Read Dolphin Child for Free Online Page B

when she called.
    When Lucy walked back over to the studio, she sat down at the
kitchen table whilst Bethany had a quick shower before they went
out. She took the chance to reach out with her mind to Spirit,
swimming not so far away in the cold waters of the sea. She had to
focus her thoughts and then relax them, so that somewhere between
consciousness and sleep, she could find the hidden gateway that led
through to Spirit’s watery world. It was still hard to do, but she
was getting better at it and after one or two attempts, she
suddenly felt herself falling and the next thing she knew, she was
gliding along effortlessly through the cold salty water at Spirit’s
side.
    ‘ Hello Spirit’ she said.
    ‘ Hello Lucy’ replied Spirit. ‘It was great to be with you this
morning. We had so much fun, especially Dancer. She’s been talking
to everyone about it all afternoon.’
    ‘ Me too’ replied Lucy. I want to see you everyday if I can,
before my Dad drives down here.’ Spirit wondered what driving was,
but didn’t ask. Lucy could tell from the way that he moved and
spoke that Spirit wasn’t quite his normal self.
    ‘ What’s the matter Spirit?’ she asked.
    ‘ Oh something Dancer said reminded me of my mother before she
disappeared’ Spirit answered.
    ‘ I know what you mean’ replied Lucy sympathetically.
    Lucy chatted away to Spirit for a few more minutes and then
she felt her strength fading. Before she knew it, she found herself
back sitting at the kitchen table in Bethany’s studio. Bethany came
down the steps from the sleeping and living area.
    ‘ You ready?’ she asked.
     
    The next morning was stormy and wet. Huge foaming white waves
crashed in against the shore at the foot of the cliffs and the rain
beat down rhythmically on the roof above them. Lucy got up at dawn
with the idea of setting out to see Spirit again, but even she
realised that it just was not possible on a stormy day such as
this. Spirit, Dancer and the rest of the pod would be riding the
waves out at sea, away from the danger of submerged rocks and cliff
faces. Lucy sat disconsolately and watched the rain drumming
against the windows of the studio. It was disappointing but there
was nothing she could do about it, so she decided to make breakfast
for Bethany instead.
    That morning Lucy mooched around the studio whilst Bethany
worked on her commission. She was too restless to read her book but
paced the floor before idly working on a drawing of her own while
she waited for it to stop raining. She was looking forward to going
round to Thelma’s house that afternoon, not only to get out of the
studio but because it felt really comfortable and cosy in Thelma’s
kitchen. What’s more, Thelma was really good at baking things.
Bethany wasn’t bad, but certainly wasn’t in the same
league.
    Eventually it was time to set off. The rain had eased, but it
was still wet and they ran to the Land Rover quickly and clambered
in. Bethany started the engine but no sooner had they set off up
the lane towards the main road, than the windscreen fogged over and
Bethany had to pull over to wipe it clear again.
    Thelma and Nate Merryweather lived on the edge of town in a
relatively modern semi-detached house. Nate had been born in a
fisherman’s cottage, but they were too expensive for the local
people to live in now and the one that Nate had been brought up in
was now owned by some out of towner from London who only came down
three or four times a year.
    Nate and his first mate Bob went out in their trawler, ‘the
Lady Thelma’ each morning to check their lobster pots and then Bob
would take any that they caught round to the local restaurants to
sell them. In the afternoon they both worked on one of the boats
that took tourists round the harbour and out along the coast to try
and spot seals and maybe if they were lucky even a dolphin or a
basking shark. As Nate was still at work, it would be just them and
Thelma. Her children had long since grown