follow.
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Up in Blackâs office, Lily sat in the dark cupboard. Her father had left the room and turned off the light. She thought about the cats. She wondered what the twins were doing. And she waited for them to start talking in low voices again. But they didnât. Minutes ticked by. Ticktock. Ticktock. Lilyâs legs began to feel cramped, and the cupboard began to feel uncomfortably small. Lily considered her predicament. She didnât want to be hypnotized by the children, yet she didnât want to sit in this cupboard all night either. It was so quiet. Were they there anymore?
Full of trepidation, Lily silently and slowly openedthe cupboard door and slipped out. The room was dark except for some street light that was coming through the slit window where the cats had been. She glanced up at the open air vent. Perhaps the two children had escaped through the vent, or maybe, just maybe, they were still behind the sofa. With her heart pounding and her mouth dry, Lily tiptoed aross the room. She could, she knew, simply unlock the door and run, but now her curiosity had gotten the better of her. In the semidark, she peered over the sofa.
The twins had gone. Vanished. Now Lily rushed back to the desk and turned on the lamp. There on the floor behind the sofa were two heaps of clothes. The clothes that the children had been wearing!
For a moment Lily was confused. Then she realized what had happened. Those kids had morphed. There was no other way they would have left the room and left all their clothes behind.
Lily scrambled over the sofa and rummaged through the clothes. She delved in the jeans pockets for anything that might tell her who these children had been. But the pockets were empty. Whoever they were, it was clear they were after the hypnotism book.
Lilyâs temper began to stir, and then guilt began to smolder like a fire inside her. She wished she hadwarned her dad when she had had the chance. Because of her, the book was in danger of being stolen. Maybe he was in danger.
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Hundreds of miles away, Petula walked along a muddy country road. Petula followed her senses, for she could feel where Molly had been. It was as if there was radar inside her head, and Molly glowed there.
When Petula had set out, she was so full of determination and fury that this had kept her going for a good few miles. The country lanes edged with brambles and the fields full of sheep or cows or horses kept her amused for a while. She sniffed the air as she walked past unfamiliar farms where strange dogs barked. She raised her nose as she went through cottaged villages. There were hundreds of different smells, from baking smells to engine oil to hives and honey. How had she not guessed that the woman might be a threat? She shook her head at herself as she walked, making her collar rattle. When she stopped at puddles to drink, she saw her black reflection and frowned at herself. She prided herself on the way sheâd kept an eye on her friend Molly. How had her guard slipped? She dropped the pebble sheâd been sucking into the puddle so that her reflection was cut up by ripples.
âStupid!â she barked at herself.
After ten miles, Petula really was beginning to flag. Her legs were aching. Fit as she was, Petula wasnât used to marathon walks.
She felt as though she had hardly made any progress. She realized that she was going to have to get some help. She sniffed the air for inspiration.
Looking about, she saw that she was approaching a farm, an establishment that smelled of flowers. This one had high wooden gates. A battered sign with writing on it and pictures of flowers hung to the left of them. Beyond the gates was a large yard with a big corregated-roofed building and, to the side, huge greenhouses. Three men were lifting boxes into an open-backed truck. The boxes, Petula could smell, were full of flowers.
Cautiously, she went closer to get a better look. It was then that she saw a white
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Up in Blackâs office, Lily sat in the dark cupboard. Her father had left the room and turned off the light. She thought about the cats. She wondered what the twins were doing. And she waited for them to start talking in low voices again. But they didnât. Minutes ticked by. Ticktock. Ticktock. Lilyâs legs began to feel cramped, and the cupboard began to feel uncomfortably small. Lily considered her predicament. She didnât want to be hypnotized by the children, yet she didnât want to sit in this cupboard all night either. It was so quiet. Were they there anymore?
Full of trepidation, Lily silently and slowly openedthe cupboard door and slipped out. The room was dark except for some street light that was coming through the slit window where the cats had been. She glanced up at the open air vent. Perhaps the two children had escaped through the vent, or maybe, just maybe, they were still behind the sofa. With her heart pounding and her mouth dry, Lily tiptoed aross the room. She could, she knew, simply unlock the door and run, but now her curiosity had gotten the better of her. In the semidark, she peered over the sofa.
The twins had gone. Vanished. Now Lily rushed back to the desk and turned on the lamp. There on the floor behind the sofa were two heaps of clothes. The clothes that the children had been wearing!
For a moment Lily was confused. Then she realized what had happened. Those kids had morphed. There was no other way they would have left the room and left all their clothes behind.
Lily scrambled over the sofa and rummaged through the clothes. She delved in the jeans pockets for anything that might tell her who these children had been. But the pockets were empty. Whoever they were, it was clear they were after the hypnotism book.
Lilyâs temper began to stir, and then guilt began to smolder like a fire inside her. She wished she hadwarned her dad when she had had the chance. Because of her, the book was in danger of being stolen. Maybe he was in danger.
Â
Hundreds of miles away, Petula walked along a muddy country road. Petula followed her senses, for she could feel where Molly had been. It was as if there was radar inside her head, and Molly glowed there.
When Petula had set out, she was so full of determination and fury that this had kept her going for a good few miles. The country lanes edged with brambles and the fields full of sheep or cows or horses kept her amused for a while. She sniffed the air as she walked past unfamiliar farms where strange dogs barked. She raised her nose as she went through cottaged villages. There were hundreds of different smells, from baking smells to engine oil to hives and honey. How had she not guessed that the woman might be a threat? She shook her head at herself as she walked, making her collar rattle. When she stopped at puddles to drink, she saw her black reflection and frowned at herself. She prided herself on the way sheâd kept an eye on her friend Molly. How had her guard slipped? She dropped the pebble sheâd been sucking into the puddle so that her reflection was cut up by ripples.
âStupid!â she barked at herself.
After ten miles, Petula really was beginning to flag. Her legs were aching. Fit as she was, Petula wasnât used to marathon walks.
She felt as though she had hardly made any progress. She realized that she was going to have to get some help. She sniffed the air for inspiration.
Looking about, she saw that she was approaching a farm, an establishment that smelled of flowers. This one had high wooden gates. A battered sign with writing on it and pictures of flowers hung to the left of them. Beyond the gates was a large yard with a big corregated-roofed building and, to the side, huge greenhouses. Three men were lifting boxes into an open-backed truck. The boxes, Petula could smell, were full of flowers.
Cautiously, she went closer to get a better look. It was then that she saw a white
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