Read Online In Deep Dark Wood by Marita Conlon-Mckenna - Free Book Online
Authors: Marita Conlon-Mckenna
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make Bella angry with us!’
Chapter 11
The Shadow Hound
B y now, Rory was frantic with worry. He shouted Mia’s name as he searched the garden and the road outside their house. He couldn’t understand why she would have left the house at this hour of the night. Just as he was despairing of ever finding his sister, instinct and a strange sense of foreboding led Rory next door to The Elms. There was no sign of Granny or her friends anywhere.
‘Mrs Blackwell! Mrs Blackwell!’ he called out, ringing at her doorbell. There was no reply. Maybe she was already asleep in bed?
He walked around the edge of the house, peering in through the windows like a burglar. All the doors were locked. The house was totally dark, and seemed deserted. Rory began to panic, but he tried to stay calm, he needed to think. Where could Mia be? And where was Granny?
The glasshouse was in darkness too, the moonshineglittering on its panes. He noticed that the door was slightly ajar, so he pulled it open and stepped inside. Tall plants surrounded him, towering over his head. The air was full of a strange scent – lily, tomato plants, and something else, something he couldn’t identity. He walked across the boards in the darkness, trying to feel his way, bumping into things, bruising his shins and hips, as he searched for the light switch. Eventually, he found it. He blinked as the bare bulb lit up the blackness.
There was no trace of anything unusual, just the normal contents of any old glasshouse. He was about to leave when he noticed a curved piece of hard shell lying at the edge of a large ceramic urn. Curious, he lifted it up. It shimmered black and green and turquoise. As he looked at it, turning it over in his hands, he suddenly realised what it was – a claw, some kind of animal claw. He stuffed it into the pocket of his jeans, then tried the door into the drawing room. It was open.
Silently he slipped into the house. He gasped – the room was almost empty except for the huge couch, and all that was left in the hall was a bunch of flowers and some plants that Bella must have knocked on to the carpet. He stepped over them. The kitchen, the dining room, the bedrooms – it was the same everywhere. The house was almost bare, with no trace of the old woman, or his sister, anywhere.
Rory sat on the bottom step of the stairs, his head in his hands. He didn’t know what to do, but somehow he had to find Mia. Had the old woman taken her, spirited her away? He couldn’t understand where Granny could have got to either,just when he needed her most. Rory decided to look for Mia first, then try to find Granny Rose. The woods seemed the most likely hiding place – he’d search there.
Racing back home, he threw on his hooded sweatshirt and flung a few things into his backpack and loaded new batteries into his torch. He left a note for Granny to say he was looking for Mia in the woods, and grabbed a bar of chocolate, a packet of crisps and filled a bottle with water, just in case he got hungry.
Now, where was Jackie? It struck him that it was strange that she wasn’t barking or following him. He was crossing the front lawn, softly calling the dog’s name, when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. A big, black shape stood on the grass in front of him. The menacing figure blocked his way, preventing him from climbing over the fence. It was a huge dog, a massive wolfhound-type, bigger than any dog he had ever seen before.
‘Get out of my way!’ Rory shouted, trying to keep his voice from shaking.
Something about the hound, the way he looked at him, put Rory at his ease. Like a whisper echoing in his mind, he suddenly, inexplicably knew that this creature could help him. But his thoughts frightened him – it was all too strange.
‘Move!’ he shouted again, trying to scare it away.
The huge hound pricked up its ears and turned its massive square jaw and head towards him. Unperturbed, it stared at him. Rory walked nearer and nearer to the
Chapter 11
The Shadow Hound
B y now, Rory was frantic with worry. He shouted Mia’s name as he searched the garden and the road outside their house. He couldn’t understand why she would have left the house at this hour of the night. Just as he was despairing of ever finding his sister, instinct and a strange sense of foreboding led Rory next door to The Elms. There was no sign of Granny or her friends anywhere.
‘Mrs Blackwell! Mrs Blackwell!’ he called out, ringing at her doorbell. There was no reply. Maybe she was already asleep in bed?
He walked around the edge of the house, peering in through the windows like a burglar. All the doors were locked. The house was totally dark, and seemed deserted. Rory began to panic, but he tried to stay calm, he needed to think. Where could Mia be? And where was Granny?
The glasshouse was in darkness too, the moonshineglittering on its panes. He noticed that the door was slightly ajar, so he pulled it open and stepped inside. Tall plants surrounded him, towering over his head. The air was full of a strange scent – lily, tomato plants, and something else, something he couldn’t identity. He walked across the boards in the darkness, trying to feel his way, bumping into things, bruising his shins and hips, as he searched for the light switch. Eventually, he found it. He blinked as the bare bulb lit up the blackness.
There was no trace of anything unusual, just the normal contents of any old glasshouse. He was about to leave when he noticed a curved piece of hard shell lying at the edge of a large ceramic urn. Curious, he lifted it up. It shimmered black and green and turquoise. As he looked at it, turning it over in his hands, he suddenly realised what it was – a claw, some kind of animal claw. He stuffed it into the pocket of his jeans, then tried the door into the drawing room. It was open.
Silently he slipped into the house. He gasped – the room was almost empty except for the huge couch, and all that was left in the hall was a bunch of flowers and some plants that Bella must have knocked on to the carpet. He stepped over them. The kitchen, the dining room, the bedrooms – it was the same everywhere. The house was almost bare, with no trace of the old woman, or his sister, anywhere.
Rory sat on the bottom step of the stairs, his head in his hands. He didn’t know what to do, but somehow he had to find Mia. Had the old woman taken her, spirited her away? He couldn’t understand where Granny could have got to either,just when he needed her most. Rory decided to look for Mia first, then try to find Granny Rose. The woods seemed the most likely hiding place – he’d search there.
Racing back home, he threw on his hooded sweatshirt and flung a few things into his backpack and loaded new batteries into his torch. He left a note for Granny to say he was looking for Mia in the woods, and grabbed a bar of chocolate, a packet of crisps and filled a bottle with water, just in case he got hungry.
Now, where was Jackie? It struck him that it was strange that she wasn’t barking or following him. He was crossing the front lawn, softly calling the dog’s name, when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. A big, black shape stood on the grass in front of him. The menacing figure blocked his way, preventing him from climbing over the fence. It was a huge dog, a massive wolfhound-type, bigger than any dog he had ever seen before.
‘Get out of my way!’ Rory shouted, trying to keep his voice from shaking.
Something about the hound, the way he looked at him, put Rory at his ease. Like a whisper echoing in his mind, he suddenly, inexplicably knew that this creature could help him. But his thoughts frightened him – it was all too strange.
‘Move!’ he shouted again, trying to scare it away.
The huge hound pricked up its ears and turned its massive square jaw and head towards him. Unperturbed, it stared at him. Rory walked nearer and nearer to the
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