‘I got the key from upstairs then I took a short cut.’
Jem gratefully took the key from her and inserted it in the lock. She took a deep breath then turned it. There was a dull, heavy clank as she felt the lock give. She looked to her left, but Dotty was gone. She grabbed the door and pulled it open. It wasn’t as heavy as she’d thought, but she was panting now, more from fear than exertion. She strained her ears in an attempt to listen to what might be going on both outside and within Piglet’s room.
There was nothing but silence.
She crossed the threshold, feeling the cool damp air on her face, her arms outstretched as she tried to feel her way. She inched forward slowly. She couldn’t see anything, but the space before her seemed somehow vast.
‘Piglet?’ she whispered, her voice echoing in the darkness.
There was no response.
‘Piglet? Are you there?’
She thought she heard something like a low, quiet moan.
‘Piglet? Is that you?’
Something lumbered past her in the dark, and her heart started to pound. She closed her eyes and swallowed.
‘Piglet, please, we need your help.’
There was another moan.
‘Your family needs you, Piglet.’
This was greeted with a groan. It was a weary sound, filled with a sense of defeat.
‘I know you miss Bertram.’
Something huge suddenly thrashed about in the dark, and there was a great clanging sound followed by a bellow of pain and anguish. Jem froze.
‘Please,’ she whispered again. ‘Your family needs you.’ There was nothing but silence now. Jem waited. The silence stretched on and on. With each passing moment the faint stirrings of hope she’d felt when she hit upon her idea started to fade. She shook her head and started to turn towards the door. She could feel the telltale sting of approaching tears. She stopped and shouted, ‘Mirabelle needs you!’
There was the sound of something like a great unfurling of wings, the grand movement of a giant fin in the depths of the ocean, panting like the hot breath of a dragon. Then two red eyes suddenly blazed in the dark.
Mirabelle
The fear. The pain. It was almost crippling now. Mirabelle watched as the villagers gathered for one final assault. She could see the Malice in the centre of them, and she knew this was the end.
A shadow passed over, and seconds later Enoch landed beside her.
Enoch frowned at Odd. ‘You should be resting.’
‘Thank you for your concern, Uncle, but I suspect I may be of more use here. We need all the help we can get.’ He looked at Tom who was holding a piece of wood.
Tom, looking slightly embarrassed, held up his makeshift weapon. ‘I thought I could help.’
Enoch gave him a sharp nod, which Mirabelle recognized as a sign of deep gratitude. She managed a rueful smile.
Enoch stood stiffly beside her, unable to look at her.
‘What is it, Uncle?’ she asked.
‘Nothing,’ he said, staring at the advancing crowd, a muscle in his jaw flickering.
‘Uncle?’
He looked down at her, and she was shocked to see tears welling in his eyes.
‘They die, you see, the mortals. They die and their loved ones experience pain. I wanted to save you from that. The pain. If I’d told you about your mother, it would have hurt you the way I’ve seen it hurt them. I only wanted to protect you from that.’
Mirabelle took his hand. ‘Thank you, Uncle, but you didn’t have to.’
‘I’m your guardian. I made a promise to your mother.’
Mirabelle squeezed his hand. ‘It’s better that I understand the pain.’
Enoch nodded.
They both turned to face the crowd. The Malice was at its head, and it was smiling.
Freddie
Freddie was talking to his father, trying to keep in step with him.
‘You know you don’t have to do this, don’t you, Dad?’
Tears were streaming down his father’s face. His lips were moving silently, his eyes fixed on the house. They were only a few feet from the steps. Freddie could see Mirabelle and Odd, Enoch and Eliza. The twins were looking out of a window.
‘Dad?’
Mr Pheeps’s voice rang out. ‘And lo, so it came to pass that the good people of Rookhaven freed themselves from their shackles.’
His eyes were gleaming, and to Freddie he looked more loathsome than ever.
‘Now if you people would be so kind as to move forward and ensure that these people receive their just desserts.’
The crowd advanced with purpose. Freddie could see Mirabelle and the others just standing there waiting. He wanted to shout at them to run. Why didn’t they just run? The crowd was so close to them now. They would be upon them in moments and then . . .
Freddie didn’t want to think about it. He held his breath. A line of men had already reached the foot of the steps. Some of those at the front were already raising their weapons.
Then the doors of the house exploded outwards in a shower of splinters as something huge and black burst through the door. It reared up on its hind legs and bellowed at the night sky. Freddie could barely take it in. It had dozens of green eyes, or perhaps they were orange, all made of a beautiful liquid fire. It had a ruffle of scarlet feathers, and it was horned and taloned like some mythical beast. It bellowed again, and the crowd started to scatter in terror as it pelted directly towards them.
‘KILL IT! KILL IT!’ Mr Pheeps screamed.
Freddie heard Mirabelle shout, ‘Piglet! No!’
Piglet! That creature was Piglet!
Mr Pheeps was still screaming.
‘KILL IIIIIIIIIT!’
A half-dozen ‘brave’ souls raised their weapons. Through some miracle they all fired at the same time.
And, right in front of Freddie’s eyes, Piglet exploded.
Piglet
Piglet was frightened when the girl came to him.
He wanted her to go away. He’d been
