A giant ladybird flies into Gemstone Glade, and perches on the edge of the fountain. Her red body is radiant, black spots dancing over it like planets rotating in a galaxy of burning light.

Slowly she drinks from the fountain, and her wings grow longer, changing colour, glittering green, sighing in a gentle wind.

Satisfied,the ladybird flies in to the sky … and straight in to Andy’s dream.  Andy is running from his own shadow, furious to outrun it: that part of him that gets bullied daily at school, a shadow he discards as soon as he arrives home. But in his dreams it catches him.

The ladybird carries Andy to Ladybird Land, towers in the clouds under a red sun flecked with black dots. The sky is alive with ladybirds. Their wings create a song of sweetness, nectar to the ears as Andy is soothed and falls in to a deeper sleep.

In the morning, he awakes to the taste of contentment on his lips, heaven in his heart. There is a safe place to return to, night after night. The shadow will not catch him there.

A red ladybird is on his windowsill. He sets it free, to fly forever, as his dreams dissolve to dust.