Airhead

Charlie was sitting by the window gazing at the clouds. Something about the clouds made him want to keep staring at them. 'It seems more interesting than what happened ages ago in ancient China,' thought Charlie as he gazed into the sky. Charlie was tall, thin, and had flaming red hair and grass green eyes.

'What was the name of the last empire of China?' asked the history teacher Mr Rupert, looking around at the students like a hawk might look at some chicks before choosing one for a snack. Mr Rupert was tall, thin, had dark hair and dark brown eyes.

As usual, the class was silent. Eric's hand went up along with Emma's. 'Well, Charlie? I hope the clouds told you the answer?'

Charlie didn't hear Mr Rupert calling his name. The class giggled.

'Charlie? Did you hear me?' asked Mr Rupert, standing right next to him and glaring at him.

'Yes? What do you want me to do?' said Charlie, looking up at Mr Rupert.

'I don't want you to do anything airhead!' Mr Rupert said, his face going red as a beet. He was known as Mr Beet because whenever he was angry, his face turned red.

'But then, why did you call me?' asked Charlie, puzzled. He had been looking at the clouds, and he hadn't heard the question.

'I asked what the last kingdom of China was?' repeated Mr Rupert, his arms akimbo. 'The Quing dynasty!' said a voice as if it had been bursting to tell it. 'I wish you had held your tongue, Eric,' said Mr Rupert glaring at Eric. 'Charlie, I want you to write the lines, 'I will pay attention in class!' a hundred times.' 'Hundred times!' said Charlie, gaping at Mr Rupert in disbelief.

'Yes, I hope you haven't got those clouds stuck in your ears as well as your eyes!' Mr Rupert said, walking away from Charlie's desk. There was something peaceful, calm, and relaxing about clouds that made Charlie want to look at them. There was something more too.

Charlie felt like looking at the clouds again. But he didn't. The last thing Charlie wanted was to upset Mr Rupert and get more lines to write. He had enough already.

The rest of the lesson went smoothly. But Charlie was waiting to go home. It was his birthday, but he had not told anyone in his class. He thought he'd keep it a secret.

The bell rang, and everyone packed their bags. 'See you tomorrow, airhead,' grinned Carl as he waved goodbye.

Charlie was new to Whitewood, but he had a few friends. Carl was one of them. Charlie waved back. He wondered if he should tell Carl that it was his birthday but then decided not to tell him or anyone else in his class.

Charlie got into the school bus and took a seat. Eric sat down next to him and pulled out a book from his backpack. Charlie looked out of the window and gazed at the clouds. It felt as if the clouds were calling him. Of course, it was silly to think that clouds had voices. But when Charlie listened very carefully he felt he could hear something whispered by the clouds. Sometimes he thought he saw something written in the clouds too.

'I've noticed you like looking at clouds. What's so special about them? Why do you keep looking at them?' asked Eric, raising his head from his book to look up at the clouds.

'I'm not quite sure,' said Charlie, tearing his eyes away from the clouds. Charlie didn't understand why he felt like looking at clouds all the time. 'It's just that I feel as if I can almost hear them,' said Charlie, trying to explain. 'It's as if they are speaking to me.'

'I don't think that is possible. I have never heard of something like that before,' said Eric, going back to reading his book.

For the rest of the journey, Eric was quiet. Charlie thought about what Eric had said. 'Perhaps it's all not real,' thought Charlie as he looked out into the street.

The bus was almost at Charlie's home. He got up, ready to get off the school bus.

'Oh, are you getting down?' asked Eric, looking up from his book. 'Sorry. I'm sort of crazy about this book. He said, smiling. 'See you tomorrow then, bye.'

'Bye,' said Charlie and got off the bus. He walked down the garden path and went to the front door. Then he rang the bell. The caretaker of the house, Olivia, opened the front door. Olivia was a plump, dark-haired and green-eyed lady.

'Had a good day at school?' she asked, as Charlie entered the house. 'Did you tell your friends that it is your birthday?'

