Olivia feels a little better, like a weight has lifted off her shoulders. With everything that has been happening she didn’t realise how much her friends leaving her to go and play with the new girl had hurt.
“I don’t think it would have mattered what game you were playing yesterday. I spent half the day in sickbay.” Olivia gives the girls a weak smile.
“So all’s forgiven?” asks Tannith brightly.
Olivia laughs.
“You can pick the game today, Olivia,” Kellyanne offers.
Olivia thinks for a moment. All of her research and worrying has led nowhere. Maybe taking a break and letting her mind rest from the daunting task in front of her and Yip will help.
“I think I can manage handball,” Olivia suggests.
“Handball it is,” Tannith replies. “I’ll go and get Darcy.”
Olivia spends recess playing handball in the rear quadrangle with her friends and Tannith. Luckily the handball squares aren’t very big so she doesn’t have to move around a lot. She doesn’t win anywhere near as many matches as she used to before the accident. She can’t lean down fast enough to get the really low balls and she misses some of the shots to her left because she can only play with one hand. All-in-all it’s a fun morning. The game has almost pushed her troubles to the back of her mind.
“That was a tricky shot,” Tannith calls, when Olivia slides a fast ball past her.
The comment brings reality crashing back down. She gives Tannith a forced grin then leans forward like she is trying to catch her breath.
“I need a break,” Olivia apologises. “You girls keep playing, I’m going to find somewhere in the shade to sit down.
“Are you sure?” Kellyanne asks.
Olivia nods. “Thanks for including me today.” She limps to one of the shady trees and sits on the grass with her back pressed up against the rough trunk. With her eyes closed, Olivia runs through everything she knows about Trixies. This is too important to waste time playing. She has to think of something.
In class, Olivia tries her best get the work done but she is distracted with worry and frustration. Luckily Ms Hellings doesn’t call on her for too many answers. At lunch, she tells Kellyanne she is feeling a little light-headed and is going to sit quietly in the library.
While the girls are out playing, Olivia looks up every book she can find on tricks. She even searched through a book about magicians’ tricks.
Please Miss Trixie, would you lay down in this box so I can saw you in half…? Ha ha, tricked you. It’s a real saw. Seriously, like that is going to work. Pick a card, any card. That is even worse. Olivia slaps the book on the table in disgust.
“Shhh…” the librarian’s snake-hiss shushing cuts across the room.
This magician stuff is all sleight-of-hand, keeping the audience watching one hand while the other does the actual trick. Olivia looks down at the stiff greyish fingers of her left hand. There is little chance of that hand doing even the simplest of tricks. Usually she avoids looking at the stony flesh of her afflicted arm and leg but she has to face up to the situation.
Physically, she is not even a match for another child, let alone a hoard of vicious Trixies. She needs to use her brain but she can’t seem to put it into gear either.
There is something she has seen recently niggling at the back of her mind, something important but she can’t think of what it is.
The home time bell is a welcome relief.
Tannith is waiting at the gate to say goodbye to her. She seems a little disappointed when Olivia’s dad pulls up at the front of the school.
“See you later,” Tannith calls out and waves.
As the car pulls away, Tannith’s eyes narrow.
Chapter 34
The Power of Stone
Yip senses Olivia’s tumultuous thoughts as the car turns into the street. This doesn’t seem promising—not promising at all. He waits until she brings her bag up to her bedroom before saying anything.
Did you see Brother Westerman? Yip asks.
Yes, but he was no help at all.
Oh.
He told me Trixies aren’t dangerous, they don’t go around in groups and they don’t get any older than seven or eight years old. She throws her bag down on the end of the bed.
Yip’s own inner turmoil matches Olivia’s. He had placed a lot of faith in his creator. That is only natural. To have that faith shattered hits him hard.
Olivia gives a mental sigh. He did mention that the best way to defeat a Trixie was to trick it first.
How do you trick a Trixie? Yip thinks incredulously.
