Chapter 7- Waiter!
Edwin hurried through the maze of rubble, trying to follow Bryony’s cries. The howling wind and shrieking seagulls made the sound difficult to pinpoint, but eventually he spotted something that offered a clue to his stepsister’s whereabouts.
It was a building, with tables and chairs outside, and the words “Bryony’s Bar” emblazoned in bright letters across the front canopy. Edwin could see flashing multi-coloured lights through the window, and realised that Bryony’s cries were coming from inside.
He ran to the building and yanked the door open. The howling shriek reached an ear splitting crescendo, and Edwin had to shield his eyes from the dazzling strobe lights as he stumbled through the doorway.
“Bryony? Are you OK?”
There was no response except that awful howling noise. Once his eyes adjusted to the lights, Edwin could see a dark haired figure standing on a raised platform at the end of the room. It was Bryony, but she didn’t look in pain or danger. In fact she looked quite happy, and was holding a microphone to her lips.
And then Edwin realised what that terrible howling noise was. It was Bryony sure enough, but she wasn’t in pain. She was singing.
Bryony stopped singing, and took a bow as the bar filled with wild applause and cheers. Edwin looked around, but there was no one there except him. The cheers abated, and then Bryony noticed her visitor.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, smile vanishing.
“What am I doing?” Edwin frowned. “You’re the one who should be answering that question. I thought you were in danger.”
Bryony tossed her head. “I’m having my own private karaoke party in my own private bar. And because I didn’t invite you, I’m going to have you thrown out for gate-crashing.”
Edwin folded his arms. “I’d like to see you try.”
Bryony smiled and raised the microphone, which transformed into a large metal key. Then Edwin was lifted off the ground by an invisible force, and hurled backwards through the doorway.
Edwin landed on his back outside the bar, winded but unhurt. Stubby emerged from his breast pocket, shaking his little mouse head. “Yep, that showed her. Next time, why don’t be even more forceful and insist she wipes her feet all over you for good measure?”
Ignoring Stubby’s observation, Edwin got to his feet and marched back into the bar. “Listen,” he said firmly. “We’ve got to leave the island.”
“Then take the boat,” suggested Bryony. “I won’t stop you.”
“It’s floated off,” explained Edwin. “We need the Key’s power to get us out of here as quickly as possible.”
Bryony wrinkled her nose. “Says who?”
“There’s no time to explain,” said Stubby, perching himself on Edwin’s shoulder. “All I can say is that you are in grave danger if you remain here.”
“So you came after all?” Bryony was surprised to see Stubby. “Bet this is some little plot you’ve hatched together to make me hand over the Key. Well you’re not having it, so clear off. ”
“I’m not leaving until you agree to help,” said Edwin, bracing himself in case Bryony tried to throw him out again.
To Edwin’s surprise, Bryony agreed. “OK, as long as you make yourself useful. The atmosphere is great here, but the service is a bit slow. I could do with a waiter.”
Bryony held up the Key again, and Edwin found himself wearing a white jacket and a black bow tie.
“Waiter,” said Bryony, suppressing a giggle. “Bring me a drink.”
Bryony clicked her fingers, and a tray of assorted fruit drinks appeared in Edwin’s hands. Whilst he looked on bemused, Bryony took a glass of orange juice and sampled the drink.
“Perfect,” she said, licking her lips.
“That’ll be five pounds,” said Edwin, deciding that two could play at this game. “Plus a ten percent service charge.”
Bryony shook her head. “The drinks are on you.”
“How come?”
Bryony grinned. “You really do walk into these, don’t you?” She clicked her fingers again, and the tray jumped from Edwin’s hands to splash ice-cold fruit juice all over him.
“And here’s that tip you were after,” chuckled Bryony. “Don’t mess with someone who’s got a magic Key.”
“We don’t have time for this,” spluttered Stubby, shaking fruit juice from his whiskers. “You are both in terrible danger. We all are. We must leave the island at once.”
“I’m not going to fall for that one,” sneered Bryony. “Now go away and let me enjoy my holiday in peace.”
Edwin knew there was no way of getting through to Bryony. Drenched and defeated, he turned to leave the bar. And that was when he saw it, sitting at a table.
Mr Cuddles!
Edwin ran to the table and grabbed Bryony’s toy.
Bryony screamed, and dropped her glass of fruit juice. “Take your hands off Mr Cuddles!”
“I have a hostage.” Edwin backed away, clutching the toy to his chest. “Give me the Key, or Mr Cuddles gets it.”