'No, I didn't tell them,' said Charlie as he walked into his room. He felt tired and hungry. He had been remembering his parents lately.

'But why not? We could have arranged something. You could have had fun,' said Olivia, shutting the door behind her.

'Well, I don't know. I didn't feel like it,' said Charlie, as he took off his shoes.

'It is your special day, so you do it your way,' said Olivia, smiling and walking away towards the kitchen.

The dining room had a window that opened out into the backyard, and there were clouds in the sky outside. It was a refreshing sight. Charlie hardly noticed Maria, another maid, serving him sausages, bacon, fried egg, and salad to eat with his French toast.

'I will do the lines Mr Rupert gave me later,' he thought, while eating a sausage.

Charlie kept remembering his mom and dad. His mom and dad had mysteriously disappeared when he was just a baby. He had often asked his grandfather about it, but he couldn't tell Charlie much. No one seemed to know what happened to his parents.

'Well, I am going to find out someday,' Charlie had told his grandfather.

Charlie's grandfather loved fishing and often went off into the country on fishing trips. His grandfather had gone on a fishing trip a few days back.

Charlie's grandfather had written to Charlie asking him to invite his friends for a birthday party, but Charlie didn't feel like it. Charlie had written back to his grandfather that he would rather spend his birthday by himself this time.

Back in his room he noticed something odd. He thought he saw a cloud moving downwards as if it was falling. 'Do clouds fall from the sky?' thought Charlie, as he looked at it to make sure what he was seeing was real. He had binoculars and thought of fetching them to see if he was right.

Charlie put on his binoculars and looked at the cloud. Sure enough, it was dropping out of the sky. Then Charlie realised that it was coming straight towards him.

He stepped back into the room. He was unsure of what he should do. He put down the binoculars and saw the cloud zooming through the air, and getting bigger as it came closer to him.

The cloud came right into his room through the open window. It started glowing brightly. Then it grew brighter than anything Charlie had seen before. He blinked, and standing in front of him was a tall woman dressed in a white robe. She had jet black hair and bright blue eyes.

'Hello Charlie, don't be afraid. I have come here to take you to the Cloud Country,' said the woman bowing. 'I'm Luma, a messenger of the Cloud Count.'

'Cloud Country? the Cloud Count?' asked Charlie, wondering what all those words meant.

'The Cloud Country is where Cloud Casters live. You are a Cloud Caster, just like your parents.

'You knew my parents?' asked Charlie, to make sure that he had heard Luma right. 'Do you know where they are?'

'Well, I knew them, and...' hesitated Luma, looking out of the window, and said, 'I know what happened to them too.'

'What happened to them?' asked Charlie, trying to keep in the tears that came to his eyes when he remembered his parents. He missed them very much.

'Well, they are held prisoners by....' said Luma, and her eyes filled with tears.

'Held prisoners by whom?' asked Charlie, as a tear rolled down his cheek. He had always felt that his parents were alive. To hear that they were alive made him want to see them again.

'Well, by the Cloud Crusher, Nebule,' said Luma, as if she was eager to have said it fast and be done with it.

'Well, why is Nebule holding my parents captive? What did they do?' asked Charlie, wiping away his tears. He felt like he had a lot more to know about his parents.

'I will tell you everything. But the Cloud Count is waiting for you. Would you mind coming with me?'

'Where are we going?' asked Charlie, remembering how this lady had been a cloud before and floated into his room from the sky.

'To the capital of the Cloud Cities,' said Luma looking up at the sky.

'Are my parents...are they Cloud Children too?' asked Charlie, trying to make sense of everything he had heard.

'Yes, they are,' said Luma, smiling, and then added, 'you are too, as I told you before.'

'Well, I guess I will come,' said Charlie, making up his mind. He felt that if he went with Luma, he might get to see his parents or have a chance to rescue them.

'Alright, give me your hand,' said Luma, stretching out her hand. Charlie took it. He saw that she had a ring on her finger which started glowing. Charlie looked up at her and saw that her eyes were closed. Then he felt a sudden warmth as if he was holding a cup of hot chocolate. He saw that the glow from the ring was spreading across Luma's hands to his hands. Charlie shut his eyes. He suddenly felt as light as light could be. He felt his feet lift off the floor. Charlie kept his eyes tightly shut.

