movements that would scare the kitten off.
After what seemed like an age, and when her fingers were barely an inch away from its fur, it stood up and stretched, then stepped forward and rubbed its head against her hand. Grinning in triumph, she grabbed it gently round its body and started backing out. When there was more room to move, Skye carefully turned herself around; the cat was starting to purr in her hands. Then, without warning, there was a splash from the swimming pool and the animal hissed in alarm, a growl building up in its throat. It pulled away from her and sped off into the night, nothing more than a streak of black against an already black night. Annoyed, Skye peered out at the pool to see what on earth had scared the cat, then sat back on her haunches in alarm.
The water was moving, small waves pulling away in opposite directions from the centre of the pool, all the way up one length, then back down again. It didn’t make any sense. Skye blinked, watching the water and trying to work out what was going on. There wasn’t any wind and she was pretty sure that if Mr Kamadeva had installed a wave machine she’d have noticed it by now. Fascinated by what she was seeing, Skye stayed where she was, staring out at the brilliantly illuminated pool from the gloom of the bushes. Then things got even stranger.
As she watched, the waves seemed to dissipate but the steel ladder suddenly creaked and she could have sworn she saw it move. Suddenly there was a light whipping sound and a spray of water landed with a spatter onto the hard cement surrounding the pool. Skye’s mouth dropped open as first one wet footprint, then another, appeared out of nowhere, heading off in the direction of the house with short slapping thuds. For a moment, the magic footsteps seemed to stop right underneath her bedroom window and Skye’s heart felt as if it were in her mouth. Then they continued onward. The small door leading up to the main house opened as if of its own accord and then closed again.
Skye remained where she was for several minutes, her brain unable to process what she had just witnessed. Eventually, she scrambled out from the undergrowth, walked over to the pool and stared down at the ground. She hadn’t imagined it. There, drying on the concrete, was a trail of wet footprints. She knelt down and traced one gently with her finger. It was quite large, as if it belonged to a man. Skye sat down cross-legged next to it, watching it fade away as the water dried, and she tried to work out what she was seeing.
***
Several hours later, Skye was in the kitchen, flicking through various news items on the internet. She read through one then another, occasionally taking a bite of an apple and then reading some more. Taking care to breathe through her nose, she kept all her senses as alert as she could. When she thought she heard the floor creak and a light woody smell reached her nostrils, she stood up, walked to the fridge and pulled it open, looking inside. Then she swayed ever so slightly from side to side. She put her hand on the edge of the fridge door as if to steady herself, but it didn’t work and her knees began to buckle underneath her. The ground rushed up to meet her and she landed with a heavy thump on the cold marble tiles.
Coop stared at her supine form in panic, not sure what had just happened. He rushed over to her and bent down, trying to lean in over her face to check her breathing. He could see Skye’s chest was moving up and down but she was taking short shallow breaths as if she couldn’t quite get enough air. Attempting to remember what little he knew about first aid, he moved his hands to her side to roll her over into the recovery position. And that was when she grabbed him.
As soon as Skye’s hands connected with what felt like warm skin, a bizarre mix of exultation and fear rushed through her. The fact she’d been right, that she was living with the Invisible Man, didn’t entirely make her
After what seemed like an age, and when her fingers were barely an inch away from its fur, it stood up and stretched, then stepped forward and rubbed its head against her hand. Grinning in triumph, she grabbed it gently round its body and started backing out. When there was more room to move, Skye carefully turned herself around; the cat was starting to purr in her hands. Then, without warning, there was a splash from the swimming pool and the animal hissed in alarm, a growl building up in its throat. It pulled away from her and sped off into the night, nothing more than a streak of black against an already black night. Annoyed, Skye peered out at the pool to see what on earth had scared the cat, then sat back on her haunches in alarm.
The water was moving, small waves pulling away in opposite directions from the centre of the pool, all the way up one length, then back down again. It didn’t make any sense. Skye blinked, watching the water and trying to work out what was going on. There wasn’t any wind and she was pretty sure that if Mr Kamadeva had installed a wave machine she’d have noticed it by now. Fascinated by what she was seeing, Skye stayed where she was, staring out at the brilliantly illuminated pool from the gloom of the bushes. Then things got even stranger.
As she watched, the waves seemed to dissipate but the steel ladder suddenly creaked and she could have sworn she saw it move. Suddenly there was a light whipping sound and a spray of water landed with a spatter onto the hard cement surrounding the pool. Skye’s mouth dropped open as first one wet footprint, then another, appeared out of nowhere, heading off in the direction of the house with short slapping thuds. For a moment, the magic footsteps seemed to stop right underneath her bedroom window and Skye’s heart felt as if it were in her mouth. Then they continued onward. The small door leading up to the main house opened as if of its own accord and then closed again.
Skye remained where she was for several minutes, her brain unable to process what she had just witnessed. Eventually, she scrambled out from the undergrowth, walked over to the pool and stared down at the ground. She hadn’t imagined it. There, drying on the concrete, was a trail of wet footprints. She knelt down and traced one gently with her finger. It was quite large, as if it belonged to a man. Skye sat down cross-legged next to it, watching it fade away as the water dried, and she tried to work out what she was seeing.
***
Several hours later, Skye was in the kitchen, flicking through various news items on the internet. She read through one then another, occasionally taking a bite of an apple and then reading some more. Taking care to breathe through her nose, she kept all her senses as alert as she could. When she thought she heard the floor creak and a light woody smell reached her nostrils, she stood up, walked to the fridge and pulled it open, looking inside. Then she swayed ever so slightly from side to side. She put her hand on the edge of the fridge door as if to steady herself, but it didn’t work and her knees began to buckle underneath her. The ground rushed up to meet her and she landed with a heavy thump on the cold marble tiles.
Coop stared at her supine form in panic, not sure what had just happened. He rushed over to her and bent down, trying to lean in over her face to check her breathing. He could see Skye’s chest was moving up and down but she was taking short shallow breaths as if she couldn’t quite get enough air. Attempting to remember what little he knew about first aid, he moved his hands to her side to roll her over into the recovery position. And that was when she grabbed him.
As soon as Skye’s hands connected with what felt like warm skin, a bizarre mix of exultation and fear rushed through her. The fact she’d been right, that she was living with the Invisible Man, didn’t entirely make her
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