wind.
Seb folded the sheet of paper and handed it back to Nat. Another gust of wind and there was a loud cracking sound as a not insubstantial branch above their heads broke in a jagged split halfway along its length. Laden with smaller branches and a dense network of wet leaves, the heavy, foliage-covered end fell. Without a pause for thought Zach whipped his stick up and hooked the end of the branch, catching it inches above Seb’s head, spun and hurled it in a sweeping arc over The Beach shingle. It crashed to the ground forty feet into the Year Ten playground which, fortunately, was deserted, all other students having taken refuge from the unpleasant day in the big hall. Seb only had time to cower slightly and raise his arms and now he stared at Zach, stunned.
Scarlet stood, picked up a small stone from the shingle and threw it in the direction of the branch. It fell about twenty feet short and bounced several times before stopping, still some distance from the greenery.
“That was a stone, Zach, not a dirty great big branch full of twigs and leaves. A small, light, stone. How did you do that? And how did you react so quickly? None of us had even realised the branch was falling until it was too late. How did you do it?” Scarlet was standing with her hands on her hips. Small droplets of water glistened on her nose and glasses. She was grinning.
“I’m awesome! What can I say?” Zach said, plopping onto the bench and sounding like he felt anything but awesome.
“Yes, you are,” Scarlet said. “More than before!”
Zach looked at the scuffed toes of his shoes and shrugged.
Seb’s hand was really tingling now and he pushed down the glove to rub his birthmark. As he exposed the palm a chink of sunlight squeezed through the heavy clouds above. It caught the silver lines on his palm. The light rebounded, intensified and reflected into his eyes. Suddenly flames leapt from his palm to his eyes. He yelled. Nat, dropping the piece of paper, which was carried off by the wind into the woods, grabbed his hand and turned it over, out of the sunlight. The flames extinguished.
“Ohh-kay,” Zach said slowly. “That was kind of worrying.”
Seb, half blinded, caught a movement in the corner of his eye. He glanced at the staff room window and saw Mr Duir turn quickly and walk out of sight.
Now he was beginning to feel light-headed and darkness started to close in on him. His palm felt very warm. Then everything went black.
For a long while everything was dark then a noise drifted into his mind, very faint, but getting louder.
“Follow me. We’ll take him to the sick room.” Mr Duir’s voice was accompanied by a lurching feeling as Seb’s world warped. The blackness receded and he opened his eyes to see grey clouds, someone’s chin, a strong jaw line, a green tie, a white shirt.
It was a second before Seb got his bearings and realised he was being carried up the planks across The Lake, like a baby, by Mr Duir. He felt queasy, as though he had just stepped off a roller coaster. His brain was muddled, his senses woolly. He struggled to comprehend what had happened. Had he fainted? A couple of cold raindrops fell on his cheeks. As he turned his head to look around, he saw Nat’s concerned face.
“You fainted, Seb,” she spoke quietly to him.
Seb looked up at Mr Duir, whose eyes looked straight ahead.
“Relax, Master Thomas.”
The grey clouds disappeared as they entered the gloom of the ogre corridor and turned towards Reception. Seb’s palm was once again tingling and he tried to ignore the urge to rub it. As Zach led the way inside Mr Duir stopped abruptly a foot over the threshold. Seb heard a small sound like a whimper and realised it had come from Nat, who had just stepped in behind them.
“Miss Kitchener?” Seb heard Mr Duir’s voice rumble through his chest.
Nat’s reply was slightly breathless. “I hear … sorry, I just feel something …”
Scarlet walked through the doorway behind them. “What’s happening, what’s the problem?” There was a gasp and then she stammered, “Who is that, sir? Shouldn’t we leave?”
Mr Duir still held Seb and now Seb could hear it, the wheezing, the cackling. He lifted his head and looked along thirty feet of dark corridor. He could just see Zach who had stopped further along when he realised everyone else had come to a halt.
“What’s going on?” He turned back just as the massive bulk of the ogre emerged through the doorway feet from him.
“Zach!” Seb called a feeble warning. Zach just looked confused.
Nat couldn’t disguise her fear. “Mr Duir?” She moved back behind him. The huge ogre took a lumbering step forward.
“Are we going or not? What are you all doing?” Zach looked at his friends, huddling around Mr Duir in the doorway. “Someone tell me what’s going on!”
