Stormy Skies

by Summer Waters

  “Calm down, Lulu,” clicked Vision. “You can help the Silver Dolphins, but please be careful. If you find something that shouldn’t be in the sea, don’t touch it. Call the Silver Dolphins to deal with it.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” Lulu splashed her delight. “Come on, Silver Dolphins – let’s go!”

  Antonia, Cai and Hannah dived down to the seabed where they spread out and began searching for the object that had injured the seal. The water was murky and for a long while no one spoke as they concentrated on the task. Cai found a length of fishing twine which he coiled up and put in his pocket. Hannah rescued a small crab from inside a discarded crisp packet and Antonia found a wad of newspaper that disintegrated as she picked it up.

  “None of this injured the seal.” Feeling frustrated, Antonia stuffed the bits of newspaper inside the crisp packet then shoved it into her pocket.

  “We’ve been looking for ages and there’s nothing here. Can we play now?” asked Lulu.

  Antonia had one last look around. “OK, let’s play Sprat.”

  “Bubbly!” clicked Lulu. “I’ll be it. I’ll give you a three waves’ head start.”

  “I’m gone!” With a flick of his tail, Rolly swam away quickly, followed by Cai and Hannah. Antonia hesitated. If only she could find what had injured the seal, she would feel much happier. But she wanted to play Sprat with Lulu and Rolly too and they had searched the seabed for ages.

  “Coming to get you,” clicked Lulu.

  Promising herself she’d have another look around before she went home, Antonia ducked behind a rock, then changing direction, swam away. Lulu wasn’t that easily fooled. She hared after Antonia, tagging her with a flipper.

  “Sprat, you’re it,” she whistled then darted away before Antonia could tag her back.

  Antonia cruised in the water. She couldn’t see anyone, but she could sense vibrations to her left. Quietly she swam towards the movement, startling Rolly, who was hiding in a bed of seaweed.

  “Tag,” clicked Antonia, stretching out her hand, but Rolly was too quick for her and swam away before she could touch him. Antonia gave chase, churning up the sea as she went after him.

  The gap was closing when Rolly turned a somersault and veered off to the right. It was a neat move and it was a few seconds before Antonia realised what had happened. By the time she’d changed direction again, Rolly had disappeared. The water was even cloudier here and Antonia slowed as she navigated her way along the seabed. Something large loomed before her. Cautiously Antonia swam towards it until she was close enough to see a large metal shape.

  “Truce!” she clicked excitedly. “I’ve found what injured the seal.”

  Chapter Four

  Immediately Cai and Lulu swam up from behind a rock. Hannah appeared from the other direction. “

  What is it?” asked Lulu curiously.

  “It’s a metal sign,” said Hannah. “People stand these outside shops to show what’s inside. This one’s advertising coffee. No wonder the seal was hurt. It looks like she got her flipper caught in the bit that swings.”

  “How did it get here?” Antonia wondered aloud.

  “Someone probably threw it into the sea for a joke. The big question is – how are we going to get it out?” asked Cai, running a hand through his dark curly hair.

  “With great care,” said Antonia, gingerly holding the sign’s metal middle so that it couldn’t swing shut and trap her fingers. “Keep back, Lulu and Rolly.”

  Lulu had been edging closer, but moved away as the Silver Dolphins closed in and prepared to move the sign.

  “Ready?” asked Cai. “Lift.”

  Grunting with effort, Antonia, Cai and Hannah swam, lifting the sign up to the surface. It was heavy and awkward to hold. They swam slowly to avoid injuring themselves. Once they surfaced, they laid the sign flat then trod water to get their breath back.

  “Phew! It’s heavy,” Antonia panted.

  Hannah was scanning the coastline with her piercing grey eyes. At last she said, “We’re near the café we went to last night. If you look up, you can see where the trees have been cut down. And to the right is the beach with the seal colony. I think this sign came from that café. There used to be one exactly the same outside it.”

  “You’re right,” said Cai excitedly. “I can see the back of the café from here.”

  “I wonder…Do you think the sign might have fallen off the cliff? Only the ground wasn’t very safe up there,” suggested Antonia.

