by Sue Bentley
“How about the ghost train?” Mel suggested. “It could be really funny!”
Charlotte smiled. The ghost train had always been her favorite ride when she’d gone to carnivals with Mel. Maybe Mel was trying to say that she’d forgiven her for what happened yesterday? “Yeah, okay,” she agreed. “It’ll be fun.”
The ghost-train ride was painted black, with scary faces and grinning skulls. Moans and faint screams floated out of the entrance as they lined up to get in.
“This is just make-believe, with silly pretend witches and ghosts and stuff, so don’t be scared,” she whispered to Arrow as she sat on the train beside Mel.
“It will be interesting,” Arrow said, pricking up his ears.
With a rattling noise the train moved forward and they were plunged into darkness. As they trundled along there were flashes of green light, and ghostly things jumped out of cobwebby corners or dangled from the ceiling.
Jamelia pointed at a couple of rubber bats flapping in an alcove. She spluttered with laughter.
“This is so funny!” Kay giggled as a creaky door opened to reveal a glowing plastic skeleton.
Mel pretended to yawn. “You’d have to be about four years old to be scared. I think I might fall asleep in a minute!”
Charlotte laughed. “It’s fun, though!” She had her bag on her lap and one hand was inside it, resting on Arrow’s little furry back.
The train took a sudden right turn. Nothing happened for a few seconds and then a huge plaster rabbit with ridiculous vampire teeth loomed toward them. A bright light shone from behind it, casting a long dark shadow across their car.
Arrow squealed with terror and reared up out of the bag. “My enemies have found me!”
Before Charlotte knew what was happening, his key flashed and the ghost train shuddered to a halt. There was a crackle as the power died and all the lights went out. The kids on the train started screaming. Charlotte was just about to tell Arrow there was nothing to be scared of, when she felt him jump right out of her bag and disappear into the total darkness!
Charlotte peered into the darkness, her heart beating fast. Arrow was somewhere in the tunnel, terrified and all alone. She had to find him, but she knew it might be dangerous for her to get out of the ghost train. What could she do?
She stood up and leaned forward, trying to catch a glimpse of her magic bunny. Shouts and screams still rang out around her. The noise was deafening.
At least no one was going to hear if she shouted to Arrow, but hopefully he might be able to pick out her voice. It was a risk worth taking.
“Arrow! Where are you?” Charlotte yelled as loud as she could. “There are no dark rabbits here. It was just a silly game. Please come back!”
She waited, every nerve tingling with fear for her friend. Her eyes strained into the dark. There were so many places for a terrified bunny to crawl into. And the ghost train could start up again at any minute, taking her outside and leaving him in there.
“Arrow! Can you hear me?” she shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth.
Charlotte felt desperate. Then all of a sudden, she spotted a tiny flashing light to one side of the train. Breathing a sigh of relief, she saw Arrow hiding behind one of the ghostly figures.
The tunnel was illuminated as emergency lights were switched on. A voice came out of a loudspeaker, telling everyone not to panic and to stay in their seats. The kids stopped screaming and there was a half-hearted cheer as a side door opened and two men appeared.
They began helping the kids off the front of the train and steering them toward the exit. When no one was watching, Charlotte quickly stood up and reached behind the model ghost. Her fingers brushed against Arrow’s soft fur as she picked him up gently and slipped him back inside her bag.
Kay and Jamelia got up and headed for the exit, so Charlotte and Mel were the last ones on the train. They followed the other girls and all emerged together, blinking into the daylight.
“That was pretty exciting!” Mel said.
Kay laughed. “Yeah! It was much better than usual.”
“Weird, wasn’t it?” Charlotte said, with a glint in her eye. “Maybe there was a bit of magic about that rickety old ghost train after all.”
They all laughed.
They wandered over to try their luck at the rifle range. Charlotte hugged Arrow while she waited her turn. “I’m sorry you were scared,” she whispered. “I never dreamed there’d be a huge scary rabbit in there.”
He put a tiny fluffy paw on her hand. “It is not your fault. I should not have panicked.”
Charlotte smiled at him, pleased that he was safe. “Let’s see if I can win anything!” she said, as Mel stood back so she could take her turn.
An hour later, Charlotte and Arrow and the girls left the fair with Mel’s dad. Mel was clutching a giant pink bear and Jamelia held a kite. Charlotte had won it, but she’d given it to Jamelia to replace the one she’d lost on the beach. Charlotte stroked Arrow in her bag as they walked home.
