Oksa Pollock: The Last Hope by Anne Plichota and Cendrine Wolf Page B

their brains. When it’s time for them to reproduce, they guide the crickets to the water, the crickets dive in and drown because they can’t swim. Then the worms tear through the shell of the drowned crickets and reproduce in the water. But what has this got to do with McGraw and you?”
    “Maybe he wants to clone me or experiment on me—perhaps even dissect my brain to see how I can do these things. Like the scientists did with those worms to find out how they manage to make the crickets head for water, even though it’s against their nature. Just think what these abilities could be used for.”
    Gus looked at her out of the corner of his eye, disconcerted by his friend’s theory and troubled by the conviction in her words. Oksa was gazing into space, spinning the wheels of her rollerblades with her fingers, but she was as tightly strung as a bow and terribly hot and bothered—she would have paid good money for some ice-cold lemonade! They stood there, side by side, in a confused silence which dragged on for several minutes before it was broken by Gus.
    “Your theory does stand up to scrutiny. But if that’s really the case, we’re in a real mess.”
    “I think it’s crucial we find out more about McGraw, don’t you?” asked Oksa hopefully.
    “Agreed,” confirmed Gus. “But you mustn’t panic. You have to keep a cool head and not let him provoke you. If you’re right, he’ll do anything he can to make you give yourself away again. In the meantime, we’ll try to find out where he comes from and what he’s doing here. You know you can count on me,” he said.
    He stood up and held out his hand to help Oksa up. He was burning to ask one last question.
    “Have you said anything about this to anyone?”
    “You must be crazy!” burst out Oksa angrily. “Who would you like me to tell?”
    “I don’t know. Your parents or your gran,” he retorted, concealing his deep sense of relief and pleasure at being the only one in the know.
    “No,” replied Oksa, horrified at the idea. “I can’t tell
anyone
!”
    Gus wasn’t sure what to make of her reply, but after thinking about it for a few seconds he decided it meant that Oksa was giving him special treatment.
    “Don’t worry,” he said reassuringly, “you’re not on your own.”
    After seeing his friend safely home, Gus needed some time to think. He threw himself down on his bed, his heart pounding and his nerves jangling.
    What an astonishing revelation! He felt exhilarated and a little freaked out. Oksa was like his sister. No, better than a sister, more than a sister—his alter ego. The person who knew him best, after his parents. Just as he knew exactly who she was. Or had done until today… Because what she’d shown him went way beyond anything he could have imagined. And yet he hadn’t dreamt it. Was Oksa a witch? A supernatural being? A fairy? It beggared belief, but he was in no doubt: she was a little of all these things.

13
A N E NJOYABLE E VENING
    I MMEDIATELY AFTER SAYING GOODBYE TO G US , Oksa went up to her room. Once she closed the door behind her, she felt every muscle and nerve in her body relax and the tension subside. It was so quiet here that she knew nothing bad could happen to her and that she was completely safe from the world and its dangers. She then moved on to the evening’s top priority: swapping her pleated skirt and blazer for threadbare jeans and a bright orange T-shirt.
    She ran her fingers through her hair, lay down on her bed for a few minutes and then, unable to stay still any longer, she got up again. She was just about to head upstairs to Dragomira’s apartment when she heard the front door bang: her mum had just come in from work. Oksa rushed downstairs to see her. It was so nice when she was at home.
    “Hello darling! Did you have a good day?”
    “Ugh, a killer of a day. But don’t worry, as you can see, I survived! I was just going up to see Baba.”
    “Wouldn’t you like to have a bite to eat