What happens next? 

Tara June Winch has started 'The Way Home', but needs your help finishing it. Will Lila be able to help the whale family make their way to the North?

Read the story and fill in the form at the bottom to continue it. Remember, the point is to keep the story going so make sure you write something others can continue. Don't forget to come back and check how the story is going and even contribute again.

The Way Home

This is how it all began, on one of my usual beach combing walks in the afternoon. The northern swell had brought grey, bleached tree branches onto the sand of the harbour. Out of the driftwood, Mum and I were planning to build our own Christmas tree this summer. We live on the harbour, my mum and I, in our old white painted apartment that sits directly opposite the water, and sometimes in the early mornings I sit out at the breakfast table and watch people jog past the window and the fishermen untangle netting on the decks before heading out for the day (that's when I get up really, really early). But mostly I'm at the harbour in the afternoons, after school, when Mum and I walk our dog Gypsy, or look for shells for my string necklaces and if it's hot, we put on our swimmers and do freestyle strokes in the cove. Mum works at home, she makes paper butterflies and lacquers them onto vases and ancient wooden birdcages, then people buy them for their homes, she's almost famous for them in our town. And me, I'm eight, and I'm in the nippers swim club at school and can swim right out to the pier and back easily, and Gypsy can swim out that far too.

Anyway, this is the afternoon that changed everything. I was collecting driftwood and walking way out to the pier to get big pieces, Mum was up on our veranda with Gypsy and a cup of tea, she was waving down to me, I could make her out as I circled the harbour out toward the lighthouse. I climbed up on the cement square boulders that are meant to stop the waves from crashing boats docked in the harbour. From on top of the boulders I knew I'd get the best view of any hidden driftwood. I was looking for a good spot for my feet to get higher when I heard it. The crying sound, it wasn't a human sound, I was sure of that, or even an animal sound, like Gypsy – it was coming from the ocean, it was a wailing. I climbed over the rock wall to see over toward that crying noise. It was quiet, nothing – I looked out into the sea, and listened so hard I could hear kids laughing at the shoreline and seagulls squawking from the fish market on the other side of the harbour. There was no sound.

I looked out again, and this time I heard a splash and saw a fin slap the water, it looked as if it was a whale's fin, but it was far too close to the rocks to be one. And then there was another splash further away from the first splash, but smaller and right beneath the rock wall - where I was standing. I climbed down the outside break wall; the surf was flat this day so I knew I was safe enough. It was a whale, a baby one, I knew because right at the moment my feet reached the water, a baby humpback stuck its head out and looked right at me. The other, bigger whale cried out again. I was about to look out when the baby whale spoke.

My Dad - he's injured and can't remember which way to go home, we need to get back to the North, where the oceans are warm before winter hits. My mother - she was caught by the whalers, we swam so fast to get away, but now we're lost, and Dad is scared to let any boats see us now, Lila – we need your help.

The baby whale sound exhausted and distressed. I was shocked, I'd never spoken to a whale before, but my Mum had told me stories about the whales and the animals being able to speak to each other, but I never knew they could speak to us! And my name…

How do you know my name?

My Dad knows your Mum, and he knows about the butterflies that she makes, we need you to help us Lila, you and your Mum. We need some Ulysses butterflies, they know the way North, they could fly up there and we could stay under water and follow and be safe from the whalers, that's my Dad's plan anyway, what do you think?

~

Uh, sorry just it wouldn't work. The Ulysses butterflies would either be eaten by birds heading north or blown away by sea winds, but my old grandpa a whaler [but but turned to helping whales survive] knows the way north. He will help you. (Submitted by Tom, age 9)

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What if he has died since we last made contact?????? The ulysses butterflies aren't the greatest idea anyway. I like the sound of this grandad. (Submitted by Pezi, age 11)

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He has got a special boat, where whales can hide under, so nobody can see you and you can swim at your own pace. Grandpa also knows a few places where whales can rest and find their favourite food. So get your Dad and we will go and visit my Gandpa. He lives in a little cottage near the lighthouse very close to the beach.

"By the way, what is your name?" Lila asked the baby whale. The baby whale told her that his name was Splash. Splash swam to tell his Dad the good news and both started to swim towards the little cottage and Lila ran along the beach. (Submitted by Katharina, age 9)

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'Well, if we fly the butterflys us there, can you still be able to see them?'
The baby whale looked a bit sad.

"I don't think so."

"Wait" said Lila. "I think I have an idea."

Lila climbed to her house and came back with the Ulysses butterflies and some rope, and her mum was right beside her. Then Lila remembered she gets sick in the sea.

'I think I should stay back' she said.

'Alright' answered her mum. 'But make us some coffe and water for when we get back.'

When my mum came back she was looking sad. 'We found the baby's mum and they killed her.' she said.

'But the good news was that they are all safe.' (Submitted by Mei-Ling, age 11)

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Lila looked at her Mum very sternly. "Okay!! I give in! It was all a lie! Splash's Mum is alive, but she is being held captive by mutant lobsters. Sorry". (Submitted by Isabel, India, and Stephanie, age 10)

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Looking sad my mum said 'The baby said to me that over there he wouldn't have anyone to play with.  So he wants us to move houses wherever he goes so you could play with him.

'But I love this house'.

'But remember the whales go up and down the coast so we can go back to this house! (Submitted by Iris, age 7)

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