Charlie got up early the following morning. The sky had turned light. For a minute, he wasn't sure where he was, and then suddenly, he remembered.
He got off his bed and looked out of the window. The sky was a brilliant blue, and the sun shone brighter than he had ever seen it shine before. Charlie wondered what his friends at Whitewood would say if they found out what had happened to him. He was sure that no one would believe that he was in a place called the Cloud Country in the clouds.
He wondered if he should step out of the room when there was a knock on the door. 'May I come in, Charlie,' said Luma's voice as Charlie got out of bed.
'Yes,' said Charlie and stood by the bed as Luma came into the room. She was carrying a pile of books and a satchel.
'I came to ask you to get ready to go to Cloud Central,' said Luma, who set the pile of books she was carrying down on the writing desk on the opposite side of the room.
'Cloud Central?' repeated Charlie, 'you mean the place the Cloud Count mentioned?'
'Yes. It is where all those around your age go to study clouds,' said Luma, smiling. 'Studying at Cloud Central would be the best thing you could do to find your parents.'
'I will get ready,' said Charlie, who wanted to see his parents now more than anything else. Now that he knew that they could still be rescued, he was eager to do it more than anything. 'What should I wear?'
'You can wear the white cloak that has been left inside the cupboard,' said Luma looking at the clock on the wall. 'We better hurry if we don't want to get late on your first day.'
'Yes, thank you,' said Charlie as he hurried to the cupboard to get the cloak out. I'll leave you to it,' said Luma, who walked out of the room and shut the door behind.
Charlie dressed up and looked at himself in the mirror. He couldn't even recognise himself. He looked so different.
He put all the books into the satchel, slung it on his back, and walked out of the room.
Luma was waiting for him in the living room. 'There is no time to take a cloud carriage. We'd better light walk it to Cloud Central.'
'Light walk?' asked Charlie, who was getting used to all the strange words he heard.
'Yes, Light walk. It's when you turn yourself into a ray of light to travel to a place faster,' explained Luma as she held out her hand. 'Come on, hold my hand. You will learn how to Light walk and many other things at Cloud Central.'
Charlie took Luma's hand. Then suddenly he looked at his hand and saw that it was glowing like sunlit water.
Charlie blinked and found that he was no longer standing in Luma's living room. Instead, he stood outside a pair of tall silver gates that glistened in the sunlight.
The gates opened by themselves when Charlie and Luma walked toward them. Many others were there too. Charlie looked further ahead and saw a white castle that looked like it was made from clouds themselves.
See you later, Charlie,' said Luma, smiling. 'I hope you have a good day at Cloud Central. Someone will come and meet you in a moment.'
'Thank you,' said Charlie and waved goodbye. Luma disappeared in a flash of light.
A woman came walking toward Charlie and looked at his Red Ring. 'You must be Charlie, if I'm not mistaken?'
'Yes, I am Charlie Clark,' said Charlie, looking at the plump woman dressed in a summer-sky-blue cloak.
''Well, follow me, dear. All the new students are already assembled in the Hall of the Heavens,' she said, walking briskly away. Charlie had to walk fast to keep up with her.
Charlie followed her, trying to look around him while he was walking. There were other children walking towards the direction they were heading.
They came to a large pair of doors that were thrown wide open. They walked through it.
Charlie walked inside along with the lady. It was a vast hall. There were luminous clouds high above like floating lanterns. Assembled in a group were children who were about Charlie's age.
'Go stand with them. They will be studying with you. At least some of them will be,' said the lady, and walked away.
'Hello,' said a voice close by, and Charlie noticed a boy with blonde hair that was almost yellow like the sun standing next to him. 'I'm Ray. Nice to meet you,' he said, looking at Charlie from head to foot.
'Hi, I'm Charlie, and it's good to meet you too,' said Charlie, looking at Ray. Ray had blue eyes, and he was tall and thin.
'You came in with Miss Celesta, didn't you? Ray brushed his hair away from his face. Somehow Ray's hair didn't seem to stay the way Ray wanted it to.