“You look happier, Charlotte,” Arrow said.
“I am!” she told him. “It was a fun day. Mel seems to have forgiven me a bit, too, even if things aren’t quite back to normal yet.” She had also enjoyed being with Jamelia and Kay. There was no question about it—she really did like Mel’s new friends.
Charlotte woke up the next morning, looking forward to having a talk with Mel. Although the air seemed to have cleared a bit since the carnival the day before, Charlotte still wanted to talk to Mel about the situation at home, and to explain that she hadn’t meant to get her into trouble with her mom.
She gathered up Arrow and headed downstairs, but when she knocked on Mel’s door there was no answer. She peered into the room and saw Mel’s neatly made bed, but no sign of her friend. Climbing back up the stairs toward her attic room, she wondered where Mel might be. Probably out having fun with Kay and Jamelia, she thought dejectedly.
As she went to open the door, she caught sight of something hanging on the doorknob that she hadn’t noticed earlier. It was a piece of rope, strung with six large pebbles, each with a hole through its middle. One end of the rope was formed into a loop. Charlotte picked it up by the loop and then sat down on the bed. “This wasn’t here last night. I wonder what’s it’s for?”
“I do not know.” Arrow twitched his nose. Leaping onto the bed in a shower of crystal dust, he dabbed the object with a fluffy front paw. The pebbles made a clacking sound as they rolled together.
“I thought I heard you get up.” Mel walked into the room.
“They’re witch stones. It’s a tradition to hang them in your yard. They bring good luck.”
“Witch stones?”
“That’s what you call pebbles with holes through them,” Mel explained. “You find them on the beach sometimes. Mom said you might like to take them home to bring you good luck.”
“O-okay.” Charlotte was still puzzled, but at least Mel was talking to her again. “Thanks. But how did you know I need good lu—” She paused as she realized what Mel meant. The color rushed into her cheeks. “You know about my mom?”
Mel nodded. “Mom called her when we were at the carnival yesterday and your mom told her everything. Mom explained it to me last night after you went upstairs. I got up early to go and collect these stones for you. Why didn’t you say anything about her being so sick?”
Charlotte looked down at the floor. “I…I’m not sure. I didn’t want to talk to anyone about it.”
“But I’m not just anyone, am I? I thought you could trust me,” Mel said, looking a bit hurt. “We used to tell each other everything.”
Charlotte nodded slowly, still gazing at her sneakers. She hadn’t thought of it like that. “I probably should have told you, but I got used to not wanting to talk about it. And…and I wanted you to know that I never said that you hadn’t fed your rabbits yesterday. Your mom jumped to conclusions.”
Mel smiled. “I know. We had a good talk last night. She said she might
have been a bit hasty in the barn, when she thought you were feeding my rabbits for me. She believes that I’m looking after them properly again now. And I should have believed you. I know you’ve never been a sneak.”
Charlotte let out a big sigh of relief. “So we’re friends again?”
“You bet. We always will be, right?”
Charlotte nodded happily.
“How about just you and me spending the day together tomorrow?” Mel suggested.
“Sounds great!” Charlotte beamed at her, so pleased that everything was fine between them again.
“…and you hang them outside in the yard for good luck,” Charlotte finished telling her mom about the string of lucky witch stones the next morning.
“Hmm? Unusual gift. But I think the good luck might be working already,” her mom said. Charlotte could tell she was smiling.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I’m feeling much better. I even went for a walk around the block yesterday.”
“Really? That’s fantastic!” Charlotte said, feeling a small glow of happiness somewhere deep inside.
“Isn’t it? And I’m going out for a drive with your dad in a minute,” her mom said. “Oh, I forgot to ask you, how are Clover and Daisy? I know how much you love them. Are you getting lots of bunny hugs?”
“Tons!” Charlotte said, glancing down at Arrow, who was snuggled in her lap. At least I am from Arrow! “I can’t believe I’ll be coming home soon,” she said.
“I know. I’m looking forward to when you get back, now that I’m starting to be more like my old self. I want us to spend some girl time together. That’s an order!” her mom joked.
“Yes, please. I want that, too!” Charlotte said happily. “Bye, Mom. Love you.” She hung up the phone. There was a big grin on her face when she turned to Arrow. “Mom sounds so much better. I think she really is going to get well again.”
