’s this then Patrick? You sound a bit scared.”

  Patrick glanced at Katy, his eyes full of worry. Katy picked up the story for him. “This sounds crazy Charlie. . . but something terrible is going to happen tonight just after six o’clock.”

  Charlie stared at them both, “What do you mean, something terrible?” he asked.

  Katy took a deep breath and continued, “A German bomber is going to drop a bomb on Knutsburry. The bomb is going to land on the cinema and kill everyone inside. We need your help, Charlie. We can’t stop the bomb falling, but we can try and keep everyone safe. We just need to come up with a plan.”

  Charlie stared at them with an incredulous look on his face. After a long pause he finally said, “That’s not a very nice joke. Bombs are no laughing matter. You should know that, being evacuees from London.”

  Katy replied, “That’s just the thing Charlie. We’re not actually evacuees at all. Not really.”

  “What do you mean you’re not evacuees? You’re not making sense Katy.”

  “I’ll try and explain if you’ll just listen, Charlie. It won’t be easy to believe but please try.”

  Charlie stared at them both and folded his arms, signalling Katy to carry on. Katy hesitated. Charlie didn’t look like he was going to believe them. With no other option, she launched into their tale – one she had silently rehearsed many times. The sense of relief she felt at finally being able to share their story with someone else was overwhelming.

  “Patrick and I are really from the future. We were spending the afternoon at Willow Dene, researching life during the Second World War for my history project.”

  Patrick interrupted, “We had just eaten a lovely tea prepared by you!”

  “What do you mean, prepared by me? Have you both gone mad?” said Charlie, scornfully.

  “No Charlie, it’s true. We know you in the future. You look after Willow Dene for the twins. Your grandson, Tom, goes to our school – Katy’s got a crush on him!”

  Katy elbowed Patrick. “Stick to the important facts. We’d been listening to the radio and reading old magazines and we both fell asleep. When we woke up, we found ourselves in 1942.”

  Patrick interrupted once more. “It’s taken us a while to figure it out but we finally know why this has happened. We’ve been sent here to save the people in the cinema, especially Mrs Graham and Susie. They’re not meant to die – not yet – not like this.”

  Charlie sat down with his head in his hands. After what seemed like an eternity, he looked up at them both with a look of complete disbelief on his face. “Can you prove any of this? You can’t just expect me to believe a story like this without proof.”

  Katy and Patrick stared at each other helplessly. Proof? They had nothing; Charlie would never believe them now.

  Suddenly, Patrick jumped up and screamed out in delight, “I do have proof for you! When I met you in the future we chatted in your potting shed. You showed me your granddad’s medal. He’d survived the trenches of the Great War and gave you the medal for luck. You promised your granddad you’d carry it with you always. Go on put your hand in your pocket, I bet it’s there!”

  Charlie stared at Patrick in astonishment as he pulled the medal out of his pocket, just as Patrick had said.

  “How did you know that? I haven’t told anyone that Granddad gave me that medal. . . I can’t believe I’m going to say this but. . . I think I believe you. There’s no way you could know about my medal unless I told you.”

  Charlie then became very excited and full of questions about life in the future. Katy was trying her best to answer them when Patrick finally cut in. “There’s no time for chatting, you two. What are we going to do about the bomb? We’ve got to save Mrs Graham and Susie. Susie is only three years old. We have to make sure she makes it to her fourth birthday next week.”

  Charlie sat lost in thought. Finally he looked up, smiling hesitantly, “OK, you two. I’ve got a plan. Listen up and I’ll tell you what we can do.”

  The three of them huddled together and Katy and Patrick listened as Charlie hatched his plan.

  Chapter 9

  The Plan Unfolds

  “You two go to the party. Then, at about half past four, start complaining that you feel ill and a bit itchy. I bet Mrs Graham will send you straight home to bed in case you’re coming down with chickenpox, like the twins.”

  “That’s a good idea,” said Patrick. “We’ll pretend to be really disappointed to miss out on all the fun.”

