Magic Kitten: A Christmas Surprise (5 page)

Snow kitten? Molly spun round.

A big grin broke out on her face as she saw that the cake was even better than before the cans had fallen on it. She bent down to look under the table where Flame was sitting. ‘Thanks, Flame,’ she whispered.

Flame winked at her and began purring loudly. Suddenly he gave a startled yowl as a pair of arms shot
under the table and grabbed him.

‘How did that naughty cat get in?’ Gran scolded. ‘You’re going outside, right now! Animals have no place in kitchens!’ Before Molly could react, she opened the back door, plonked Flame outside, and shut the door firmly.

Molly gaped at her. ‘But it’s cold out there! And Flame’s only a tiny kitten!’ she protested.

‘He’ll be fine. He’s got a nice thick fur coat to keep him warm,’ Gran said, dusting off her hands.

Molly scowled. She marched across and opened the back door. ‘Flame’s my kitten. If he has to stay outside, I’m staying with him!’ she said stubbornly.

‘Now, Molly. Don’t be hasty…’ her mum warned gently.

‘I don’t care what anyone says!’ Molly fumed. ‘I’ll stay out here all night if I have to!’ She picked Flame up and cradled him against her. She could feel him trembling. ‘Flame lives in the house. Tell her, Mum.’

‘Calm down, Molly. I expect your gran thought Flame was just a stray who’d got in somehow. She wasn’t to know you had a new kitten and I don’t suppose your dad thought to tell her,’ Mrs Paget said reasonably. She turned to Gran. ‘Molly’s right. Flame does live in the house. He’s a very clean kitten.’

Gran drew herself up. She didn’t look pleased. ‘Have it your way then, but I’m
afraid I don’t hold with spoiling pets. They have to learn their place.’

Yes, and Flame’s place is with me
, Molly thought crossly. She stormed out of the kitchen and hurried up to her bedroom with Flame.

She curled up on her bed and lay there cuddling Flame and feeling miserable. Gran hated Flame. It was unbelievable. How could anyone not love her gorgeous kitten as much as she did?

‘It’s not fair!’ she complained, stroking Flame’s fluffy white fur. ‘Now you’ll have to be shut in my bedroom all the time Gran’s here.’

Flame’s bright eyes sparked with mischief. ‘I do not think so! Remember how I came to school
with you. No one knew that I was there, did they?’

A slow, delighted grin spread across Molly’s face. Of course, Flame could make himself invisible whenever he wanted to!

Molly woke early the next morning and turned over to stroke Flame who was curled up beside her.
Strange,
she thought,
something seems different
.

‘Listen? Can you hear anything?’ she said to him.

Flame lifted his head and yawned sleepily. ‘I cannot hear anything.’

‘Exactly!’ Molly cried. She jumped out of bed, threw open the curtains and peered out of the window. ‘Oh! It looks so beautiful,’ she gasped.

The garden looked as if someone had thrown a thick white blanket all over it. Snow had made bushes and flower beds into soft blurry humps. Everything gleamed brightly under a clear silver sky.

‘Hurrah!’ Molly did a little dance of happiness. ‘It
is
going to be a white Christmas this year! Flame! Come and look. It’s been snowing overnight.’

Flame bounded across to the window sill in a single leap. He stared out at the garden with shining eyes. ‘Snow is very beautiful,’ he purred happily, his warm kitten breath fogging the glass.

‘Come on, Flame. I’m going to ask Mum and Dad if we can go sledging in the park!’ Molly decided, already
searching for a warm jumper and old boots.

She found her dad in the sitting room, finishing his breakfast cup of tea. ‘Sledging in the park’s a great idea,’ he said when Molly had finished speaking. ‘I’d rather come with you, but your mum’s promised to take Gran and Gramps for a mooch about in the big stores.’

‘Poor you!’ Molly said, grinning at the look on his face. ‘Never mind, we can go sledging another day.’

She was about to go out, when some new knitted cushions caught her eye. One had lime green and purple stripes and the other had orange and blue checks. ‘Wow! Where did those come from?’ she asked.

‘They were a present from your gran. She’s mad about knitting,’ her dad said wryly. ‘They look… um… interesting with our red sofa, don’t they?’

‘Well, you can’t miss them!’ Molly spluttered with laughter. ‘I think I’ll phone Narinder and ask her if she wants to meet Flame and me at the

park,’ she decided when she could speak again. ‘Have a nice time shopping, Dad.’

‘I’ll try to,’ he said mournfully. ‘See you later. Come back home by lunchtime, love.’

‘OK,’ Molly answered, skipping into the hall.

Ten minutes later, she was bundled up in a warm coat, scarf and gloves. ‘Come on, Flame. Let’s go and meet ’Rinder,’ she said, opening the front door.

Flame leapt straight out and then gave a mew of surprise as he sank into the snow. He gambolled about, jumping sideways and then he stopped to sniff at the snow. ‘It tastes delicious,’ he purred happily, nibbling a bit.

Molly laughed as she watched him.
Sometimes it was hard to remember that this cute playful kitten was a majestic lion prince. ‘It might be best if you ride on the sledge,’ she decided. ‘We’ll get there faster and your feet will stay warm.’

‘My magic will keep me warm,’ Flame mewed, but he sprang on to the boat-shaped, red plastic sledge like Molly suggested and settled d own.

Molly set off, dragging her sledge and Flame behind her.

