by the lake,” Landy says. After leaving the path and climbing over some fallen tree trunks, we reach the mud and rushes at the edge of Lough Cara.
“There it is,” Landy says, pointing at a rocky outcrop. This one isn’t just a door but a whole house! It is made from wood and painted a mossy green, and is three storeys tall. It has two small red chimneys sticking out of a real tile roof and Gothic windows with pointed tips. It’s tucked under an overhanging rock to keep it dry.
“Someone’s put a lot of work into that,” Mollie says, crouching down to look at it more closely.
I look around then, wondering why Min isn’t squealing with excitement. She loves this kind of thing. I can’t see her anywhere. Where is she?
Mollie and Landy are so busy studying the house and talking about the real glass in the windows that they haven’t noticed she’s missing. I peer into the forest, looking for her yellow rain jacket or pink wellies, but I can’t see anything.
I pull at Mollie’s sleeve. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” she says, gesturing at the house.
“Min,” I mouth at her.
“Sorry, Sunny? I don’t understand.”
I mouth my sister’s name again, but she’s still not getting it, so I tweak her arm and then point at the forest behind us.
“You’re right, Sunny. Min will love this one,” Landy says, standing up.
I shake my head and wave my arms around while mouthing “Min” again. This time Mollie clicks.
“Oh,
Min
!” she cries. “Where is she?”
I throw both my hands up to say,
I don’t know
.
“Min!” Mollie calls loudly.
Landy joins in. “Min!” he shouts. “Can you hear us?”
There’s a splash from further down the lake. My heart stops. Min is a terrible swimmer. If she’s fallen in…
Then there’s a shout. “Over here! Help! I think I’m stuck.”
It’s Min.
Relief floods over me and I run towards the sound of her voice. She’s at the edge of the lake, up to her knees in sinking mud. When I reach her, she pulls one leg out, but the boot stays behind.
Stay still
, I want to tell her,
you’re going to lose your balance otherwise
. And just as I think it, Min tips sideways and lands in the brown gloop.
“Min!” Mollie yells, coming up behind me. “What are you doing? You’ll sink in that mud. It’s dangerous. Get up.”
Min is lying on her side in the soft mud, squealing. The mud is up to the top of her legs and she’s sinking fast.
“I thought I’d be able to get out on my own,” she says. “Stupid mud.” She hits the mud with her hand, making a big splash.
“Stay still, Min, or you’ll sink even deeper,” Landy says. “I’m coming in to get you.”
“I’ll help you,” Mollie tells him.
He wades in slowly, and it takes a while, but he finally manages to pull Min out by the arms. Mollie holds his waist to make sure he doesn’t get sucked in too. Then, while Landy lifts Min onto solid ground, Mollie tries to fish out Min’s boots with a stick. It’s no use – they’re stuck in too far.
“You shouldn’t go near that lake mud, Min,” Landy says when they’re all back beside me on dry land. “It’s lethal stuff. Every year at least one cow or sheep gets stuck in it. And they’re not as lucky as you. They don’t always get rescued. Sometimes they drown.”
I shiver. Min may drive me crazy, but I don’t want to lose her.
“What were you doing in the mud anyway?” Mollie asks.
“Looking for another fairy house,” Min says huffily. “Landy said there might be more hidden around the place.”
“In the forest,” Mollie says. “Not in the mud. Come and see the one we found and then we’d better get you home before you freeze to death.”
“I have no boots,” Min says. “Someone’s going to have to carry me.” She looks pointedly at Landy.
Mollie rolls her eyes at me, but Landy just laughs.
“No problem, Min,” he says. “I’ll get you home safely.”
I’m so relieved that Min is all right that I don’t even feel
“There it is,” Landy says, pointing at a rocky outcrop. This one isn’t just a door but a whole house! It is made from wood and painted a mossy green, and is three storeys tall. It has two small red chimneys sticking out of a real tile roof and Gothic windows with pointed tips. It’s tucked under an overhanging rock to keep it dry.
“Someone’s put a lot of work into that,” Mollie says, crouching down to look at it more closely.
I look around then, wondering why Min isn’t squealing with excitement. She loves this kind of thing. I can’t see her anywhere. Where is she?
Mollie and Landy are so busy studying the house and talking about the real glass in the windows that they haven’t noticed she’s missing. I peer into the forest, looking for her yellow rain jacket or pink wellies, but I can’t see anything.
I pull at Mollie’s sleeve. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” she says, gesturing at the house.
“Min,” I mouth at her.
“Sorry, Sunny? I don’t understand.”
I mouth my sister’s name again, but she’s still not getting it, so I tweak her arm and then point at the forest behind us.
“You’re right, Sunny. Min will love this one,” Landy says, standing up.
I shake my head and wave my arms around while mouthing “Min” again. This time Mollie clicks.
“Oh,
Min
!” she cries. “Where is she?”
I throw both my hands up to say,
I don’t know
.
“Min!” Mollie calls loudly.
Landy joins in. “Min!” he shouts. “Can you hear us?”
There’s a splash from further down the lake. My heart stops. Min is a terrible swimmer. If she’s fallen in…
Then there’s a shout. “Over here! Help! I think I’m stuck.”
It’s Min.
Relief floods over me and I run towards the sound of her voice. She’s at the edge of the lake, up to her knees in sinking mud. When I reach her, she pulls one leg out, but the boot stays behind.
Stay still
, I want to tell her,
you’re going to lose your balance otherwise
. And just as I think it, Min tips sideways and lands in the brown gloop.
“Min!” Mollie yells, coming up behind me. “What are you doing? You’ll sink in that mud. It’s dangerous. Get up.”
Min is lying on her side in the soft mud, squealing. The mud is up to the top of her legs and she’s sinking fast.
“I thought I’d be able to get out on my own,” she says. “Stupid mud.” She hits the mud with her hand, making a big splash.
“Stay still, Min, or you’ll sink even deeper,” Landy says. “I’m coming in to get you.”
“I’ll help you,” Mollie tells him.
He wades in slowly, and it takes a while, but he finally manages to pull Min out by the arms. Mollie holds his waist to make sure he doesn’t get sucked in too. Then, while Landy lifts Min onto solid ground, Mollie tries to fish out Min’s boots with a stick. It’s no use – they’re stuck in too far.
“You shouldn’t go near that lake mud, Min,” Landy says when they’re all back beside me on dry land. “It’s lethal stuff. Every year at least one cow or sheep gets stuck in it. And they’re not as lucky as you. They don’t always get rescued. Sometimes they drown.”
I shiver. Min may drive me crazy, but I don’t want to lose her.
“What were you doing in the mud anyway?” Mollie asks.
“Looking for another fairy house,” Min says huffily. “Landy said there might be more hidden around the place.”
“In the forest,” Mollie says. “Not in the mud. Come and see the one we found and then we’d better get you home before you freeze to death.”
“I have no boots,” Min says. “Someone’s going to have to carry me.” She looks pointedly at Landy.
Mollie rolls her eyes at me, but Landy just laughs.
“No problem, Min,” he says. “I’ll get you home safely.”
I’m so relieved that Min is all right that I don’t even feel
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