Outside, trees danced and flew off the surface. Inside, Daisy limped across the building, trying to stay away from the door. Piles of rubble lay on the floor, wooden crates were stacked up against the walls and pieces of metal were laying on the ground. To her panic, she couldn’t hide anywhere. She was stuck!

Following her was the unknown man, holding a long tube of iron that shimmered radiantly. Daisy froze…but then, something glowed, it shone as bright as a glowworm. Floating above was a pair of fiery wings and a golden beak. Whatever was there, it wanted to help Daisy.

It was enormous. Enormous and scarlet. Daisy noticed she was under an actual phoenix! She couldn’t believe it. It flapped its feathery wings and screeched. Then, the man sprinted out of the building. Daisy took a step forwards, very curious.  

The phoenix dropped down on the floor, wheezing. Blood dripped from her wing. Daisy had never seen a creature so wounded. She could hear her heartbeat pumping and she saw her feathers twitching.

They both gazed at each other, surprised. Daisy felt like she was dreaming, she thought that this was her imagination, a fantasy. She tried to disbelieve this. She smiled and stroked her head. The phoenix looked up and curled around Daisy. Then she cried a squawk of happiness. Her beak gleamed gold. Daisy thought the phoenix was in some pain.

Just then, the phoenix whispered. It was a sweet, soft voice that felt like they were above the clouds. It was a voice of sweets, sunshine and rainbows. “Please, help me,” she sobbed. “Help me find the portal.”

Daisy took a deep breath and nodded. She didn’t understand but she wanted to help this beautiful bird. “They will come again,” she explained, “so we have to go.”

Half an hour later, Daisy and the phoenix snook across the roads that led to Manchester Ghost Town. She knew this place well and she knew that no one came here. Rumour had it that ghosts lived here. (Well, it’s clear in the name) Daisy came here lots of times and watched the wildflowers grow. The phoenix slept in some bushes whilst Daisy was on the lookout.