The park was only a couple of minutes away. Lots of kids were already there. Some had sledges and others sat on tin trays or plastic bags as they slid down the snowy slopes. Molly saw Narinder waving as she came
towards her. ‘Hi! Isn’t this brilliant!’ she cried.

‘Yeah! I love snow!’ Molly said.

‘Hey, I didn’t know you had a kitten. Isn’t he absolutely gorgeous! Where did you get him from?’ Narinder said, bending down to stroke Flame’s fuzzy little head.

Flame purred and rubbed against Narinder’s gloved hand.

‘I haven’t had him long,’ Molly said quickly, hoping to avoid awkward questions. ‘Come on. Let’s go sledging!’

She and Narinder trudged up the steep snowy slope with their sledges. At the top, Molly sat down and Flame jumped into her lap.

‘I’ll race you!’ Molly said to Narinder.

‘You’re on!’ Narinder shouted back. ‘Ready? One. Two. Three!’

‘Hold on, Flame! Here we go!’ Molly cried, pushing off with her hands.

Molly and Narinder flew down the slope, side by side. Flame’s silky white fur blew back in the cold air.

‘Whe-ee-e!’ Molly yelled, grinning
across at Narinder as her sledge edged forward. ‘We’re winning!’

Suddenly, near the bottom of the slope, she felt the sledge skidding sideways. The front of it clipped a small bank of snow and it spun round and tipped over. Molly shot into the air and landed in the soft powdery snow with Flame still on her lap.

Narinder whizzed past, yelling triumphantly.

‘Next time!’ Molly shouted. Giggling, she started to get up. ‘Wasn’t that brilliant, Flame –’

‘Well if it isn’t that snotty little squirt who sprayed stuff all over me in class!’ said a voice. Shona Lamb stood there with her hands on her hips. She wore a smart pink ski jacket and fluffy
ear-muffs. ‘Listen to her talking to her kitten. As if it’s going to answer her!’

Molly’s tummy gave a horrid little lurch as she saw that Shona wasn’t alone. Alice and Jane, Shona’s mean older friends were with her.

Chapter
SIX

‘Now you’re for it!’ warned Shona, scooping up a big snowball.

‘Yeah!’ Jane said, bending down and making a snowball too.

‘Three on one isn’t fair!’ Molly said in a wobbly voice as she got to her feet. She quickly placed Flame on the sledge out of harm’s way. He stood there, tiny legs planted wide,
his fur and bushy tail bristling with fury.

‘Tough!’ Alice said, grinning nastily.

Molly’s mouth dried. Flame might want to help her, but he couldn’t use his magic without giving himself away. Narinder was at the bottom of the long slope.

She was on her own.

A snowball hit Molly on the arm, but the powdery snow broke and it didn’t really hurt. Another one landed on her back and then one hit her ear with a stinging blow. Molly hardly had time to make a snowball of her own and throw it, before she was hit again.

‘Ow!’ she cried as another snowball hit her neck and icy snow trickled inside her coat collar. ‘That’s enough now. You’ve paid me back,’ she said, trying hard not to cry.

‘Maybe she’s right,’ Shona said uncertainly. ‘Let’s go.’

‘No, wait! I haven’t finished with her yet!’ Jane had a mean hard look on her face. She was patting her gloved
hands together, making a snowball into a firm lump. Before Molly realized what she was going to do, Jane drew back her arm and aimed at Flame.

‘No!’ Molly screamed, throwing herself in front of him. The hard snowball smacked into her cheek with bruising force.

Molly gasped, stunned. Her cheek felt as if it was on fire and she felt sick and dizzy.

‘Now you’ve really hurt her!’ Shona said worriedly. ‘She’s gone all white and shaky!’

Jane and Alice exchanged glances. ‘Leg it!’ Jane said.

Shona came over to Molly. ‘Are you all right? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it to go so far,’ she said, biting her lip.

‘Just leave me alone,’ Molly murmured shakily.

As Shona ran after her friends, Molly’s legs gave way and she sank on to the snow. Flame scampered up to her in an instant. ‘Quick, Molly. Put me inside your coat,’ he mewed urgently.

Molly did so. As soon as Flame was hidden from sight, Molly heard a faint crackling as sparks ignited in his fur and there was a soft glow from inside her coat as Flame’s whiskers fizzed with power. The familiar warm tingling spread down her back and Molly felt a gentle prickling in her sore cheek. The pain drained away, just as if she had poured it down the sink.

‘That’s much better. Thanks, Flame,’ she whispered.

Flame touched her chin with his tiny cold nose. ‘You saved me from being badly hurt, Molly. You were very brave.’

Molly’s heart swelled with a surge of affection for him. ‘I’m not really. I just couldn’t bear to think of anything happening to you. I love having you for my friend. I hope you can stay with me forever.’

‘I will stay for as long as I can,’ Flame purred gently.

‘Molly! Are you all right?’ Narinder’s breath puffed out in the cold air as she came panting up the slope. ‘I feel awful. I saw those bullies setting on you, but I couldn’t get to you quickly enough to help.’

Molly grinned. ‘Don’t worry about it, ’Rinder, it’s hard to run uphill in the
snow. Anyway, I’m OK. And I reckon they’ll leave me alone now they’ve had their own back. Come on, let’s go back up. I’m definitely going to beat you to the bottom this time!’