“Give him back to me,” rasped Bryony, advancing on Edwin. “If you harm one hair on his head…”
“I wouldn’t do that,” said Edwin. “Because I can’t tell which bit is supposed to be his head. But I’ll let him go if you give me the Key.”
“We can negotiate,” said Bryony. “How about I keep the Key, but I let you take it out on Sundays to the park for an hour or two?”
Edwin shook his head. “Give me the Key right now, or…”
“Or?” asked Bryony.
Edwin couldn’t answer that question.
“Well?” said Bryony, her eyebrows arching in a challenging manner.
Well?
The word gave Edwin an idea, and within a heartbeat he had left the bar and was running through the rubble towards the top of the island. A screaming Bryony gave chase, but Edwin had a head start and was standing next to the well by the time she caught up with him.
“Stay back,” warned Edwin, dangling the toy above the gaping hole. “Or Mr Cuddles goes down.”
Bryony didn’t believe him. “You’re too soppy,” she hissed, advancing slowly. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Oh yeah?” Edwin waved Mr Cuddles in the air. “Now give me that Key or…”
A raucous shriek made Edwin turn round, just in time to see a seagull diving towards him. He drew his hand away, but it was too late to stop the seagull’s beak snatching Mr Cuddles from his grasp.
“Noooooo!” Bryony screamed, and shook a fist at the departing bird. “Bring back Mr Cuddles!”
Edwin saw the Key in Bryony’s hand. Knowing she was distracted, he took his opportunity…
“Gotcha!”
“Huh?” Bryony turned back round to see Edwin had snatched the Key from her. “Give that back to me!”
“No chance.” Edwin backed away, holding the Key aloft like a trophy. “You’ve abused the magic for too long. Now the Key is mine.”
“No, it’s mine!” Bryony lunged at Edwin, and tried to wrestle the Key from his hand.
“This is lunacy!” Stubby jumped from Edwin’s shoulder, and retreated a safe distance to watch the unfolding battle. “Stop this madness at once, before something terrible happens.”
“Listen to him,” grimaced Edwin, gripping the Key so hard that his knuckles turned white. “We’ve got to get off this island, and we need the Key’s power to help us.”
“The power is mine.” Bryony managed to lay a finger on the Key, which emitted a pulsing blue light as she made contact. Edwin felt a tingling sensation in his hand, and then blue sparks started flashing from the Key.
“Be careful,” warned Stubby. “It’s overloading.”
But Bryony was unperturbed. “I’ll make you pay for what you did to Mr Cuddles,” she seethed at Edwin. “I’m going to shrink you, just like Katya did. I’m going to shrink you to the size of a mouse, and then feed you to the seagulls.”
“Not if I shrink you first,” snarled Edwin.
/> “Hello children.” Jane came strolling towards them. “It’s time for dinner. Bill hasn’t quite got the fire going yet, but I found a half eaten packet of diet crisp-bread in my coat pocket, and thought we could share a few crumbs.” Then she stopped to stare at Edwin and Bryony. “What are you up to? And Edwin, why are you wearing a waiter’s outfit?”
A fork of blue lightning crackled from the end of the Key, striking Jane in the stomach. She staggered backwards, engulfed in blue light, and then vanished.
“What’s happened?” screeched Edwin. “What have you done to Mum?”
“I didn’t do anything,” protested Bryony. “And even if I did, you deserved it for what you did to Mr Cuddles. Get ready to be shrunk.”
“I’ll get you back for this,” vowed Edwin. “I’ll…”
“Hey kids, what’s all the racket?” Now Bill appeared. “Where did Jane get to? And what are you fighting over? Can’t you play nicely while we’re on holiday?” Bill hurried towards Bryony and grabbed her wrist. Then he grabbed Edwin’s wrist as well. “The pair of you, stop it.”
Despite Bill’s plea, the children’s struggle intensified. More sparks crackled from the Key, and it became so hot that Edwin could barely hold onto it…
There was a noise like a thunderclap, and then Edwin, Bill and Bryony were being lifted off the ground, while streaks of jagged lightning laced the sky around them. The Key slipped from their grasp, and Edwin saw it fall into the well, still spitting blue sparks as it vanished into the abyss. There was another thunderclap, louder than the first, and suddenly they were all thrown upwards.
Edwin caught Bryony’s arm, and they clung to each other as they went flying through the air. And then Edwin felt a strange, yet familiar sensation. His skin crawled, his bones felt like they had turned to jelly, and the world around him dissolved into a blur…