The Polar Bear Explorers' Club by Alex Bell (books for 8th graders TXT) 📕

‘Quick!’ the woman’s voice gasped. ‘Hide under the bed, dear! Don’t make a sound!’

Stella found herself bundled out of her soft warm blankets and lying on the cold hard floor beneath her bed. Her hands were spread flat against the polished wood, so she felt the exact moment when the floorboards started to tremble.

That angry voice came from downstairs again, and Stella stared down at the floorboards, dreading whatever it was that was lurking just out of sight below. There was something evil down there, and it was looking for her. She could feel its rage beating up through the floor, thumping like the pounding of a black, shrivelled-up heart. Stella felt a wail of fear bubble up in her throat, but knew that she absolutely must not make a sound. Suddenly, there was a crash from the hallway, and Stella watched in breathless terror as the door handle on the other side of the room slowly started to turn—

A hand clamped down on Stella’s arm and she sat up with a shriek – only to see that the fingers gripping her shoulder were Shay’s. She realised she was still inside the ship, and the darkness pressing up against the windows told her that it was still the middle of the night. Beanie and Ethan were tucked up asleep in their blankets, but Shay was staring down at her, his long hair messed up from sleep, a shocked expression on his face.

‘Are you okay?’ he said.

Stella nodded. ‘I’m sorry if I woke you.’

‘Never mind that,’ Shay replied. ‘Stella, what the heck were you dreaming about?’

‘It’s … it’s just that nightmare I have sometimes.’

Shay lifted his hand and, for the first time, Stella realised the dream-snatcher lay curled on his palm, its wings fluttering feebly. Its beaded feathers were choked full of writhing dark shapes, long snakes of shadowy smoke that twisted and tangled until suddenly, they ripped free, breaking the dream-snatcher apart in the process. The broken pieces fell through Shay’s fingers, the green beads flying over the floorboards. The nightmare shadows melted away like fog.

Shay and Stella looked at each other.

‘No normal dream should be able to do that,’ Shay said.

He was looking at her as if she might be able to explain what had just happened, but Stella didn’t know what to say. At that moment, Koa padded out from the shadows and lay down close beside her. Stella wished she were a real wolf so that she could throw her arms around her and be comforted by the warmth and softness of her fur.

‘I’m really sorry about your grandmother’s dream-snatcher,’ she said.

Shay shook his head. ‘It’s not your fault.’ He glanced out the window. ‘We should try to get back to sleep.’ He paused, then added, ‘Koa will watch over you tonight if you like.’

Stella looked at the shadow wolf and felt comforted by the steady dark eyes gazing back at her. But, even so, as she settled back down in her blankets, she felt scared to go back to sleep in case the dream returned.

*

Thankfully, there were no more nightmares that night, and when Stella woke up the next morning Koa had gone, along with Shay and Ethan. Stella sat up, and the movement woke Beanie beside her. He propped himself up on his elbows, his dark hair sticking up in all directions. He blinked a few times and then frowned. ‘Was that there last night?’ he asked.

‘What?’ Stella replied.

‘That chair.’ Beanie pointed into the corner of the room.

Stella turned to look, and then gasped. ‘That’s no chair,’ she said. ‘It’s a throne.’

They both stared at it. It was, indeed, a magnificent throne, made entirely from snow, with images of frosties, yetis and polar bears engraved on the back of it.

‘Who could have built it?’ Beanie wondered.

Stella stood up. She knew it was silly, but she had the distinct feeling that her dream had somehow built the throne. She had the almost overpowering urge to touch it. She felt it was calling out to her to sit in it. She started to walk forwards but suddenly Beanie was beside her.

‘I don’t think we should touch it,’ he said.

‘Why not?’ Stella replied. ‘It’s only a chair.’

‘I don’t know. I have a bad feeling about it,’ Beanie insisted.

Stella felt so drawn to the throne. It seemed almost familiar. She reached out to run her finger along the top of the seat, but the next moment the throne melted away, and the two children were left staring at a puddle that quickly froze as it spread across the icy floor.

‘I told you we shouldn’t touch it,’ Beanie said. ‘Where have the others gone anyway?’

Stella couldn’t help feeling irritated with Beanie for preventing her from touching the chair, but she tried to push the feeling away. And moments later she felt a little bit ashamed. Beanie was right to be cautious, wasn’t he?

Stella shook herself. ‘I don’t know.’ She went back to her bag and pulled out the folding pocket moustache comb. ‘I hope they’re not having a duel or anything.’ She undid her long hair from its plait, tugged the comb through its tangles, and quickly plaited it again. ‘Right,’ she said, stuffing the comb back in her bag, ‘we’d better go find them.’

They stepped out onto the deck where it was brilliantly sunny, but still bitterly cold. Stella was glad of the fresh air. The two explorers hugged their thick blue cloaks tighter around themselves, shivering as they fumbled to do up the buttons with their gloved fingers.

They spotted Shay at once. The wolf whisperer had tied his dark hair back with a piece of leather cord, and was building a fire in the middle of the deck using some broken pieces of wood he must have found inside the ship. Koa lay on the deck at his side, her head lifted to sniff at the early morning air. Shay set the fire alight as they walked over and the dry