A Home for Molly Read online

  Now, she was desperate to get down there and try it out. It just seemed to be taking forever for Mum and Dad to finish sorting out the picnic and Jessie’s things. Anya had run around finding all of her sister’s toys and muslins, but now Jessie needed her nappy changing.

  Eventually, Dad lifted the pushchair over the front step and they set off along the clifftop path to the beach.

  “Looking forward to trying out your bodyboard?” he asked, watching Anya admire the dolphins again as she carried it along.

  “It’s going to be brilliant,” Anya told him, as she tried to squash down the thought that it would be even more fun with a friend. Still, she had Dad to swim with, which was going to be fun, too. He often worked really late, so Anya didn’t see him that much except on weekends and during the holidays.

  As soon as Dad had helped spread out the picnic blanket and unload all their picnic stuff, he and Anya picked their way over the pebbles and sand down to the sea. It was a beautiful hot day and the water was calm.

  “The sea is really blue today,” Anya said, sounding surprised. “Yesterday it was sort of browny-green.”

  “Maybe it’s reflecting the sky,” Dad suggested. “Are you ready for this, Anya?” He grinned at her. “You don’t want to back out?”

  “No!” Anya glared at him. “Although it does look a bit cold,” she admitted.

  Dad tested the water with one foot. “Ugh. Make that very cold.”

  “Go on!” Mum called. She was standing further up the beach next to Jessie, holding up her phone to take a picture. “It’ll be nice and warm when you get in.”

  Dad sighed. “That’s because we’ll be so numb with cold we won’t be able to feel it! Come on, Anya – let’s run.” He grabbed Anya’s hand and they dashed into the water. It was cold. Freezing. But Mum was right. After a couple of minutes, it really didn’t feel cold at all.

  They had the best morning splashing around with the bodyboard, Dad swimming along towing Anya behind him, and jumping in and out of the waves. Then Dad helped Anya build a sandcastle that was even bigger than the one she and Rachel and the others had made the day before.

  After lunch, Jessie was fussing and a bit grizzly so Mum and Dad took it in turns to play with her and carry her up and down the beach, trying to persuade her she wanted a nap. She didn’t, though. She kept on crying, and Anya knew there was no use asking Dad if he wanted to go in the sea again. She lay on her front on the sun-warmed pebbles, reading her book.

  By about three o’clock, Mum was starting to look really anxious. Even Anya was feeling worried – her little sister looked so miserable. “Mum, should we go back to the cottage?” she suggested, looking at Jessie’s scarlet cheeks. “Maybe Jessie just doesn’t want to sleep in her pushchair? If we went back you could put her down in the travel cot and she might feel better.”

  “Would you mind?” Mum asked, looking at Anya gratefully. “I don’t want to spoil your beach day, Anya. We’ve only got a week here. Maybe Dad could stay with you and I’ll take Jessie back.”

  “I’d rather come with you,” Anya said, with one quick wistful glance at the sea. “I’ve got that bead jewellery kit Nana bought me for the holidays, I’d like to do some of that. And anyway, I think it’s going to rain.” She didn’t really – there was only one tiny cloud in the sky – but she wanted to make Mum feel better.

  They started to pack up, folding the rug and gathering all their bits and pieces together. As they were walking along the promenade to the cliff path, Anya stopped for a last look at the sea. It’ll still be there tomorrow, she told herself. And I bet Jessie will feel better by then. Maybe Mum will go in the sea with me. Rachel might be back on the beach, too. She was just about to turn round and run after her mum and dad, when she saw a dog – a little golden, curly-haired dog, trotting along the promenade a short way behind her.

  “That looks just like Molly,” Anya muttered to herself, squinting thoughtfully at the little dog. “But it can’t be. I haven’t seen Rachel and the others. And I did look all the way down the beach when we arrived.”

  “Anya! Come on!” Dad called, waving to her.

  Anya turned to wave back. “Coming!” she answered. But then she looked at the dog again. She was almost certain it was Molly – the dark eyes were just the same and the messy curls around her muzzle and ears. “It is her! Molly, what are you doing here on your own?” Even if she had just missed Rachel’s family and they were here after all, Molly was too far away from them now. Had she run off?