That was my question too, Olivia grumps. His only other advice to me was, ‘try watching the moonrise from a rooftop’.
How does he think that is going to help? Yip demands.
How should I know? He’s your creator.
But why? Yip ponders.
He might have thought I’d get a better vantage point to watch the world end. Olivia’s sarcasm is biting.
That’s not funny.
I’m not laughing.
They both remain silent for a long time.
Finally, Yip’s voice sounds in her mind, Well, you’d better get started if you are going to climb up on the roof.
Like I’m going to be climbing on any roof. She looks up at the ceiling where she thinks he is sitting directly above on the roof.
What about the doll’s house? he asks.
Cubbyhouse, she snaps at him.
I don’t know why he said it, Olivia, but if he did, he must think it’s important.
It’s obvious to both of them that Yip is clutching at straws.
What could it hurt? Yip asks.
I could fall and break my neck, Olivia shoots back.
You don’t have to get right up on top. You just need to be touching it. Yip’s tone is pleading.
“Oh, all right, if it will shut you up.”
~~~
Olivia pushes herself up from the bed and makes her way downstairs.
“I’m just going to play in the cubbyhouse,” she yells to her mum.
Mum pokes her head into the hallway. “Be careful.”
Olivia drags a small wooden chair out through the front door of the cubbyhouse and moves it around to the back where she can’t be seen from the house. The ground isn’t even and the chair wobbles dangerously as she climbs onto the seat.
Quickly Olivia, I can feel the moonrise,. Yip warns.
She places her good hand on the roof, steadying the wobbles.
Yip’s sigh of relief tingles in her mind.
Olivia looks up and sees Yip standing on the guttering, scratching madly at his nose.
Oh, that feels so good, he says. Anything happen? he asks.
Does it look like anything has happened? she fires back at him.
When he lands on the cubbyhouse roof, right next to her face, Olivia jerks back nearly toppling the chair. She wobbles precariously for a few seconds then twists forward. The left side of her face smacks into the guttering. She grits her teeth against the pain and manages to still the wobble in the chair.
A strange tingling sensation spreads across Olivia’s face and down the side of her neck. It’s like the pins and needles she gets in her feet when she tucks them under her while sitting on the lounge. She knows that feeling is just pressure on the nerves to her lower leg.
Great, she thinks. Now I’ve damaged the nerves in my neck. What next?
The tingling turns into a pulsing thrum, singing over her shoulder and down the length of her arm. It tickles down her side too, sending a thrilling sensation into her left leg.
Olivia looks down and notices her left arm is straight. Her elbow isn’t crooked across her stomach any longer. She watches in amazement as her fingers flex and straighten. The stiff pain is gone and she feels a wave of power surge through the left side of her body. She touches the skin of her forearm. It’s still stony hard but it flexes like real skin. She stares in wonder.
Yip stands on the roof of the cubby
house, boggle-eyed. “No wonder you can hear my thoughts,” he says. “You are part-Grotesque.”
Olivia leaps down from the wobbly chair and lands gracefully on the grass.
“Some part of Cygnet must have survived inside of you.”
Olivia doesn’t like the sound of that. But she does like the way she is feeling— strong and confident again, like she can do anything.
“I suppose I’m lucky I didn’t sprout wings,” she says to Yip.
“What’s wrong with wings?” The tiny Grotesque glides down to the ground beside Olivia. He stares up at her, a light of hope showing in his eyes.
Olivia reaches down and scoops Yip up, sitting him on her shoulder. “We might just have a chance.”
Chapter 35
Past Her Bedtime
Yip rests his taloned hand on Olivia’s head. “Let’s go. We have to find the Trixie hideout.”
Olivia looks up at his determined face.
“Hello,” she says. “Twelve-year-old girl here. Do you think Mum and Dad are going to let me go wandering about the streets after dark?”
“Oh.” Yip’s face falls into an expression of despair.
Yip might be fifty-years-old but he certainly hasn’t learnt to hide his feelings.
“I’m going to have to wait and sneak out after they think I’m asleep.”