  “But what about Hillary? We’ve got to stop her babysitting. She blames herself for what happened to Susie in the future. Her whole life was affected by it,” said Katy worriedly.

  “But how will we stop her? Her mum won’t want her to let Mrs Graham down and she’s saving up for a bike so she needs the money,” replied Charlie.

  “And if she isn’t babysitting, she’ll be in the cinema and so not exactly safe! Besides, we’re going to save Susie so Hilary will have nothing to blame herself for,” Patrick added with a determined look on his face.

  “Exactly. We’ll just have to forget about Hillary for now until we work out the rest of the plan,” instructed Charlie. “As far as I can see, her future depends on us evacuating the cinema before the bomb drops and Mrs Graham getting home in time to stop Susie disappearing.”

  “But how are we going to do that?” asked Katy, a frown etched onto her face whilst she nervously bit her thumbnail.

  “The only thing that I can think of that will guarantee everyone leaves the cinema immediately, is to set off the fire alarm. No one will ignore that,” replied Charlie with more confidence than he really felt.

  “But how will we get into the cinema and set off the alarm without being stopped?” Katy asked, anxiously.

  “That’s the tricky part,” said Charlie. “But I have an idea. Mr Mulligan will be working on the box office tonight with his son, Michael. Patrick and I will create a disturbance outside the cinema that will distract them away from the main entrance. Then, Katy, you can slip in unnoticed.”

  “But how will we create a disturbance?” asked Patrick, looking scared.

  “I know,” replied Katy. “Patrick, you collapse just outside the entrance, clutching your tummy, moaning and groaning, and pretending to be in terrible pain. Charlie can rush into the cinema to get Mr Mulligan’s help and ask Michael to go for the doctor. He can say he’s too scared to leave you.”

  “Brilliant. That will leave the way clear for you to slip into the cinema and set off the fire alarm. Then you can join the crowd of people leaving the cinema. No one will be any the wiser.”

  “Then, I’ll make a miraculous recovery and we can all scarper,” said Patrick, tying up their plan nicely.

  * * * *

  The afternoon was a great success and everyone seemed to have loads of fun – especially doing the treasure hunt that Patrick had organised. The prize was a copy of a book called Peter and the Wanderlust, donated by the school governors. A vast amount of food had been donated, too, and so, for the first time in years, the evacuees enjoyed an unlimited amount to eat instead of being told to save some for the next day.

  When everyone sat down at the long trestle tables for tea, Patrick and Katy joined them but were careful not to eat much. Mrs Graham noticed at once that they weren’t tucking in along with everyone else. “What’s the matter?” she asked in a concerned voice, whilst placing her hand on Katy’s forehead to check her temperature.

  Katy replied weakly, “I don’t feel well. My body aches all over and my head is pounding.”

  Patrick joined in at this point. “Me too. I feel itchy as well.
I want to scratch all over.”

  Mrs Graham looked at the pair in concern. “You do feel a little hot. We’d better not take any chances. It might be chickenpox. Go straight home and get yourselves into bed.”

  “Oh no! Do we really have to leave?” whined Patrick. “I was really looking forward to the cinema!”

  “Me too,” said Katy in a weak voice. “It’s so unfair!”

  “Now, now, you two. I want to see brave faces, please. Off you go, home to bed. We can’t risk over forty evacuees coming down with the chickenpox next week!”

  Putting on their best miserable faces, Katy and Patrick said their goodbyes and set off for home. Once they were safely outside the hall, Katy turned to Patrick, the strain showing on her face. “Phew, that went well. Let’s hope everything else goes according to plan!”

  Back at Willow Dene, they went straight up to their bedroom, putting their nightclothes on over what they were already wearing in order to make a speedy exit once Hillary had been in to check on them.

  “Katy, I’m scared,” whispered Patrick. “What if we mess up and everything goes wrong?”

  “I know. I feel the same. I feel sick at the thought of it all. But we mustn’t think about failure. We will succeed Patrick. We don’t have any alternative.” Katy hoped she sounded more confident than she felt. At least Patrick seemed reassured but secretly Katy wasn’t so sure they could carry off their plan.