  “They should keep you on a lead,” Anya murmured worriedly. She glanced over at Dad, who was starting to look a bit cross. She’d have to go and explain. Anya dashed along the promenade to where he was waiting at the bottom of the path. Mum had already set off with the pushchair.

  “Come on, sweetheart. We really need to get home. Mum wants to give Jessie some Calpol – she thinks she’s got a tooth coming through.”

  “Dad, can we stop? I just saw Molly – you know, Rachel’s dog? She’s back there and Rachel’s not here. I think Molly’s lost.”

  Dad glanced worriedly up the path. “Are you sure, Anya? This isn’t a good time to stop…”

  “I know! But I’m really worried. What if something happens to her? If she goes up the path she could end up on the road.”

  Dad sighed. “All right. You go and see if you can get her to come to you. I’ll text your mum and tell her what’s happening.”

  Anya dropped her bag of swimming things and raced back through the people wandering along the promenade.

  “Molly! Molly!” she cried, looking around for the golden puppy. “She was just here,” she murmured, looking at a blue and white painted beach hut. “I’m sure she was just going past this one.”

  But there was no little dog to be seen and Molly didn’t come when Anya called.

  “Did you find her?” Dad asked, catching up with Anya.

  “No!” she said anxiously. “And I’m sure it was Molly, Dad, I really am. What will I say to Rachel, Zach and Lily? I should have gone after her at once.”

  “They’re probably further down the beach somewhere and she’s gone back to them,” Dad said soothingly. “Don’t panic, Anya.”

  “But they’re not here,” Anya explained, trying not to let her voice wobble. “I’ve looked. And their mum said they were probably going to an adventure park today. They must have left Molly behind at their cottage and she’s slipped out somehow. I don’t know what to do!”

  “Well, at the moment, there isn’t anything we can do. Besides, you might just have mistaken another dog for Molly. There are a lot of dogs on the beach – it’s one of the nice things about Saltmere. I mean, look. That little spaniel over there seems quite like the dog you were playing with yesterday.”

  Anya looked over eagerly to where Dad was pointing, hoping that he’d spotted Molly. But it wasn’t – the spaniel was cute and curly eared, but it had much darker fur than the golden-haired puppy, and it wasn’t all frizzy and curly.

  “She’s just disappeared,” Anya said sadly. “Oh, Molly, where are you?”

  Molly pattered along the seafront, sniffing for food. A little boy had given her half a sandwich at lunchtime, but then his mum had told him off and shooed her away. Half a sandwich was not enough to fill her up and now she felt empty and miserable.

  There was a delicious smell coming from somewhere up ahead – so good that Molly couldn’t stop her tail wagging in delight. She hurried along, sniffing hopefully and trying to work out where the food was.

  A family were sitting outside one of the beach huts, eating their fish and chip dinner out of the paper. It smelled so good that Molly felt herself begin to dribble a little. She crept up closer, her tail trembling from side to side in a shy wag. She sat down next to a girl who was sitting in a canvas chair and looked up at her. She glanced between the girl and the chips, her dark brown eyes pleading. Please can I have some?

  The girl giggled, peeked over at her mum and dad to check they weren’
t looking and sneaked Molly a chip.

  “You’re so cute,” she whispered. “I bet you’re not allowed those though. Where’s your owner gone? Did you slip your lead?” she added, giving Molly another chip.

  “Is that a dog, Ella?” her mum called over.

  “Yes, look, isn’t she lovely?”

  “I hope you’re not feeding her!”

  “Oh no, course I’m not.” Ella grinned down at Molly. “Our secret,” she whispered. “But they’ll see if I give you any more, sorry.”

  Suddenly, there was a wild flurry of barking and a big golden Labrador surged out from under one of the chairs, almost overturning the man who was sitting in it. He yelled loudly, and Molly backed away in horror, turning tail and running as the huge Labrador raced after her. He was much bigger than she was and his legs were a lot longer, too. Even though he’d got caught up in all the chairs, he was soon right on her tail, barking and growling furiously. She had been bothering his people.

