Voices in Stone - Emily Diamand Page 0,4
gates. Wait until they can’t see me. That’s when it would be safe to cry.
On the other side of the fence she could see a little girl peering through the black metal bars. As soon as she saw Isis, Angel shot through the fence, the iron sliding straight through her blonde fluff-curls and pink dress. She hopped from foot to foot, waving at Isis.
“I did waiting!” Angel shouted. “I did waiting all day!”
Isis smiled even as she tried not to cry. She held her arm so it looked as if her hand was just hanging at her side, and small invisible fingers slipped into hers.
Isis walked home alone, holding her sister’s hand.
Chapter Two
Isis
When Isis came in through the door of their flat, Cally was waiting for her, rushing out of the kitchen to greet her with a kiss.
“How was your first day back at school?” she asked.
Isis shrugged, dropping her bag by the door. Angel hopped her way to the living room. “I waited, I waited, I waited waited waited,” she sang soundlessly, clambering onto the sofa and disappearing inside one of the cushions.
“Did you make any new friends?” Cally asked. “Is there anyone you’d like to invite round for tea?”
Isis stayed motionless, close to tears. But her mum only smiled, looking eager; she didn’t know what had happened at school and Isis could see she was trying to make an effort.
Isis shook her head, following Angel towards the living room.
“I just want to watch a bit of TV,” she said, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice.
“Peppa Pig!” squeaked a voice from inside the cushion.
“You must be tired,” said Cally. “Do you want a drink? Apple juice? Orange juice?”
Isis turned back to her mum. “Have we got those?”
Cally nodded. “I bought them when you were out. I know it’s a bit extravagant, but first day back and everything!” She headed for the kitchen and Isis followed in surprise. On the kitchen table was a plate piled with biscuits, and an empty glass, waiting for her.
“I told you,” said Cally. “Things are going to be different now.”
Isis picked up a chocolate digestive, while Cally poured her an orange juice. Isis felt a tiny bit better. She was safe here, and Cally was making good on the promise she’d made in hospital.
“I did something else while you were at school,” said Cally.
“What?”
A smile crept onto Cally’s lips. “I got a job!”
Isis stopped eating, a biscuit halfway to her mouth.
Cally laughed. “Really! A real job!”
“But what about your psychic readings, your performances?”
Cally’s smile became a wince. “I’m not doing any more of them. I’ve… come to my senses about all of that. You probably didn’t realise this, but some of the people in the Welkin Society weren’t very trustworthy. And I think Philip Syndal was–” she frowned a little–, “well, not a mentally stable person.”
Isis almost laughed. Her mum didn’t know the half of it.
Cally turned the kettle on. “Like I said in the hospital, I’ve realised it wasn’t healthy for you to be surrounded by talk of ghosts. We need to move on, don’t we?”
In the living room, Angel was singing. “I waited, I waited. I did waiting all day.”
“What job have you got?” asked Isis, beginning to hope. This might change everything – her mum would be out working, not depressed in their flat, they’d have money at last, and there’d be no more hanging around community centres while her mum tried to make a career as a stage psychic despite not being able to see ghosts.
“Well, it’s wonderful,” said Cally. “I’m sure a higher power must have guided me there. I only popped into Crystal Healing to get a small rose quartz, but I got talking to Constance and she told me she’s just opened a new treatment room at the back. She needs someone to mind the shop when she’s doing her healing sessions.” Cally beamed. “It’s only part-time to start with, but Constance has such a powerful aura, I’m sure she’ll be fully booked in no time.”
Isis put down her half-eaten biscuit. “You’re working at Crystal Healing?”
Cally nodded. “Isn’t that great?”
“They sell incense, and packs of tarot cards.”
“And crystals, and healing bells, and a wonderful selection of books.”
“I thought you meant you’d got a job in a supermarket or something,” said Isis.
Cally laughed. “I would hate to work in a supermarket, you know that.”
“But why do you have to work at Crystal Healing?” Isis didn’t mean to wail, but that’s how it came out. Maybe