“That is good news,” he said warmly.
Charlotte wandered out into the yard. She saw Mel on the lawn, putting Clover and Daisy into their big wire pen, so they could enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. Arrow immediately hopped over to touch noses with the gray rabbits.
Charlotte walked toward Mel. “I just spoke to Mom. She sounded much better than she did before I left. I think she’s going to be fine.”
A huge smile spread across Mel’s face as she gave Charlotte a massive hug. “I’m so happy. Now will you promise not to keep anything like that a secret again?”
“I promise.”
The two friends sat playing happily with Clover and Daisy in the sunny garden all morning. It felt just like the times they used to spend together at home.
“I thought you might like to go to the movies with just me this afternoon. Like old times,” Mel said. “There’s a good comedy playing.”
Charlotte thought about how much she’d wanted to spend time on her own with Mel at the beginning of the week, and about the fun she’d had at the carnival with Mel’s new friends.
She smiled. “I’d love to. But maybe Jamelia and Kay could come with us?”
“Of course! I’ll go and call them,” Mel said.
Arrow nodded his approval as Mel ran into the house. Charlotte realized that her mom had been right. It was nice having three girlfriends instead of just one.
All of a sudden, she noticed that Arrow’s key was glowing like a tiny sun. He leaped away from Clover and Daisy’s pen and ran behind a huge bush toward the edge of the yard.
Charlotte knew that the moment she had been dreading was here. Her heart started pounding as she jumped up and chased after him.
At the end of the garden, she saw a cloud of shimmering crystal dust that twinkled with tiny rainbows swirling around Arrow. Suddenly, he appeared in his true form. A tiny fluffy caramel-brown-and-white bunny no longer, but a magnificent rabbit the size of a large cat. His silky pure-white fur sparkled in the sunlight and his large ears seemed to have been dipped in molten silver.
“Arrow!” Charlotte gasped. She’d almost forgotten how beautiful he was. “You’re…you’re leaving right now, aren’t you?”
Jewel-bright rainbows glimmered in his wise chocolate-brown eyes.
“I must. Moonglow Meadow urgently needs more of the key’s magic and the warren will be hungry.”
Charlotte understood. She was tempted to beg him to stay, but knew she must be strong enough to let him go. “I’ll never forget you,” she whispered, her voice breaking. Bending down she opened her arms and Arrow came forward to let her hug him one last time.
“I will not forget you, either. You have been a good friend, Charlotte.”
Charlotte laid her cheek against his wonderful silky fur for a moment longer and then Arrow moved back. “Farewell, Charlotte. Always follow your dreams,” he said in a velvety voice.
There was a final flash of light as crystal dust showered down around Charlotte and crackled as it hit the grass. Arrow faded and was gone.
Charlotte blinked away tears, her throat aching. She knew she was going to miss him very much. Then she noticed that something was lying on the grass. It was a single rainbow crystal drop. Wiping her eyes, Charlotte bent down and picked it up. The drop tingled against her palm as it turned into a pure white pebble in the shape of a bunny.
Charlotte slipped it into her pocket. It would be a reminder of the magic bunny and the wonderful adventure they had shared.
“Take care of Moonglow Meadow. And give my love to the other magic rabbits,” she whispered under her breath.
“Charlotte!” called a familiar voice.
She looked up to see her mom walking into the garden, holding a pet carrier. Charlotte’s eyes widened as she took in her mom’s bright eyes and healthy pink cheeks.
“Mom! Oh, Mom!” she ran toward her, her heart almost bursting with happiness as she gave her a hug.
Her mom hugged her back. “Mel’s mom invited your dad and me to come and spend a few days here. We left just after I spoke to you on the phone. She said we could bring this little guy with us. He’s for you.”
Charlotte looked into the pet carrier at the cute fluffy brown-and-white bunny. He had big soft brown eyes, just like Arrow, but without the rainbows.
Charlotte gazed adoringly at her new bunny. “I know just what I’m going to call him—Magic!”
Sue Bentley’s books for children often include animals, fairies, and magic. She lives in Northampton, England, in a house surrounded by a hedge so she can pretend she’s in the middle of the countryside. She loves reading and going to the movies, and writes while watching the birds on the feeders outside her window and eating chocolate. Sue grew up surrounded by small animals and loved them all—especially her gentle pet rabbits whose fur smelled so sweetly of rain and grass.