0 Prologue

Peanut Jones and the Twelve Portals by Rob BIDDULPH

Prologue To their great surprise, the door opened. Four pairs of eyes peered into the cool, dark room. Silence. Feeling brave, the older girl pushed against the wafer-thin surface. It crackled as it swung further on its papery hinges. Tentatively, the children crept through. The scent of turpentine mixed with cheap soap hit their nostrils as they jumped down and stood on the dusty floor. Two red lights, a couple of metres from the ground, were glowing at the back of the room. The younger boy with the big hair gulped. 'Who's there?' he said. 'I-I can hear breathing.' Something small with claws scuttled across the floor in front of them.

'OK, that's it. I've had enough.' He turned to leave, but the girl grabbed his jacket and pulled him back. 'Hello?' she said into the darkness, her voice full of hope. 'Is anybody in here with us?' This time, nothing. Suddenly, dazzling light flooded their vision and all four of them instinctively brought their hands up to their faces. After a few seconds, they stopped rubbing their eyes and lowered their arms. As her sight adjusted, the girl watched the tall figure in front of them turn away, put the torch down, and reach up to his right. He slid open a metal grate and four diagonal brushstrokes of light raced into the room, painting one side of him in bright, iridescent colours. Long, unruly hair, shimmering with warm reds, deep oranges and rich golds, tumbled down over his shoulders. As he slowly turned to face his visitors, he revealed a long beard. The girl stepped forward and rubbed her eyes again. Could it be? Underneath all that hair? Was it him? 'Hello, Peanut,' said the man. She exhaled. And then she smiled. 'Hello, Dad.'