Chapter 4

Dreaming, Jessy heard a soft ghostly voice. Calling, calling her to come closer and closer shouting something but her voice faded into the darkness. Jessy started to run, run across an empty beach towards the ghostly figure. It was her mum, she was sure of it, but as Jessy got closer the figure faded away. Eight long years had passed but still Jessy could not believe that all she could remember was a faded blurred figure. Jessy felt apart of her life was gone forever.

Jessy woke with a start. Morning sunlight flooded through the rather large slats of the wooden barn. Jack was curled up on some hay but Lightcourse was awake cleaning his muddy fur. He paused mid-action and stared up at Jessy, his hazel eyes glinting in the sunlight. Jessy rolled her eyes and crawled over, reaching for the rusty key on his back, turning it until there was a click and he said “That’s better, time to get going! Let’s get back what is rightfully yours. I saw that scallywag only ten minutes ago preparing your fathers airship! Get up lazybones we don’t have all day!” Jessy started mouth open” But I thought his airship was….” Lightcourse stopped her.

“Oi, I was having a jolly good dream!” protested Jack. Stretching, Jack rubbed his eyes and jumped up. Seconds later, the gang of unlikely musketeers where hoisting each other up the garden wall where Jessy’s dad airship was tethered. The engine roared and the balloon was filling rapidly. They watched the professor carry a small box on board. As he made is way back to Woodcote Manor, Lightcourse readied himself ” Here we go!” cried Lightcourse.

Scampering across the field Lightcourse shouted “Come on then, he will be back any second!” The children caught up with Lightcourse who was already inside, it was Jack who unlocked the door and bounded in first. Luckily the locket was safe in a little box nearby.

“Thieves, Pocket-pinchers!” Shouted the professor, rushing towards dad’s airship the Rambo, he was running exceptionally fast for a man his age. Without a second thought, Jessy, grabbed the ships wheel and threw the ropes over board. Within seconds, the airship rose off the ground, into the crisp winter air. The three musketeers watched as the professor stomped his foot and cried insults at them.

They heard some banging and muffled shouts from behind some boxes and there they found Leo Harkness trussed up like a turkey. Jessy cut his ropes and Leo hugged her close but only for a moment as the Rambo was getting higher and higher, “Come on then!” he exclaimed clambering back to the wheel and taking control of the ship “We will put some distance between s and that scallywag! Then find a place to land, then we can hand that scoundrel in!”

Jessy and Jack stood on deck gazing into the wonderful winter sky, tiny houses dotted the edges of fields that now look like a quilt to keep the world warm, roads ran round like a ribbon wrapping the world like a present. Jack grinned at Jessy as she zipped up her coat. A few snow flakes began to fall as the sun began to set. It would soon be Christmas and least she was with her beloved dad.