Chapter 3

Monica woke with a panic; the cat dozed on. 

Outside, she could hear loud voices seeping in 

through the window. Glaring through a gap, 

she could just make out a group of alerted 

guards Monica nudged the cat awake. He lay 

in the darkness and glanced up at her with 

his warm, beautiful eyes. She put her finger 

to his mouth to indicate that they should be 

silent. Sharp voices howled commands; the 

cat let out a throaty meow; Monica gasped.

They tip-toed across the dirty floor, Monica 

signalled to the wolf. Quietly, he padded 

towards her. Ducking down, they hid behind 

a pile of machinery. Carefully, Monica 

tugged a huge piece of tarp across the 

machinery so hopefully no one should find 

Them.

At that moment, someone entered the school. 

There was a pause, nothing moved. A light 

flickered; furniture shifted and someone 

began to search. Risking a glance, darkening 

shadows moved. A wintry wind slipped 

through the smashed window. Shivered, 

Monica cuddled into the warmth of the cat’s fur.

They could wait and move on once the guards 

had left.

It seemed like hours, but it possibly had only 

been forty-five minutes by the time the guards 

had left. It was the afternoon now and in the 

darkness, the cat spoke to Monica… without 

Speaking. Their minds had almost seemed as one 

as he explained that he had to reach the gateway. 

A gateway back to her own land where she 

would not be followed.

Monica had an idea that possibly the gateway 

was part of the town borders where there was a 

huge stone arch that had once been fitted with 

an arch gate. Nervously, she checked his wound.

It still bled; he seemed weaker. The town walls 

could be a long walk… and dangerous. She 

wondered whether they would make it or not.

Monica knew that her family would be worried 

but there was nothing she could do but be safe. 

She had to find the gateway before thinking 

about getting home to her family. So it was that 

only the moon and the stars saw two slim 

shadows, a girl and a cat, slip through the creepy 

alleyways heading across town. They made their 

way, street by street, avoiding checkpoints, 

they were locked in a deadly game of cat and 

mouse.