  Molly raced along the promenade as fast as she could, but she didn’t have very much energy – not like the Labrador, who was fit and well fed. He caught her, knocking her down with one of his massive paws and rolling her on the concrete. He stood over her, growling and showing his massive teeth, and Molly whimpered with fear, her paws in the air, trying to show that she wouldn’t fight. She was sorry – he was in charge.

  “George! Get off!” The man who’d nearly been tipped over and the nice girl came racing up.

  “Get off that poor little dog!” the girl shrieked.

  “Bad dog, George!” The man grabbed George’s collar and dragged him away from Molly.

  “Awww, she’s so scared, poor little thing,” the girl said, crouching down by Molly. “Where’s your owner, hey? We’d better go and take you back and say sorry that George chased you.”

  “I’m not sure she’s got an owner,” the man said, still trying to hold George back. The big dog was growling and trying to lunge at Molly. “George, stop it! No!” he said firmly, and George edged away, with muttery growls. “I think I saw her the other day by the ice-cream kiosk. Maybe she’s a stray? But she’s such a nice little dog. I’d be surprised if people weren’t looking for her.”

  Molly peered sideways at the big Labrador and realized that he wasn’t about to chase her again. She sprang up, trembling, and backed away, step by step.

  “Oh no, come back!” the girl cried. “We need to find out who you belong to!”

  But Molly was already gone. As soon as she’d got far enough from George, she whipped round and ran away down the promenade, darting behind a row of beach huts so that she was hidden. She could hear the girl calling behind her, but that big dog was there, too. She couldn’t go back.

  Anya sat at the kitchen table with her bead kit, listening to Jessie fussing upstairs and worrying about the puppy.

  “Oh no,” she muttered, looking at the bracelet she was threading.

  She’d done it wrong again – for about the third time. She just couldn’t concentrate. Anya was sure it had been Molly she’d seen on the beach. She kept wondering if the little dog had got home yet. Maybe Rachel and her family were out looking for her – if only she could go and tell them where she’d last seen Molly, it might help. But she didn’t even know where Rachel’s holiday cottage was.

  Anya stood up and went over to the window. At least it was still light. The only time that she remembered being lost herself was a few years before, when she had been Christmas shopping with Mum. She had stopped to look at a beautiful window display, with a toy Father Christmas that waved. She had been transfixed – and then she’d turned round to point Father Christmas out and her mum had gone.

  It had been late afternoon and getting dark – just the right time to see all the sparkling Christmas lights, but the darkness had made Anya feel even more scared.

  Mum had found her, of course. She had only gone on a few steps up the street before she realized that Anya wasn’t right beside her any more. She’d come dashing back and scooped Anya up and hugged her. But Anya still remembered that panicked moment in the dark when she thought that she was lost forever. Now she wondered if Molly was feeling the same way.

  She turned round from the window and marched determinedly up the stairs. Mum and Dad were trying to give Jessie some Calpol, but she kept spitting it out.

  “Oh, hello, love.” Mum looked up at her worriedly. “Are you all right, Anya? Do you want to grab an apple, or some cheese biscuits, or something? I’m really sorry – we haven’t even started making dinner yet. It’s going to be a while.”

  “It’s OK, Mum, I’m not hungry. I was just wondering if I could walk down to the beach and look at the sea? I won’t be long – it’s gone this beautiful blue colour and I want to see it closer.”

  Their cottage went straight out on to the path along the top of the cliff, so there were no roads to cross. Anya crossed her fingers hopefully behind her back. She hated lying to Mum and Dad, but she wasn’t really lying, she told herself. The sea was that lovely colour and she would look at it – it was just that she would be looking for a little curly-haired dog more. If she’d said that she was going out to search for Molly, she was pretty sure Dad would say no – he hadn’t been that pleased when she’d made him spend ages looking for her earlier on.

