MORNING SERIAL

‘WOW, look how much better this looks over here,’ the girl was exclaiming, but I couldn’t look.

She poked around a little more, swapping bathroom and living room furniture, removing shoes and shawls from the women, and not putting anything back as it was found. She was finding every possible way to dull its shine with her own vision until there was nothing of Melody, Mam or me left anywhere inside. She was stealing its story; stealing me.

Then, she started looking through the attic windows in wonder and asked, ‘Does this come off?’ It would be easier if the roof came off. There’d be more room to play.’ As she was about to try, I shouted,

‘Stop it! Please! Stop it now!’ Still, my voice wasn’t as loud as I wanted it to be, and it was trembling like jelly as I shut my eyes again.

But it was too late. When I opened them, the red-haired monster had upturned the whole house and its insides were an unrecognisable heap on the rug.

The girl held two hands over her mouth and nose when she looked up and saw my tears. She started to pick things up, all in the wrong order. Useless.

‘Bobbie? BOBBBBBBIIIIIEEEEE?’ Her mother was calling her from the front door, so she gave me one last ‘oops’ look and then scarpered.

‘Bobbie ’s mum brought some old dance outfits for you, Violet! Isn’t that lovely?’ Mam shouted to me after shutting the door behind the intruders’ noise. ‘They’re very pretty and she said the only reason they’re getting rid of them is because they’re too small for Bobbie now.’ But I didn’t respond. How could I possibly dance without Melody? And why would I want anything that’s belonged to such a show-off? Pfft.

Mam’s footsteps reached the landing where I was still standing. ‘Oh, Violet. What happened?’

‘I don’t know,’ I said, feeling the lump rising in my throat. ‘Why did you let her in here?’

‘But I didn’t. I didn’t let… ’

> Unspeakable Beauty by Georgia Carys Williams is published by Parthian at £10.99. parthianbooks.com

CONTINUES TOMORROW