Ethan didn’t feel very hungry at dinner. His heart started to flutter as he helped Dad clear the plates.

While Dad did the dishes and Mum took a shower, Ethan looked out of the lounge window. He took a deep breath. There were coloured lanterns all around Moon’s End’s stern. He blinked but they were still there.

At bedtime Ethan ate the cold pancakes from the box in the wardrobe. They still tasted delicious. He put on his pyjamas and turned the catch at the top of the tall cupboard. His bed unfolded. He got under his quilt and turned out the lamp.

He listened for the sounds that meant Mum and Dad were going to bed: Dad in the bathroom, running the tap and noisily splashing water on his face like he did each night. Then the whirl of Mum’s electric toothbrush, which seemed to go on for ever, and at last, the pull of the bathroom light cord when they’d both finished. Ethan heard the squeak as they made up the sofa bed to sleep. Then it all went quiet.

Ethan wriggled, trying to get comfortable. He turned on the lamp. He looked at his watch. It was eleven forty-five p.m. now. It was time to go to Polly’s boat, just like he’d promised. He was nervous and excited all mixed up together. He’d never sneaked out of Deity at night-time, but now he had to be brave.

He got out of bed and found a fleece, his cords and some old trainers on the floor. He took the torch from the hook beside his bed and flicked the switch. The light shone on the white castle on his wardrobe door and Ethan touched it for luck. He opened the secret drawer and took out Polly’s note and read it. Polly really did want to be his friend. Ethan zipped the note in his fleece pocket.

He slid open the hatch in the roof, slowly, so it didn’t make the scratchy noise that might wake Mum and Dad. He opened the stern doors and the cold crept inside. His hands shook. He shone the torch on the deck, took a big breath to make him brave and stepped out.

He was standing on the deck in the darkest dark. When he knelt down and felt for the plank to the left of the stern, it was still there; Dad must have forgotten to take it up for the night. Ethan took tiny steps so he didn’t fall; then he dropped down, off the plank and on to the towpath. He turned left and crept away from his cabin, past the lounge where Mum and Dad were fast asleep. For a second he thought about turning back, but he walked on.

In the daytime the canal was at the middle of everything. Now the water was the same colour as the sky, blue-black like the ink in Mum’s special pen. He couldn’t tell the sky from the water. When he looked back, he couldn’t see the stile that you climbed over to get to the pond. But he could see the white bridge up ahead, hanging over the water like a ghost.

There wasn’t any noise from boats or people. Even the ducks were sleeping. The moon shone down on the water like silver foil.

This was his night.

The lanterns hung from Moon’s End. Pink, yellow, blue and purple. They made circles of coloured light on the water.

Ethan took another big breath. He shone his torch at Polly’s boat and walked closer.

Soon he was standing on the deck of Moon’s End’s bow. His hand was trembling. There were candles at his feet and pots of flowers. The bow doors were shut; there wasn’t any sign of Polly or her mum. Was he too late? Should he go back to Deity?

Then he saw it, sitting on the top of Moon’s End, just above the bow doors. An orange head with diamond-shaped eyes and a toothy grin. A pumpkin lantern. It was staring right at him. It was glowing with fire. Ethan blinked, but the head was still there. He couldn’t look away.

The bow doors swung open and he jumped.

“You’re here!” A black figure climbed out of the boat and on to the bow deck.

“It’s me, Polly,” it said. “Come in.” Polly wore a black cat mask, dark trousers and a dark jumper. Her cat eyes shone greener than ever. She held open the door and beckoned him in. He glanced again at the pumpkin lantern and followed her, slowly stepping down on to a wooden box and into Moon’s End, his breathing quick.

Moon’s End was much wider than his boat. There weren’t any lights, just candles hung from the ceiling in little glass holders. In the middle of the lounge was a dark wooden table with a big bowl of apples on top of it. Polly walked over to a big white sofa by the window next to the water.

