Perijee and Me

by Ross Montgomery

  ‘Tell them, Frank!’ I said, dragging him closer. ‘Tell them about Perijee!’

  Frank looked at the crowd. He smiled and patted me on the head.

  ‘Er … I think that’s enough silly stories about the Monster, little girl,’ he said.

  My face fell. ‘What? Frank, what are you …’

  ‘Sounds like she’s delirious.’ Frank sighed, grabbing me by the wrist. ‘I’d better take her to the medical room right away. Must have been something she ate.’

  ‘Like your spam crumble,’ another muttered.

  ‘Or that milk you set on fire,’ someone added.

  Frank dragged me away. I kicked and shouted and fought against him, but it was no good – he kept pulling until the crowd was far behind us, and then swung round.

  ‘What are you playing at?’ he hissed. ‘Telling people you knew him – that I knew him? Are you insane?’

  ‘But Frank, they …’

  ‘Look at them, Caitlin!’

  He pointed at the crowd. A fight had broken out around the TV – not that it was a surprise. It happened almost every day. The guards were shoving everyone back, barking orders, trying to get them to calm down and only making it worse.

  ‘People in here are just about ready to kill each other,’ said Frank. ‘Outside it’s even worse. People living like savages, stealing whatever they can get their hands on … The whole country’s falling apart. There’s even talk of mad cults wandering the countryside, saying the Monster’s some kind of god – kidnapping people, Caitlin!’ He looked me square in the eye. ‘You start talking about Perijee now and you’re going to get yourself hurt – or worse.’

  I shook my head. ‘But Frank … didn’t you hear what they said? They want to kill him!’

  Frank placed a hand on my shoulder.

  ‘Listen to me, sprat,’ he said carefully. ‘That thing – that Perijee – he’s not what you remember. He’s destroying the world now. And if someone doesn’t stop him …’

  I grabbed him by the apron.

  ‘But it’s not him doing it, Frank! Remember when you scared him in the hut and he started growing? It’s the same thing! The Monster must be something that grows out of him when he’s being attacked – to protect him! He’s frightened, Frank! We have to help him!’

  ‘Caitlin …’

  ‘We need to get to this meeting in Wanderly,’ I said. ‘Then we can tell everyone about him – how frightened he is, and how it’s not his fault, and then they’ll have to listen and …’

  ‘Caitlin,’ said Frank sadly. ‘Do you really think they’ll listen to anything you say?’

  He pointed back to the crowd. The shouting and pushing was even worse now. None of them wanted to fix anything or make it better. They just wanted to fight.

  ‘It’s no good, sprat,’ said Frank. ‘There’s nothing you can do. You … you just have to forget about him.’

  It almost knocked the breath out of me.

  ‘Frank,’ I said. ‘You don’t mean that.’

  He sighed. ‘Caitlin – if he’s really as good as you say he is, then why is he still on top of that Monster, eh? Why isn’t he trying to stop it?’

  I didn’t know what to say. I thought I could trust Frank more than anyone – but I was wrong. Frank shuffled his feet.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he muttered, and left.

  I turned back to the crowd. They were still fighting. The TV was wobbling and shaking on its stand, almost tipping over the edge, but no one was trying to stop it. No one was even watching the news any more – no one cared.

  Which meant I was the only one who saw what was happening.

  The cameras had zoomed to the top of the Monster’s head.

  Perijee was waving to the camera.

  I gasped. It was the first time I’d been able to see him up close. There he was, still wearing the bobble hat and with his tiny dot eyes. But something was wrong – really wrong. He was sunk waist-deep into the Monster’s head, trying to heave himself out. That was why he was still there – he was stuck. And he was shouting the same word, over and over …

  Cait-lin.

  He looked absolutely terrified. Just like when he was stuck in the mud.

  And suddenly, I knew exactly what I had to do.

  The lights had been turned off hours ago.

  A single glimmer flickered in the bulb above my bed. It wasn’t much, but there it was – a white dot in the darkness.

  ‘I’m coming to get you, Perijee,’ I whispered.