“Is Seb going to be sick?” Aiden asked, wondering too why they had stopped in the doorway.
The ogreish figure took another, heavy step forward. Seb gripped Mr Duir’s arm as his heart raced and he started to panic. He wondered why Mr Duir didn’t lead them back out the door but then maybe, like Zach and Aiden, he couldn’t see it.
And then The Head muttered a strange word in barely more than a whisper. Seb, his right ear pressed to Mr Duir’s chest, caught the clear vibration of it. One word, which he couldn’t make out.
Suddenly a cascade of sparkles surrounded them and the mammoth figure stopped in its tracks. It remained on the spot and rocked from side to side. Seb strained to see features, details to it, but he could detect nothing. The sparkles danced and then the hulking figure turned, lumbered back to the door and shambled through. It didn’t appear to have opened the door and it left an eerie silence until Zach boomed, “Why are we just standing here?”
Seb looked at Nat and Scarlet. They were staring in awe at Mr Duir. The Head moved on down the corridor as though nothing had happened. Passing the door, Seb glanced at the handle, looking for any sign of movement. There was none.
The sound of the group’s footsteps rattled through the corridor accompanied by Zach’s words. “At last! I thought we were going to spend the rest of lunch here!”
Whispering
Still carrying Seb, who was now feeling much better and rather stupid, Mr Duir strode past the Reception desk towards the sick room. The older of the two receptionists jumped to her feet and hurried over to open the door.
“Student’s name, sir?” she asked in a clipped manner, as if she needed to be rid of this disruption to her day.
“He won’t be going home, Mrs Reeves. Just needs a bit of rest.” Mr Duir answered, placing Seb on the bed.
“Could you ask Mr West to come to my office, please,” he said, ushering the woman out. She gave an indignant look over the top of her glasses and closed the door behind her. The strong scent of her perfume hung in the room as Mr Duir pulled a chair up next to Seb. “You’ll need to rest, Master Thomas.” He smiled, his green eyes reflecting the rectangle of light from the window beside the bed.
Seb still felt weak and as he nodded felt queasy again.
“What was that all about?” Zach asked. Mr Duir twisted round to face him and waited. “Er … sir!”
The Head replied in an even voice, “Master Thomas fainted.”
“I get that …” Zach paused, trying not to sound rude. “What was that all about in the corridor?”
“In the corridor?” Mr Duir’s eyes were fixed on Zach and Seb watched his friend’s confidence wane. His shoulders dropped as he made the decision to let it go. It was obvious from The Head’s demeanour he wasn’t going to explain anything.
“I will get Mr West, you rest,” Mr Duir said, rising. Towering over Seb, his massive frame blocked most of the light. Then, with a nod, he left the room.
“Well? What was that all about?” Zach waited not even a second after The Head’s departure to ask.
Scarlet plonked herself on the foot of the bed. “Not sure we should tell you Zach; you’ll just make fun!”
“Don’t tell me, it was the ogre!” He raised his
arms and, wiggling his fingers, made a ghostly moan, “Oooooooo.”
Scarlet stared defiantly at him. “Yes, it was the ogre. It came out of that same classroom and stood in the corridor. It was only a foot from you Zach!” She smoothed her hair down, tucking a stray strand behind her ear, as if that would help suppress her urge to shout.
Zach looked at Aiden who was gazing out of the window at the trees being buffeted by the wind and the raindrops spattering the pane.
“Aiden, come on. I need some support. There was nothing there.”
“Just because you couldn’t see it, Zach doesn’t mean it wasn’t there!” Scarlet snapped.
Aiden turned to Zach. “I didn’t see anything, but Scarlet and Seb obviously did. And so,” he paused, “did Mr Duir!”
Zach crossed his arms and frowned. “No he didn’t. He didn’t say anything and when I just asked him he— ”
“He chose not to answer you, Zach. He did see it and what’s more, he made it go. I don’t know what he did but there was sparkling and the ogre ran away!” Scarlet said.
“Well how come me and Aiden didn’t see it, and Nat? She couldn’t either!” Zach said smugly.
Nat looked nervous and perched on the bed beside Scarlet. “I didn’t see anything— ”
“See? See!” Zach was triumphant. He stood and pointed at Nat. “I don’t know what you guys think you saw but none of us did.”
Seb, watching Zach, thought he saw a flash of green whizz behind his back. He spun his legs round, sitting upright and immediately regretted the movement.