Chapter 2. Juggling Time
Ben looked helplessly at Tessa.
‘Now I know how it feels to be a sardine,’ he muttered. ‘But just what I can do about it I’m not sure.’
The doors began to creak as the iron railing was jiggled back and forth. In frustration Ben turned and banged his fist on the first button on the control panel. There was a juddering followed by a bone-shattering jerk as the elevator began to move. As it jolted and swayed Tessa and Ben were tossed together in the sudden dark. Mad Molly subsided onto her pile of rags in the corner. After what felt like an eternity but was probably only a few minutes the elevator shuddered to a stop. The doors opened onto a dimly lit narrow corridor.
Ben found that he was clutching Tessa’s arm while she had his trouser leg in a firm grip. Embarrassed, they moved apart.
‘Wow, I didn’t expect that to happen. I thought this thing was broken,’ croaked Ben. ‘What is this building anyway?’
‘It used to be a block of offices,’ said Tessa. ‘It’s been empty for ages. I used to explore round here while Mum and Dad were busy in the shop but they padlocked all the doors a few weeks ago and I haven’t been here since then.’
‘Well that’s good,’ said Ben in relief. ‘Jamie and Sam won’t be able to follow us then. Come on, let’s see if we can find another way out. There’s bound to be some sort of fire exit.’ As he spoke he edged away from Mad Molly who had clambered to her feet and was staring at him again.
Tessa pushed the button marked ‘Door Open’ and the doors slid back to reveal a dimly lit corridor. Ben stepped out, with Tessa following close on his heels, and jumped as Mad Molly lurched out behind them. The elevator doors shut with a hiss of air.
Ben and Tessa walked for a few steps then Ben gave a yell and stopped. Two children were advancing towards them, their faces pale and ghostly in the dim light. Ben thought his heart had stopped beating. then he managed a strangled laugh.
‘It’s okay Tessa,’ he croaked. ‘It’s only a mirror.’
Tessa grinned in relief and released her death-like grip from his arm.
‘That had me going for a minute,’ she admitted. They stood there gazing at their reflections. Ben saw a skinny boy with a snub nose, floppy brown hair and ears that stuck out, wearing a pair of jeans and a grubby grey T-shirt. Beside him stood a ginger haired girl with a pointed face wearing a faded brown pinafore.
‘Come on, let’s go the other way,’ said Tessa irritably. ‘Unlike you, I have better things to do than stand and admire myself all day.’
Indignantly Ben turned to follow her as she marched off along the corridor. Behind him he heard a shuffling sound as Mad Molly followed behind.
The corridor went on and on with featureless concrete walls and hidden lighting. Ben looked back over his shoulder but all he saw was Mad Molly’s vacant smile as she stumped behind him. With a shudder he moved closer to Tessa. They walked for some time.
‘Um, are you sure this is the way out,’ asked Ben.
‘It’s the only way we can go, so it must be,’ snapped Tessa. She was feeling very doubtful. They seemed to have covered an enormous distance, yet there were no windows or doorways and the floor beneath their feet made a hollow echoing sound.
‘Let’s run,’ suggested Tessa, ‘Then we’ll get to the exit quicker.’
‘You run if you want to,’ grumbled Ben. ‘I’ve done enough running for one day already.’
He watched as she ran off into the darkness ahead. He heard the wheezing sound of Mad Molly’s breathing behind him and increased his pace to catch up with Tessa before she ran out of sight. They stopped abruptly at a door set in the corridor ahead of them. It was a solid wooden door painted in shiny red. The handle was a glowing golden ball.
Ben and Tessa looked doubtfully at each other.
‘Go on, open it,’ said Tessa at last, giving Ben a push.
Ben grasped the ball firmly and turned it. They stepped through the doorway into what felt like a new world. There was a green grassy bank beneath their feet curving down to a path beside a sparkling river. Silver leafed trees drooped over the banks and in the distance Ben and Tessa could hear the sound of tinkling bells chiming a snatch of melody.
Ben gulped.
‘Where are we?’ he asked Tessa in amazement.
‘No idea,’ grinned Tessa, ‘but isn’t this fantastic? It must be some sort of park.’
‘I’ve never been here before,’ Ben said slowly, ‘and I’ve lived in this town all my life.’
‘Perhaps it’s a private bit,’ suggested Tessa. ‘You know, hidden by houses and owned by someone rich. Come on, let’s explore.’ She ran down the slope to the river.
Ben followed more slowly and heard Mad Molly shuffling behind him. He glanced back at the doorway but it seemed to have gone. All he could see was a group of trees standing tall and still behind him. He caught up with Tessa as she reached the pathway.
‘Look,’ said Tessa excitedly, ‘ducklings.’
She pointed to a clump of reeds on the far bank. A line of ducklings waddled down to the water and began paddling.
‘I wish I had some bread.’
‘So do I,’ agreed Ben whose stomach was telling him it was a long time since he had last eaten. As they watched, a red and white striped ball floated down the river towards them, scattering the ducklings as the current swept it onwards.
‘Weird,’ said Ben.
They heard the tinkling of bells again.
‘I wonder what’s making that noise?’
‘Those are tubular bells,’ said Tessa knowledgeably. ‘I saw them when Mum and Dad took me to a concert last month. Only the really big orchestras have them. Someone must be practicing them, that will be why they keep stopping and starting.’They followed the path as it twisted around alongside the river. Another three brightly coloured balls came floating past. ‘Even weirder,’ remarked Tessa. ‘Do you suppose someone is throwing them in for some reason?’
‘Beats me,’ replied Ben, then stopped with his mouth open as they turned the corner. Standing before them in the middle of the river was a man dressed in a ragged assortment of coloured clothes. A patched shirt with long flowing sleeves was topped by a richly embroidered waistcoat. On his head a soft green velvet cap sat at a jaunty angle. He stood nearly to his waist in the water juggling an assortment of coloured balls. He tossed ball after ball into the air and caught them again in a kaleidoscopic display. From time to time he would drop a ball in the river and pluck a new one from one of his patch pockets.
Ben and Tessa stood watching him in delight. Mad Molly lurched along the path to join them and waved her arms excitedly. After one particularly impressive sequence, Tessa clapped her hands in admiration. The juggler grinned and nodded to her without stopping his juggling. A shiny golden ball fell from his fingers and floated towards them, bobbing gently against the bank.
‘Perhaps I should pick it up for him,’ suggested Tessa doubtfully.
‘He seems to have plenty more,’ said Ben as the juggler reached into his pocket for another ball. While Tessa stood undecided Mad Molly stepped forward. Throwing off her ragged shawl she stepped into the water and reached out for the ball. As she picked up the ball there was a loud burst of tinkling music.
‘There go those bells again,’ said Ben. ‘I wonder where they are coming from?’
‘Look,’ squealed Tessa. ‘Look at that.’
Mad Molly had tossed the golden ball into the air in imitation of the juggler. As it fell it slipped from her wrinkled hands to land with a splash in the river. There was a whooshing sound as a cloud of blue smoke curled lazily upwards, circling Molly to surround her in a dense blue haze. As Tessa and Ben watched in astonishment Mad Molly appeared to shrink. She grew smaller and smaller and her hair turned from white to a soft golden brown. Her clothing fell off and swirled out of sight down the river. Where a wrinkled old lady had been was a small naked toddler. The little girl gave a gurgle of laughter and took a
few uncertain steps to clamber out onto the bank. There she reached out to grasp Ben’s trouser leg and stood beaming up at him in adoration.