The Monster of Shiversands Cove by Emma Fischel Page B

Island, straight into Lightsands Bay.
    Then – disaster.
    I heard the toot of a horn and the chug of an engine. I heard music. I heard laughter. Then, I saw it: a pleasure boat, a big party boat, full of lights and full of people.
    And we were heading straight for it.
    The sea monster swerved. It skidded right, skidded left and shuddered to a halt. I lost my grip and so did Pearl. Both of us were thrown off its back and straight up in the air . . .. which is where the werefairy swooped.
    He swooped towards me as I hurtled skywards. Then, he grabbed me in his huge hairy paws. Behind me, below me, I heard a big splash: the splash of Pearl crash landing in the water. But there was no crash landing for me. I was airborne and dangling, trapped in the paws of a huge hairy werefairy.
    Higher and higher we flew, above the water. I felt helpless. I felt terrified. I felt very,
very
alone.
    Then, I heard something. The big town clock of Lightsands Bay was beginning to strike. Once, twice . . . seven times. And a cheer went up.
    I knew what that cheer was for. The fireworks were about to begin. The fireworks.
Fireworks
 . . .
    Thoughts stampeded through my head: thoughts about fireworks and thoughts about Rory’s dog Bagel. I remembered how Bagel hated fireworks, how he had to be shut in. How he howled and panicked. How he went crazy at the sounds and the lights. How
all
dogs did.
    A feeling surged through me.
    Hope.
    Maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t just dogs who were terrified of fireworks. Maybe wolves were too: werewolves . . . or were
fairies
.
    I leaned all my weight to one side. I was going to
force
the werefairy to turn and to fly where
I
wanted: straight towards the fireworks.
    Then they began.
    First, a huge rocket screeched up into the sky, then exploded in a shower of thousands and thousands of tiny hot sparks. Then there were more: more and more huge fireworks, all going off, one after another.
    The sky was ablaze with a dazzling display of lights and sounds. The werefairy was trembling, panicking. He didn’t know which way to go. He was whimpering and quivering, and flapping about in the sky.
    Then, another rocket soared straight towards us, screeching its way over the end of one huge werefairy wing. I smelt burning. I heard sizzling. The werefairy howled in pain; then he dropped me.
    I plummeted.
    Down and down I went, like a stone. Then, I crash landed but not in the water. I smacked down on to the tarpaulin cover of the pleasure boat. I slid down the cover and on to the deck, and landed, sprawled at the feet of two small kids sucking on lollipops.
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    They gaped down at me, then gaped up at the sky. Gaped up at the hairy, flapping figure with one smouldering wing. And all three of us watched the werefairy, flapping and flapping and flapping, flapping his way out to sea. We watched him disappearing into the distance, flapping like he was never
ever
going to stop.
    And then, the werefairy was gone.
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    Chapter Thirteen
    Afterwards
    We made it back just in time. The grown-ups found us standing on the balcony like nothing had ever happened: no werefairy, no sea monster, nothing.
    Pearl had been rescued from the water by a lady with lots of long golden hair who was out swimming.
    â€˜I was lucky she was so far out,’ said Pearl. ‘She pulled me to shore, then just waved and swam off again.’
    â€˜Busy doing some last-minute training for the triathlon, I expect,’ I said.
    Dad told me about the triathlon. It’s a big one, in Lightsands, next week. A race in three parts: swimming, then cycling, then running.
    â€˜Probably,’ said Pearl. ‘She was a very strong swimmer.’
    * * *
    Talking of strong swimmers, that sea monster and all those attacks, that swerving through the water, smacking its tailfin down, I reckon they were all aimed at Harry. Maybe a monster can spot other monsters. Maybe it doesn’t like other monsters