“Time for apple bobbing!” A tall lady appeared. Her long black dress had a white skeleton on it that glowed in the candlelight. She poured a jug of water into the bowl.

“I’m Jackie, Polly’s mum,” she said. “Have you ever tried apple bobbing, Ethan?”

He shook his head and stared at the skeleton.

“You lean over the bowl,” said Polly, “then you pull out an apple by biting into it.”

“But you can’t use your hands,” said Jackie.

Polly stood in front of the bowl. She lifted her cat mask and put her hands behind her back, then bent down to the water. Suddenly she bobbed up with an apple in her mouth.

“Bravo, bravo,” said Jackie. She looked at the stopwatch in her hand. “Five seconds!”

Polly took the apple out of her mouth and put it back in the bowl. She pulled down her mask. “Your turn, Mum,” she said.

Jackie gave Polly the stopwatch. She bent over the bowl and put her hands behind her back. Her long curly hair dangled in the water, but she didn’t seem to mind. Her head moved from side to side as she tried to bite an apple, but missed. Then she got an apple between her teeth, but it fell back into the bowl with a splash.

Polly giggled. “Ten seconds!”

Ethan watched. He’d never seen a game like this before. He started to guess how many seconds it would take Jackie to get an apple. At last she stood up. Her hair dripped with water, but there was an apple in her mouth. She took it out of her mouth and laughed.

“Brilliant!” said Polly.

Jackie did a funny little dance, twisting her arms one way and her hips the other.

“One minute and twenty-five seconds,” said Polly.

“Never, ever give up,” said Jackie. She threw the apple to Polly and dried her face with a towel.

“Do you want a go, Ethan?” Polly said.

Ethan shook his head. He liked the strange apple-bobbing game, but he wasn’t ready to join in.

“Maybe next time,” said Jackie. “Who’s for some Halloween food?”

It was like she could see right into his stomach.

Polly turned on a side lamp by the sofa and the room was a little lighter. “Sit down.” She pulled out a chair for him at the big table and he sat.

Polly and Jackie went to the kitchen. They came back with plates piled high with food, jugs sloshing with coloured drink. It was a proper feast with lots of different dishes, not like Mum’s meals. Ethan couldn’t imagine Dad eating this food.

Jackie flopped into a chair. Polly sat beside him.

“Now Ethan,” said Jackie, “vampire blood, or bug juice?”

He pointed to a tall jug of green liquid.

“Good choice.” Jackie poured some into a glass. It tasted of lime and lemonade. There were jelly worms floating in it.

Polly helped herself to some vampire blood.

Ethan wasn’t sure which food to try first.

“Have some bat wings,” said Jackie, holding out a plate. Ethan took two.

“They’re chicken wings, really,” whispered Polly.

“These are witch fingers,” said Jackie, “and these are mummy hotdogs.”

Ethan bit into a witch finger. It was a strip of pizza with a red pepper for a nail.

“Make sure you leave room for dessert,” said Polly as Ethan finished his second mummy hotdog.

Polly got up and went to the kitchen. She came back with a big pumpkin cake frosted in orange icing.

“I used liquorice for the eyes and mouth.” Polly smiled.

Jackie cut Ethan a big slice and he bit into it. It tasted of cinnamon and orange; you could see the lumps of pumpkin.

Jackie stood up when they’d finished eating. She took a candle from the lounge sideboard and held it in front of her face so it shone with white light. “Time for our little Halloween ritual.” Her eyes were wide. “We used to do it in the garden. From now on, we’ll do it on the stern deck. Will you take my place, Ethan?”

Polly jumped up from her seat. “We’ll go on to the stern deck and spin three times,” she said. “We’ll look into the water without blinking. That bit’s new. Then we make a wish. You’ll do that, won’t you, Ethan? Better than trick or treat?”

Ethan frowned. He wanted to join Polly, but how could he make a wish?

“Ethan?” Polly looked so excited. She bent down to him and whispered, “It’s OK – we wish silently, in our heads.”

