Stormswept

“What will you say is wrong with you?”

I sink back in the water until only my mouth and the tip of my nose are above the bubbles. “I’ll think of something. Did Digory take my Mars bar?”

Jenna is silent. I blow paths in the bubbles under my chin.

“Mum’ll notice we’ve used her lavender.”

“Mor…”

“What?”

“Maybe he won’t be there, when we go back.”

“Of course he will.”

“He might just – you know, swim out, when the tide’s high.”

“He can’t do that. You know he can’t. The tide doesn’t get that far and the channel’s far too narrow for anyone to swim up it.”

“But if he’s—”

“If he’s what?”

“Well, he’s not like a person, is he?”

“He’s Mer. You know that.”

“He might be… well, you know. Able to disappear. If he’s a sort of—”

“Sort of what?”

“You know. A sort of magical creature. Like in Harry Potter.”

“You carried him, Jenna! He didn’t feel very magical to me. He’s as real as we are.”

“Yes, but…” Jenna’s voice trails away into unhappy silence.

She wants him not to be real, and everything not to have happened. If we go back to the pool and Malin’s not there, then we can start to forget about him. In a few months we might be able to pretend that none of this really happened. It was something we imagined, because we hadn’t had any sleep and because the Polish sailor – Adam – died.

I sip the dregs of my hot chocolate, and watch Jenna secretly from under my eyelashes. I’m not going to argue any more with her about the reality of Malin. But I am going to see Dr Kemp.

ello, Jenna,” says Dr Kemp. The door swings shut behind me, and she looks surprised. No doubt she was expecting Mum to be with me.

“It’s Morveren,” I say.

Dr Kemp rubs her hand over her eyes. “I’m sorry. What can I do for you, Morveren?” She looks tired. I move forward to stand by her desk, feeling awkward.

“Would you like to sit down? Now, what can I do for you?”