Midnight's Choice by Kate Thompson

Author:Kate Thompson [Thompson, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4804-2421-0
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2013-04-30T17:37:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

TESS’S PARENTS WATCHED WITH benign expressions as Lizzie and the Quinns departed. To their euphoric minds Lizzie’s behaviour was quite forgivable, no more than mildly eccentric. For Tess, however, the aspect of the day had changed entirely. She knew in her heart that Lizzie was right. There was something she ought to be doing. The problem was, she couldn’t think what it was.

‘Come on,’ said her father, ‘where’s that frisbee?’

Frisbee would be fun, even though she was no good at it. But playing frisbee wasn’t what she ought to be doing. She scanned the horizon of the park, looking for clues. For the most part, her view was blocked by trees, but here and there the buildings of the city showed through or above them.

‘Catch, Tess!’

She swung round, just in time to see the bright-green frisbee go sailing over her head and disappear among the branches of a copse which stood in a hollow some distance away. It was a mighty throw, and the wind had caught it as well. Tess watched as her parents raced past in pursuit and began hunting through the dead grass beneath the trees. She went over and began to help in the search, but her attention was taken by a number of small, neat piles of earth which were spread around the area. They were like molehills, but Tess knew there weren’t any moles in Ireland. Everything today had a strange, dreamlike quality and Tess tried to concentrate; tried to make sense of what was going on. She might have found the scene humorous if it hadn’t been for the persistent nagging from the back of her mind about the task that awaited her.

The first time the idea came to her she disliked it so much that she ignored it. Coming back a second time with the ring of truth, it wasn’t so easily put aside. She tried to reason the thought away, was still trying as her parents gave up and came back to her side.

‘No use,’ said her mother. ‘It seems to be lost.’

‘Sorry about that,’ said Tess.

‘No, no,’ said her father. ‘It was way, way too high. There was no way you could have caught it.’

‘Did you notice the molehills?’

‘Molehills? But there aren’t any moles in Ireland!’

The idea came back and Tess finally accepted it. ‘Never mind,’ she said. ‘I was thinking of paying a visit to someone. Would that be OK?’

‘Who is it?’

‘A friend of mine called Martin. He’s off school these days.’

‘Is he sick?’

‘Yes, he is. Sort of.’ As she said it, Tess realised that this wasn’t a lie. From her current viewpoint, out here under a cloudless sky and filled with the vibrancy of life, anyone who chose to spend their days sleeping behind closed curtains had to be sick.

Tess’s father looked slightly disappointed, but he was far too happy to remain so for long.

‘Don’t be too late back,’ was all he said.

It was early afternoon as Tess walked down the narrow street in Phibsboro. The sun

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