asleep. Then they creep into your bedroom and steal all of your teeth.â
âI donât believe you,â Amy said flatly.
Max was impressed. Perhaps his baby sister was finally starting to grow up.
But she went on, âFairies wouldnât play nasty tricks on you. Everyone knows fairies are kind.They only take your teeth if you leave them under the pillow anâ then they put money out for you.â
Max shook his head and rolled his eyes. âForget it!â He stamped his feet on the ground to warm them up before returning his attention to tree hunting. He stomped off into the forest, breathing in the sweet smell of pine.
Suddenly he saw just the one. It was a little taller than he was and bushy without sprouting untidily all over the place. Bingo!
Max flipped open his pocket knife and pulled out the largest of the blades. Carefully he began to saw.
Ten minutes later he was still sawing and his arm was burning like it was about to spontaneously combust. He kicked the tree in frustration.
Infuriatingly, it barely trembled.
At that moment, he became aware of a strange stillness in the forest. He couldnât shake the feeling that he was being watched. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled.
âAmy?â he called.
The glade suddenly didnât feel safe. There was something creepy lurking in the air.
âAmy, is that you?â he called again, peering through the trees.
She didnât reply. Where was she?
Max pocketed his knife and hurried back towards the lake. The lake! What if Amy had fallen in? She was only five. She couldnât swim without her armbands. Max broke into a sprint, twisting and turning to avoid crashing into trees.
Bursting through the bushes at the lakeside, Max imagined Amyâs pink jacket swollen with water and her small body face down in the water, her blonde hair streaming around her.
He stared up and down the length of the lake.
She wasnât there.
Max took deep gasps of relief before yelling out her name in a long-drawn-out cry.
Flapping their wings, a flock of birds flew up into the air, startled from where they had been roosting in the treetops.
But there was no responding shout from his sister.
Max had to face it.
Amy was missing.
Chapter Three
While Max pounded along the path toward his house, horrible thoughts forced their way into his head. What if Amy had fallen into the lake and had got all tangled up in the weeds?
Why did I leave her on her own?
Out of the corner of his eye he saw a bright flash appear through the trees. A moment later there was a second brilliant gleam of light. Something was lurking in the forest, keeping pace with him.
âWhoâs there?â he yelled.
He strained his ears but heard nothing but silence.
Reaching the bank Max scrambled up it and squeezed through the fence. He quickly scanned the street.
Nothing.
It took Max three attempts to fit the key into his front door. Finally it turned and he stepped intothe hall. Picking up the phone, he punched in his motherâs mobile number.
âHello?â She sounded annoyed already.
âMumâ¦â
âMax. I hope youâve got a good reason for ringing. Iâm in the middle of a meeting.â
âAmyâs missing,â Max choked.
âWhat do you mean? Whatâs wrong?â
âMum⦠Iâve lost her.â His throat tightened and his voice went wobbly.
âWhere?â his mother snapped.
Quickly Max told her what had happened.
âRight, phone the police and tell them whatâs happened. Iâm on my way home. Call 999, now!â his mother rapped, machine-gun-style, and then hung up.
* * *
His mother and David arrived at exactly the same moment, bursting through the front door together.
Max had never seen his mother look so chalk-coloured. As for David⦠he actually looked worried. Not once in the last six years had Max seen Davidâs face a degree over
concerned
. Brokenwindows,
âI donât believe you,â Amy said flatly.
Max was impressed. Perhaps his baby sister was finally starting to grow up.
But she went on, âFairies wouldnât play nasty tricks on you. Everyone knows fairies are kind.They only take your teeth if you leave them under the pillow anâ then they put money out for you.â
Max shook his head and rolled his eyes. âForget it!â He stamped his feet on the ground to warm them up before returning his attention to tree hunting. He stomped off into the forest, breathing in the sweet smell of pine.
Suddenly he saw just the one. It was a little taller than he was and bushy without sprouting untidily all over the place. Bingo!
Max flipped open his pocket knife and pulled out the largest of the blades. Carefully he began to saw.
Ten minutes later he was still sawing and his arm was burning like it was about to spontaneously combust. He kicked the tree in frustration.
Infuriatingly, it barely trembled.
At that moment, he became aware of a strange stillness in the forest. He couldnât shake the feeling that he was being watched. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled.
âAmy?â he called.
The glade suddenly didnât feel safe. There was something creepy lurking in the air.
âAmy, is that you?â he called again, peering through the trees.
She didnât reply. Where was she?
Max pocketed his knife and hurried back towards the lake. The lake! What if Amy had fallen in? She was only five. She couldnât swim without her armbands. Max broke into a sprint, twisting and turning to avoid crashing into trees.
Bursting through the bushes at the lakeside, Max imagined Amyâs pink jacket swollen with water and her small body face down in the water, her blonde hair streaming around her.
He stared up and down the length of the lake.
She wasnât there.
Max took deep gasps of relief before yelling out her name in a long-drawn-out cry.
Flapping their wings, a flock of birds flew up into the air, startled from where they had been roosting in the treetops.
But there was no responding shout from his sister.
Max had to face it.
Amy was missing.
Chapter Three
While Max pounded along the path toward his house, horrible thoughts forced their way into his head. What if Amy had fallen into the lake and had got all tangled up in the weeds?
Why did I leave her on her own?
Out of the corner of his eye he saw a bright flash appear through the trees. A moment later there was a second brilliant gleam of light. Something was lurking in the forest, keeping pace with him.
âWhoâs there?â he yelled.
He strained his ears but heard nothing but silence.
Reaching the bank Max scrambled up it and squeezed through the fence. He quickly scanned the street.
Nothing.
It took Max three attempts to fit the key into his front door. Finally it turned and he stepped intothe hall. Picking up the phone, he punched in his motherâs mobile number.
âHello?â She sounded annoyed already.
âMumâ¦â
âMax. I hope youâve got a good reason for ringing. Iâm in the middle of a meeting.â
âAmyâs missing,â Max choked.
âWhat do you mean? Whatâs wrong?â
âMum⦠Iâve lost her.â His throat tightened and his voice went wobbly.
âWhere?â his mother snapped.
Quickly Max told her what had happened.
âRight, phone the police and tell them whatâs happened. Iâm on my way home. Call 999, now!â his mother rapped, machine-gun-style, and then hung up.
* * *
His mother and David arrived at exactly the same moment, bursting through the front door together.
Max had never seen his mother look so chalk-coloured. As for David⦠he actually looked worried. Not once in the last six years had Max seen Davidâs face a degree over
concerned
. Brokenwindows,
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