frozen within time

chapter thirteen

'Bleeding first, then teeth and nails . . . . Blindness, then. . . .' Karl stared down at his hands, which wringing the vedclothes into a tight bunch. 'But look----she could just have scratched her nose with her claws. Puppies have very sharp claws, don't they? It doesn't mean what happened to the rats is happening to her or . . . . Or . . . .'

'Or what Will happen to us,' said holly. she hugged Jesse to her and peered Dow. at the puppies wringkled Brown muzzle. she dabbled at it again and they all stared at the hanky. 'Doesnt seem to be anymore blood now, at any rate,' said holly 'and we never had this happen before, did we, Karl?'

'We didn't stay frozen for fifty three years before,' pointed out her brother.

'We should go to uncle j,' said Kristen. 'We should.'

'No,' said karl. 'It's just a scratch, you'll see! Father sorted out the problems which killed the rats, I tell you. Were not going to panic about nothing. I mean----yes----if we all wake up tomorrow with our noses gushing like Niagara falls, fair enough----but right now I feel fine, don't you, holly?'

'Yes, I'm quite all right,' said holly. 'I think you're right----it's just a scratch. sorry I was such a goose about it. lets all get some sleep. We can plan what to do next to find father in the morning.'

Kristen was impressed. She was seriously frightened by the bleeding and the awful thought of what could happen to holly and karl----and holly must surely be terrified. but the girl was now getting up with a smile and tucking Jesse back into her arms.

'Good plan,' Karl was saying. 'Let's get some decent kip. Tomorrow we can shake our gravy asses into town and do some sleuthing.'

'I knew the radio was a bad idea,' signed Alex, pulling his pillow over his head.

'Sorry, you can't wear those.' Kristen firmly removed the little pink grips from either side of hollys dark wavey hair.

'But they keep me neat!' Protested holly.

'Or that.' Kristen surveyed the pale yellow Lunsford dress that her great aunt wore.

'But this is one of my best dresses! You always ought to try to look decent when you go into town!'

'Holly, you look like a six year old! Nobody over seven wears that kind of stuff in 2009! Nobody! You'll have to borrow some of my stuff. look, these will fit you.' She rummaged in her wardrobe and pulled out a pair of newish blue jeans, with a chain of silver stars threaded through the belt loops, and a pale blue t-shirt.

Holly stared at them in awe, and then sighed and shrugged out of her pinafore dress.

When they reached the hallway, Karl was also dressed twenty first century style, in a pair of Alex jeans and a white t-shirt. 'Not bad, eh, holly? Really rather gravy, I reckon!'

'Groovy,' corrected Alex, with a sigh. 'Or cool. Cool is better.'

'I say----you look jolly nice, too, hol.'

Holly smiled, slightly doubtfully, but she did look great in kristens gear. Much less little girlish. 'I like these,' she murmured, playing with the little silver stars on a chain around her waist. 'But what have you done to your hair?'

'Wax!' Grinned Karl, whose neat parting had now been messed up. 'Isnr it ghastly? Alex says it's "cool" though. Which means good. I think.'

'Still have to sort out those shoes,' Kristen said to Alex, and they nodded, like anxious parents, as they looked at the old fashioned, round toed leather sandals which buckles that Karl and holly wore. 'We'll have to ask uncle j for some money to get them trainers, or they'll be laughed out of akhill.'