'Well, I don't know her name,' said Charlie, looking to see if Ray had a ring too. Sure enough, he had a crystal ring too.
All the children in the room were talking, and the room was abuzz with laughing and giggling. Soon they heard someone clear their throat aloud. Everyone fell silent.
It was a tall man with a gray beard. He was wearing a pointed hat with a white feather on it. Charlie instantly recognised the man as Master Aurum.
'Good day to you, dear students,' he said, looking across all the children gathered below the podium he was standing on. 'I am so happy to have you here with us. It is not everyone who gets the opportunity to become a Cloud Caster!' he said, scratching his forehead.
'But that doesn't mean that it is going to be easy! No, I certainly don't mean that. Being gifted in something and doing something are quite different things. Think of it this way. You have a pencil, but if you don't know how to use it, it will always be another thing. It's one thing to have an ability, and it's another thing to use it.'
'I don't quite get it,' whispered Ray into Charlie's ear. 'Do you?'
'Yes, I think I do,' whispered back Charlie, 'not completely, though.'
'You will be studying for six years here at Cloud Central,' said Master Aurum, adjusting his hat. 'I hope you will learn a lot here, not just about clouds but other things worth learning about like friendship, kindness and honesty,' he said, nodding his head. 'Well, I won't keep you anymore. Have a great day.'
One of the teachers standing by the front row started clapping, and everyone clapped. Then the woman who had escorted Charlie got on to the stage. 'Thank you, Master Aurum, for your wise words. Now, it's time for all the children to be assigned to their departments.' Master Aurum left the podium and walked out of the door.
'Departments?' asked Charlie, turning to Ray. 'What does she mean?'
'Well, she means that we will have our own thing to study. Like rain clouds, storm clouds, hail clouds, and sunny clouds.'
'So, everyone studies separate types of clouds?' asked Charlie, wondering what he might have to study. He hoped that he would get to study the sunny ones. He had always liked the puffy, white clouds.
'Well, what would you like to study?' asked Charlie as Miss Celesta came carrying something in her hand. Charlie knew he had seen something like that before. Then he remembered. Miss Celesta was holding a scroll.
'Sunny clouds. I wouldn't want to study any other type of clouds because sunny clouds are my favourite. I am named after the sun, after all. My mom and dad both studied sunny clouds, so I want to study them too. What about you?'
'Well, I want to study about sunny clouds too,' said Charlie, trying to guess what they might learn.
'Now, follow me. Everyone, please,' said Miss Celesta as all the children got into a queue. Charlie and Ray joined it. They left the hall through a doorway and walked on, with Miss Celesta leading the way.
The passage was lit by lanterns shaped like giant raindrops. They climbed a flight of stairs.
Miss Celesta took them all into a curious chamber. The walls seemed to be made of glass. But there was something different about the glass. It glinted as if there were faint rainbows trapped in them.
'Welcome to the Crystal Chamber,' said Miss Celesta. The room was empty except for the light coming from the walls and a table with something on it. The thing on the table was covered with a red cloth. Charlie felt that being in the Crystal Chamber was a dream. Everyone was silent.
Miss Celesta took off the cloth covering the thing on the table. It was a crystal ball. Charlie remembered seeing one that looked like this one on television.
'This crystal ball will decide what you are destined to study, and the crystal ball will project what you are chosen to study on the wall in front of it. Five classes are taught here at Cloud Central. They are sunny, snow, hail, rain, and storm,' said Miss Celesta, placing her hand over the crystal ball.
Instantly the crystal started glowing. Then it projected a sun onto the wall's surface in front of it. Everyone gasped.
'The crystal ball will project the class you are destined to take, just like this.' she said, and took her hand off the crystal ball, and instantly the image that appeared in front of the wall disappeared.
Then she took out the scroll from a pocket in her robe. She then read out the first name, 'Freddy White.' She looked at the crowd of students, and a tall boy with curly dark hair came forward and stood in front of the crystal ball.
'Place your hand on the crystal ball,' said Miss Celesta, as she glanced once again at the scroll.
