(///crumple.thundered.pickles – College Farm, Norfolk)
Toby hated camping. Hated it! But that didn’t stop his parents making him go. Every summer!
But this year would be different. This year, Toby would make it go away and never come back. Because this year, Toby had the book.
The teenager had found it during one of his regular rummages in the loft. A genuine book of spells. And he knew it worked. He’d already turned the cat red and made a saucepan crumple into a ball.
And so he found himself in the tent, as his parents snored away, filling a bowl with radishes, chopped walnuts and pickles and reciting an incantation in a strange language.
It started immediately. The sky flashed and thundered, rain arrowed everywhere, wind shook and battered all the tents except theirs. Surely the resultant carnage would close the campsite, forcing them to go home. He climbed into his sleeping bag, a job well done.
When he woke up, his parents seemed cheery. He heard them pottering around making breakfast, calling him to come and help with the eggs. Bleary-eyed he emerged and tottered outside.
Everything looked pristine. Undamaged. Dry. He rubbed his eyes. Had he dreamt it?
“OK dear?” his mother asked.
“Something wrong?” his father chimed in.
“No, it’s just, it’s just..”
“Not what you were expecting,” his father suggested.
“Never mind,” his mother smiled. “Weather will be good today. And I know. Because we’ve got a book too.”
“Oh.”
“Anyway, time for breakfast. Pickle and radish sandwich anyone?”
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what3stories 