Page 19

The unicorn gazes calmly at me from the bathtub. A faint haze shimmers all round its white body, almost as if it’s glowing. Its horn is the colour of mother-of-pearl, its hide is like creamy velvet bathed in moonlight, and its huge amethyst eyes sparkle in the light streaming in from the window.

It is, without a doubt, the most beautiful thing I’ve seen.

It’s also impossible to believe I’m really seeing it.

I squeeze my eyes shut, sure the mirage will have evaporated when I open them again, but the unicorn is still there.

The bottles of shampoo that usually line the edge of the bath have been knocked to the ground and one has leaked a large pink puddle on the floor.

I grab a towel from the radiator, kneel down and wipe it up.

I need to do something normal. I need to feel the fabric against my fingers and remind myself that I’m still in the real world because this … this is way too much.

“Neon,” I whisper. “What have you got us into?”

When I look up, still holding the damp towel, the unicorn is staring at me with those serene, shimmering eyes. On closer inspection, it’s smaller than a horse, more the size of a Shetland pony, but somehow it seems to take up more space than either.

“How did you get here?” I ask, though it’s obviously come from the Realm. That’s the only explanation. I just don’t know how, or why.

Neon said characters can only move across when people in the real world believed in them strongly enough. I went through a bit of a unicorn obsession when I was five, but even then I didn’t think they were real. So, how is it here in our bathroom?

Moving very slowly with both hands held palms up, I stand and take a step towards the creature.

To my surprise, the unicorn comes towards me and nuzzles its head into my open hand.

Its mane is much softer and finer than horse hair, or my own.

As I gently run my fingers over it, I start to feel like I’m slipping into a dream.

A sense of total peace comes over me, and for a moment all I want is to stay in this bathroom forever, stroking the unicorn’s mane…

I blink and shake my head. I have to deal with this before my mums get home, but I’ll need help to do it.

Neon and Tilly are too far away, and it would take them too long to walk here.

I could call Caitlin or Hannah, but that would mean catching them up on the whole Realm situation, and I don’t really trust them to keep their mouths shut.

That leaves Joel. The thought makes my knees go wobbly, but he’s my only option.

Shuffling sounds behind the wall tell me that he’s gone into his room. I whisper to the unicorn to stay put – it stares back at me with that same calm look – then close the bathroom door behind me and, taking a deep breath, knock on Joel’s door.

“What is it, Laurie? I’m working on my essay.”

“It’s kind of urgent!” I push the door open a crack. “And I can see a cat video open on your screen.”

“I was about to start working,” Joel mutters. He sighs and rubs his forehead. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I can’t think of a single thing to write.”

“Please, Joel? I’m serious. I really need your help.”

Frowning, Joel gets up and follows me out. I pause before going into the bathroom again, my fingers curled round the handle. Once I open the door, there’s no going back. Joel will be in on mine and Neon’s secret. Our relationship will be changed forever, whether he believes me or not.

“So…” I take a breath. “Try not to scream, OK?”

Joel’s eyes widen. “Um, OK? What have you got in there?”

Instead of answering, I push the door open. When Joel sees the mythical creature standing in the bath, he does more than scream – he lets out a string of swear words and stumbles back, flapping his arms.

“Laurie! Why is there a horse in the bathroom?!”

“It’s a unicorn,” I stammer, pointing to its horn.

“A what?” Joel runs a hand through his hair. “A what ?! Unicorns aren’t real, Laurie. That’s a horse. Or a pony, at least. Some sort of equine thing.”

“I know they’re not real. But look at it, Joel! It’s obviously not a horse. It has purple eyes! It’s glowing !”

Moving very slowly, Joel gets to his feet and approaches the unicorn. The creature gazes at him, its eyes wide and unblinking, then tilts its head towards him like it did with me. Joel leans in to inspect the horn. When his breath catches in the back of his throat, I know he’s convinced.

“What’s going on, Laurie?” He falls back against the wall. I’ve never seen his face so pale. “This is something to do with Neon, isn’t it? Who is that boy?”

The only option now is the truth. I tell Joel everything I know, from the day I made Neon up to the moment I walked into the bathroom five minutes ago and found an actual unicorn in there.

Joel listens to the whole story without interrupting.

Even when I’ve finished, my usually talkative brother seems lost for words.

“Laurie… This can’t be true,” he says softly. “A realm where all fictional characters live? You do realise how ridiculous that sounds?”

“Trust me, I know. I almost passed out when Neon stepped off the train last Saturday. But if you don’t believe me about him, at least believe me about this.” I point at the unicorn’s horn. “That’s hardly a roll of paper and some superglue. It’s real. She’s real.”

I have a feeling that the unicorn is female.

Joel takes a small step towards her, then another one.

He slowly puts his hand on her mane and runs a hand through the shimmering strands of hair.

I suddenly remember that Joel was bitten by a horse on a school trip when he was seven and hasn’t liked them since, but, as he strokes the unicorn’s mane, all the tension seems to seep out of him.

For a few minutes, we stand in silence, basking in the creature’s glow.

But then a car honks outside and I’m brought back to the real world, and the very real problem of what to do with her.

“Should we tell Mum and Mutti?” I ask.

Joel shakes his head. “No way. They’ve got enough on their plates without worrying about mythical creatures in the bathroom.”

“What do you mean? What else are they worried about?”

“Just… Nothing, don’t stress about it.” Usually I would push him for an answer, but it’s hard to focus with the unicorn here. Joel blinks and shakes his head, like he’s trying to wake himself up. “We need to get her out of here.”

“We can take her to Tilly’s farm,” I say. “Neon’s sleeping in the barn. He can look after her.”

“He’s sleeping in the barn ?” Joel throws his arms up in exasperation. “Jesus, Laurie, it’s October! He’ll freeze! Do Tilly’s parents know he’s there?”

“I’m not sure. I think so.” Another lie, and one Tilly’s parents wouldn’t be happy about – they’re not the type of people to leave a guest sleeping in a barn, especially not a teenager. I sigh. “OK, fine. No, they don’t.”

“Wow. Your decision-making has been really impressive lately.”

“I didn’t know any of this was going to happen!” I snap. “I made up a boy and suddenly he was there at the train station. It’s not my fault.”

The unicorn takes a step back and knocks over a bar of soap from the edge of the bath with her tail. She seems upset by the tension between us, and that’s enough to make both Joel and me calm down and lower our voices.

“OK, OK. Sorry.” My brother sighs and runs a hand through his hair, still completely baffled. “The most important thing is that we get her out of here before Mum and Mutti come home. Let’s just pray we can do it without anyone spotting her.”