He felt the wind against him and opened his eyes. Charlie was high up in the sky, looking down on houses and roads from far above that spread underneath like a painting. He gasped. He couldn't feel his feet, hands, or head. But he could think. He looked up and saw the sun shining fresh and bright.

They went higher towards a clump of giant clouds. He found himself floating, and then suddenly, they came to a stop.

He looked around and finally felt his arms, legs, and head. Charlie saw that Luma was still holding his hand. 'Let me get you a pair of Sky Shoes. Don't let go of my hand. You will fall off the clouds if you do.'

Charlie held on to Luma's hand as they walked across the clouds. It felt strange walking on top of clouds. It was like walking on something between snow and sand, altogether different from either of them.

Charlie looked about as they walked past some shops with different boards. They said Cloud Candy, Cloud Costumes, Cloud Clothing and Cloud Cake Shop. Finally, they came to a shop with a board that said Sky Shoes.

Luma pushed open the door, and a short man with a long silvery beard wearing spectacles came hobbling along.

'Hello Luma, have you bought another one? Are you looking for shoes for him?' said the short man, looking over his spectacles.

'Yes,' said Luma while holding onto Charlie. The man went off to the neat wooden rack, took out a box of shoes, and asked Charlie to sit down.

Charlie sat down, and as soon as the man put on the shoes, Charlie felt them wriggle, and when Luma let go, the shoes started moving on their own, making Charlie wobble, move around the store and hop about carelessly.

Luma closed her eyes, and her crystal ring started glowing. Immediately the shoe stopped moving.

The storekeeper reached out for a different box of shoes and pulled it off the shelves. He opened it and fitted the shoes that were in it on Charlie's feet. Immediately the shoes started to jerk and made Charlie's legs move as if he was trying to kick something right in front of him.

Once again, Luma stretched out her hand and closed her eyes. Her crystal ring started glowing just as it had done before. The shoes stopped moving, and the storekeeper came with yet another pair of shoes. He took the previous one-off and fitted Charlie with the third pair.

Charlie felt a warm glow spread through his body as if he had stepped into a hot bath. The shoes stayed still. Charlie took a step, and the shoes seemed content to remain as Charlie thought shoes ought to before he had tried on the previous pairs of Sky Shoes.

'Well, they are the right fit. The shoes only fit if they are in harmony with your soul. That's why the bottom of the shoe is called a sole in the Underland's,' said the storekeeper smiling.

'Really? I never knew that,' said Charlie, who thought it was exciting.

'Yes, it is,' said the man smiling, 'That would be three flakes and a drop,' said the man as He walked with the shoebox to the counter.

Luma took a purse from her pocket and took some coins out. They were strangely shaped ones.

'So, they are named flakes and drops because they look like flakes and drops?' asked Charlie looking at the coins, which were shaped like snowflakes and raindrops.

'Yes, that is right,' said Luma as she handed the coins over to the storekeeper. 'Thank you, and I hope you have a great day,' said the man.

'Thank you, Mr Alba,' said Luma, and they walked out of the shop.

There were men, women and children all dressed in robes walking up and down the streets.

Most of the children were wearing shoes like the ones Luma had got for Charlie. Luma held on to Charlie as they walked across the Cloud City. Instead of cars, there were glass-like carriages driven by milky white horses.

'Are the carriages made of glass?' asked Charlie, looking at the carriages passing by. But he couldn't see who was inside the carriages, so he assumed they might be made of some kind of special glass.

'No, it isn't glass. It's a special material called Star Steel,' said Luma as she stretched out her hand with the crystal ring.

'Star Steel? Is it...made of...' stammered Charlie as the gate opened on its own.

'Yes, they are made of stars. But shooting stars,' she said as they walked along the path that led to a cottage. The cottage looked like a dome-shaped igloo or a giant white tortoiseshell. Once again, Luma's crystal ring shone like a bright star, and then there was the sound of latches and the door opened by itself.

