shut out entirely. Jake yelped as he was hurled into darkness, and then scolded himself for being so easily spooked. He carried on tentatively, taking small steps to make sure he didn’t trip over something as his eyes adjusted to the blackness. The wind swirled through the trees, creating a doleful sigh that sounded almost human. Jake hurried ahead, all sorts of monsters in his mind, not worrying whether he slipped now and willing the warm light of his house to tip into sight.
Jake stopped. What was that? There was a scuffling in the forest only a few metres away from him. Jake stayed as still as stone. The sound was moving away from him, deeper into the forest. It didn’t sound like an animal; the movements were precise, slow, deliberate, like Jake’s own footsteps a moment before. There was the crunching of leaves and sticks underfoot and the brushing away of branches, as though someone were carefully picking their way along.
‘Hello?’ Jake said, his voice faint. ‘Is someone there?’
There was no answer, just the strange footsteps and the wind in the trees.
Jake began to walk again, as fast as he could, when another sound made him pause again: the faint jangling of bells from the belly of the forest, tinkling through the dead leaves towards him. Jake, too frightened to turn his head, but too frightened not to, glanced between the tree trunks.
A figure, dressed in white, was standing alone between the trees, facing Jake. Through the darkness Jake could see the tattered, coloured ribbons trailing off its elbows, and the drooping hat covered in wilted flowers, terrifying in its familiarity. The bells around its ankles and wrists grew louder, purling a discordant, hypnotic tune that made Jake want to stop his ears. The figure beckoned with a long finger.
Jake felt his legs move, but they weren’t travelling towards Pootle – they were taking him into the forest.
Chapter Eleven
‘Arthur!’ Penny said, exasperated.
Arthur jerked his attention back to her. They were talking in the lower-school common room at break, and Arthur had been distracted by the arrival of a girl who at first glance had looked like Amber.
‘I was listening!’ Arthur protested.
‘Yeah, right,’ Penny replied. ‘You’re so transparent. But I wouldn’t bother looking around anyway. Amber never comes to break – she has to go back to house to put on more make-up.’
Arthur laughed.
‘It’s true!’ Penny said, with only the tiniest hint of enjoyment. ‘I’ve seen her. You don’t think she looks that good naturally? Smoke and mirrors, my friend.’
Before Arthur could reply, George appeared next to them, panting.
‘What’s wrong?’ Penny said, suddenly serious.
‘Have either of you seen Jake?’ George asked, looking stricken.
‘No, why?’ Arthur asked.
‘He didn’t check in at house last night and he didn’t turn up for lessons this morning. All the teachers are looking for him.’
‘Maybe he went home?’ Arthur suggested. ‘He seemed pretty worried about his mum.’
‘No,’ George said, ‘they’ve already thought of that. His housemaster called his home and he’s not there.’
‘You don’t think –’ Arthur began.
‘Don’t!’ Penny said, horrified. ‘I’m sure it’s just a mix-up.’
But Penny didn’t sound convinced.
The bell rang and the trio made their way along the gravel path to the science block, silent and tense. Just as they reached its entrance, there was a commotion in the forest next to them. Voices shouted urgently, and a few students gathered on the edge of the wood, craning their necks to see what the fuss was all about. Penny, Arthur and George ran over, nudging the others out of the way.
Deep within the forest, they could make out two teachers struggling to carry a limp, lifeless body. The white blond hair was unmistakable.
Another teacher arrived to corral the students away. ‘Go back inside,’ he said urgently.
‘What’s going on?’ Penny said, a sob in her
Jake stopped. What was that? There was a scuffling in the forest only a few metres away from him. Jake stayed as still as stone. The sound was moving away from him, deeper into the forest. It didn’t sound like an animal; the movements were precise, slow, deliberate, like Jake’s own footsteps a moment before. There was the crunching of leaves and sticks underfoot and the brushing away of branches, as though someone were carefully picking their way along.
‘Hello?’ Jake said, his voice faint. ‘Is someone there?’
There was no answer, just the strange footsteps and the wind in the trees.
Jake began to walk again, as fast as he could, when another sound made him pause again: the faint jangling of bells from the belly of the forest, tinkling through the dead leaves towards him. Jake, too frightened to turn his head, but too frightened not to, glanced between the tree trunks.
A figure, dressed in white, was standing alone between the trees, facing Jake. Through the darkness Jake could see the tattered, coloured ribbons trailing off its elbows, and the drooping hat covered in wilted flowers, terrifying in its familiarity. The bells around its ankles and wrists grew louder, purling a discordant, hypnotic tune that made Jake want to stop his ears. The figure beckoned with a long finger.
Jake felt his legs move, but they weren’t travelling towards Pootle – they were taking him into the forest.
Chapter Eleven
‘Arthur!’ Penny said, exasperated.
Arthur jerked his attention back to her. They were talking in the lower-school common room at break, and Arthur had been distracted by the arrival of a girl who at first glance had looked like Amber.
‘I was listening!’ Arthur protested.
‘Yeah, right,’ Penny replied. ‘You’re so transparent. But I wouldn’t bother looking around anyway. Amber never comes to break – she has to go back to house to put on more make-up.’
Arthur laughed.
‘It’s true!’ Penny said, with only the tiniest hint of enjoyment. ‘I’ve seen her. You don’t think she looks that good naturally? Smoke and mirrors, my friend.’
Before Arthur could reply, George appeared next to them, panting.
‘What’s wrong?’ Penny said, suddenly serious.
‘Have either of you seen Jake?’ George asked, looking stricken.
‘No, why?’ Arthur asked.
‘He didn’t check in at house last night and he didn’t turn up for lessons this morning. All the teachers are looking for him.’
‘Maybe he went home?’ Arthur suggested. ‘He seemed pretty worried about his mum.’
‘No,’ George said, ‘they’ve already thought of that. His housemaster called his home and he’s not there.’
‘You don’t think –’ Arthur began.
‘Don’t!’ Penny said, horrified. ‘I’m sure it’s just a mix-up.’
But Penny didn’t sound convinced.
The bell rang and the trio made their way along the gravel path to the science block, silent and tense. Just as they reached its entrance, there was a commotion in the forest next to them. Voices shouted urgently, and a few students gathered on the edge of the wood, craning their necks to see what the fuss was all about. Penny, Arthur and George ran over, nudging the others out of the way.
Deep within the forest, they could make out two teachers struggling to carry a limp, lifeless body. The white blond hair was unmistakable.
Another teacher arrived to corral the students away. ‘Go back inside,’ he said urgently.
‘What’s going on?’ Penny said, a sob in her
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