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him, knocking him onto the road. Instinctively, he threw up his arms to protect his head, while the wolf, snarling horribly, closed its teeth on his shoulder, ripping at his flesh. The terrible, cracking pain made Jonah scream. It felt as if electric wires were being run through his arm. The wolf shook him violently, knocking his body up and down on the road.
    The air around Jonah crackled and vibrated, and he seemed to be looking through a pane of crazed glass. Everything around him receded and he felt as if he were being sucked into a booming, whirling vortex. Out of the swirling blackness distorted faces leered, and terrible words came whispering out of the darkness. A shadowy, hooded figure bent over him. Where its face should have been, Jonah could see only blackness pierced by two glaring, reptilian eyes. Then he was stumbling through pitch-black woods with a pack of monsters hunting him down. He felt clutching hands and excruciating pain. He tried to cry out but he couldn’t.
    Suddenly, there were shouts and the wolf screamed against Jonah’s ear. The blackness was replaced by a blinding white light, with a shimmering figure in the centre, that seemed to bend over him. Then he came round, with hard tarmac underneath him and the wolf yelping as it sprang away.
    Shakily, Jonah tried to find the strength to get up. Mike Golding was some yards away along the lane thrusting a flaming branch at the animals. They snarled viciously but seemed too scared of him to attack. He swung at a wolf’s eyes. It squealed and Mike rammed the branch into its side. It leapt away and ran, yowling, up the lane. Mike ran at the other wolves, brandishing the torch. They didn’t wait to be struck but scrambled over the gate and fled towards the woods.
    Erin struggled to untangle herself from the hedge, wincing as the thorns scratched her. Finally, pulling her tee-shirt out of the prickly branches and leaving scraps of fabric dangling, she limped over to Jonah, who lay in the lane, feeling weak and shaken. She crouched and put her arm under his shoulders, helping him to sit up.
    â€˜Oh, look at your shoulder,’ she said in a wobbly voice.
    Jonah’s shirt was soaked in blood and ripped in shreds at the shoulder. Blood oozed out of the torn flesh around his neck. He put his right hand up to his throbbing collar-bone, trembling violently. Mike, who had stood by the gate watching until the wolves disappeared, blew the torch out and turned towards them. Now that the danger had passed, Erin couldn’t stop shaking. Mike came over and gently examined Jonah’s shoulder. He tore Jonah’s shirt away from the wound and, taking a clean handkerchief out of his pocket, covered the bites with it.
    â€˜Hold this over it,’ he said quietly to Erin and then he took off his own shirt and, with an effort, ripped off a sleeve and part of the front to make a long strip. He tied it over Jonah’s shoulder and across his chest.
    â€˜This will help a bit to stop the bleeding till we can get it dressed properly.’
    It felt warm and comforting. Jonah’s legs started to feel less woolly.
    â€˜It’s lucky that it didn’t go for your face,’ Mike said. ‘You’ll have some bad bruises, though.’ He studied Jonah intently. ‘How does it feel now?’
    Gingerly Jonah moved his shoulder about. ‘It really hurts but I suppose it could be worse.’
    â€˜Good,’ said Mike. ‘Let’s get you home and have it attended to.’
    â€˜My house is nearest,’ Erin said.
    Mike stooped and helped Jonah to his feet. His legs were trembling and he clutched Erin’s arm for support.
    â€˜Here. I’ll carry you,’ Mike said, lifting him up.
    â€˜No, it’s all right, really,’ Jonah protested, but his voice sounded weak. ‘I can walk.’
    â€˜You’re bleeding a lot. Best keep as still as you can,’ said Mike firmly. ‘Are you all right?’