In Darkling Wood by Emma Carroll Read Free Book Online Page A

know, different . I wonder if she wears that red coat to school; it’d stand out a mile. But then if she’s a Traveller she might not go to school, and maybe that’s why I didn’t see her today.
    ‘Do you care for these woods?’ says Flo suddenly.
    I’m caught off guard. Care? It’s an odd thing to ask.
    ‘They’re kind of beautiful, in an eerie way,’ I say. ‘But I get why Nell wants them cut down. The roots growing so close to the house means she’ll end up with subsidence …’
    ‘ What? ’
    ‘It’s something to do with the foundations of the house becoming unsafe …’
    ‘I know what it means ,’ Flo snaps. ‘And it’s clear what your grandmother feels about Darkling Wood. But I asked what you think of it. Do you care?’
    Do I? It’s not something I’ve really thought about.
    Looking at the trees, they seem less spooky today. More mysterious. As I take a deep breath, I feel something, though I’m not sure what it is.
    Flo speaks first. ‘Your grandmother plans to clear this wood, and in doing so will destroy the homes of the fairies that live here. It’s a terrible, pointless thing she wants to do.’
    ‘It’s not pointless to her,’ I say, feeling like I’m defending Nell. ‘Darkling Cottage is her home and she doesn’t want it falling down around her. It’s her home she’s worried about. And she wants to let more light in because the house is really dark inside. Honestly, we’ve always got the lights on.’
    ‘So you believe her?’
    ‘Why wouldn’t I?’
    Flo’s mouth tightens. ‘I see. But you don’t believe me.’
    She’s right, of course; I don’t believe her. But there’s a big difference between pretending there are fairies and wanting your house to be safe. Yet I don’t want her to hate me because of Nell. I had a taste of that from Ella at school today and it didn’t feel very nice.
    ‘Go on then, explain it to me,’ I say. ‘Why should I believe in fairies?’
    Flo squares her shoulders.
    ‘The fairies are trying to save Darkling Wood because it’s their home. They’re using their magic to delay things, to cause upsets – mischief, if you like – sothat your grandmother will get fed up and abandon her plans.’
    It sounds like a story. Or a film. It certainly doesn’t sound real.
    ‘You want me to believe this?’
    ‘If you do, it’ll make their magic more powerful, more likely to succeed.’
    ‘I don’t see how.’
    Flo pushes her hair off her face and fixes me with her very blue eyes.
    ‘Think of your home,’ she says. There’s a break in her voice now. It tugs at something in me. ‘Think of what it means to you.’
    I don’t need to think.
    I know.
    My home is the ache in my chest, and though I’m trying hard not to let it, it’s eating away at me. It’s the thing that’s missing. It’s our house, Number 24 Eastbourne Terrace with blue and red glass in the front door so that when the sun shines through it, it makes coloured patches on the floor.
    And I miss it I miss it I miss it.
    Flo keeps talking. ‘This wood belongs to the fairies. It’s their home. We can’t just take things that don’t belong to us. I’ve learned that the hard way, believe me.So Alice, I’m asking you to open your mind, to believe that something magical does exist here in Darkling Wood. If you do, it’ll give the fairies strength to save the trees.’
    ‘Why me? Why does what I think matter?’
    ‘There are reasons,’ Flo says.
    I frown. ‘Like what?’
    ‘I don’t know,’ she says. ‘But the fairies have picked you – that’s why they turned your hat inside out.’
    I still don’t believe her. It’s all too bizarre. Too weird. And yet I’m aware of a stillness coming over me. I feel calm and peaceful. I haven’t felt like this in days.
    Then, up ahead, I hear the gate click. People are coming; their voices get nearer. One of the speakers is Nell. My heart thumps. She’s not going to be thrilled to find me here with Flo, not after the white