by M S C Barnes
door without encountering the giant. The planks wobbled and bowed as the five balanced their way over The Lake. Zach led the way but couldn’t resist turning back to give Seb advice on how to negotiate the expanse of water, which didn’t seem to have receded at all in the recent days of sunshine. As he glanced back he made them all stop.
“Aiden my mortal friend, your freckles are sparkling!”
They all turned to face Aiden, who blushed a deep red at the sudden attention. All over his face silver pinpoints reflected the sunlight like a glittering disco ball. He lifted his hands to rub his cheeks but Scarlet pulled them away and stuck her face right in front of his, their noses almost touching.
“It’s all your freckles; they’re like little silver gems. They’re beautiful!”
Still standing on the creaking, bowing planks the others had to have a go at examining Aiden’s freckles. When they had all satisfied their curiosity, he leant forward to catch his own reflection in the water below them. The little pinpricks of light sparkled and gleamed. They were beginning to itch and he scratched his face.
Agreeing that it was too crowded and uncomfortable at the tree stumps, they arranged instead to meet at break time at the old rickety, wrought-iron bench that encircled a gnarled oak trunk at the centre of a pebbled area the pupils called The Beach. This was in a quadrangle bordered by the main stretch and two wings of the Old School House; the original teaching building. Most pupils stayed clear of that spot because it was overlooked by the teachers’ common room. Scarlet convinced them all that since they were only going to be talking quietly they were least likely to be disturbed there – or overheard.
Seb, Zach and Aiden spent a double lesson of History designing their own labyrinths. Seb kept trying to move the books on his desk to form a barrier behind which he could study the leaf engraved on its surface, but on each occasion, as he checked to ensure he was unobserved, he would find Mr West gazing steadily at him.
Zach was engrossed in his work, determined to design the most challenging and complicated puzzle that would stump his peers. Aiden spent most of the lesson rubbing his cheeks, which were now very red. The freckles sparkled occasionally as he turned his face towards Mr West and followed his rolling progress from one side of the room to the other.
Giving up on his efforts to study the desktop engraving Seb completed his own puzzle. He included many doors, all arched with a pointed apex, which led to dead ends or corridors that returned back to their starting points. Only one true path led through the labyrinth to the Minotaur he drew at the centre. He was quite pleased with his efforts and as he sat back to admire his work he heard a slight rattling breath behind him and became aware of Mr West peering over his shoulder.
“Are you done, Master Thomas?”
Seb believed he was and nodded.
“Right, let’s have yours and Master Lord’s up on the board, if you don’t mind.” Mr West snapped the words.
Seb and Aiden exchanged glances as all the other students put down their pencils. The boys attached their pictures to the whiteboard.
“Would you like to explain, Master Thomas?” Mr West said.
Explain what? Seb was at a loss. He glanced at the teacher who was now standing just three feet from his left elbow, staring eagerly at him. Seb looked to Aiden. Facing the board, his mousey-brown hair wind-scruffy and his shirt sticking out of the back of his jumper, Aiden had a look of astonishment on his ruddy face.
Whispers started amongst the pupils in the front seats and gradually spread around the rest of the class. Seb looked at the pictures and then his jaw dropped – the two drawings were identical, with one exception: instead of a Minotaur at the centre Aiden had drawn a noctule bat.
One of the rowdier boys, Dan, shouted, “They copied each other – cheats!”
The whispering turned to mumbling until Zach decided to defend his friends.
“How could they copy each other? They were two tables apart!”
“Well how else do you explain it?” Dan was determined, glancing down at his own poor effort. “They must have cheated! They’ve used a book or something …”
There was silence. Mr West, staring at Seb, said nothing. Seb fidgeted, wishing he could go and sit down. Aiden was also looking at Seb, hoping for salvation. Then the bell rang for break – a salvation of sorts. The rest of the class piled their things back into their bags and bundled out of the room, casting hateful glances at the two cheats as they went.
Zach hovered by his desk. Mr West turned his stare on Aiden who squirmed slightly, adjusting his jumper. The boys looked at him, waiting, but he simply nodded, turned and left the classroom.
“Well what the heck was all that about?” Zach boomed.
“Shush Zach, he’ll hear you!”