  They had arranged to meet Charlie at the back of the cinema at exactly half past five. Charlie wanted to go over their plan one last time and make sure everyone was clear on their role.

  Just after five, Hillary stuck her head around Katy and Patrick’s bedroom door to check on them. Katy and Patrick lay still and pretended to be asleep. Hillary played nurse, feeling their foreheads and tucking them in before quietly shutting the bedroom door. Katy and Patrick lay listening to her footsteps as she went downstairs. They heard her enter the kitchen, quietly shutting the door behind her and telling Susie to hush.

  With the coast clear, Katy and Patrick jumped out of bed, quickly shedding their nightclothes and putting on their shoes.

  “Here goes,” said Katy. “Look, I’ve got Jan’s good luck charm, the one we found in his rucksack. Here, touch it for good luck.”

  Patrick reached out and held the little silver pixie gently in his hand. He handed it back to Katy who stowed it away in her satchel, which she flung over her back. Very quietly, they made their way downstairs and out of the front door. They took the twins’ bikes and cycled as quickly as they could to their agreed meeting place, arriving panting and breathless to find Charlie nervously pacing up and down.

  From their hiding place, they could hear the evacuees and their host families arriving and starting to queue outside the entrance of the cinema. They heard Mrs Graham’s voice as she laughed at some joke or other. The doors to the cinema opened and everyone began to troop excitedly inside. Katy looked at her watch. It was now or never.

  “Right. Let’s get started,” said Charlie, bravely.

  All three stood up, staring intently at one another. Then, with fierce determination they parted – Charlie and Patrick towards the cinema entrance, Katy into the shadows just around the corner from the main doors.

  Katy watched their plan unfold as she hid in the shadows. As Charlie and Patrick made their way towards the entrance, Katy saw Patrick clutch his stomach and groan loudly. When they reached the steps of the cinema he collapsed dramatically, falling to the floor and screaming out in pain. Within seconds, Mr Mulligan rushed outside to help.

  Katy could hear everything from her hiding place. “What’s happened lad, what’s the matter?”

  Patrick just cried and wailed in response. Charlie answered for him. “He’s got a grumbling appendix. That’s what the doctor called it. I think it must have burst or something terrible. He just collapsed. I don’t know what to do. Help him, please!”

  Katy watched as Mr Mulligan called out, “Michael! Michael! Come quickly! We need your help, lad.”

  Within seconds, Michael had appeared outside and his dad issued instructions. “Run to the doctor’s surgery and tell him it’s a burst appendix – be as quick as you can, lad.”

  Whilst this exchange was taking place, Katy seized her chance and quietly slipped past them into the building.

  Katy’s heart began to pound and her breathing became rapid as panic threatened to take hold of her. With her hand shaking, she opened the door to the dimly lit corridor where Charlie had told her the fire alarm was and silently slid inside. The others had played their part, now it was all down to her. The enormity of the situation suddenly hit her; countless lives were dependent on their plan succeeding. Momentarily paralysed by fear, she stood listening to the cartoon playing – she could hear the sound of children’s laughter.

  Katy pulled herself back to reality, shook off her fear and made her way over to the alarm, which was a small bell protected by a glass cover. Attached to it hung a small metal hammer on a chain. Katy picked up the hammer, held her breath and silently hoped that this would work, before hitting the glass firmly. It shattered instantly and the alarm began to ring loudly. Finally, Katy allowed herself to breathe.

  The change in atmosphere was immediate. The noise level began to rise, children cried and adults called out directions to their charges. Soon, all the emergency exits were flung open as people began to rush outside as fast as they could. Katy quickly joined the flood of people escaping outside. Her job was done and just in time by the sounds of things.

  Almost immediately, the air raid siren began to wail and the noise of a bomber could be heard close overhead, shattering the calm of the early evening sky. The crowds of people outside the cinema stopped – staring up in disbelief at the sky. A surge of panic rippled through the crowd.

