Woman’s Weekly UK – 06 August 2019

womansweekly.com 21

Continued overleaf

Oneday,she

vowed,oneday,

itwouldbehers

Toliveinthatspecialplacehad

beenherlifelongambition,but

would she fall at the final hurdle?

S

eethathouseupthere

onthemountain?It’s

goingtobemineone

day,’Mandysaidtoher

friendsJillandRosieas

thethreeofthemsaton

thewallat theedgeofthe

schoolplayground.

Theschoolwassurrounded

byhillsandonthehighest,

facingwest,stooda lilac

housein themidstof forestry.

Mandywouldoftengaze

upat it andwonderif it

wouldeverbepossible

to makea tripthere.

‘No,it’snot.It’sgoingto

bemine!’Anall-toofamiliar

andunwelcomevoice burst

in andMandy

lookedup

to seethe

freckledand

curlyhaired

AlanShort.

AlanShortenjoyed

baitingMandy,butwhat

hadsheeverdoneto him?

Anythingshesaid,hewould

contradict.Sometimesonthe

wayhomefromschoolhe’d

tryto tripheruporpullher

hair.Maybehewasjealous

becauseshewasat thetop

of theclassandhewas

sogeeky.Onedayhe’d

overheardhersayingshe’d

seena clumpof bluebells

growingonherwayto

schoolandwasgoingto pick

themforhermotheronthe

wayhomeandhe’ddelighted

in gettingtherefirst, waiting

for her, then waving the

bluebellstriumphantly.He

wasa nastypieceof work.

‘I saw it first,’Mandy

said.‘Go and find your

ownplace.’

‘No,it’sgoingto bemine,’

hesaid.‘I’vebeenthere.’

‘You’relying,’Mandysaid

astonished.‘It’stoofaraway.’

Hesmirked.‘I’mgoing

upthere,’hesaid as he

walkedaway.

‘Weshouldgoupthere,’

Mandysaidto RosieandJill.

‘Ourparentswould

neverletusgothat far,’

Jillprotested.

‘Theydon’thaveto know

about it. We’llmakean

expedition

of it.’

Mandy

lookedup

at thehouse

again.It was

a longwayaway,benignly

watchingovertheplayground,

thelilaccolourchanging

to a warmmauveasthe

suntravelledacrossthe

sky.Oneday,shevowed,

onedayit wouldbehers.

Shewasgoingto show

that AlanShort.

✿✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿

‘Alan’sgoingonSaturday!’

Rosieannouncedassheset

herlunchtraydownonthe

tableandslippedintothe

seatnextto Mandy’s.

‘Goingwhere?’Mandy

sippedjuicefromhercarton.

‘Upto thelilachouse.I

overheard him, Mark and Ian

planningit. Theysaidthey’re

goingto staketheirclaim,to

leavesomesort of flag there.’

Mandyglancedacross

to theothersideof the

canteenwherethethree

boyssat,huddledtogether

likeconspirators.

‘Noway.We can’t let

themdoit.’

‘Whatcanwedoto stop

them?’Jillshrugged.

‘We’llget therefirst.’

Jilllookedworried,but

Rosiepunchedtheairwitha

‘Yay!’,andalthoughMandy

feltnervousaboutventuring

sofar,shecertainlywasn’t

goingto letAlanShortget

the betterof herthistime.

✿✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿

OnSaturdaymorningthe

threeof themmetoutside

the villagepost office,all

withrucksacksontheir

backs.Mandyunfurledthe

flag she’dmade.‘Ha! Ha!

Ha! Got here first!’she’d

writtenonit, alongwith

theirnamesunderneath.

‘Whereareyougoingto

putthat?’Jilldemanded.

‘Somebodylivesthere.’

‘We’llfind a place,’Mandy

muttered,a little deflated.

‘Come on, let’s go.’

Theysetoffdowntheroad

thatledto thebridgeover

theriveroutof thevillage,

singingastheywent.The

sunwasalreadywarmand

it feltlikea greatadventure.

Aftera mile,theroadcurved

awayat thebaseof the

forestedmountaintaking

trafficinto the townseven

milesaway,anda narrow

laneveeredoffupthehill.

‘Look!’Rosiesuddenly

cried.Mandystoppedand

lookedbackto seeAlan,

MarkandIanrunningalong

theroadbehindthem.

‘They’veseenus!’

‘Quick,run!’Mandycried.

‘They’regoingto catchus

up.They’refasterthan us,’

Jillpointedout.

Mandybitherlipasshe

triedto thinkof whatto do.

Therewasnowayshewas

goingto letAlanShortbeat

her.‘We’llforgetthelane

andgothroughthetrees,’

shesaid.‘Followme.’

It wasthemostdirectroute

yet filledwith obstacles.

Mandyploughedon

regardless,trustingthegirls

were behind her, batting

The Lilac

HOUSE

SHORT STORY