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Authors: Angie Bates
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they’re always stuffing their faces and so are we.”
“Mmn,” we all said sleepily.
“And our characters are so similar, it’s spooky!” she prattled on. “Fliss is the girly one, and Kenny is like a total tomboy and Lyndz is animal crazy, and Rosie’s like the motherly sensible one.”
I heard Kenny snort. “Yeah, so which one are you, then?”
Frankie sounded smug. “I’m the brainy one who unravels the clues, of course!”
So we all threw our pillows at her, then of course we had to get up and find them again!
But as I drifted off to sleep, my mind was buzzing with questions.
In that book world, anything is possible. Ten-year-old kids go camping by themselves and no-one turns a hair. They even capture grown-up criminals and march them off to the police.
But this was our world, the real world.
Did we really think we could walk into a church and help ourselves to valuable treasure, just because we’d found a clue in a bottle?
Could it really be that easy? The others seemed to think so, and I wanted to believe them.
But suddenly, as I lay there in the dark, I wasn’t nearly so sure.
Early next morning we rushed to find Mum and begged her to take us to Blythburgh Church.
“What brought this on?” she said suspiciously.
Frankie clasped her hands. “It was just such a lovely experience, Mrs Collins,” she said. “We just
have
to see that roof once more before we go home.”
“I mean, who knows when we’ll come back?” Kenny said in a tragic voice.
Auntie Roz laughed. “I’ll take them! You stay here,” she said to Mum. “Pour yourselfanother cup of coffee and chat to your brother.”
She picked up her car keys, and we all set off to Blythburgh in my uncle and aunt’s battered old van. “It’s Sunday, so we’ll have to nip in between services,” she explained over the roar of the engine. She gave us a comical look. “Unless you were actually wanting to go to church?”
We hastily shook our heads.
Auntie Roz grinned. “So now we’re alone, do you think you could spill the beans? You five girls are fizzing like Roman candles and the suspense is killing me!”
I don’t know why we decided to take Auntie Roz into our confidence. but we told her everything.
She was fascinated to hear about the bottle. “I did wonder where my corkscrew had got to,” she said humorously. She was genuinely astonished when we read her the message, but she didn’t seem too confident we’d find hidden treasure at Blythburgh Church.
“Still, there’s no harm in looking,” she said cheerfully. “And on the way back I’ll buy yousome ice-creams, how about that!”
She’s worried we’ll be disappointed, I thought. I got this horrible sinking feeling. How could I have been so stupid as to think we’d find treasure in a church?
In our hayloft, alone in the torchlight, I’d let my imagination carry me over the rainbow into Thingybobby Land. But now it was morning in the real world, and we were driving along a busy main road, and I just knew it was never going to happen.
From their subdued expressions, I got the impression my mates were feeling the same way.
At last the van crunched over the gravel into the church car park. Churchgoers were already streaming out.
We jumped out and followed Auntie Roz through the crowd. I was feeling totally desperate by this time. “Look, let’s forget about it,” I hissed to the others. “It was a stupid idea.”
“Look, we’re here, aren’t we?” said Frankie angrily. “And I’m not a quitter, even if you are.”
Rosie sounded reproachful. “We can atleast look, since we’re here, Lyndz.”
And my mates went wandering off with Auntie Roz.
I stayed glued by the door, feeling like I had “stupid wally” written all over me.
Little choirboys were practising a hymn at the far end of the church. And I could see the vicar talking earnestly to two old ladies.
I started feeling uncomfortable about taking up his valuable church space when I
“Mmn,” we all said sleepily.
“And our characters are so similar, it’s spooky!” she prattled on. “Fliss is the girly one, and Kenny is like a total tomboy and Lyndz is animal crazy, and Rosie’s like the motherly sensible one.”
I heard Kenny snort. “Yeah, so which one are you, then?”
Frankie sounded smug. “I’m the brainy one who unravels the clues, of course!”
So we all threw our pillows at her, then of course we had to get up and find them again!
But as I drifted off to sleep, my mind was buzzing with questions.
In that book world, anything is possible. Ten-year-old kids go camping by themselves and no-one turns a hair. They even capture grown-up criminals and march them off to the police.
But this was our world, the real world.
Did we really think we could walk into a church and help ourselves to valuable treasure, just because we’d found a clue in a bottle?
Could it really be that easy? The others seemed to think so, and I wanted to believe them.
But suddenly, as I lay there in the dark, I wasn’t nearly so sure.
Early next morning we rushed to find Mum and begged her to take us to Blythburgh Church.
“What brought this on?” she said suspiciously.
Frankie clasped her hands. “It was just such a lovely experience, Mrs Collins,” she said. “We just
have
to see that roof once more before we go home.”
“I mean, who knows when we’ll come back?” Kenny said in a tragic voice.
Auntie Roz laughed. “I’ll take them! You stay here,” she said to Mum. “Pour yourselfanother cup of coffee and chat to your brother.”
She picked up her car keys, and we all set off to Blythburgh in my uncle and aunt’s battered old van. “It’s Sunday, so we’ll have to nip in between services,” she explained over the roar of the engine. She gave us a comical look. “Unless you were actually wanting to go to church?”
We hastily shook our heads.
Auntie Roz grinned. “So now we’re alone, do you think you could spill the beans? You five girls are fizzing like Roman candles and the suspense is killing me!”
I don’t know why we decided to take Auntie Roz into our confidence. but we told her everything.
She was fascinated to hear about the bottle. “I did wonder where my corkscrew had got to,” she said humorously. She was genuinely astonished when we read her the message, but she didn’t seem too confident we’d find hidden treasure at Blythburgh Church.
“Still, there’s no harm in looking,” she said cheerfully. “And on the way back I’ll buy yousome ice-creams, how about that!”
She’s worried we’ll be disappointed, I thought. I got this horrible sinking feeling. How could I have been so stupid as to think we’d find treasure in a church?
In our hayloft, alone in the torchlight, I’d let my imagination carry me over the rainbow into Thingybobby Land. But now it was morning in the real world, and we were driving along a busy main road, and I just knew it was never going to happen.
From their subdued expressions, I got the impression my mates were feeling the same way.
At last the van crunched over the gravel into the church car park. Churchgoers were already streaming out.
We jumped out and followed Auntie Roz through the crowd. I was feeling totally desperate by this time. “Look, let’s forget about it,” I hissed to the others. “It was a stupid idea.”
“Look, we’re here, aren’t we?” said Frankie angrily. “And I’m not a quitter, even if you are.”
Rosie sounded reproachful. “We can atleast look, since we’re here, Lyndz.”
And my mates went wandering off with Auntie Roz.
I stayed glued by the door, feeling like I had “stupid wally” written all over me.
Little choirboys were practising a hymn at the far end of the church. And I could see the vicar talking earnestly to two old ladies.
I started feeling uncomfortable about taking up his valuable church space when I
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