Eye of the Storm

said how dedicated you are and what a good help and how responsible you are with the ponies,’ Jo added. ‘And she asked us if we would be interested in having him on loan. That means we pay for him and you look after and ride him as if he was your very own pony.’
    Her dad nodded. ‘We’ve felt for a while that it does seem unfair the boys get to do all the things they want with their tennis and wind-surfing and sailing, and you don’t have anything like that. So we thought, why not?’
    Erin stared at them, dumbstruck. When Jo had suggested going out for a meal, Erin had never in a million years suspected they would say something like this.
    ‘Are you pleased?’ asked Jo eagerly.
    ‘Pleased’ didn’t begin to describe how Erin felt. It was as if she had fireworks going off throughout her whole body.
    ‘Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you!’ She jumped up from the table and raced round to hug them both. For a minute, the storm, Marianne and all her worries vanished from her mind. She knew that other people in the restaurant were looking at her curiously, but for once she didn’t care at all! Kestrel was going to be her pony – really and truly hers. He might be on loan, but no one else would ride him or look after him.
    ‘So I’ll take it that you are pleased,’ her dad said.
    Erin gave him the biggest beam possible in reply.

    When Erin got home she almost phoned Chloe, but she felt awkward and decided not to. I’ll tell her tonight , she thought.
    The weather forecasters were predicting more storms. ‘ People are being advised to stay indoors ,’ the TV weatherman said. ‘ Gusts of up to a hundred miles an hour are possible and torrential rain is likely, particularly along the coast .’
    Erin went upstairs feeling her joy at finding out about Kestrel fading slightly. She picked a hagstone up from her window ledge. If only she could help Tor and do something about the storms.
    She looked at the stone. ‘Show me something that might help,’ she pleaded.
    The darkness of the hole began to grow. Erin caught her breath. What was she going to see?
    She saw a house. Lookout Point. Marianne’s house. But it looked different. There were pots of flowers round the door and brightly checked blue curtains hanging in the windows. Erin felt herself moving closer until she had entered the vision and was at the open front door. She looked inside. A woman was standing on the staircase in a flowery dress and an apron. She looked about sixty; her long hair was tied back in a bun and her blue eyes were clear and sharp in her familiar heart-shaped face.
    Great-grandmother Margaret! Erin realized with a start, recognizing her great-grandmother from old photos she had seen.
    Her great-grandmother looked at her and Erin had the feeling she knew she was there. She turned and walked up the stairs. Erin followed. They went up two flights of stairs and then into an attic. It was in the eaves of the roof and had boxes stored on both sides.

    Margaret walked to the end and then, to Erin’s surprise, she undid her bun. Her grey hair tumbled down her back. Margaret took a pair of golden embroidery scissors and an envelope from the pocket of her apron, cut off a lock of hair and put it into the envelope. She folded it over and tucked it into a crack at the base of one of the beams. Then she turned and looked at Erin.
    The vision began to fade. The last image Erin had was of her great-grandmother smiling at her.
    She blinked and realized she was back in her bedroom. Excitement beat through her like wild fire. Would the hair still be there? If it was she could use it. Erin caught her breath. If I could use Great-grandmother’s hair to add her powers to mine, I wouldn’t be weak any more!
    Erin closed her fingers round the hair in her wristwatch. ‘Tor!’
    ‘Yes, Erin?’ said Tor.
    ‘Oh, Tor,’ Erin exclaimed. ‘I’ve just had a vision and I think I know where I can get some of my great-grandmother’s hair!’
    Tor whinnied in astonishment. ‘Her hair! We could use that to give you power, all the power you could possibly need. Where is it?’
    ‘Lookout Point. I’ll go tonight. I’ve thought about it. It should be OK because Marianne’s in the clouds.’
    ‘You and Chloe must be careful,’ Tor said, sounding worried. ‘Come to the woods straight afterwards and call me if you are in any danger.’
    ‘OK,’ promised Erin, not wanting to admit she was planning on going without Chloe. ‘I’ll see you