‘You’re right,’ she finally agreed. She went into her father’s room to open the secret drawer where they kept hidden cash. ‘Dad keeps this here in case of emergencies,’ she said. ‘It should be enough to get everything we need.’
Joel accepted the money and the offer of her father’s raincoat. Taking the flashlight and some heavy-duty shopping bags Emily gave him, he guided her up to the roof. Then, as he headed back down the stairs, he smiled over his shoulder at her.
‘Don’t take any test flights without me!’
Emily smiled back and promised not to. She shut the stairwell door and headed over to the shed.
‘He’s gone to get you lots of sweet things,’ she explained as she adjusted the blanket over the stallion’s wings. ‘I just hope the store is open.’
As Emily stroked the stallion’s neck, she felt Pegasus starting to quiver. But not from the cold rain. His blanket was clean and dry and his skin was warm to touch. Yet, he seemed to be growing even more anxious as his hooves pounded the floorboards.
‘What is it, Pegs?’ she asked. ‘What’s wrong? Are you in pain?’
Worried for the stallion, Emily checked on his broken wing. She could actually feel the broken bones had somehow knitted back together. ‘Well, it’s not your wing. What about the spear wound?’ Crossing to the other side, Emily lifted Pegasus’s good wing and pulled the duct tape away from his flank. She was shocked to see that the wound was completely healed.
‘Wow!’ she cried. ‘It’s gone. How are you doing that? Is it all the sugar?’
Pegasus pawed the ground. His eyes were bright and alert. But there was something in them that worried her.
They watched the rain together. It was coming down heavily again and she worried about Joel. Emily lost all track of time until she heard Joel calling her name from the stairwell.
‘Are you all right?’ she raced over to him.
‘I will be once I throw up,’ he panted, leaning heavily against the stairwell door frame.
Emily reached for the bags in his hands and was shocked by the weight. ‘How much did you buy?’
‘As much as I could. It’s crazy out there. People are shopping like it’s the end of the world! I had to fight an old lady for the last two bottles of honey. Don’t even ask me what it was like on the cereal aisle.’
In the shed, Pegasus started to neigh.
‘Someone’s hungry again,’ Joel said, tired. He pulled out a box of colourful kids’ cereal and tore it open. He held it out for Pegasus to eat.
‘He’s more than hungry,’ Emily said. ‘Something is really bothering him.’
‘Do you have any idea what it is?’ Joel asked.
Emily shook her head. ‘Whatever it is, I have a feeling it isn’t good.’
After making sure Pegasus had enough to eat, they went back down to the apartment and unpacked the rest of the food.
‘My dad is due home shortly,’ Emily said. ‘I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to meet him just yet.’
‘Why?’ Joel asked, looking hurt. ‘Don’t you want him to meet me?’
‘Joel, my dad is a cop,’ Emily pointed out. ‘It’s his nature to be suspicious. If he finds out you’re in care, he’ll want to contact your foster parents and they may want to take you away. Pegasus needs both of us.’
‘So what are you suggesting?’ Joel asked.
Emily sighed. ‘I really hate to lie to him. But I think you should stay here, but keep hidden.’
‘Where?’ he said, looking around at the apartment. ‘This place isn’t that big.’
‘I guess you could stay in my room.’
‘Where will you stay?’
‘In my room too,’ Emily said. ‘There’s plenty of space on the floor. Besides, we’ll be spending most of our time with Pegs. It’s only for when my dad is around. And with the blackout, he’s working double shifts.’
‘I could always stay up on the roof with Pegasus,’ Joel suggested.
Emily shook her head. ‘It’s still raining. You can’t sleep outside, you’ll freeze to death.’
‘But what if your dad catches me?’
‘You’re going to have to be careful so he doesn’t,’ said Emily. ‘That’s all.’
Joel shrugged. ‘That’s easier said than done.’
The moment Emily’s father returned from work, Joel dashed into Emily’s bedroom. Despite his concerns, Joel kept hidden and actually slept well on the floor beside Emily’s bed. By the time he rose the next morning, Emily was already up and her father had left for work again.
‘Sleep all right?’ she asked as she handed him a glass of orange juice.
‘Great,’ he said. ‘I think that’s probably the best night’s sleep I’ve had in a very long time.’
When they arrived back on the roof, Pegasus was in a state. He was out of the shed, snorting and pawing angrily at the ground. His sharp hooves had cut deep trenches in the tarmac. Emily realized if they didn’t stop him soon, he might make it all the way through to the apartment.
‘What is it, Pegs?’ Emily cried, racing over to the stallion. ‘What’s wrong?’