'Welcome to my home,' said Luma holding the door open for Charlie. Charlie stepped in and looked around. There was a fireplace, a mantlepiece, some cosy chairs and lights. But there was something strange about the lights because they were shaped like giant flowers.

'Why are they shaped like flowers?' asked Charlie pointing at one of the lights.

'They aren't flowers. They are giant snowflakes. I got it from the Sky Shop. They have enlarged a snowflake and put some sunlight into it.'

'Put some sunlight?' said Charlie, looking up at the lanterns. 'But how can you catch sunlight?'

'Suncatchers, of course, like solar panels you have back in the Underland, but this is...well...magic!'

'Oh,' said Charlie, looking around at the giant floating snowflakes. 'Are they hung by strings?'

'No, if it has sunbeams trapped in it, it doesn't need hanging. It will float in place.'

'No one will believe these things back from where I come,' said Charlie as he looked outside the window. Everything was dazzling white.

'Let me get you something to eat,' said Luma, and she came back carrying a tray. In it were cupcakes, cookies, chocolate, and croissants.

Charlie remembered that it had been quite a while since he had something to eat. So, he took a cookie. It tasted delicious. It was so light and crisp. These were unlike any other cookies he had tasted before. He ate another and then another. There was chocolate milk in a mug that he drained to the last drop.

'We are supposed to go and visit the Cloud Count soon. You will find an outfit in the guestroom. Let me take you there.'

Then Luma took Charlie down a corridor with paintings hung on either side of the wall. They were paintings of clouds. Charlie walked down the corridor looking at one picture and the next. There were paintings of clouds shaped like dragons, centaurs, unicorns, gryphons, and even a basilisk hung on the walls on either side. Charlie knew these creatures because he had read many books about them.

Luma opened the door. It was a spacious room with tapestries hanging from the walls, and there was a four-poster bed, a bedside table, and a cupboard. Everything was neatly arranged. Charlie saw that there were clothes laid out on the bed.

'The clothes are for you.I will come back to fetch you. Ring the bell by the bed if you want anything, said Luma and walked out of the room.

Charlie changed into the clothes that had been laid out for him. They were light to touch, and when Charlie looked at the reflection in the mirror in the guest room, he couldn't believe that he was looking at himself. He looked so different. The robes were white, the colour of clouds on a sunny summer day.

He rang the bell and waited. Soon he heard footsteps coming down the corridor. There was a knock on the door, and Charlie heard Luma's voice say, 'May I enter?'

'Yes,' said Charlie and the door opened. Luma stood by the doorway. 'We better set out. The Count will be awaiting our arrival. Are you ready to leave?'

'Yes,' said Charlie and followed Luma back through the corridor. They came to the front door. A carriage like the ones Charlie had seen on the roads stood in the front yard. A man was sitting in the driver's seat while two milk-white horses drove the carriage. The driver got down from his seat and bowed. 'Where to, madam?'

'To the Cloud Count's Castle, please,' said Luma, holding a silver pouch and handing out some coins.

The man opened the carriage door. 'Come on, get in, Charlie,' said Luma as she stepped into the carriage.

It was all white inside. 'Like a cloud,' thought Charlie, as he looked at the white cushions and seats inside the carriage. They were spotless. Luma said something in a whisper, and the crystal ring started glowing. Charlie looked ahead and saw that the gates had opened. Once they had passed, Luma did the same thing, and the gates closed.

Then the carriage sped down the road. It was as if they were out on a winter's day. Other carriages were going back and forth down the streets.

Soon, they came to a pair of tall silver gates. The carriage came to a stop. The driver got down and opened the door. 'We've arrived.'

Luma got out, and Charlie followed her. They went up to the gates. There were two men in white robes standing by the entrance. When they saw Luma, they bowed and opened the gates.

Charlie looked ahead. There was a massive castle standing right in front of them. It glittered in the sun as if it had been made of glass. The castle shone dazzlingly as if the walls had rainbows tucked inside them. Charlie gaped. He had never seen something that was so beautiful before.

