Everyone knows fairies can't fly 4/9

The next day at breakfast time, Dave was describing the way in which Fern had learned to fly properly. Jennifer Jane was beginning have doubts as to whether or not he should have taught her the spell.

“I don’t see why not,” replied her dad, “it’s not as if she was an ordinary human living in this world, so I haven’t done anything the witches told us we shouldn’t. I suggest that we all go there again today and ask her for another flying display; it’s something really worth seeing. It makes my poor efforts look really amateurish!”

After arriving at the Witches’ Home, they all collected their wings from Robert’s workshop and flapped vigorously along to the timber yard, before landing at the quayside. The Davy Jones coaster was still moored where Dave remembered, but there was no sign of Fern. Dave called up to the watchman asking if she was aboard.

“No afraid not, she reckoned parts of her that she wouldn’t tell us about, ached so much after yesterday that she’s gone off somewhere for a day’s rest! She hoped to be back tomorrow and if we’re lucky I hope she’ll give us another display. She’s a lot better than you lot isn’t she?” he added with a laugh.

So once again the following morning, the whole Bell family trooped off to Wilfred’s pool for yet another trip hoping to see Fern flying. Dave headed down stream, but the lugger seemed to be taking rather longer than usual to reach the fog.

Something’s not right today,” he said after sailing for half a mile, “we should have reached the fog by now and there’s no sign of it anywhere. I hope I didn’t upset the witches when I taught Fern that spell. Somebody try some simple magic to check if everything’s alright.”

Jennifer Jane produced a chocolate Swiss roll, while Mary made herself lighter and then returned to her normal weight perfectly successfully. Then Dave let Mary steer while he tried a spell that was also perfectly normal.

“Well whatever has gone wrong there’s no way we’ll sail to the Witches’ Home today. We’ll just have to go home until we can find out why the travel fog has disappeared.”

“There is another way,” said Jennifer Jane, “let’s go to the wishing clearing and make a wish, someone should send us a cloud, or at the very worst a gust of wind to take us where we want to go.”

Half an hour later she gave up trying. She’d tried saying ‘please’ and ‘would you mind taking all of us?’ But nothing had happened.

“It looks as if something might have gone wrong at the Wish Warehouse,” she said. “I can’t think of another way to get to the Witches’ Home, unless Abigail comes here by magic to tell us what’s gone wrong!”

They all turned and began to walk back home.

“Ah here you all are!” called a cheery voice as they rounded a bend in the path. “I saw you go out this morning and tried to follow you but somehow I couldn’t find you amongst all these twisty paths!”

Jennifer Jane was sure she heard a quietly satisfied chuckle coming from behind a nearby bush, as Eve made this statement.

“If you happen to be going to Lurbridge this morning I wonder if you would mind taking Adam and myself. We thought a nice long walk in the fresh air would do us both good and you could also point out how we should avoid some of those dangers that Abigail warned us about, that is if you can spare the time.”

“I’m sorry,” said Dave, “but we can’t get there ourselves at the moment, the travel arrangements seem to have stopped working. Until we can find out what’s going on we don’t know how to get to Lurbridge ourselves!”

Eve looked a bit disappointed and then suddenly brightened up. “You could always go the way that Adam and I found before we knew about the alternate world. It’s the way George took me when he was running his tourist business. If we drive to the town it’s only a short walk to a door which will take us to Lurbridge!”

“That’s a good idea,” said Jennifer Jane, “then it’s not too much further to the Witches’ Home and we can ask Abigail if she knows what’s gone wrong with the travel fog!”