Freddy placed his hand on the crystal ball. The crystal ball glowed brightly, just like when Miss Celesta had placed her hand on it. Then the wall in front was filled with snowflakes.
Freddy took his hand off and looked at his palm. 'Look!' he said, showing everyone his palm.
'Yes, it is a special mark left by the crystal. The mark depends on what one is chosen to study,' said Miss Celesta, looking up from the scroll.
'I got a snowflake,' Charlie overheard Freddy tell his friend. Miss Celesta glanced at the scroll.
'Patty Willow,' said Miss Celesta and a tall, thin girl with brown hair came and stood in front of the crystal. Then she touched the crystal, and the wall in front of the crystal ball was filled with raindrops.
Patty looked at her palm and smiled. Miss Celesta gazed at her scroll and called, 'Matt Ashton.'
A plump and curly-haired boy walked towards the crystal. He touched it, and the crystal ball glowed brightly. Everyone gasped. The wall in front showed trees bent double as if they were about to be torn off the ground. Matt grinned. He looked at his palm and grinned still more.
Matt was just in front of Charlie, and when Matt was showing the mark on his palm to his friends, he caught a glimpse of it. It was a tree bent in half as if tugged hard by a storm. 'So, he has been chosen to study storm clouds,' thought Charlie looking at Miss Celesta.
Then Miss Celesta called Alan Archer, Milo Mark, Maddy Wilson, Lucy Lark one after the other, and the crystal ball shone each time each of them placed their hands on it and as they were selected to study either sunny, snow, rain, hail or storm clouds.
Then she called Ray, who almost rushed up to the crystal ball. His hand shaking, he touched the crystal ball. There was a flash, and the crystal ball started glowing. When Charlie looked at the wall, he saw that the wall was covered in puffy white sunlit clouds.
'You have lived up to your name, Ray,' said Miss Celesta as Ray almost skipped back to Charlie.
'I knew it. I was right,' Ray said, showing Charlie his right palm. There was an image of a sun surrounded by a few clouds.
'Charlie Clark,' said Miss Celesta, taking her eyes off the scroll she was holding. Charlie felt as if his legs suddenly started to feel heavier. But he managed to walk towards the crystal.
Charlie touched the crystal. It was hot like a pebble that had been in the sun for too long. The crystal started glowing immediately. He looked up at the wall, and suddenly he saw sunny clouds, and the image quickly turned to clouds with raindrops falling from them, then snow, then hail and finally sunny skies. Miss Celesta nearly dropped her parchment.
The hall went silent, and Charlie could hear his heartbeat. He wondered if something was wrong. The crystal ball stopped glowing.
'Something like this has never happened in my lifetime,' said Mrs Celesta, staring at Charlie. 'It's very unusual, and you are a rare one, Charlie Clark.'
Charlie looked at his palm and saw that all the lines on his palm had disappeared.
'Please remain behind until all the others are assigned departments, Charlie,' said Miss Celesta as she looked at the parchment again.
Charlie walked back, and all the others made way for him.
'Can I see your palm,' asked Ray as Charlie went back to where he had been standing next to Ray. Charlie showed Ray his hand and saw that it was empty. Charlie saw that his palm didn't have the lines that were there before.
'That is odd,' said Ray, 'I've heard stories about those given blank palms.'
'I'm not sure if there has been a mistake,' said Charlie, looking at his palm. He had never felt that he was special. He noticed that everyone was looking at him.
Then Ray stared at Charlie's ring. 'You don't say...is that...a...Red Ring?'
Ray said it out loud, and others who had overheard him peeked to see Charlie's Red Ring.
Whispers broke out in the crowd. Miss Celesta cleared her voice and asked, 'what happens to be the problem?'
'He has the Red Ring!' said Ray, aloud in surprise.
'He has been given the Red Ring. He is the Chosen Caster,' said Miss Celesta. Whispers broke out again, hissing like water on burning wood. Miss Celesta went on calling names.