Charlie and Luma walked down the avenue that led to a broad flight of stairs. They climbed and arrived at two giant doors. Two more guards were standing next to the door. When they saw Luma, they bowed and let them in, just as the guards had done at the gate.

The doors opened into a hallway with towering pillars. There were busts of men and women lined up and white curtains hanging down on either side of the tall windows. On the walls were colourful tapestries with pictures woven in gold and silver.

They came to a vast hall with luminous clouds floating around. The clouds were glowing as if they had been lit from inside, like floating lanterns.

They walked and stood in front of a large couch that looked more like a cloud than a couch.

There were guards dressed in white robes standing by the couch. Then a door opened from behind the couch, and a tall man came with a crown made of crystals. He was tall, golden haired and blue eyed. Everyone in the room bowed, including Luma. Charlie quickly did the same.

The man bowed back. 'Thank you for coming, Luma. I see you have young Charlie Clark with you,' he said, sitting down on the couch. 'Like all great Cloud Casters, he shall be trained at Cloud Central. Charlie will be given a special Cloud Crystal Ring. Hopefully, he will be able to live up to the legacy of his parents.'

The Cloud Count nodded and a guard standing close by bowed and went through the door that the Cloud Count had entered the hall.

He came back in with another tall man with long silvery hair and beard. The man had sparkling green eyes. He smiled at Charlie and came forward and bowed. The Cloud Count nodded and bowed too.

'You have a new pupil, Master Aurum,' said the Cloud Count, nodding towards Charlie. 'Meet Charlie, the son of Mr and Mrs Clark.

'I see,' said Master Aurum looking at Charlie. 'Come with me, child.'

Charlie followed Master Aurum through the door which he had entered the hall. It was a beautiful passage with frescoes on the walls on both sides. There were men on white horses surrounded by clouds. On one side of the wall was the night sky, and on the other side of the cloud was the day's sky.

As they walked along the passage, lit by luminous clouds floating about, he thought about what the paintings on either side of the wall might mean. As he was walking while looking at them, he fell behind master Aurum.

'I see you have eyes for beautiful things,' said Master Aurum, turning back, once he noticed Charlie had fallen behind.

'Well, sir, I was wondering...' he said, looking at the frescoes and noticed his mom and dad had been painted on the dark side.

'Well, the paintings show the greatest of the Cloud Casters that ever lived,' said Master Aurum, looking at where Charlie's gaze was fixed.

'They...they are my parents,' said Charlie pointing to the wall. Charlie was sure that these were his parents painted on the wall. A tall man with dark hair and blue eyes, just like Charlie. There was his mother with blond hair and blue eyes. They were both seated on two white stallions.

'Why are they on the dark side?' asked Charlie, as he felt the figures of his mom and dad go blurry as his eyes filled up with tears.

'The ones in the dark side are those who have been taken from us, the fallen heroes of Cloud Country,' explained Master Aurum, placing a hand on Charlie's shoulder.

'I believe that there is hope yet, even though the Cloud Count thinks there isn't any, as do many others.'

'What do you mean? Do you mean that the others here think my parents are...' 'Yes, many think that they are no more, but I think that's not true.'

'I hope that you are right,' said Charlie, taking his eyes off the wall and wiping his eyes that had filled with tears.

'I'm quite sure that they are alive. Come along now,' said Master Aurum, patting Charlie. Charlie followed him, and soon they came to another shut door.

Master Aurum blew on the door as if blowing out a birthday candle. It was then that Charlie remembered that it was his birthday. He wondered what those back at his grandfather's might be thinking about him.

'Do you think they will be looking for me? Back at my grandfather's?' asked Charlie as the door opened to reveal a flight of stairs.

'No, Luma cast a Shifting Spell on them,' said Master Aurum, walking up to the foot of the stairs.

'What is a Shifting Spell?' asked Charlie as master Aurum began to climb the stairs.