  “I’ll be back by the time you’ve got dinner on – or I could come back and help make it. Do you want me to turn the oven on, or anything?” Anya suggested.

  Dad sighed. “At this rate we’ll be heading out to the fish and chip shop, Anya. Don’t worry. Be back soon, all right? And no talking to strangers.”

  “I promise.” Anya nipped into her room to grab a cardigan and raced back downstairs and out of the door before they could change their minds.

  “Molly! Molly!”

  Molly was curled up under the beach huts, where she’d run after the huge Labrador had chased her. She had been so frightened that she felt shaky and for ages she couldn’t stop panting. Her tail was still tucked tightly between her legs and she had curled herself into the smallest ball she could, right at the back of the beach hut where it stood against the cliff wall. Exhausted, she’d fallen into an uneasy sleep, twitching as the big dog ran after her in her dreams.

  She woke up with a start, feeling puzzled. Was someone calling her? She was almost sure she’d heard her name. Her ears pricked up – as much as her frizzy, curly ears ever did – and she listened intently. But there was no one there. Molly sighed and turned around a few times on the dusty, sandy concrete, trying to go back to sleep. She would wait a while longer before she trotted down to her comfy hollow in the marram grass. She wanted to make sure that the Labrador really was gone.

  Molly laid her nose down on her paws and tried to ignore how hungry she felt – a few chips didn’t go far. She was just starting to snooze when she heard the voice again. She was sure this time. Someone was calling her name!

  Molly wriggled forward under the beach hut, until she could see out from behind the little steps at the front.

  Standing on the promenade was a girl – the girl she had played with on the beach, who had given her a biscuit!

  “Molly! Molly! Please come out!”

  Molly yelped and scrabbled her way from behind the steps, darting across the promenade to Anya.

  “Molly! You’re here, oh, it really is you! I was right.” Anya rubbed the excited little dog’s ears and laughed as Molly danced around her. “Oh, Molly, you’re so messy! Look, you’re all covered in sand and grot. I’m so glad I found you – I thought maybe I’d imagined it and it hadn’t been you I saw at all.” Then she stopped and frowned. “But it’s all very well finding you, Moll. We’ve still got to get you home and I don’t know where Rachel and the others are staying.” Anya sat down on the edge of the promenade with her feet in the sand and her arm round Molly.

  Molly licked Anya’s face, delighted that she could reach it properly now.

  “Uuugh, Molly!” Anya rubbed it off and gave the puppy a hug
. “All Rachel said was that your cottage was really close to the ice-cream shop – the same one where I got my bodyboard. She said it was great, because they were always going past it and if they all begged, her mum almost always said yes… So I suppose we’ll just have to go and have a look around there. Maybe we’ll see Rachel or Lily or Zach looking out of a window, or something.” She gazed down at Molly doubtfully. “I wish I had a lead for you, sweetheart. I don’t really want to take you over the road without holding on to you properly.” She shuddered at the thought of Molly dashing out in front of a car. “Mum and Dad make enough fuss about me crossing roads, even if they do let me walk most of the way home from school now.” She looked around, hoping for a bit of string or something that she could tie through Molly’s tatty collar.

  “Oh! Your collar! Maybe you’ve got Rachel’s mum or dad’s number on there. Let’s hope it’s a mobile…” She turned the collar round carefully, looking for the tag. Molly’s fur was matted underneath it and Anya bit her lip. She really liked Rachel’s family, but she didn’t think they were great at looking after Molly. The poor little dog needed a really good brush – probably a trim from a proper dog groomer, too. “No tag… It’s just got Molly woven on as part of the collar. That’s no good. Oh well, maybe the tag with the number came off.” Anya sighed. “Back to Plan A, then.” She was just looking at a heap of seaweed and wondering if she could twist it together to make a sort of rope, when she rolled her eyes. “I’m so stupid, Molly. My scarf!”

  Anya was wearing a pretty flowered bandanna that Mum had bought her to wear over her hair instead of a sunhat. She pulled it off and undid the knot, stretching it out. It wasn’t that long, but it would be OK if she bent down a bit.