Amelia Fang and the Memory Thief. Laura Ellen Anderson

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СКАЧАТЬ much dancing, singing and pumpkin

      juggling, Amelia and her friends could have

      done with a little bit more sleep.

      From across the graveyard came the rattling

      sound of the Catacomb Academy welcome

      bones.

      ‘C’MON, FANG,’ said Florence to Amelia

      affectionately. ‘I’M SURE A BIT OF BORING

      OL’ SCHOOL WILL ’ELP CHEER YOU UP!’

      Amelia couldn’t help but chuckle. ‘Squashy,

      you can stay out here in the graveyard and

      play with Pumpy while we’re at school.’ She

      gave the little pumpkin a pat on the stalk.

      Squashy pa-doinged once and blew a

      raspberry at Pumpy. Pumpy responded by

      puffing his six-pack chest out at Squashy.

      ‘You two need to learn to be friends,’ Amelia

      said kindly. ‘I hope you are by the time

      school finishes.’

      Amelia would usually sneak Squashy into

      class with her, but she felt having a pumpkin buddy would be good for him. It didn’t stop her from missing Squashy every second they were apart, though. Luckily, Amelia had lots of new school subjects to focus on and keep

       her mind occupied.

      Since the Kingdom of the Dark and the Kingdom of the Light had become friends, Catacomb Academy had introduced a variety of new Kingdom of the Light themed lessons, to educate the Creatures of the Dark. Alongside Pumpkinology and Slime Skills, Amelia and her friends now also studied

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      Angel-Kitten Singing, Cloud Crafts, Glitterology

      and History of the Bug Blossoms.

      ‘Good evening, class,’ said the headmistress,

      Miss Inspine, as the students settled on to their

      plinths. ‘Firstly, I’d like to welcome the fairy

      exchange students from the Kingdom of the

      Light. I appreciate you may be a little sleepy

      while you get used to the time difference,’ said

      Miss Inspine, addressing the fairies.

      Five fairies of varying sizes waved shyly

      from the back of the classroom, not looking

      remotely alarmed that their new headmistress

      was a skeleton. One teeny weeny fairy with a

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      puffy dress had fallen asleep

      inside a test tube and was

      snoring loudly.

      ‘Now class, you may remember I asked

      you all to put together a presentation on a

      subject of your choosing, to introduce

      our visitors to the Kingdom of the

      Dark,’ Miss Inspine continued.

      ‘Tangine, I believe you’re up

      first – what is the title of your

      presentation?’

      Tangine stood up and

      strutted to the front of the

      classroom.

      ‘May I present to

      you, MY LIFE . . . IN

      SONG,’ said Tangine

      straightening his bow tie.

      Amelia, Florence and

      Grimaldi looked at each

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      other wide-eyed, trying not to laugh.

      ‘Um . . .’ began Miss Inspine. But before she could continue, Tangine bellowed:

      ‘FELLOW CLASSMATES AND FAIRIES FROM AFAR!’

      ‘Oh, he’s actually doing this . . .’ said

       Amelia, a little surprised. She’d never heard

      Tangine attempt to sing before.

      ‘Thiiiiiis story of sadness, this tale of delight . . .

      Is one of the Creatures of Dark and of Liiiiiight.

      For both lived in fear of the other for years,

      Led by stories of beasts—’

      ‘I AM NOT A BEAST!’ Florence blurted out, causing the snoring fairy in the test tube to

       wake with a start.

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      Tangine glared.

      ‘UH, SORRY . . . NEVER MIND,’ said

      Florence sheepishly.

      Clearing his throat, Tangine continued

      theatrically.

      ‘. . . led by stories of beasts and unicorn tears!

      Two Kingdoms divided by terror and lies, But soon they’d be in for a pleasant surpriiiiise! One twilight, the King of Nocturnia met, A fairy?! Oh dear! But she was not a threat . . . She was kind, a true beauty, the love of his life, And this fairy became King Vladimir’s wiiiiiife!’

      ‘Wow,’ Amelia whispered to her friends. ‘He’s

      actually really good!’

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      ‘And soon baby Tangine was born . . .

       Yes, that’s MEEEEE!

      The most handsome baby you ever did see. With the fangs of a vampire, but fairy wings too?! Nobody could find out – who knows what they’d do?

      Then СКАЧАТЬ