The Otherwhere Emporium by Ross Mackenzie

Author:Ross Mackenzie
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Floris Books
Published: 2020-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

The door slammed shut behind them and vanished. Mirren and her friends collapsed onto the ground: a hard, arid patch of bleached grass. They lay sprawled out, taking great breaths of warm air, until they felt ready to stand again. When at last they looked around properly, they found that they were standing in the remains of what might once have been a grand carnival or circus. Faded, half-collapsed tents surrounded them. The air was silent and warm and still, the twilight sky vast and twinkling. A faint whisper of popcorn drifted on the air, an echo of another time perhaps.

“Good work, Robyn,” said Luke. Robyn’s face flushed. Luke held the compass out again, watched the glowing dial settle. “We should probably keep moving, yeah? Wonder what this place is – looks like where circuses go to die.” He made to set off, and then stopped. “What’s the matter, Mir?”

Mirren had hung back, hoping nobody would notice the tears in her eyes. Her throat was tight, her head swimming with panic. “I’m just having a wee moment, that’s all.” But now their attention was on her, she was struggling to hold back the emotion she’d so far kept in check. “I mean… how are we ever supposed to find my mum? Look at the size of this place. Look at who’s trying to stop us, what we’re up against. We’re only three kids, Lukasz! Do we really have a chance? What if I never see her again? What if she’s… gone?”

Luke walked over and stood right in front of her, frowning. “Mirren, since the day we met in Primary One, I’ve never seen you give up on anything.”

“I know, but…”

“But?” said Luke. “No. No buts. When you were in a car crash as a baby, and the doctors thought you wouldn’t make it, did you give up then?”

“Well, no… but—”

“I said no buts! That crash took away your arm, and your dad, but have you ever let that stop you from doing anything? Have you?”

“No.”

“Exactly! You made the basketball team. You learned to swim. You helped me build a treehouse in the woods. You’re better at video games than I could ever be – even if I had three arms.”

Mirren laughed at this and dabbed her eyes with a knuckle.

“You’re going to find your mum, Mir,” he went on. “I know it. And we’ll be here to help every step of the way, right, Robyn?”

Robyn nodded, and seemed to look at Mirren like she was seeing her in a new light.

“Now, come on,” said Luke. “Let’s keep going.”

He turned and walked, but Robyn held back, waiting for Mirren, much to Mirren’s surprise.

“I didn’t know… about the accident. I mean, I knew a little bit. I knew there had been some sort of accident, and that’s how you lost your arm when you were wee. But I didn’t realise that’s how your dad… I’m sorry.”

Mirren smiled. She felt lighter after Luke’s talk. She could always rely on him to cheer her up.

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