'A Shifting Spell shifts the memories of those who enter a certain location where it has been cast. Luma must have cast it so that whoever enters your grandfather's house forgets about you,' said Master Aurum as he climbed on and reached the end of the first flight of stairs.

'But is there any way to reverse it? To take it off, I mean...' said Charlie, remembering all those he had left back at his grandfather's house.

'It is not irreversible, but for the time being, it is necessary,' said Master Aurum as they climbed higher and higher up the staircase. Charlie thought the climb would never end until they stopped at another door. There were strange symbols on the door. Charlie noticed that this door didn't have a lock or handle.

Master Aurum stretched his hand with the ring, and the symbols on the door glowed, and the door became transparent and disappeared altogether. They entered a strange room. Its walls were white as summer clouds on a bright sunny day.

There was a circle marked on the chamber floor and above that there was a circle of clouds close to the ceiling.

'This is the Cloud Chamber,' said Master Aurum, looking up at the clouds lined up in a circle. They were revolving round and round like blades of a ceiling fan.

'Are those real clouds?' asked Charlie, pointing at the revolving clouds.

'Yes, they are real, but they have been charmed too,' said Master Aurum, clearing his throat. 'Could you please stand underneath those revolving clouds?

Charlie walked over to the circle and stood in the middle of the circle. Then all the clouds started to glow as if they had been lit up from inside. They grew brighter and brighter until Charlie could hardly look at them any longer. But Charlie squinted and looked at them anyway.

The clouds came closer to each other, merged and became one big cloud, and the light was blindingly bright. Then when it was at its brightest, something that looked like a snowflake fell from the giant cloud, and the clouds that had merged broke into separate clouds.

'Raise your hand,' said Master Aurum, coming closer to the circle.

Charlie raised his hand, and a glowing flake floated down and settled on his index finger and began to shine brightly. When the glow had faded, there was a crystal ring around his finger. The ring on his finger turned red as a cherry.

Master Aurum started. 'There has not been a Red Ring for ages and ages. It is supposed to be exceptionally rare. It has only been given to two others before you.'

'Who are they?' asked Charlie, looking at the sparkling Red Ring on his hand.

'It was given to Stella and Solum before you. That was ages and ages ago, time out of mind.'

'But I don't understand, why me?' asked Charlie, looking back at the clouds above the circle, which had stopped glowing and returned to revolving.

At the door Master Aurum once again muttered some words, and his ring started glowing, and the door started glowing too. Then the door faded away, and they walked out.

They began climbing down the stairs. Charlie kept looking at the Red Ring on his finger, but he could hardly feel it. It was as if the ring had become a part of his hand. They climbed down the stairs in silence.

Luma was waiting for him in the hall. The Cloud Count had left.

'I'll see you at Cloud Central,' said Master Aurum, bowing. 'I think it's safe to say that we can expect great things from you, Charlie Clark.'

Luma gazed at Charlie's hand and gasped. 'So, the prophecies are true? He is the Chosen Caster?'

'Prophecies are vague, but it seems so,' said Master Aurum, looking out of the window. 'I should be going, and I will see you soon, hopefully,' then he turned and walked away.

They walked down the corridor of the palace in silence. They came to the giant doors from which they had entered the court and started climbing the stairs. Once they had reached the last step, Charlie remembered that it was his birthday. He remembered the last time he had celebrated his birthday with his parents. It was at an amusement park. His mom and dad had even got him a chocolate birthday cake with sprinkles on top.

He got into the carriage that was waiting for them. Charlie hardly noticed as the guards at the gates opened them. Then the carriage slid out of the gate, and on they went past the shops and houses. The sky had grown darker, and the stars were coming out. The stars appeared much brighter in the Cloud Country than in the Underland.

The carriage arrived at the gate of Luma's house, and the coachmen got down. He opened the door for Charlie and Luma, and they got off the carriage. Charlie wondered if his parents might be thinking of him. He made up his mind to find out more about what had happened to his parents.

Luma opened the door as she had done before. When they came to the living room, Charlie gasped. The whole living room was decorated with balloons, flowers, and festoons. There was a big, wrapped box and a cake on a table.