  Frank had it all wrong. Just because people in camp wanted to hurt Perijee, it didn’t mean that the rest of the world did. Once I’d shown everyone that Perijee was kind and gentle, they were bound to change their minds and listen to me. Then I could tell them my plan – how to save the world without hurting anyone.

  But I couldn’t just walk into the big meeting in Wanderly and say that Perijee was my friend. There was no way they’d believe me – not unless I had proof.

  I reached under my mattress and pulled out the photo. It was crinkled and battered from when I’d smuggled it into camp in my wellies, but you could still see Perijee and me in the middle, just about. We’re standing on a beach, smiling to the camera, doing the peace sign. Perijee has his arm around me.

  Because I was his friend. Because I saved him when he was stuck.

  It was time to save him again.

  *

  I’d spent all day preparing my escape. First I stole a notebook out of a guard’s pocket. All I wanted was a map of the camp, but when I looked through it I realised I’d hit the jackpot – he’d written down the secret password, too! Now all I had to do was walk up to an exit, say it to the guard on duty, and they’d let me stroll right past … so long as they didn’t recognise me, of course.

  I pulled on the disguise I’d spent all afternoon making in the toilets. I turned to the mirror and smiled. It was perfect. There was no way the guards would recognise me now. Mum wouldn’t even recognise me.

  Mum.

  She was fast asleep, facing the wall. For one mad moment, I wanted to wake her up and tell her everything – about how I was going to escape, how I was going to find Dad, how we were going to get Perijee home and put everything back to normal.

  But of course, I couldn’t do any of that now. She’d just try to stop me – like always.

  I left without looking back.

  The exit was the other side of the hall. Even in the dark I could see the guard standing at the doors. I took a deep breath. My plan had to go perfectly – one mistake and it would all be over.

  I checked and rechecked the password until I knew it off by heart. Then I adjusted my disguise, took another deep breath and walked towards the exit.

  With every step, my heart beat faster and faster. It felt like hours until I was standing in front of the glaring guard.

  ‘Hey!’ he said. ‘What are you doing out of bed?’

  I swallowed. This was it – my one chance. No going back.

  ‘Beef – oven,’ I said.

  The guard stared at me. I gave him a wink.

  ‘Beef oven,’ I said again. ‘You know – the password. The one that lets me go past. Beef oven.’

  The guard was silent for a very long time.

  ‘Do you mean “Beethoven”?’ he said eventually.

  My mouth went dry.

  ‘… What?’

  ‘The password is “Beethoven”,’ the guard explained. ‘As in the celebrated composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven. Not “beef oven”. That just sounds like you found the password and misread it.’

  I could feel the blood draining out of my face. It was times like this that I really wished I could read properly.

  ‘Er … yeah, well …’

  ‘Also – what are you wearing?’ said the guard.

  He’d spotted my disguise. I quickly cleared my throat.

  ‘It’s obvious, isn’t it?’ I said. ‘I’m a chef! That’s why I’m wearing this hairnet – and an apron that says “chef ” on
it.’

  ‘You’ve spelled “chef ” with an “s”,’ said the guard. ‘And the “e” is the wrong way round.’

  This was going very badly.

  ‘Oh! How strange!’ I said. ‘I’ll have to fix that sometime! Well, it’s been lovely to chat, but if you don’t mind I need to get to the kitchen right away …’

  ‘In the middle of the night?’ said the guard.

  I started sweating. ‘Yes! That’s right! Because … because …’

  I racked my brains for a good reason. Think, Caitlin, think …!

  ‘Because I left the oven on!’ I cried. ‘Yeah, that’s it – and that’s why I said “beef oven”! I was thinking about the beef I left in the oven earlier! Which is going to burn unless I get there right away!’

  I put my hands on my hips in triumph. It was hands down my all-time greatest lie.

  ‘So,’ I said, ‘can you let me past, please?’

  The guard thought about it.

  ‘No.’

  My face fell. ‘Why not?’

  ‘Because you’re obviously not a chef,’ said the guard. ‘You’re ten years old. Also I can see a guard’s notebook sticking out of your pocket, which is probably the one that was reported stolen earlier today. Stealing off a guard is a very serious crime, you know, Caitlin.’

