Her room was still in semi darkness. She blinked as her grey-green eyes struggled to focus on her alarm clock. “Four fifteen,” she groaned. She lay in the half-light wondering what had woken her. Then suddenly she realised the necklace was beating a rhythm against her chest. Immediately she was properly awake and, resisting the urge to cheer, she leapt out of bed and hurriedly pulled on her clothes. Round her neck the dolphin charm continued to vibrate, then suddenly it began to whistle. Antonia’s hand brushed against it as she pulled on her T-shirt. The charm felt soft and slippery, just like a real dolphin. “I’m coming,” she whispered. “Spirit, I hear your call.” As she crept downstairs she wondered if she should leave a note for her mum and dad. They wouldn’t be awake this time in the morning; even Dad, who was a mechanic and often left early to open up his garage, didn’t get up until six. “Better to be safe than sorry,” she whispered as she veered into the kitchen to leave a note on the table.
