I went to sleep easily that night. It was cool enough that I hardly needed my fan going. The window by the top bunk was
open. I woke up at midnight sweating and flicked my curtain up to get some fresh air. I closed my eyes again. Next thing I knew, I vaguely heard the dogs barking. I’d better make them shut up before they wake everyone else up, I though sleepily. Suddenly there was a huge crash, something shattered, the dogs went ballistic and I was wide awake, heart pounding. Jessica was scrambling for a torch and Mummy came down off the back bed. I stuck my head out into the hallway and we all nearly collided. “What was that?” I asked, following them into the kitchen. It was quiet now, an eerie stillness after the loud noise that preceded it. There was a strange cracking sound, nearly a rustling, behind the curtain. It reminded me somewhat of breaking ice. The curtain on the driver’s side window blew slightly, and I felt a breeze on my face. “The window’s shattered!” Mummy said suddenly, and urged me and Jessica to get back between the bunks. The window’s shattered? What? “You’ve got to be kidding me!” I gasped, feeling slightly shaky at the
sudden turn of events. Daddy got up and joined us. As usual in an exciting moment, I checked my watch – 2:40am. There was glass all over Daddy’s seat, Mummy’s seat, the floor, the foot-well, the dashboard, and behind Mummy’s seat. A rock was down the foot-well and jammed behind the seat behind the driver’s.What happened next is a bit of a blur. Daddy suggested he go outside to check on things, got as far as pulling on his boots but Mummy was freaked out and wouldn’t let him go out. “Doesn’t Daddy look hilarious in boots and boxers?” I giggled to Jessica, who agreed. Daddy called the police, who couldn’t really do anything because we hadn’t seen anything.“Daddy sounds so unprofessional!” giggled Jessica to me, who disagreed. I never thought I’d be standing outside, shivering slightly, watching Daddy talking to the police at 3am! At some stage Chantel got up. After ages they left and I crashed back into bed, leaving Daddy to clean up the glass! Sparkie was curled up on my pillow. I don’t think either of us got much sleep. I woke up at every noise. Once, I heard a car and sat up, and saw a black car drive past. I lay down again, sighing softly in the semi-darkness. “Jazz? You awake?” came Jessica’s voice. “Yeah,” I muttered. “Did you hear that car?” “Uh huh.” “Was it the police?” she persisted. “No.” “Well, who was it?” “I don’t know. Some black car. It’s gone now,” I mumbled, frustrated. “The police drove past earlier,”Jessica continued, not sounding one bit tired, “Did you hear them?” I sighed, exasperated. “Jess, shut up and let me sleep!” Jessica huffed. “Fine.” I dozed off, then woke at 6am when Chana got up to use the toilet. Jessica, remarkably coherent for this time of the morning, told her the full story – loudly! “Will you guys shut up?” I groaned, pulling the blanket over my head to block out the light from my window. My last thought before going back to sleep was why us? And the next morning we went back to the caravan park.
open. I woke up at midnight sweating and flicked my curtain up to get some fresh air. I closed my eyes again. Next thing I knew, I vaguely heard the dogs barking. I’d better make them shut up before they wake everyone else up, I though sleepily. Suddenly there was a huge crash, something shattered, the dogs went ballistic and I was wide awake, heart pounding. Jessica was scrambling for a torch and Mummy came down off the back bed. I stuck my head out into the hallway and we all nearly collided. “What was that?” I asked, following them into the kitchen. It was quiet now, an eerie stillness after the loud noise that preceded it. There was a strange cracking sound, nearly a rustling, behind the curtain. It reminded me somewhat of breaking ice. The curtain on the driver’s side window blew slightly, and I felt a breeze on my face. “The window’s shattered!” Mummy said suddenly, and urged me and Jessica to get back between the bunks. The window’s shattered? What? “You’ve got to be kidding me!” I gasped, feeling slightly shaky at the
sudden turn of events. Daddy got up and joined us. As usual in an exciting moment, I checked my watch – 2:40am. There was glass all over Daddy’s seat, Mummy’s seat, the floor, the foot-well, the dashboard, and behind Mummy’s seat. A rock was down the foot-well and jammed behind the seat behind the driver’s.What happened next is a bit of a blur. Daddy suggested he go outside to check on things, got as far as pulling on his boots but Mummy was freaked out and wouldn’t let him go out. “Doesn’t Daddy look hilarious in boots and boxers?” I giggled to Jessica, who agreed. Daddy called the police, who couldn’t really do anything because we hadn’t seen anything.“Daddy sounds so unprofessional!” giggled Jessica to me, who disagreed. I never thought I’d be standing outside, shivering slightly, watching Daddy talking to the police at 3am! At some stage Chantel got up. After ages they left and I crashed back into bed, leaving Daddy to clean up the glass! Sparkie was curled up on my pillow. I don’t think either of us got much sleep. I woke up at every noise. Once, I heard a car and sat up, and saw a black car drive past. I lay down again, sighing softly in the semi-darkness. “Jazz? You awake?” came Jessica’s voice. “Yeah,” I muttered. “Did you hear that car?” “Uh huh.” “Was it the police?” she persisted. “No.” “Well, who was it?” “I don’t know. Some black car. It’s gone now,” I mumbled, frustrated. “The police drove past earlier,”Jessica continued, not sounding one bit tired, “Did you hear them?” I sighed, exasperated. “Jess, shut up and let me sleep!” Jessica huffed. “Fine.” I dozed off, then woke at 6am when Chana got up to use the toilet. Jessica, remarkably coherent for this time of the morning, told her the full story – loudly! “Will you guys shut up?” I groaned, pulling the blanket over my head to block out the light from my window. My last thought before going back to sleep was why us? And the next morning we went back to the caravan park.