  “It might have,” said Hannah. “I don’t suppose we’ll ever know. The important thing is not to leave it here to hurt anyone else.”

  “Does that mean you have to go home now? That’s the shortest game of Sprat ever,” grumbled Lulu.

  “We’ll have a longer game next time,” Hannah promised her.

  It was a slow swim back to the beach. Antonia’s fingers ached from keeping them clamped round the sign’s metal middle. Once she let go and nearly trapped her fingers. Lulu and Rolly swam alongside, clicking encouragement. When the beach came in sight, they said goodbye, but without the usual rubbing of noses.

  “We won’t come any closer,” said Lulu warily. “See you soon, Silver Dolphins. Dad’s going to be very pleased when we tell him you’ve made the sea safe for us again.”

  “Bye, Lulu, bye, Rolly,” everyone clicked back.

  They trod water, watching the two dolphins swim away, their bodies a silver blur as they raced back to their pod.

  “Better get this ashore,” said Antonia when the dolphins were tiny specks on the horizon.

  As the water grew shallower, the sign became heavier and more cumbersome to move. They paddled through the surf and up the sand, water pouring from their clothes until they were totally dry with only their hair feeling slightly damp.

  “We left our shoes over there,” said Antonia, changing direction.

  Panting with effort, Antonia, Cai and Hannah carried the coffee sign up the beach and stood it upright in the sand.

  “What do we do with it now?” asked Cai. “We can’t leave it here.”

  “I know,” said Hannah. She smiled mischievously. “Let’s take it to Kathleen – her place isn’t so far from here. It’ll be our first gift from the sea to Ocean Watch.”

  Antonia and Cai chuckled. “That’s a great idea,” they agreed.

  Hurriedly they pulled on their socks and shoes then, turning the sign on its side to carry it, they set out to Kathleen’s. The day was getting lighter and a few early risers were out walking their dogs on the beach. A friendly Labrador ran up and sniffed at the sign until his owner called him away. She stared suspiciously at Antonia, Cai and Hannah, as if they were up to no good.

  “We’re cleaning up the beach,” Cai called out.

  The lady was surprised. “Well done,” she said. “It’s good to see young people behaving responsibly for a change.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Cai indignantly as she walked away. “Most young people are responsible.”

  “Forget it,” said Antonia. “Let’s get this sign to Kathleen’s. Then we can go back home and have breakfast. I’m starving.”

  “Me too,” said Hannah. “Mum should be up by now. If not, there’s cereal and I can make toast.”

  They carried the sign over the dunes, their feet slipping and sliding in the soft sand.

  “Kathleen lives this way,” said Hannah, bearing left before they got to the path to her own home. They skirted round a natural harbour filled with sailing dinghies and followed the path running alongside the estuary. Several times they were forced to stop for a rest. Antonia was relieved when Hannah said, “We’re nearly there.”

  On one side lay the estuary and on the other a row of houses with long back gardens. Almost every house had a gate that opened on to the path. Some of the gardens were open and you could see as far as the house, but others were screened by bushes and trees. As they approached a house with a beech hedge thick with copper-coloured leaves, Hannah slowed down.r />
  “We’re here,” she said, stopping at the wooden gate butting up to the hedge. She twisted the iron ring and pushed the gate open.

  “Wow!” exclaimed Cai. “It’s like a Sleeping Beauty garden.”

  Hannah laughed. “The previous owners weren’t into gardening. Clearing this lot is one of the jobs Kathleen has lined up for us.”

  Carefully they manoeuvred the sign through the gate.

  “See that?” said Hannah as they passed a wooden shed-like structure with a pointed roof and outside verandah. “That’s going to be the Ocean Watch building. It’s only temporary. Kathleen wants to build something bigger, but she has to get planning permission from the council first.”

  “The shed will be fine to get started in,” Antonia said approvingly. “And the garden is a fantastic size. Does Kathleen have a boat?”

  “Yes,” Hannah nodded. “The sailing club is letting her keep it there until she gets the garden straight, even though it’s a motorboat.”

  Nearing the house, Antonia felt a flutter of nerves. What would Kathleen be like? Would she mind them arriving so early on a Sunday morning? And would she see the funny side of them bringing her an abandoned sign when she had enough junk of her own to sort out?