  I jumped.

  ‘How … how do you know my name?!’

  ‘It’s written on your bobble hat,’ said the guard. ‘Which I can see through your hairnet.’

  I really regretted putting labels on all my things to help teach Perijee.

  ‘Er … right,’ I said. ‘Well, I can explain all that …’

  ‘Oh, you’ll be doing a lot of explaining,’ said the guard. ‘About why you chose to break the three most important rules of camp: getting out of bed after lights out, attempting to escape, impersonating a chef …’

  There was a sudden crash on the other side of the room. We both spun round. The guard’s face fell.

  ‘What’s going on over there?’ he shouted. ‘Who’s out of bed?’

  Silence. Then another smash. The end of the room was filled with voices, shouting, footsteps.

  ‘Get back!’ someone cried out in the darkness. ‘All of you, back …!’

  The crashes and shouts and bangs were getting louder. Suddenly another guard ran out of the darkness.

  ‘Sir!’ she said. ‘Come, quick! Some people broke through the north exit – they’re all escaping!’

  The guard’s face drained.

  ‘Sound an alarm! Get everyone we have on the north side! No one escapes!’

  They raced into the darkness. Within seconds a siren was ringing out, and more guards were pouring through the exit beside me. Everyone was climbing out of their beds, demanding to know what was going on. Soon the room was filled with people shouting and pushing and throwing things.

  Which is why no one noticed me standing beside the open exit.

  ‘Oh,’ I said. ‘Well, that was easy.’

  I threw away the notebook, pulled off my disguise and strolled out the door.

  At first I was worried I’d get caught the second I stepped outside. But there weren’t any guards left to catch me. I walked out the front gates, and I’d escaped! One step closer to Perijee. Now all I had to do was find Wanderly.

  ‘Er …’ I said, looking around.

  The countryside was pitch black. There was a road in front of me, but it was empty. There weren’t even any roadsigns. Frank would have known what to do, but …

  I shook my head. I didn’t need Frank any more – he’d let me down, just like Mum. I could do this on my own. All I needed was to find which way was south …

  A light on the horizon suddenly caught my eye. I gasped.

  ‘Sirius!’

  There it was, right ahead of me – the brightest star in the sky. So long as I followed it, I’d end up going south.

  I set off along the empty road. After a few hours, the star seemed to get bigger, which was confusing – stars don’t normally do that. The more I walked, the more it looked like it was actually next to the road.

  Eventually I worked out it was a supermarket.

  It was silent and empty, glowing beside the road like a spaceship. It was one of those massive ones, with a car park and three floors and a restaurant and everything. Someone had left all the lights on. I wondered if there was some food left inside. I hadn’t eaten all day – I’d been too busy making my costume.

  I walked inside and wandered the aisles, but it was no use – all the shelves had been cleared ages ago. I found a big pack of superglue that was slightly dented and that was it. I groaned. There was no way I could eat superglue. If I was going to walk a hundred miles in two days, I’d at least need a bag of crisps …

  I stopped. I was sure I’d just heard something.

  ‘Hello?’

  No answer. I listened carefully. There it was again – coming through a set of doors beside me. It sounded like a cow being pushed into a lift.

  I walked through the doors. At the end of the corridor was another girl, a year or two older than me. She had straight dark hair that just touched her shoulders, and pale white skin with sharp black freckles.

  She was trying to push a cow into a lift.

  The girl gave a final heave and the cow squeezed inside with an angry moo. She sighed with relief, turned around … and froze.

  ‘What are you doing?’ she snapped.

  I didn’t really know how to answer that.

  ‘What are you doing?’ I asked back.

  Suddenly there was a sound behind me. People – lots of people.

  ‘Rats,’ said the girl.

  She ran down the corridor and grabbed me.

  ‘You and I are best friends,’ she said.

  I was stunned – months of trying to make friends, and I’d finally done it. Who knew it could be so easy!

  ‘OK!’ I said. ‘Sure!’