Zach lowered his voice to a loud, harsh whisper, “Well really, ‘Would you like to explain, Master Thomas?’.” He attempted the reedy voice and as he did he swayed from side to side, waddling back and forth in front of the board. Seb and Aiden were giggling but became quiet as Zach stopped inches from the two pictures. “Seriously, who copied who, or what book did you mortals use?”
“We didn’t!” they protested simultaneously.
Zach snorted a laugh. “Yeah, right. And it’s not nice keeping secrets from your best mate, Seb!”
“I’m not! We didn’t copy each other. I don’t know how come they’re so similar— ”
“Similar? They’re exactly the same! It’s like you traced the picture! Fab bat by the way, Aiden.”
Aiden was still speechless. His freckles were sparkling faintly and he kept looking from the pictures back to Seb and then to the pictures again.
“I don’t understand,” he stammered. “I just made up what came into my mind. I haven’t copied a book or Seb. I don’t understand!”
“Come on, we’ve got to meet Scarlet and Nat. Bring your drawings.” Zach called, grabbing his bag and heading for the door.
They walked briskly to The Beach. Arriving before Nat and Scarlet, Seb took the opportunity to talk to Aiden and Zach about the ogre incidents. He got frustrated when they both denied ever having seen the figure.
“How can you not have seen it? Zach, on that second day, in the corridor, when you pounced on me … before I stepped in The Lake— ” he scowled as Zach sniggered. “It was right behind you Zach, we talked about ogres! Then again, yesterday morning with Nat and Scarlet … and … and at break time yesterday, you both walked past it in the library!” He pointed at Zach then Aiden. “You must have seen it!”
Both boys looked blankly up at Seb who was pacing on the gravel under the oak tree, waving his arms.
“What’s up, Seb?” Nat put a hand on his shoulder. Scarlet stood behind her, smiling indulgently.
“What’s happened now?” She grinned.
“I am so confused!” Seb plonked himself down on the circular bench. “You have all seen the ogre, only none of you seem to have seen the ogre.”
“What is he talking about?” Nat looked to Zach then Aiden.
Seb told her of the ogre incidents. None of the others recalled any meetings of any sort.
“And every time you’ve seen this ogre The Head has been there?” Scarlet asked.
“Yes, well no. Every time Mr Duir appears, the ogre leaves.”
They were all silent.
“I have to tell you about last night too,” Seb started.
“Yes, yes,” Scarlet got excited. “We went to the woods for an Explorers campfire thing. Seb and Zach were collecting firewood when it started to get dark and they saw a fairy ring in a clearing surrounded by trees. Inside the fairy ring were millions of glow-worms, but they weren’t glowing green or yellow like Nicholas said they normally do, they were silver like, like Aiden’s freckles!” All faces turned to Aiden, whose freckles at that moment were shimmering and sparkling silver in the patchy sunlight under the tree. He rubbed his cheeks self-consciously.
Seb cut in now, determined to give an accurate description of the door. He explai
ned how an image had started to form inside the glow-worm display. It had grown clearer and then he realised it was the door in the library, the arched door that Mr Duir had gone through yesterday.
“Seb, ” Zach spoke slowly, “there wasn’t a door. You’re making that bit up.” He sounded slightly annoyed. “The story was fantastic enough without you adding in that stupid bit!”
“I’m not making it up. I saw a door – the door Mr Duir used when we were in the library yesterday.”
Aiden sounded timid. “Seb, there isn’t an arched door in the library. In fact, there is only one door: the entrance. There’s an arched window. Did you mean— ”
Seb interrupted, “There is an arched door, an ancient-looking door that looks like something out of an old church. Maybe you’ve never noticed it Aiden,” he said more gently, realising he had shouted at his new friend. “Maybe you’ve never noticed it because it is hidden in a recess between two big bookshelves.”
Aiden looked doubtful. “It isn’t there, Seb. Sorry. I’m not trying to be— ”
“It is!” Seb jumped up, annoyed.
“Why are we sat here then?” asked Zach. “Let’s go to the library. Either we’ll find the door, or prove that Seb here is winding us up.”
Scarlet smiled. “Come on then!” She strode across the shingle towards the side entrance to the Old School House. The others trooped after her. Seb scuffed his feet behind them, still annoyed that they doubted him. Scarlet hurried down the corridor to the library