“Oh!” Yips face splits into a huge grin.
Olivia outlines her plan. “Straight after tea, I’m going to tell them I’m really tired and go off to bed. They’ll come and check on me later but I’m sure I’ll be right to sneak out around nine o’clock.”
Yip nods thoughtfully. “And I’ll scout about until then and see what I can find out.”
“Be careful, Yip,” Olivia calls, as he launches off her shoulder. “See you at nine o’clock.”
~~~
After tea, Olivia dresses in a long-sleeved black top and a pair of black pants. Her joggers are tucked under her bed ready to slip on when it’s time. She pushes the sleeves up her arms and pulls her night gown over the top, checking her reflection in the mirror to make sure no black is showing.
She settles into bed with the covers pulled up to her chin.
The wait is agonising.
Just after 8:00pm, Mum cracks open the bedroom door and creeps inside.
Olivia keeps her eyes closed and tries to relax and look like she is sleeping. She feels Mum sweep the hair away from her face and fights the urge to pull it across to cover the scar.
Mum kisses her forehead and slips out of the room.
Olivia hears the door to her parent’s room close and the television turn on, ready to play the Friday night movie. She watches the numbers click over on the bedside clock and at 8:55pm, Olivia slips out of bed and dresses a very large teddy bear in her nightgown. She tucks it into her bed and checks from the doorway.
Not perfect, she thinks. But if they check again and don’t actually come inside, I should be safe.
Olivia is lacing the second jogger when she hears the quiet tapping on her window. She pulls the lace tight and waves to the little Grotesque whose face is peering in at her. A few days ago, that sight would have sent her into panicked hysterics. Now it brings a sense of relief, exhilaration and quiet dread—all mingled together.
Olivia takes a deep breath and unlatches the window.
“How are you going to get down?” Yip asks, pointing to the courtyard below.
“I’m not coming down,” Olivia states flatly. She steps onto the window ledge and reaches up to the guttering. She pushes off with her feet and flips easily up onto the roof.
Yip gives an astonished whistle. “How?”
“I don’t know,” Olivia says. “Somehow I just knew I could do that.” Olivia steps quietly across the roof of her terrace. She doesn’t want anything to disturb Mum and Dad. She doesn’t want to give them any reason to check on her again.
Once she is clear, Olivia strides out more confidently. Yip flitters beside her. Not flying exactly but leaping and gliding from point to point.
“Did you find them?” Olivia asks.
“Not exactly,” he replies. “But a small group of them were heading toward Seven Gates Park.”
Olivia looks across the rooftops in the direction of the park. “Well, what are we waiting for?” She starts to run and leaps out into space. Olivia clears the gap between her building and the next with an exhilarating ease. She hardly slows her pace as she lands.
Yip gives an owl-like hoot of determination and takes to the sky. “I’ll scout ahead.”
Olivia now understands why the daylight hurts her eyes. The thin moon and twinkling stars light her way like it’s a bright blue-tinged day.
It’s harder to keep to the rooftops once she leaves Old Haven and crosses into Central. There are plenty of roofs but the heights vary so much it’s easier to drop down into the tight backstreets and alleys.
Friday nights in Haven are busy, even with all the bad things and destruction; the streets are crowded with people. Olivia keeps to the shadows. A young girl wandering the streets at night is sure to attract attention and that is the last thing she wants. She doesn’t need some well-meaning do-gooder getting in her way.
Yip finds Olivia by the lion gates entrance to the park. She is standing by one of the lion statues, looking at several chalk drawings on the footpath. One of them is a picture of a broken Grotesque’s head lying crookedly on the ground. The head looks remarkably like Yip.
“They’re in the cemetery,” Yip says, as he lands on Olivia’s shoulder.
It doesn’t hurt but the weight jolts Olivia forward.
“Careful,” she admonishes.
She turns quickly so Yip can’t see the picture she had been looking at. Maybe it’s a coincidence or maybe it’s a very bad sign. Either way, she doesn’t want Yip getting distracted by the image. She knows how she would feel if she saw a picture of her severed head.