  Antonia felt a sudden wave of homesickness for Claudia and Sea Watch.

  Chapter Five

  “I can’t wait to see Kathleen’s face when she sees this coffee sign!

  ”There was a twinkle in Hannah’s eyes as she knocked on the back door.

  “She won’t mind us coming here so early, will she?” asked Antonia anxiously.

  “Who, Kathleen?” Hannah laughed. “Of course not! She’s always up early.”

  From the other side of the door came the sound of a bolt scraping open and a key turning in a lock. The door swung wide and a petite woman with short grey hair stood beaming at them. Kathleen was dressed in a stylish jumper and skinny jeans. She looked very glamorous and wore pale pink lipstick and mascara.

  Antonia couldn’t stop staring. She’d imagined Kathleen to look more like Claudia who was tall with wild, curly hair and usually wore old clothes.

  “Antonia, Cai, this is Kathleen Abbot. Kathleen, meet Antonia Lee and Cai Pacific,” Hannah announced in a formal tone before adding in her normal voice, “Look, Kathleen, we brought you a moving-in present. We pulled it out of the sea.”

  Kathleen glanced at the rusty coffee sign and roared with laughter.

  “Thank you very much. Most of my friends gave me chocolates and pot plants when I moved here. This is much more exciting. I’ll put it in the garden to remind me of you all.”

  “You’re going to keep it?” Antonia was astonished.

  “Of course! This is your first ‘rescue’ for Ocean Watch. Come on in. Breakfast is almost ready. You can tell me all about it over fried egg, bacon and sausages.”

  “Sounds lovely,” said Cai, hurriedly pulling off his shoes.

  For a moment Antonia was surprised that Kathleen had been expecting them. Then, noticing the silver dolphin hanging round her neck, she realised that Kathleen would have known about Vision’s call too.

  A delicious smell was drifting from an enormous frying pan. Antonia’s stomach growled hungrily as she followed everyone through the utility room and into the kitchen.

  “Sit down,” said Kathleen, pointing to a pine table with six chairs. “Hannah, you can get the knives and forks out for me. Is tea all right for everyone or are you coffee drinkers?”

  “Tea, please.” Antonia and Cai shared a smile as they sat at the table.

  Over a huge breakfast, Antonia, Cai and Hannah told Kathleen about their rescue mission.

  “Thank goodness you managed to help the seal by yourselves. I’m going to have to get my skates on to make room for more animals here,” said Kathleen with a slight frown.

  “More animals?” questioned Hannah. “I thought you weren’t taking any in at the moment, seeing as you’ve only just moved.”

  Kathleen turned slightly pink. “Well, you know how it is,” she said vaguely. “People know I take in injured creatures so I can hardly turn them away when they arrive with a distressed animal, can I?”

  “What is it this time?” Hannah sounded stern, but her mouth twitched in amusement.

  “A seagull with a broken wing and a hedgehog that looks like it was clipped by a car,” said Kathleen. “I’ve got them both in the lounge. Finish your breakfast then you can come and see.”

  When they’d had enough to eat, Antonia and Hannah cleared the table while Cai stacked the dishwasher. Kathleen’s lounge was at the back of the house with double doors leading on to a patio. All of her furniture was pushed to one end of the room and at the other end were two cages. The first held a sad-looking gull whose right wing was taped to his side.

  Even though Antonia knew Kathleen was experienced in dealing with sick animals she couldn’t help but run a professional eye over the bird. Kathleen had done a good job, neatly securing the tape in front of the bird’s feet to allow him to move around, and she had only given him a shallow dish of water so he couldn’t drown if he toppled into it.

  “I’ve had the bird for a couple of days now and he’s much more stable. When I first taped his wing up, he kept falling over,” said Kathleen, smiling directly at Antonia.

  Antonia turned pink. She was used to Claudia reading her mind, but hadn’t considered that Kathleen might be able to as well. Or was her comment just a coincidence? Antonia concentrated for a moment, listening for Kathleen’s voice inside her head, but Kathleen was speaking out loud again.

