Di couldn’t decide whether to tiptoe away or start running. Being
paralyzed with fear made it difficult to do either.
paralyzed with fear made it difficult to do either.
There’s someone in my
house! The realization slammed into her again as she stared at the
miniature, wooden hourglass on the bookshelf. She had to admit it didn’t look that
scary, standing on a lace doily next to a bowl of potpourri, but those things
had been there when she walked past a minute ago.
house! The realization slammed into her again as she stared at the
miniature, wooden hourglass on the bookshelf. She had to admit it didn’t look that
scary, standing on a lace doily next to a bowl of potpourri, but those things
had been there when she walked past a minute ago.
The hourglass hadn’t.
Coby? She grasped at a
desperate hope as the silvery grains of sand tumbled through the rough, glass
shell. No. Her oblivious twin brother was upstairs, no doubt texting the
girls he would see at school if he bothered to get ready in time, while Di was
alone with a potential robber, axe murderer or raving lunatic for company.
desperate hope as the silvery grains of sand tumbled through the rough, glass
shell. No. Her oblivious twin brother was upstairs, no doubt texting the
girls he would see at school if he bothered to get ready in time, while Di was
alone with a potential robber, axe murderer or raving lunatic for company.
Or even a living army of
home-invading knock-knacks, she chided herself, searching for a better explanation. Her
parents must have left the hourglass on their way to work and her passing
footsteps probably shook out a blockage of sand, allowing it to pour freely and
catch her eye. The fact that she’d panicked said more about her ability to
overreact at the slightest provocation than about the dubious motives of a
stalking time piece.
home-invading knock-knacks, she chided herself, searching for a better explanation. Her
parents must have left the hourglass on their way to work and her passing
footsteps probably shook out a blockage of sand, allowing it to pour freely and
catch her eye. The fact that she’d panicked said more about her ability to
overreact at the slightest provocation than about the dubious motives of a
stalking time piece.
Anxious to get back on schedule Di checked her watch – and the
sight woke her faster than being drenched in a bucket of ice water. How could
it be that late already? Ironing Coby’s shirt had stuffed up her routine a bit,
but by this much? The bus would be there any minute.
sight woke her faster than being drenched in a bucket of ice water. How could
it be that late already? Ironing Coby’s shirt had stuffed up her routine a bit,
but by this much? The bus would be there any minute.
She rushed upstairs to the apocalyptic mess Coby called his room.
His scruffy brown hair, stained uniform and grubby shoes were like camouflage
amidst the chaos.
His scruffy brown hair, stained uniform and grubby shoes were like camouflage
amidst the chaos.
“Who lost my schoolbag?” he said through his sixth bit of toast,
contributing to the search by kicking piles of dirty laundry and untouched
textbooks around the floor.
contributing to the search by kicking piles of dirty laundry and untouched
textbooks around the floor.
“No-one. But can you hurry up? Please?”
Coby muttered something, probably rude, but at least he wasn’t
playing living-room obstacle football or complaining about matching socks and
packed lunches and anything else fifteen-year-old boys say are a waste of time.
If he tried that again, Di might just disown him altogether.
playing living-room obstacle football or complaining about matching socks and
packed lunches and anything else fifteen-year-old boys say are a waste of time.
If he tried that again, Di might just disown him altogether.
Or not. She sighed. Despite
Coby’s unflinching belief that she was adopted, their identical brown eyes and
jointly embarrassing full names – Diamond and Cobalt – said they were as close
as family could get. So to their mutual annoyance, she felt compelled to fuss.
Coby’s unflinching belief that she was adopted, their identical brown eyes and
jointly embarrassing full names – Diamond and Cobalt – said they were as close
as family could get. So to their mutual annoyance, she felt compelled to fuss.
“Fine,” Di said. “I’ll find the bag. You get ready.”
“Right.” Coby finger-combed his hair as he dashed out, but he
still looked like he’d been mugged. By a cyclone.
still looked like he’d been mugged. By a cyclone.
You’re welcome! Di grabbed her own bag
from her room and hurried back downstairs, silently composing the lecture she’d
never have the heart to deliver. As she reached the landing she looked up
at the bookshelf and froze.
from her room and hurried back downstairs, silently composing the lecture she’d
never have the heart to deliver. As she reached the landing she looked up
at the bookshelf and froze.
The hourglass was gone.
Di stumbled sideways off the last step and pressed herself against
the hallway wall to cover her back, throwing wild glances up the hall in both
directions. If she went back upstairs to warn her brother, she’d cut off any
means of escape. But if she tried searching for the intruder, she couldn’t move
anywhere without leaving the rest of the house open for them to sneak around.
the hallway wall to cover her back, throwing wild glances up the hall in both
directions. If she went back upstairs to warn her brother, she’d cut off any
means of escape. But if she tried searching for the intruder, she couldn’t move
anywhere without leaving the rest of the house open for them to sneak around.
Di locked her eyes on the hallway phone. And something crashed to
the floor above her.
the floor above her.
Coby! She dived back around
the corner, without considering who she’d meet or how she might defend herself.
Coby appeared on the top step, raising his hands in surrender.
the corner, without considering who she’d meet or how she might defend herself.
Coby appeared on the top step, raising his hands in surrender.
“Before you go mental,” he said as a cricket ball rolled out
behind him, “that vase was ugly anyway.”
behind him, “that vase was ugly anyway.”