  ‘Actually, forget that,’ said the girl. ‘We’re sisters.’

  I frowned. ‘… What?’

  ‘And there’s no cow here,’ she added.

  She pressed a button and the lift shut with a little ding. At that exact moment a giant mob burst through the doors behind me, led by a farmer with a shotgun and a lump on his head the size of a breakfast muffin.

  ‘That’s her!’ he shouted, pointing at the girl. ‘That’s the one who stole my cow!’

  The mob charged forwards, waving their fists. We were trapped – there was nowhere to run. But the girl barely even blinked.

  ‘Cow?’ she said innocently. ‘What cow?’

  The mob screeched to a halt in front of us.

  ‘You know exactly what cow!’ the farmer shouted. ‘Come on – own up, you little thief! Where is it?’

  The girl looked confused. ‘I – I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

  There was a ding on the floor above us, and the sound of lift doors opening.

  ‘My sister and I have been here all night and we haven’t seen any cow,’ said the girl, turning to face me. ‘Have we, Annabelle?’

  Everyone turned to look at me. I panicked.

  ‘Er …’ I said.

  ‘Lies!’ the farmer shouted. ‘Look at them – they’re both in on it!’ He jabbed a finger at the girl. ‘I’d recognise that face anywhere – came to my house asking for a glass of milk, she did, then locked me in a cleaning cupboard and stole my cow!’

  The girl gasped in horror. ‘Oh no, sir! I would never do such a thing!’

  I could hear a set of hooves walking down a corridor above us.

  ‘My sister and I are no criminals!’ she cried, grabbing me tight. ‘Our only crime is love – love for our poor, sick mother! We’ve been wandering this supermarket for hours, searching for medicine that might help her …’

  She gripped my wrist.

  ‘… Isn’t that right, Annabelle?’

  I nodded furiously. ‘That’s right! We’re sisters!’

  The lies were wo
rking. The mob were shaking their heads at the farmer in disgust. I could see the cow going down an escalator behind them.

  ‘Well … maybe I was wrong,’ said the farmer. ‘I guess it was pretty dark when it happened …’

  The girl’s eyes lit up.

  ‘Hang on! Now that you mention it, we did see another girl run through here a few minutes ago … Didn’t we, Annabelle?’

  She crushed my hand.

  ‘We’re sisters!’ I screamed.

  ‘Yes,’ said the girl, tapping her chin. ‘It was ever so strange. She was carrying a bale of hay. And a milking stool. She just ran through those doors over there …’

  The mob didn’t need telling twice – they charged straight through the doors, roaring and shaking their fists. By the time they’d worked out they were inside a big cleaning cupboard, the girl had taken a padlock out her pocket and snapped it round the doorhandles.

  ‘Word of advice.’ She tested the doors. ‘Stay away from supermarkets. Nothing worth taking.’

  ‘Huh?’ I said.

  ‘Try further up north,’ she said. ‘There’s some old factories a couple of miles off the road. No money left – trust me, I’ve checked – but if you can be bothered to get the lead flashing off the roof, you’ll make an absolute packet selling it down in Wanderly.’

  By now the mob were hammering on the doors behind her.

  ‘Speaking of which,’ said the girl, rolling her eyes. ‘I need to get there myself before this lot try to take their cow back.’ She strolled off. ‘Well, see you around.’

  She marched down the corridor without looking back. I ran after her.

  ‘Hang on,’ I said. ‘You know the way to Wanderly?’

  The girl laughed. ‘Oh, please. You can stop with the whole “naïve idiot” routine now. I’ve been doing this long enough to know another fraud when I see one. You’re not going to trick me out of the cow, so don’t even try.’

  ‘Er … no, I’m not interested in the cow.’ I scratched my head. ‘To be honest, I don’t even understand why you’d want to steal a cow in the first …’

  The girl spun round and grabbed me.

  ‘Listen, chum,’ she said. ‘Quit while you’re ahead. The cow’s mine – I stole it fair and square. I don’t care how clever you newcomers think you are, I was doing this years before the Monster turned up, and I’ll be doing it long after you’ve been caught. Understand?’