  “Run! It’s a bomber!” called the air raid warden. “Take shelter now!” he shouted. At once, everyone began to hurry, all united in their desperate need to reach safety in the nearest public shelter. Katy managed to track down Patrick. Just as she reached him, she caught a glimpse of Mrs Graham running back to the safety of Willow Dene and to her children.

  “We did it Patrick, we really did it!” cried Katy, grabbing Patrick by the hands and swinging him round and round whilst the doctor looked on, astonished by Patrick’s miraculous recovery.

  “Where’s Charlie?” she asked, realising that Patrick was now on his own.

  “His mum ran past this way and spotted him – she dragged him away with her. He tried to get me to go, too, but I had to wait for you. Katy, we have to get out of here.”

  Katy’s excitement at saving Mrs Graham soon faded as throngs of people ran past her, all shouting. Patrick was right. They had to get to safety quickly, before the bomb dropped. They ran to the twins’ bikes, which they had left behind the cinema.

  “Head for Willow Dene and the cellar as fast as you can. We should just make it. Don’t look back Patrick and pedal as fast as you can,” Katy called out as they fled towards the bikes. Katy leant down and picked hers up, jumping onto the seat in one swift movement. Her feet slipped off the pedals in her rush but she quickly righted herself and peddled furiously ahead.

  She turned and shouted back at Patrick, “Hurry up! Faster! Follow me!”

  A flash of blinding white light filled the sky, accompanied by a mighty roar and blistering heat. Katy lifted her hands to cover her face. She felt herself lifted up off the bike and propelled through the air before falling, down, down into the void below. It was then that she heard the voice, calling her name,

  “K-a-a-a-t-y!”

  All at once the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Katy realised with an awful certainty that she was living her dream. This was the very moment she’d experienced night after night. The voice calling out her name was Patrick’s. As Katy braced for impact, one thought whirled around her mind; how does the dream end?

  Chapter 10

  Reunion

  Eyes tightly shut, fists clenched
and with the roar of the blast still ringing in her ears, Katy felt the road, cold and rough beneath her cheek. She opened her eyes, slowly sat up and looked around. To her great relief, Patrick lay sprawled out on the pavement next to her. The early evening sky was bright blue. All seemed peaceful. Calm even. Not as if a bomb had just exploded nearby.

  “We’re back, Katy! We’re back! We did it! We’re home!”

  Katy stared at Patrick with a dazed expression on her face, unable to take in what he was saying.

  “Look around you. Look at the cars, the satellite dishes on the houses!” He picked himself up off the pavement and stood up. Slowly, Katy began to take in her surroundings. The relief she had felt moments ago suddenly vanished. “But what happened? Did we save them? Did they survive?” she choked on the words, tears welling in her eyes.

  Before Patrick could answer, a voice called out their names. They both turned to see Charlie’s grandson, Tom, running down the street towards them. Katy’s heart missed a beat as she looked up and straight into his eyes.

  “You two alright? I tried to stop you but you just cycled straight into the road works. It was like you couldn’t see them or me!”

  “Yeah, we’re OK. We were just having a race,” answered Patrick quickly. “We didn’t hear you call out.”

  Katy stood up, feeling shaken, and gingerly brushed herself down. She saw with no surprise that she had a nasty graze all down her left leg and arm. She could also feel blood trickling down her cheek. Patrick had a nasty cut on his right leg and elbow.

  “You two need to be more careful – look at you, you’re both covered in cuts. Come on, I’ll take you to my granddad’s house. It’s nearby. He’ll clean you up. He learnt all sorts of first aid at school during the war.”

  Katy and Patrick followed Tom in a daze, slowly pushing their bent and twisted bikes. As they passed Willow Dene, Tom waved to a young couple who were busy trimming the high hedge at the front of the house. Katy noticed the large front door had changed colour. It was no longer bright red but was now painted a buttercup yellow. A small girl sat on the grass watching them. Her hair was tied in two bunches with ribbons that matched her bright red pinafore dress. She looked so incredibly like Susie that a sob caught in Katy’s throat and she had to blink back tears. What happened to her, wondered Katy to herself.