It raised a hand, and green light shot towards him. It happened so quickly. His breath caught, and the bolt crackled past his ear. One of the creatures dropped to the ground with the light gone from its eyes.

The figure started towards him, and he stumbled back falling over his own feet and landed on his butt in the dirt. Another bolt fired, and another creature fell.

Perhaps those things were some kind of secret experiment, and this figure would kill him to keep him quiet.

He imagined himself lying dead in the forest with a big green hole through his chest, and the plants growing through it. All the years of homework only to end up as a pot plant.

He had to get away; he had to save himself, but he couldn’t head back to the house—not with that thing in the way.

So, keeping low and shielding his head, he ran deeper into the forest.

The forest around him lit up as bolts crackled through the trees.

He couldn’t say if they were meant for him or the creatures, but the creatures scattered, and the cloaked figure started towards him with its hand still raised.

With a cry, Charlie hitched up his belt and lifted his knees, trying to get some more speed. He broke through the edge of the forest into a rolling meadow.

Lights of the neighbouring houses shone a few hundred yards ahead. If he could only reach them...

Behind him, the figure reached the edge of the forest and stopped. Charlie could barely make out its shape against the trees and for a moment wondered if he’d make it—if he’d get away after all. Perhaps the forest confined it somehow. Perhaps that’s what Allie had sensed for all those years.

The figure raised a hand to its mouth and whistled, long and clear.

Charlie stumbled through knee-high grass, tripping over the mounds and ruts and his own feet.

Behind him came a sound like a giant boulder crashing through the trees, and two stone dogs, twice as high as a man, broke through the forest.

Charlie screamed, promising that he would clean his room every day and do his homework if he made it out of this.

In a few yards, the dogs overtook him. The first skidded in front of him, showering up grass and stones, and blocking his way. Its hackles rose, and it lowered its head, baring its teeth.

He couldn’t feel its breath on his face and that disturbed him the most. It didn’t need to breathe.

The other dog circled him like a wolf closing in for the kill.

Charlie stood frozen to the spot, too afraid to move, too afraid to breathe. He tried to scream, but it came out as little more than a hoarse cry.

Behind him, the figure in the cloak kept coming, purposefully, but in no hurry. “Inferno, Medusa. Heel.”

Charlie was surprised to hear a girl’s voice.

The dogs retreated a few steps behind her, still growling from deep in their throats.

She reached Charlie and snatched up his hand to examine the ring.

Her mouth twisted, and she threw his hand down angrily. “What have you done! That’s my ring. That was meant for me.”

She raised her hand pointing a short stick, like a wand, at his head.

There came a break in the clouds, and the moon touched the face beneath the cowl, and Charlie recognised her right away.

“Hey, don’t you live in that haunted—uh that old—uh—house—thing. You were...” He wanted to say that he had seen her in the greenhouse, but he realised she may not take kindly to him creeping through her yard and spying on her.

She narrowed her eyes, and he let his words slide. She didn’t seem quite as cute now that she wanted to kill him.

The dogs still looked eager to rip his larynx out, and he suddenly remembered where he had seen them. They guarded the gates into the manor.

He tried to yank off the ring to give it back to her, but his fingers must have swelled from all the running, and it wouldn’t budge. “I was keeping it safe until I could give it back, I swear.”

She dropped her wand, making an irritated sound like she would far rather have nuked him. “That doesn’t help now,” she snapped. “You’ve put it on. It’s now bonded with you. Urgh.” She kicked at the grass in frustration.

“Domicum fah dai more,” she shouted, and the dogs turned and bounded into the forest.

She pointed that wand at his nose. “You are in so much trouble.”

She spun on her heels and followed after them, and Charlie was left staring after her, wondering what on earth just happened?