10 A Dark, Dark House

CHAPTER 10 A DARK, DARK HOUSE 'Wait!' says Jill. 'Not so fast. We need to stick together… hobyahs can be dangerous.' 'So can I!' says Terry. 'If those hobyahs try to put me

into a bag, they're going to regret it!' 'That's for sure,' I say. 'Come on, everybody, let's go!' There's no response. 'Everybody?' I look around. There's no one there.

'Have they all gone to bed?' says Terry. 'No,' I say. 'The tent's empty.' 'But if they're not here,' says Terry, 'then where are they?' We look at each other and gasp. 'I think the hobyahs have got them,' says Jill. 'They've put them in bags!' I say. 'They'll poke them with sticks!' says Terry. 'And chant "Hobyah! Hobyah! Hobyah!",' says Jill. 'We've got to find them. I think I can see some fresh tracks… follow me!' I follow Jill.

I turn around to make sure Terry is following me, but I can't see him. 'Terry!' I call. 'This way!' There's no response. I call him again. And again. But he's gone.

'Jill!' I shout. 'They've got Terry!' Silence. 'Jill?' I say. 'Jill?' 'Jill?' Nothing. Oh no—they've got her too! Now I'm all alone. All alone in the woods without my friends and surrounded by hostile hobyahs! But, hey, I'm fine. I'm not scared.

I'm not scared a bit. Not one little teeny-tiny, itty-bitty… All right, I admit it… I am scared! REALLY SCARED!!