'Molly Miller,' said Miss Celesta, and a girl with pigtails walked up to the crystal and touched it.
The crystal glowed, and the wall in front was covered with falling snowflakes. Molly walked back, looking at her palm.
'Cressa Bell,' Miss Celesta called out and wrapped the scroll up. A girl with dark brown hair in plats walked up to the crystal.
'My parents talk about the Bell family a lot. She is their only daughter,' said Ray as the wall in front was filled with fluffy white clouds and the sun.
Everyone began to talk in whispers as Cressa came back to where she had been standing. Charlie saw her showing the mark with the sun and the clouds on her palm to those around her.
Before you go back, I would like you to have some refreshments. Miss Celesta stretched out her hands, and some of the clouds floating outside the window came in floating through the window.
Everyone watched spellbound. Charlie looked on as one cloud stretched and started floating above everyone.
'Please move aside so that the cloud has space to come down and settle itself on the floor,' said Miss Celesta, gazing up at the cloud.
All the children moved away from the cloud. There was a flash, and it turned into a long table.
The children looked at the tiny clouds hovering above in the air. Charlie blinked, and the little clouds had turned into chairs and had arranged themselves alongside the table.
'Please, sit down,' said Miss Celesta as she stretched her hand. More clouds appeared and came floating in through the window, and once they were over the table, they began glowing bright, and once the glow had faded, they turned into food and settled themselves down on the table.
Everyone stared. 'I wouldn't be able to do this much cloud casting at once, but today is a full moon's day which makes doing a lot of casting possible. Anyway, you will learn all about that and more at Cloud Central. Please help yourselves, 'said Miss Celesta, dropping her raised hands.
The table was filled with all sorts of things Charlie could imagine. There were chicken pies, toad in the hole, steak, kidney pie, roast beef, roast poke, and so much more. Everyone served as much as they wanted.
'This beats any feast that I have been to in my life,' said Ray as he gobbled down some fried fish and chips.
'What will you choose to study?' said Cressa, who was seated opposite Charlie and Ray.
'Sunny clouds,' said Charlie as he ate a bit of steak.
'That's good,' said Cressa as she looked back at her palm. 'It must be nice to have a chance to select whatever you want to learn. That's just cool. But I'm glad I got sunny clouds because that's what I like.'
'It is kind of confusing too,' said Charlie, as he ate some chips.
After eating some jelly and ice cream, Charlie felt completely stuffed. Ray was eating a chocolate muffin. The hall was slowly growing quiet.
Two men and two women walked into the hall. They went to Miss Celesta and they talked together, though no one could hear what they were saying. Everyone had put away their forks and spoons, and were looking at Miss Celesta and the two men and the women.
One man was wearing a hat with a feather on it. He was dressed in a blue cloak, the same as the colour Miss Celesta was wearing. The other man was dressed in a grey cloak. One of the ladies was wearing a white cloak and the other was wearing a blue one. Everyone sitting at the feast table had had their fill and were talking to those
who sat close to them.
Miss Celesta cleared her throat and clapped her hands. Everyone looked up at her at once. 'Everyone, meet the heads of the four departments.'
Everyone looked at Miss Celesta and their gaze shifted towards the two men and two women standing with her.
'Meet Mr Winter White, who oversees the snowy clouds department,' said Miss Celesta, as a man stepped forward and bowed. 'Thank you, Mr White. Now those who have been selected to study snowy clouds, Mr White is the head of the department of snowy clouds. Those who were selected to the snowy cloud department will be under the supervision and guidance of Mr White.'
Charlie looked at Mr Winter and thought that he looked rather like a snow man himself. He was so pale as if he was made of snow. 'I wouldn't be surprised if he was,' thought Charlie thinking about everything he had seen.
'I'm delighted to welcome you to Cloud Central. I hope you will all have a wonderful time here. And for those who will be under my supervision, you are always welcome to talk to me if you have any questions,' said Mr White stepping back, and Miss Celesta clapped and everyone else clapped too.