'Happy Birthday, Charlie, and welcome to the Cloud Country!' said Luma. She held out her hand, and Charlie hugged her.

'Is this all for me?' asked Charlie, looking at the cake on the table. It had twelve tiny glowing snowflakes instead of candles.

'Come on, Blow the flakes out like candles,' said Luma, nodding towards the candles.

Charlie stood by the cake, closed his eyes, and blew them out. Each flake turned into a small toy.

'This is one of the best birthdays I've had,' said Charlie, looking at the twelve toys lying around the cake. There was a yoyo, a top, a Rubix cube, a frisbee, a ball, a puzzle, roller skates, a musical box, marbles, a water gun, a monopoly board, and a scrabble set.

'Are all these toys for me?' asked Charlie, looking at each one lying around the cake. 'Yes, everything is for you,' said Luma, smiling, 'Happy Birthday, Charlie!' 'Thank you so much,' said Charlie, as Luma cut the cake. 'This is super.'

'I'm happy to hear that, but I have something special for you,' said Luma and handed Charlie a small black box.

Charlie looked at it. There was something written on the black surface in silver. It said 'Charlie Clark.'

'But I already have so many presents,' said Charlie looking at the toys on the table.

'Well, I insist, and this is the last one,' said Luma, and Charlie took the box and opened it.

It was a silver whistle. It shone in the living room's light like a drop of dew.

'It's beautiful,' said Charlie, looking at the whistle. It even had a string around it so that he could hang it around his neck.

'It's not just any whistle. It's a Wisp Whistle!' said Luma as Charlie took it out of the box into his hands. It was as light as a feather. He put it around his neck and took the silver whistle into his hand.

'Is it a magic whistle?' asked Charlie, holding the whistle. 'What will happen if I blow it?'

'You can summon your Wisp!' said Luma, as Charlie held the whistle, wondering if he should blow it.

'Shall I blow it?' asked Charlie, eager to see how the whistle sounded. 'Yes, go on,' said Luma, looking out at the open window.

Charlie didn't wait to be told twice and blew his whistle. It sounded like a robin twittering, but it was softer than that. But nothing seemed to happen.

'Look,' said Luma pointing at the window, and Charlie looked. Outside the window, it was dark, and the stars and moon were shining brightly. Charlie noticed something that looked like a glowing spark that was coming closer and closer. 'Was it a shooting star?' he thought but realised it couldn't be so because it was floating more like a firefly.

It became brighter and clearer and came in through the open window into the house.

It stood pulsating, like a firefly, but much brighter than that. It looked like a candle flame floating by itself.

'Greetings, Charlie, I am your wisp,' said a voice that sounded like a bird more than anything else.

'Hello,' said Charlie, looking at the wisp and back at the whistle. 'So, you can hear this whistle no matter how far you might be?' asked Charlie, which was the first question that popped into his mind.

'Yes, distance means nothing to a wisp. We can hear the summons of the Wisp Whistle from anywhere,' it said, floating closer to Charlie.

'So, whenever I whistle, you will come to me? No matter how far you might be or whatever you might be doing?'

'Yes,' answered the wisp, 'I am bound to answer the call of your whistle because I'm your guardian.'

'You mean like someone who protects me?' asked Charlie as he looked at the wisp that looked like a candle flame.

'Yes, and I can guide you to places where you want to go and don't know how to get to,' said the wisp hovering so close to Charlie that he could reach out and touch the wisp. Charlie felt like he wanted to but thought better of it.

'I think you should get to bed, Charlie, you have a long day tomorrow, and it's late now,' said Luma as she looked at the hourglass on the mantelpiece.

'Goodnight, Luma, good night....' Charlie paused. He wasn't sure what to call the wisp.

'I'm Silver, and Goodnight, Charlie,' said the wisp floating away from the window.

Charlie went back to the guest room and fell right onto the bed. Soon, he was fast asleep, dreaming of all the toys he had got, the whistle, and Silver the wisp.