Lady with the purple eye (school edition). François Bloemhof
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had probably just been rattled by the near-accident.
The library was at the end of a row of classrooms. There were no other learners around; everyone was outside and it was oh, so quiet.
Marley walked down the passage past an empty classroom. Her footsteps echoed and she peered in. The classrooms looked all wrong with no one inside. It just didn’t feel right being in there …
All that now remained was the library at the end of the passage. She could still turn around. Marley had to laugh at that inane thought, and she pushed the swinging door open.
The library was empty. It was difficult to believe, though. Yesterday, when their teacher brought them to the library, Marley was so excited to see all those books. She’d thought that the library would be bustling with learners during breaks. And to top it all, there were two brand-new computers with internet access for them to do research on.
Behind her the hinges of the door groaned, and she almost shrieked. What was she afraid of? There were no rules against her being there!
On the walls were interesting posters and other notices. There was a large counter and some small tables where learners could sit and read and do homework. And of course there were the bookshelves.
Why was there nobody around?
Suddenly, she heard a sound nearby. A woman arose from behind the counter. It was Miss Badman, with her woolly blonde hair. But one of her eyes, the left one, was green, and her right eye … was purple!
The moment stretched. Marley started to panic. She couldn’t move. That purple eye held her rooted to the spot. Illogically, she felt scared that she wouldn’t be able to leave the place again. She knew that the door was just behind her, but it felt as though the woman would grab her long before she got there.
“I didn’t know someone had come in.” Miss Badman’s voice had a sharp edge to it and her mouth twisted as if she’d bitten into something nasty.
Then she made another duck behind the counter.
Marley gave a quick backward glance. If she ran right now, she could be on the other side of those doors before the teacher got up again.
Too late – Miss Badman had got up. “Can I help you?”
“I …” Words failed Marley, because Miss Badman looked just the way she had before. There wasn’t even a speck of purple in the right eye.
Marley gulped. Had she imagined it? It was quite dark in there. Could it be that some light had reflected in the teacher’s eye to make it look like that? But she remembered how bright it had been.
“Can I help you?” the woman repeated. She looked at the girl the way a scientist might look at an insect under a microscope.
Marley’s brain started working again. She knew she couldn’t show her fear. She had to pretend that she was nervous because she was new to the school.
“I’m looking for a book, Miss.”
“Well, you’ve come to the right place.” Miss Badman gestured towards the shelves. “Take a look around.”
Marley wandered over to the nearest shelf. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that Miss Badman had moved out from behind the counter and was now standing behind her.
Marley grabbed a book without even looking at the title. “This one please, Miss.”
Miss Badman still studied her carefully and Marley felt her ears burning. It was as if the woman was waiting for her to betray herself in some way. She took the book to the counter. “Write down your initial and surname on this card,” Miss Badman barked.
When she reached for the stamp, Marley saw how sharp and red her nails were. She brought the stamp down like a hammer – chubbb! – then handed the book to Marley.
“It has to be back in a week’s time, Marley.”
How did the woman know her name? She had only written her initial.
“Yes, Miss,” she said and fled to the door. It felt like the teacher’s eyes were burning a hole in her back, and she was certain she’d never make it … but then she was out and running down the passage. It felt as though Miss Badman was following her, gaining on her – or maybe she was waiting behind one of the open doors, ready to pounce on her when she … ?
At last Marley was outside. She gasped for air. Only then did she realise she’d been holding her breath ever since she’d stormed through the swinging doors of the library.
She looked at the book that she was clutching in her hand.
No, no, no! Was this really the one she’d taken? A book for kids! The title was: Hansel and Gretel.
Post reading
| 1. | Explain why Marley might feel strange being around an empty classroom. |
| 2. | Refer to: “It just didn’t feel right being in there …” What does the ellipsis (“…”) at the end of this sentence suggest? |
| 3. | Explain why Marley thinks she is being silly to want to turn around. |
| 4. | Miss Badman seems strange. Explain what makes her seem strange, and who you think she really is. How do you think she changes her eye colour? |
| 5. | Name three things that make the library seem scary. |
| 6. | Explain what was wrong with the book that Marley chose and why she chose it. |
| 7. | Write Marley’s diary entry for this day. Use 15 January as the date. |
| 8. | Summarise the story of Hansel and Gretel in less than 200 words. |
— Chapter 3 —
Pre-reading
| 1. | How do you get along with your brothers and sisters, if you have any? |
| 2. | Who do you talk to when things bother you? Explain. |
| During reading | |
| 3. | Compare the relationship Marley and Chris have with the relationship Bert has with Angela. |
Brothers and sisters
Halfway through second break Chris and Bert lounged near the school fence. They were sweating and panting, because they’d been kicking a ball around with some of the guys.
Chris sighed when he saw Marley approaching.
The girl who was with Marley had the same red-brown hair as her. Bert also had red-brown hair. In fact, Chris thought, the four of them looked like they were family.
“Hi, Bert,” the girl with Marley said.
“Hi, Angela,” Bert said.
Angela introduced them. “This is my brother.”
“And that’s mine,” said Marley.
Chris couldn’t help but notice that Bert and Angela appeared to be a lot closer than him and Marley. Bert seemed very protective of his sister. He took a sandwich from his lunchbox and gave it to her.
“Chris, I have to speak to you,” Marley said suddenly.
“Bert and I are talking now. Can’t this wait?”
“It won’t take long!”
Chris rolled his eyes. “Okay then.” They walked to a nearby tree. The branches cast long, sharp shadows over Marley’s face. Why was she looking so scared?
“Miss Badman isn’t a regular person,” Marley whispered.
Chris burst out laughing. “Come again?”
However, when he saw how serious she was, he remembered the feeling he’d had in the car yesterday.
“She’s not normal,” his sister insisted. “I was in the library just now. She had one green eye, and the other one was purple. And then they were both green again!”
“Marley …” Now he knew for certain she’d lost it. “You’ve been reading too many horror stories. Things like that don’t happen