Full Moon Meetings

Lucy peered around the corner and seeing that the coast was clear, motioned to Erin and Hayley behind her. The two girls ducked out, running low and quietly whilst Lucy kept her ears and eyes peeled for any sign of movement.

Erin and Hayley, locating and lifting the object they needed between them, made their way back the way they had come. Lucy was watching them come closer when she heard a cough. Everyone froze. The two girls carrying the heavy object made eye contact, both looking like white eyed horses about to go bolting. Lucy glanced at them, and made a short sharp motion with her hand, indicating for them to stay still. A rustle, coming from an area they hadn’t suspected, had someone hiding in it.

Lucy tiptoed forward until she could glance around the edge. She could see the back of someone, obviously preoccupied. She shot another look back at the girls who were still frozen in place, staring at her. She didn’t even think they were breathing. She waited a moment, watching the unexpected intruder. Coming to the conclusion that whoever it was, was deeply invested in whatever they were doing and unlikely to look up and spot them, she gave a small shooing motion to the waiting girls and they quietly and quickly moved on.

Lucy stayed where she was until they were safely out of sight and then backed up slowly and silently, slipping back around the corner. She leaned against the wall and breathed a sigh of relief.

Sneaking back into her bedroom, she found the other girls rolling around on the floor in quiet hysterics.

She looked down on them disapprovingly.

“That was close. To close. We need to be more careful”.

Hayley sat up abruptly. “What do you mean “we”? You’re the one who was supposed to be scouting - how come you didn’t see your mum in the pantry before you sent us out?”

“Well, I couldn’t see her from the doorway!”

Erin was still giggling into her hands. Lucy glared at her.

“Alright, we have everything don’t we? Let’s get to work! The sooner this is built, the sooner we can start our meeting.”

The two on the floor jumped into action, blankets coming off the bed, cushions and teddies flying. They had accumulated two of the kitchen table chairs, three couch cushions and scaled the linen press for extra sheets and blankets so they could build their hideout.

With Lucy as foreman the job was done quickly. They made one more foray out -into the study to steal a desk lamp - without being spotted.

When it was completed the three girls stood admiring their masterpiece. Lucy gave an approving nod and Hayley and Erin, knowing they were released from work for the time being, collapsed in a heap on the bed of cushions covering the floor of the fort.

“Alright, let’s get this meeting started. And make sure we keep quite in case anyone comes past.” Lucy said in a loud whisper.

Hayley rolled her eyes and Erin let out one small giggle before falling quiet and sitting up straight, watching Lucy expectantly, who had gathered some papers and was shuffling them importantly.

“Welcome to the Full Moon Meeting of the Neptune Mermaid Club” she said and made eye contact with them both for dramatic effect.

“You should both know by now how serious this is – this full moon is a super moon. This means the monster is at is strongest and it will nearly definitely attack us. I know that I am safe here in my house because it’s to the north but both of your houses are to the west so we must come up with a plan of defence and then one for attack!”

Erin looked sideways at Hayley to see if she would roll her eyes again, but Erin was looking at Lucy with wide eyed grim determination. Hayley’s eyes snapped back to Lucy.

“First you’ll need safe places to stay, so we’ll need to build forts at both your houses. Do you think you’ll be able to find enough supplies to build forts as good as this one? I won’t be there to watch, and they have to be strong.”

Erin looked as if she was doing some quick calculations in her head, counting available cushions and blankets and Hayley nodded seriously.

“Now, even more important than your forts, we must plug all water sources in our houses. The ones closest to our bedrooms are the most important. No one else should be attacked, the monsters are only after us – because we’re the mermaids” she ended in a whisper. Her audience of two nodded seriously.

“When you plug everything up you need to make sure that no one see’s you doing it, so they don’t unplug it again. Hayley your brother and sister will definitely tell on you if they see, so make sure they don’t follow you. It’s going to be tricky, but we’re going to have to succeed or we’re all in trouble! We can’t risk the monster getting stronger!”

Erin raised her hand and Lucy nodded to her as permission to speak.

“So the monster will come through the drains?”

“Yes. It has to stay in contact with water as long as it can to be at full strength.”

Lucy’s mother Dani, who was walking past the bedroom glanced inside. She sighed at the chaos. The three girls were hidden under a fort made of anything they could drag in – chairs from the dining room, blankets, pillows, couch cushions. She didn’t even know how they had gotten the broom and mop down from the cupboard to make the roof. She hadn’t even heard them.

It was quite impressive really.

Hearing Hayley ask “What do we use to block the taps and plug holes?” from within the fort, she moved down the hall shaking her head.

A full moon. Time to call the parents and prepare them to check all the spouts.