I was sure I was going the right way, but there were junctions I hadn’t seen on the way in. The call of an owl sent shivers through me. I leant against the nearest tree, clutching my chest and gathering my breath. After a while I journeyed on, only to trip over a tree root and fall headlong into the undergrowth. I sat up, rubbing my bare arms where nettle stings tingled. I flicked my long hair over my forehead and out of my eyes and rose to my feet once more. ‘Lost, are we?’ I jumped back in fright, keeling over onto my bottom again. A torch flicked on, shining up into the face of a man. It was all right. It was Dylan. He laughed. ‘That wasn’t funny, you scared me.’ ‘I’m sorry. Where’s Emily?’ ‘Gone. Out the back gate.’ ‘Oh, she has, has she? Wait till I catch up with her! What were the two of you thinking? My garden’s a mess.’ ‘Sorry.’ ‘Bit late for that. The damage’s been done.’ He gripped my upper arms and pulled me to my feet. We walked back to the house in silence.
