Phoebe and Shimmer by Julie Sykes

Author:Julie Sykes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Published: 2020-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

“Eeeeeee!” squealed Phoebe, grasping hold of Shimmer’s mane. Her long plaits flew around her face as she spun through the air, then just as suddenly she was falling. Her stomach dipped as the ground rushed up to meet her, but Shimmer landed safely with only a soft bump.

“Wow!” said Phoebe, catching her breath as Zara, Aisha and Lily landed beside her on their unicorns. Around her, unicorns, students and teachers were landing with gentle thuds. They were on a grassy clifftop that rolled down to a cliff edge where red rocks fell away to golden sand beneath. In the distance, Phoebe could see the blue sea.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” said Aisha.

“Oh, it’s so good to smell the sea again!” said Lily, sniffing happily. She and her mum lived on the east coast.

There was a louder bump and a strangled shout behind them. Phoebe turned and had to clamp her hands over her mouth to stop herself from laughing. Mr Longnose had arrived and landed face down with his legs crumpled beneath him and his bony bottom sticking up in the air. His face was berry beetle red as he scrambled up and brushed the grass from his smart, dark suit.

“Ms Nettles!” he said crossly. “You have brought us to the wrong place. I distinctly remember saying that we would camp on the beach. We shall be recording the level of the tide at all hours of the day and night and I don’t want to have to walk too far.”

Ms Nettles sucked in her cheeks. “Thank you, Mr Longnose, but while I am headteacher, the safety of my students is my responsibility. Given the unusual fluctuations in the tide, it would not be safe for them to camp out on the beach as their tents could easily be washed away by an exceptionally high tide. Everyone can access the beach by one of several cliff paths.” She held Mr Longnose’s eye until a pink flush spread up his neck.

“Very well,” he said, shortly. “You may continue to allocate the students’ campsites.”

Ms Nettles’ mouth pursed.

Ooh, she really doesn’t like him, Phoebe thought, reading her expression.

After a moment, the headteacher nodded. “The teachers will camp here then each dormitory will pitch their tents at a different site in a line along the cliffs. Amethyst dorm, you will have the campsite furthest away. Ms Rosemary, will you show them where to go please?”

“Of course,” said Ms Rosemary. She patted her unicorn and smiled at the girls. “Come on then, follow me.”

They rode for a while until the cliff began to slope down and they spotted a cluster of stone houses nestled above the beach. Ms Rosemary pulled up on clifftop in a spot that was sheltered by bushes and a crumbling stone wall. “This can be your campsite. Set up your tents. I will ride down into the village and tell them you’re camping here.”

“Let’s pitch the tents by the wall so we have some protection from the wind,” said Zara, as Ms Rosemary rode away.

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