I can do that. He nodded.

“Come on, out you go.” Jackie ushered him up from his seat. “Before you turn into a pumpkin.”

The whole boat was lit by candles. Polly led him through the kitchen, past the bathroom and a door that said “Polly’s Room”. Then they were at the very back of the boat in a bedroom with a double bed and bright patterned bedspread.

“Mum’s room,” said Polly.

They climbed up the steps from Jackie’s cabin and on to the stern. The deck was much bigger than Deity’s. Ethan went to the horse-shaped railing and looked out at the midnight-blue water.

“Step back and reach out your arms to me,” said Polly. Ethan’s heart fluttered. He stepped back and did as she said. Polly stretched her arms towards him.

“Cross them like this.” She crossed one wrist over the other. He copied her. She took his hands. Ethan’s flushed hot. Her hands were warm. He hoped his were, too.

“Now we spin,” said Polly.

She began turning, leaning back so their arms were a straight, strong line. Ethan began to turn too, and soon the lanterns were just a coloured blur.

Polly closed her eyes. “One.”

It was exciting, spinning. Like being on the rope swing at his old tree house, when Dad used to push him and he soared into the sky. Then he felt it again, that same fuzzy feeling in his chest that he used to get on the swing.

I miss my tree house.

“Two,” said Polly.

Why don’t I go there any more?

They were spinning really fast now.

“Three.”

Ethan counted in his head. Then Polly began to slow and he felt disappointed.

Don’t stop.

Ethan took smaller steps so he slowed. Polly let go of his hands. He was dizzy when they stopped; he stumbled a little and hoped Polly hadn’t seen.

“Come over here, Ethan.” Polly stood by the railing. “Look into the water and stare until you really have to blink.”

He tried hard not to blink, but he couldn’t stop thinking about the apple bobbing, the delicious feast and the spinning.

“You blinked.” The voice came from behind him.

Ethan turned. Jackie stood at the top of her cabin steps. She held a big white cylinder. It looked a bit like a lampshade. It was hollow in the middle.

Polly turned to face them. “The paper wish lantern!”

“The last bit of the ritual,” said Jackie.

“We light a lantern every year,” said Polly.

Polly held one side of the lantern and Ethan held the other.

Jackie pulled out a lighter from her dress pocket and lit the lantern from underneath.

“Have you had fun?” Polly asked him.

Ethan nodded. If he could speak he’d tell her just how much.

“Close your eyes and make your wish, Ethan,” said Polly. “Then we’ll let the lantern go.”

He held one side of the lantern and Polly held the other. Jackie took her hands away.

Polly shut her eyes.

Ethan shut his eyes, too.

I wish to speak again.

I wish I could speak.

“Have you made a wish?” asked Polly. Ethan opened his eyes and nodded.

“Me too,” said Polly.

They took their hands away from the lantern. It rose up, filling the night with a yellow glow. He turned his chin to the sky, watching the lantern float higher and higher. They watched until they couldn’t see it any more.

“That’s what it’s all about,” said Polly. “Magic.”

 

“Come in, Ethan,” said Jackie. “Take some apples. Your mum can make a crumble.”

Ethan left Polly gazing up at the sky. He followed Jackie through her cabin past the bathroom and Polly’s room and into the kitchen. He scooped up some apples from the bowl and put them in his fleece pockets. They made his trousers wet, but he didn’t mind: he could stay on Moon’s End for ever.

He glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. It was wrong. It said seven p.m. His watch said one a.m.

“Time passes too quickly,” said Jackie. “This clock slows down time.”

Polly appeared at his side. “I’ll see you out.”

They climbed the bow stairs. The pumpkin’s grin looked friendly now. Polly lifted its top and blew out the candle. Ethan could smell the smoke.

Polly pulled up her mask and it ruffled her hair. “I know what you wished for, Ethan,” she said. Her green eyes sparkled in the darkness. “I wished it too.”