Chapter 4: Somewhere To Sleep

I started banging on the windows and yelling in to the letter-box. As I was banging on the window ,as hard as i could,I watched my mum write something down on a scrap of paper and I saw her get up and walk out to the hall. She opened the letterbox said nothing at all and just slipped the piece of paper out. I caught it and waited for her to unlock the door. She didn't. I felt my eyes water and a tear fell gently down my cheek. I watched it fall on to the paper. The second it touch my mothers writing it crystallised. I was astonished. I gently picked up the now perfect 3D teardrop shaped....... Um well teardrop.
I saw something small erupt inside it. I watched whatever it was expand like a cloud until the teardrop was a solid all the way through dark sky blue. I popped it into my pocket and then looked down at the scrap of paper. It read; "My dear this is where your adventure begins. There are things I haven't told you things you shall find out soon enough but for now be brave and be strong. This is your chance to save us all. If you ever get frightened or you don't know what to do just look at this piece of paper and think of me, your sister and, if you can find it in your heart, your father ( it isn't his fault he's acting this way ). Now good luck honey and trust your heart and your soul. I'll love you always" ( It was a very big scrap of paper. )
So I put the paper in to my pocket along with the teardrop, zipped up my bag, put it on to my back and opened my umbrella. I walked out of the driveway and down the street, around a couple of corners to my best and only friend Annie's house.
I walked to her front door and rung the doorbell. I heard someone unlock the door and only hoped that they hadn't changed. The door opened and there stood Annie's mother , Sandra.
" Oh my Alice what are you doing out here in this trechoris weather. Come in, come in. Just a moment I'll go get Annie." I walked in to the house and Sandra closed the door behind me. " You can go wait in the siting room I have the fire on and the boys are roasting marshmallows. Can you please keep an eye on them? Thank you love. Annie! Alice is here. Annie!" and she proceeded up the stairs.
I went in to the sitting and sure enough Annie's eight year old twin brothers, Zack and Phillip , where there roasting some real marshmallows ( phew they weren't plastic ) over the fire. I sat down on the sofa and waited for Annie. Her mum came back down and walked in to the sitting room. "Annie will be down in a minute she's just getting dressed. So what were you doing out there in this weather?"
"I was locked out of my house"
"Oh my, well that's simply dreadful! Why didn't your parents open the door for you?"
I was about to tell her the truth but I thought better of it.
"My parents weren't home. They've gone on trip up to my grandparents house in Wicklow. They left me in charge."
"Oh. Well what about your sister she could surely have opened the door for you?"
"She went with them."
"Well then how did you get locked out?"
"I went out for some fresh air and to get some sugar from a neighbour so I locked the door behind me. I was about to cross the road when the key slipped and fell down a drain. The only place I could think of to go to was yours."
"Oh. Well then your welcome to stay here until your parents get back. When are they returning?"
" Oh....They um....they ... They said they'd be gone for the weekend."
"Well then welcome to our home. Would you like to ring you mother?"
"Um... Yes please"
Sandra went out to the kitchen and came back in with the telephone. She handed it to me and I dialled in my mums number. But instead of pressing dial I pressed end. Sandra didn't notice.
"Hello mum it's me Alice I'm just calling to say that I dropped my key down the drain and I'm locked out of the house. Yes I'm fine Sandra said I could stay at here place until you's get home. Thank you mum. Ok bye. Love you."
I then pressed the end button again and handed the phone back to Sandra. She took it and asked " What did she say?"
"Oh she said that it was very kind of you to let me stay here and that she'll see me soon oh and that she got me a present from Wicklow."