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Back The Lightning Catcher Save as PDF
Chapters (45)
  1. 1
  2. 2
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  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22
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  24. 24
  25. 25
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  28. 28
  29. 29
  30. 30
  31. 31
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  39. 39
  40. 40
  41. 41
  42. 42
  43. 43
  44. 44
  45. Acknowledgements

As we passed, the neon light over the shop flashed on for a second, then fizzed halfway between off and on before sputtering out again.

10

Malfunction

6.15 p.m.

It’s the evening and I’m still shivering, even though I’ve changed and I’m sitting at the kitchen table and the cooker’s going.

Lily went for me as soon as I got back here, while I was still sopping wet.

She grabbed me by the scruff of my soaking T-shirt and tried to drag me in to face Mum. I held on to the door frame with everything I had. Nothing would budge me, but Lily didn’t stop trying.

‘How can I be expected to look after things when Mum’s at work if you keep doing exactly the opposite of what you’re told?’ she said, yanking hard on every third word. ‘You’ve got zero respect for me.’

‘Lily, you’re in a total stress-out! You never used to get like this—’

She let go of me suddenly, and because I’d been pulling against her with all my strength, I went flying against the sideboard.

‘Ow! You—’

‘Hey, you two,’ Mum called from the kitchen. ‘What’s going on in there?’

‘It’s Alfie!’ Lily yelled.

‘It’s not, Mum!’ I shouted. ‘It’s Lily! She’s being tragic!’

Lily glared down at me. I couldn’t see even a shadow of the old Lily. She used to be fun. If anyone in the house was reading a newspaper, she’d put her head down and charge at it like a bull. How long has it been since I saw her do that?

‘You can’t have your own way the whole time just because you’ve been bullied,’ I said to her, getting up slowly and rubbing my bashed elbow. ‘Anyway, you owe me.’

‘Pretty sure I do not.’

‘We all had to move here for your benefit. I wasn’t even asked. And now you’re not one bit grateful.’

She gave me another killer death glare and said, ‘Don’t be so ignorant! How would you like it if you could hardly swallow anything? You just gobble up everything in sight without even thinking about it.’

‘Why should I think? It’s only eating.’

‘Oh you utter, utter piece of wastage,’ she said, and lunged for me again.

Before Lily had her trouble, rowing meant secretly throwing each other’s things out of the bedroom windows, or pouring each other’s drinks away, or just a quick shouting match. But since, our rows have been more spectacular. She pulls and tugs and slaps. Dad says it’s like someone’s turned her into a human firework.