Sally was just longing for her parents toleave. It had been very kind of them to drive her up to her new college, butnow she had been smothered and mothered quite enough. After 18 years, she hadreceived all the advice she needed about her hot water bottle, her vitaminpills, and her beauty sleep.
“And just one word before we go,” said Mum as she held both herdaughter’s hands tightly. “Don’t ever turn down an invitation to a party. Younever know who you might meet, especially in a place like this.”
When her parents stepped out through thedoor of the Porter’s Lodge and back into the real world of light, noise, andpollution, Sally turned around and looked at the honey coloured stone ofWesterly College. For almost 800 years, students had walked around thequadrangle, past the dining hall, the chapel, and the doors that opened ontocreaky staircases. Very little had changed down the centuries. The onlydiscernible evidence of the modern world was the faintest rumbling of trafficfrom the street beyond the college walls.
“It’s just like a fairy tale,” thought Sally to herself. “Like acastle in an enchanted wood that has been asleep for centuries.”
She went back to her room and lay on hernarrow, lumpy bed. Suddenly she felt restless. Was her new life to consist ofthese four oak panelled walls? The spirits of all the students who had lived inthis room down the centuries were not much company. For a moment or two, sheeven missed her parents. She resolved not to be lonely. She got up, went out ofher room, and tapped on her neighbour’s door.
“This is the knock of destiny,” she said to herself. “Perhaps thedoor will be opened by an Arabian prince, or perhaps by the daughter of apostman. Either way, I have this feeling that we will be lifelong friends.”
But no reply came from within. Whoever heor she might be was out, no doubt hobnobbing with brilliant and fascinatingfriends. Sally went back to listen to The Killers on her mp3 player.
The next day, she knocked on the door ofher tutor and, as it was half open already, she entered his room. She saw twoboys sitting on chairs, and a girl stretched out on the sofa with her noseburied in a cushion. The boys were in jeans and t-shirts that hardly matchedthe black academic gowns draped on their backs. The sleeping girl wore a purplevelvet dress, embroidered with a rich pattern of leaves and exotic birds. Herauburn hair rolled down her face in ringlets. Her arm dropped limply down tothe floor. A bracelet clustered with jewels dangled on her wrist. Herexpression was of serene innocence.
One of the boys smiled at Sally and put hisfinger over his lips to say, “Shhhh..."
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