“Well, let’s get going.” Olivia ducks into the park, striding out toward the cemetery.
Olivia doesn’t know what mischief they are up to here but four Trixies are huddled together whispering conspiratorially. Not wanting to startle them, Olivia used her mind speech to get Yip’s attention. Yip, I’ve got an idea.
Yip grins broadly as she explains.
Chapter 36
Betrayal
Olivia limps out from behind one of the larger headstones carrying a large stick.
The Trixies glance up and spread out in front of her.
“Rotten Trixies,” Olivia shouts. “You hurt my cat!”
One of the Trixies starts giggling uncontrollably. Two dance about excitedly while the last one steps forward clapping slowly.
“Brave little cripple girl,” it says coldly. “We all laughed and laughed when our leader told us the gargoyle fell on your head.”
“Yeah!” Olivia snarls. “The Trixie who broke into my room wasn’t laughing when she went out of the window to splatter on the ground. Was she?”
Four sets of glowing red eyes flare brightly. The Trixies’ limbs stretch and their faces distort into fanged, feral mockeries of their glamours. Their fingers flex menacingly—claw tipped and twice as long as human fingers.
Olivia’s face shows her terror at the transformation. She backs away, dragging her injured leg. Her left arm is twisted up uselessly against her chest.
“Our leader wants you for herself but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun and hurt you first.”
Olivia turns and runs. She doesn’t get very far. The Trixies dart ahead, circling her. Giggles is the one behind her now, two split out to either side and the mouthy one who has done all the threatening is walking casually from the front. Olivia backs up until her shoulders press up against a huge marble pillar with a shadowy winged shape on top.
“Please…” Olivia cringes, her voice cracking with fear.
“Pathetic human,” the Trixie scoffs. The other three laugh menacingly. She raises a clawed hand and slashes it down at Olivia
’s face.
Olivia straightens and brings up her left arm—her living stone arm—to protect herself.
Claws snap on the stony flesh. The Trixie screams in surprise and pain. It looks down at its ruined hand.
Olivia shoves it in the chest and the Trixie staggers back.
Yip launches off the top of the pillar and lands on Olivia’s shoulder.
“Tricked you,” they both yell.
“NO!” The four Trixies wail together. The creatures start to come slowly apart, strips of their flesh peeling off in tatters and dissolving into shadows.
Giggles tries to run. It takes less than a dozen steps before falling to its knees shrieking in horror as its body also unravels and disappears.
“Tannith is going to kill you,” the leader of the small group says defiantly, just before she collapses in upon herself.
“Tannith?” Olivia’s eyes narrow. She spins about toward the sound of slow deliberate clapping.
“Oh, nicely done,” Tannith congratulates. She is standing atop one of the mausoleums, her golden-blonde hair dancing about her in the cool night breeze. More than a dozen Trixies fan out around her.
Olivia feels a wave of rage wash over her. Tannith is the one who attacked Yip and Cygnet. She is the one who made Cygnet fall. Tannith is the monster who left her scarred and broken and sent creatures to kill her.
She was responsible for Rum-Tum!
Olivia straightens, squaring her shoulders “So, all the friendly stuff today was just one of your twisted games?” Olivia asks.
“Not exactly,” Tannith states. “It turns out your little friend is exceptionally good at setting wards.”
Yip hisses at her.
“Oh, don’t get me wrong, I could have breached them eventually but I thought it would be easier if I walked my new friend home, and let her invite me inside.”
“You are not my friend,” Olivia snaps.
“Of course I’m not, you stupid girl.” Tannith’s face twists into a feral snarl, hinting at the monster dwelling behind the glamour.
“I was quite disappointed when daddy turned up to collect you.” Tannith sits on the roof of the mausoleum swinging her legs innocently, her features calm again. “I think I might have to arrange something special for your daddy after I finish with you.”
Olivia Stone and the Trouble with Trixies Page 11