Chapter 5

Chapter FIVE I almost choked on my sandwich. Lavinia stared at me. 'Mirabelle?' she said accusingly. 'What?' I replied, starting to panic. 'It wasn't me!' Lavinia didn't look like she believed me. I swear!' I said. 'I didn't let them out. Not on purpose anyway!'

I put my sandwich down, suddenly feeling quite sick. 'Did you lock the door?' whispered Lavinia. 'When you came back out of the cage?' 'I thought I did!' I said, screwing my eyes tightly shut to try and remember. I came out of the bittens' cage and Miss Spindlewick had suddenly appeared, and it startled me! Maybe I got distracted and forgot to snap the padlock back shut. 'Oh, no!' I said, with my head in my hands. 'THE BITTENS ARE ON THE LOOSE!' came the voice from the loudspeaker again. 'IF YOU SEE AN ESCAPED BITTEN, PLEASE REPORT

TO THE OFFICE, RIGHT AWAY.' Miss Spindlewick stood up and gazed around at us all with her eyes narrowed. 'Who here knows anything about the escaped bittens?' she asked, in a stern voice. I found myself shrinking back in my seat, then I started to put up my hand, but Lavinia pulled it back down.

'Don't tell her!' she hissed. 'We'll get into so much trouble. Please, Mirabelle! Let's find the bittens ourselves! It can't be too hard!' I bit my lip. Lavinia looked SO frightened. 'OK...' I whispered. 'Hmmm,' said Miss Spindlewick, as she stared around at us all with suspicious, beady eyes. 'Well, we can all at least help to try and find the lost bittens. Pack up your lunches, witches, and go and search in your pairs! If you find a bitten, report to the office right away!' 'Yes, Miss Spindlewick,' we chorused, as we all packed away the rest of our

lunches and jumped up from our seats. 'Come on!' said Lavinia, tugging on my arm. Together, Lavinia and I headed back into the magical-creature sanctuary, grabbing our broomsticks from the office on the way. From my research, I knew bittens liked hiding and climbing, so maybe they were high up?

'We should have a look in the treetops!' I suggested. So Lavinia and I flew upwards and peered in through the dark, leafy tops of the trees. But we couldn't see any bittens. 'I feel so guilty!' I said as we hovered in the air. 'What if the lost bittens are