'Now, for those who were chosen to pursue the study of sunny clouds, please welcome Miss Merry Bright,' said Miss Celesta as a woman with curly blonde hair and brilliant blue eyes stepped forward.
'I would like to welcome everyone to our cloud school, Cloud Central. Not everyone gets the chance to study at a prestigious institute like this one. I hope each one of you will make Cloud Central proud. If you have been chosen to study sunny clouds, I will oversee the sunny clouds department. I am more than happy to help any of you with anything. All I can say is that I hope you will all give something back to your school and make the best of this opportunity,' said Miss Bright, smiling and stepping back.
'Thank you, Miss Bright, for those wonderful words. Now for those who are studying hail clouds, meet Mrs Hailey Harper,' said Miss Celesta looking at a tall thin woman with dark hair and dark eyes.
Charlie thought she looked odd. 'She reminds me of a toothpick,' said Ray, in a whisper. Charlie stifled a giggle.
Miss Celesta looked at them and frowned. Mrs Hailey Harper stepped forward and cleared her throat.
'First of all, I would like to remind you that this is a prestigious school. You are fortunate to have the chance to study here as Cloud Casters. Not everyone gets the opportunity to study the art of Cloud Casting. It is a rare privilege, and I hope you don't goof around too much,' said Mrs Harper looking in the direction of Charlie and Ray.
'Thank you for your wonderful words of wisdom,' said Miss Celesta, clapping her hands. Everyone clapped too. Then she turned her head towards the four heads of the cloud departments and said, 'Now for those chosen to pursue the study of storm clouds, meet Mr Grey Smith.
A tall man, wearing spectacles came forward and adjusted his spectacles. He had a long and crooked nose. He twirled his moustache. 'As you might have noticed, there aren't many who were selected to study storm clouds. That is because it is a rare gift. Many might argue against it, but I believe this is true.'
Everyone was silent while Mr Smith spoke. Charlie looked at Mr Winter, Miss Bright, and Mrs Harper and saw that they were all frowning as in disagreement. 'Mr Smith seems to have turned them all into storm clouds,' thought Charlie as he looked at Mr Smith. Mr Smith stepped back, and Miss Celesta said, 'thank you, Mr Smith, and clapped, and everyone else clapped too. But Charlie thought the clapping was rather dull compared to how everyone else had clapped when Miss Bright made her speech.
Everyone started to talk while Mr Winter, Miss Bright, Mrs Harper, and Mr Smith talked.
'Did you like Mr Smith?' asked Ray, glancing towards Mr Smith, who straightened his pointed hat with a grey feather.
'He does seem to be rather tough,' said Charlie, looking at Mr Smith and then at the other heads of the departments.
'I wouldn't be surprised if he turned into a storm cloud the way he keeps frowning and scowling,' said Ray, looking at Mr Smith and quickly turning away when he noticed that Mr Smith was looking in his direction.
'Everyone, please be quiet. Those who were selected to study sunny clouds, please come forward,' said Miss Celesta, clapping her hands. The hall grew quiet.
'That's my call, see you soon then. You are choosing to study sunny clouds, aren't you?' asked Ray, as all the others who had been chosen to study sunny clouds began to make their way towards the front of the hall.
'Yes, I will,' said Charlie and Ray waved and walked towards the front of the hall.
'Those who were selected to study sunny clouds, please follow me in a line,' said Miss Bright and all the students who were selected to study sunny clouds got into a line and followed Miss Bright out of the hall.
It suddenly felt strange without Ray. Miss Celesta clapped her hands and said, 'Those chosen to study snow, please come forward.'
There was a shuffling of feet and whispers, and some of those left went towards the front of the hall. Charlie noticed that nearly half the hall was empty now.
Miss Celesta said, 'those who were chosen to study hail clouds, please come forward.'
Those selected to study hail clouds walked towards the front of the hall and were gathered by Mrs Harper.
'Come along, follow me now in a line,' said Mrs Hailey, walking off towards the door.
Charlie looked at Mr Smith and saw him adjusting his spectacles as if to take note of those studying in his department.