Part 1. Elijah

"Mom, did you need anything dropping into Keeper cottage, I'm going past that way?" I ask, keeping my fingers crossed she says yes and I have an excuse to see the mysterious Evie that has my brothers plotting mayhem. It's been 4 days since Noah came back from the cottage and damn it, I wanted to see for myself.

"Eli, yes, I have, just give me a minute" Mom calls from the library and I hope it's nothing heavy. Grinning when she appears with a bag of what looks like linens. "These are for Evie, her mother mentioned she was entering an art competition and I thought these might help her" she told me handing me the bag. "what are they?" I asked curiously. Mom laughed as I peered into the bag "old bloomers" she told me and I held the bag away from me "eww, Mom really?" "yes, I found them in the attic, now are you going to take them or should I" she questioned coming to take the bag back.

I pulled the bag behind my back "I'll do it, as I said I'm going that way" I said backing away and out of the room.

On The walk down to the cottage I thought about what my brothers had said about the girl, were they winding me up, I knew they played pranks all the time, was this the latest, I shook my head, I'll make up my own mind.

I knocked on the cottage door and waited for a reply but none came, do I leave the bag on the doorstep?. I looked around, no sign of a car, maybe I should leave it by the back door, the weather was good and I could pop back later to make sure they had found it and see her then.

The side gate squeaked as I opened it and followed the path around the cottage, only to come to a halt as I was faced by a tiny girl. My eyes traced over her body covered only in a crop top and shorts....Wow. "Hello" I said moving closer.

She lifted her hand pointing the garden hose at me and glared at me "stop right there, what do you want?'

"I'm..." I started but she interrupted me "I know another of Miss Eva's boys, have you too come to spy on me"

I step back, giving her some space and holding out my hand with the bag dangling "my Mom sent this down for you, to help with your art project" I told her, not moving.

I could see expressions chase across her face and wondered what she was thinking until she eventually stepped forward and took the bag from me "Mom said its bloomers" I told her and watched amazed as her face transformed as she giggled and ignoring me turned back towards the table where she upended the bag and started whirling round with.....bloomers in her hands "They are wonderful, this is just what I needed, tell Miss Eva thank you" she called happily rushing into the house and leaving me standing there, my mouth open.

xx

I wandered away from the cottage towards the lake where I was meeting Noah and Riki, the ghost of her dancing with the bloomers still in my thoughts, her giggle and smile, she should do that more, not growl to scare people away.

"Well?" Noah asked as I threw myself onto the grass and leaned back.

"She giggled and smiled" I told them and they huffed at me "she what?" Riki muttered "why?"

"Mom gave me a bag of bloomers for her and when she saw them, she giggled, and danced around smiling" I explained.

"What did she want bloomers for?" Noah asked puzzled.

"Art project" I hummed lazily.

"Where is she now, we should go check it out" Noah said getting to his feet and I rolled to my side to look at him "really!"

"Yes, come on, it will be fun" he added, poking me in the side with his shoe.

"No, I want to swim, we can call in there on our way home later, we came to swim remember" Riki objected and I agreed with him, the weather was perfect for swimming. "we can call in for Lemonade on the way home, lets swim"

We stripped down to nothing, comfortable that we were alone and no-one would see us and dived into the lake, the water frigid at first until our bodies got used to it, racing across to the island and back to warm ourselves up before calling enough. Noah was the first out and his angry shout brought our attention as he stood there naked "Our clothes have gone" he shouted to us.

I groaned and left the water, Riki by my side, Noah was right all our clothes had disappeared "who would have taken them, anyone passing here would have know who we are and left them there" Noah grumbled looking around.

"Look" Riki points to the trees and I can see a t shirt hanging in the tree, we carefully rush over, finding every stone and hard bump on the ground with our bare feet. Looking up all our clothes were in the tree above our heads, someone was playing with us.

"Evie!" growled Noah "it's got to be her, who else would do this to us?"

"Why would she, she doesn't know us" Riki argued back but I agreed with Noah, and looking down, there in the dirt at the base of the tree was a tiny footprint "its her, look" I pointed it out to them.

"This means war" Noah growled starting to carefully climb the tree to retrieve our clothes, dropping ours down to us, so we could all get dressed.

Once dressed I led the way to the cottage, our anger simmering at being caught out like that, but only Mrs Thorn was home, smiling as she cheerfully gave us lemonade and told us about Evie's art project, unaware that she was giving us ammunition to get revenge.

Watch out pixie we will get our own back.