It’s very likely that you’ve visited Trouble-On-Sea. In the summer you probably sat lounging in your room, or out with your family eating ice-cream, whilst digging holes and building castles. I bet you also stayed at the Grand Dragon Hotel. You definitely had a picnic, though everybody has had a picnic as long as people have been coming, (which they have for a long long time). Your grandparents might have come with you lounging the whole holiday, and at first you were groaning, but then you found out they brought snacks!

Well, either way you haven’t been here at winter when the ice-cream vans have gone, the hotel is empty and when it gets to that time of winter, and you can often hear unexplained sounds from the water’s edge. The water is chilly and frozen at that time of year. But do you want to know the most creepy thing? I’ll save it for later. So you have probably been to Dandelion cafe well, if you want to come back and visit you’ll have to wait for next year as you will find…

My name is Eloise Cole Browne (with an E), but most people call me Emma. I live in the Grand-Dragon-Hotel as one of the many, many receptionists. My job is busy, but I love it. I register the visitors, and write down visitors’ comments in the book of comments. But the hardest job of all, is to check the rooms to find lost things to give to Herbet Lemon. There are 500 rooms. I have friends everywhere. Ms S who owns the croissant kiosk, the owner of the museum John (nobody knows his second name not even himself!) And last of all the Doctor. In my room (the Attic) There is a heater and an old bed, and books on how to be a good receptionist. Oh, and a giant lost trunk. The reason it is here and not in the cellar, is because Herby’s room (the cellar) is full, I have heard strange tales about Herby hiding a strange girl in his room. But I don’t believe them. Did I forget to mention there is a big window about my size that is how I get in and out?

All of a sudden, a banging on the window makes me jump. A scruffy face appears at the window, and at first I think he is a monster like from the legends. Then I see the head is attached to a body. Making me jump again, he whispers “Hide me!” I quickly open the window and he falls through. Hearing clattering and shouting in the hotel, I know something is wrong. To save me and my job, I stuff the boy and his black hair in the trunk and slam it shut.

Before we continue, I need to tell you the legend of the catamander. This is the creepy thing I was going to tell you, but I have decided to tell it now. Apparently, a local creature, the catamander, is spotted during it’s winter holiday to Trouble-on-sea. But when it did, and still does, tales endure the village of missing children, cow’s bones and rising tides. Tales tell of the kid stroking it’s fur as soft as the clouds. But what they didn’t know is that when they stroke it, they will be under its control forever! It roams the streets at night hunting for its prey.​ It is also supposed to have an egg, to be a wishing egg. Some think that it came and still comes ashore looking for its lost child but it is really looking for its child. Its lost child. Its lost child is famed to glow a unique colour of magenta it was also often mistaken for an Alien. Some said it only arises from its underwater lair when a storm is upon us. The lightning strutting across the sky. The waves thrashing. But it only truly comes ashore to find its child.

The Boy talks to my from inside the trunk he seems to have found the hole and he says the most unlikely thing “By the way my name is Frankie Lime”.