  “The hedgehog came in last night. She’s not too badly hurt. I’ll probably let her go in a day or two. She was full of fleas though. Luckily I managed to find the flea treatment among the unpacked boxes.”

  “She’s really sweet,” said Cai as the hedgehog pushed her nose against the bars, making funny snuffling noises at his outstretched finger. “Will you set her free in your garden?”

  “Yes,” said Kathleen. “It’s a hedgehog’s paradise out there. Would you like a look round?”

  “Yes, please,” Cai and Antonia said together.

  Cai’s description of a Sleeping Beauty garden was a good one. Antonia had never seen such a wild place before. The shed was bigger than she’d first realised because the back was almost engulfed by a blackberry bush.

  “There’s a few late blackberries if anyone fancies them.” Kathleen pointed to a cluster of plump black fruit.

  “Cai?” asked Hannah.

  Cai groaned. “Not me. After such an enormous breakfast I couldn’t eat another thing. I could do with some exercise to work it off. Can we start helping you, Kathleen?”

  “That would be brilliant. The shed needs clearing first. Then I can move the animals out of my lounge. You can stay to lunch if you like. You’d better ring your mum and check that’s all right with her, Hannah.”

  “Mum will be cool. I’ll tell her not to expect us for lunch in case she gets something in,” said Hannah.

  She went inside to use the phone while Kathleen unlocked the shed. The door opened to reveal a mountain of junk.

  “Wow!” said Cai. “How did you manage to pack all that inside?”

  “I didn’t,” said Kathleen. “That lot belongs to the people who lived here before me. They didn’t bother to take it with them.”

  “That’s a racing bike,” said Antonia, pointing. “They’re expensive.”

  “More money than sense, some people,” Kathleen sniffed. “Anything good we’ll sell on eBay and use the money to help set up Ocean Watch.”

  “We’ll make three piles then,” said Antonia. “EBay, recycle and dump. Hopefully we can sell or recycle most of the stuff. It’s better than throwing it away.”

  “I’ve got a pack of disposable gloves up at the house,” said Kathleen. “You’ll need rubbish bags too. I’ll just go and get everything.” She hurried off, leaving Antonia and Cai alone.

  Antonia stood still for a moment, trying to sh
ake off the sense of unease that had suddenly come over her. They had to get Ocean Watch up and running as soon as possible. She stepped forward and pulled a broken spade out of the shed.

  “I’m starting the recycling pile here. This can easily be mended.”

  “This is going to take ages,” said Cai.

  “I know,” said Antonia desperately. “We’re only here until Wednesday. I hope that gives us enough time.”

  Cai picked up a punctured football and added it to the recycling pile.

  “We’ll do what we can,” he said.

  Chapter Six

  They worked hard, stopping only for a quick lunch of homemade soup and hot crusty rolls with cheese and ham. As the shed got emptier, Antonia, Cai and Hannah grew dirtier and dirtier.

  “At last! I can see the back wall,” cried Antonia as she lifted up a cardboard box full of old flowerpots.

  “Hooray!” cheered Cai.

  “So there is a back. I was beginning to think the shed was never-ending,” said Hannah.

  Kathleen looked outside at the blackening sky. “I hate these winter evenings. It gets dark too early. We’ll have to stop soon. There’s probably just enough time to finish clearing the shed. Then we’ll put everything we’re keeping or eBaying back in the garage as it looks like it might rain. The rubbish can stay out in the garden. I’ll take it to the dump tomorrow with the recycling. I’m glad to see there’s not that much to throw away.”

  “It looks like it’s getting windy too.” Antonia pushed her long blonde hair out of her face as she put a deckchair on the keep pile.

  When the shed was finally empty, it was much bigger than everyone had realised. They gathered inside, discussing how best to use the space.

  Hannah wrinkled her nose. “It smells.”

  “Tomorrow we’ll clean it out and paint the walls. I’ve got a huge can of whitewash in the garage. That will get rid of the smell,” said Kathleen. “And we’ll put your coffee sign out on the verandah!”

  “I can’t wait to get Ocean Watch up and running,” said Hannah impatiently. “It’s going to be great. Are you going to take on volunteers like Claudia does?”