“I’ll fix it later.” Di waved his words away. “Did you see an
hourglass here? There was a little antique one, like, a second ago.”
hourglass here? There was a little antique one, like, a second ago.”
“Oookay.” Coby raised his eyebrows. “Forget the vase, you’re
mental already.”
mental already.”
Di went to protest but decided it was pointless. Coby would have
been able to see the bookshelf from his room the whole time she was up there.
No one moved the hourglass, because it never existed.
been able to see the bookshelf from his room the whole time she was up there.
No one moved the hourglass, because it never existed.
Coby twirled a finger at his ear, officially declaring her insane,
then kicked the tennis ball back into his room and disappeared after it. Di
ignored him. Sure he’d caught her creeping through the house with a
butcher’s knife two weeks ago, looking for what turned out to be just a mouse
in the pantry, but that didn’t make her crazy and neither did this. No it
was a trick of the light, made worse by tired eyes after last nights’ study cut
into her scheduled seven and a quarter hours’ sleep.
then kicked the tennis ball back into his room and disappeared after it. Di
ignored him. Sure he’d caught her creeping through the house with a
butcher’s knife two weeks ago, looking for what turned out to be just a mouse
in the pantry, but that didn’t make her crazy and neither did this. No it
was a trick of the light, made worse by tired eyes after last nights’ study cut
into her scheduled seven and a quarter hours’ sleep.
Yeah, right, Di thought, until an
involuntary yawn set her eyes watering enough to blur out everything around
her. She blinked it away and found herself staring at the grandfather clock
beside the bookshelf.
involuntary yawn set her eyes watering enough to blur out everything around
her. She blinked it away and found herself staring at the grandfather clock
beside the bookshelf.
From the glass case, two solemn figures were staring back.
Di spun around, searching for the source of the reflection, but
the stairs were empty. Gripping the banister in case her legs gave way, she
started to turn back again. Her neck creaked with every incremental movement
but she didn’t have the courage to go any faster. Eventually her gaze reached
the base of the clock. She raised her head.
the stairs were empty. Gripping the banister in case her legs gave way, she
started to turn back again. Her neck creaked with every incremental movement
but she didn’t have the courage to go any faster. Eventually her gaze reached
the base of the clock. She raised her head.
“Found it!” Coby thundered downstairs, slinging his backpack over
his shoulder while Di tried not to faint at the sight of him.
his shoulder while Di tried not to faint at the sight of him.
“It was under my bed. The ball rolled right next to it,” he said,
pushing past Di to the front door. She looked back at the clock. The gaunt
faced man and the woman with the imploring blue eyes had gone.
pushing past Di to the front door. She looked back at the clock. The gaunt
faced man and the woman with the imploring blue eyes had gone.
Tired. Plain, sane and tired,
Di told herself, unable to believe it but refusing to consider
anything else. She brushed the creases from her uniform, ran a hand over her
ponytail to ensure there wasn’t a hair out of place, and followed Coby outside.
Di told herself, unable to believe it but refusing to consider
anything else. She brushed the creases from her uniform, ran a hand over her
ponytail to ensure there wasn’t a hair out of place, and followed Coby outside.
The bus passed their stop just as Di locked the front door. Coby
couldn’t resist a race as the bus dragged itself up the hill and Di chased
after him, dying of embarrassment; with her overstuffed schoolbag bouncing on
her back, she felt like a giant, uncoordinated turtle.
couldn’t resist a race as the bus dragged itself up the hill and Di chased
after him, dying of embarrassment; with her overstuffed schoolbag bouncing on
her back, she felt like a giant, uncoordinated turtle.
At least it won’t make me any less
cool, she reasoned as she caught up and climbed on board. Coby headed
straight for the back seat, leaving Di, with her rank on the social ladder of
about five rungs underground, to that most fiercely coveted of spots:
smack-bang behind the driver. Waiting for her as always was her slightly
freckly, slightly lanky, best-friend-ever, Josh.
cool, she reasoned as she caught up and climbed on board. Coby headed
straight for the back seat, leaving Di, with her rank on the social ladder of
about five rungs underground, to that most fiercely coveted of spots:
smack-bang behind the driver. Waiting for her as always was her slightly
freckly, slightly lanky, best-friend-ever, Josh.
“Since when do you have to run to get here on time?” He gaped at
her as she joined him. “What happened, did every watch in the world stop
working?”
her as she joined him. “What happened, did every watch in the world stop
working?”
“Yeah… I mean no… Coby was taking forever.” Di shook her head.
“You okay though? You seem stressed.”
“I’m just tired.”
“Were you up all night reading again?”
“Maybe,” Di admitted. Josh feigned disappointment.
“You need a life,” he teased. He was joking, but the honesty in
his hazel eyes hit a painful nerve.
his hazel eyes hit a painful nerve.
Di turned away, fiddling with her neatly trimmed nails to avoid
his gaze. Josh was right; her life was about as exciting as leftover Brussels
sprouts.
his gaze. Josh was right; her life was about as exciting as leftover Brussels
sprouts.
“Maybe you… you could… come out sometime,” he said quietly. Di
jerked her head up and saw, to her astonishment, a hint of colour creeping up
from his cheeks to the roots of his dusty blonde hair.
jerked her head up and saw, to her astonishment, a hint of colour creeping up
from his cheeks to the roots of his dusty blonde hair.
