Tim walked forward. ‘What do you mean, Alfie?’
Alfie didn’t answer. Tears appeared in his eyes. He just pointed.
10
Crooks
Tim looked at the spot Alfie was pointing out. There were more than ten trees lying on the ground. Felled giants. Cut trunks. Broken boards. Splintered wood. The roots of the enormous trees pointed helplessly up at the sky.
‘What’s happened?’ Tim asked.
Alfie’s whole body was shaking. He wiped away a tear. ‘The crooks started in the middle of the wood, Tim. So they could chop the trees down in secret, where no one could see them.’
Alfie climbed over the tree trunks until he reached the thickest of them all. ‘This was Grandpa Werewolf’s tree. It was the oldest tree and it was in the exact middle of the wood. Grandpa’s house has been destroyed too.’ Alfie pointed at the broken planks, all that was left of the treehouse.
Tim nodded. ‘I can see it, Alfie. It’s terrible. Where do you think Grandpa Werewolf is now?’
Alfie shrugged. ‘Maybe they’ve taken him prisoner.’
Tim didn’t understand. ‘They, Alfie? Who’s they? Who cut down the trees? Who’s taken Grandpa Werewolf prisoner?’
Alfie looked at Tim. ‘Strange men with strange names. Ratbones and, um, the Chipper and the Chopper and the Cutter, I think. I saw them and heard them.’
‘They sound scary,’ Tim said.
Alfie nodded. ‘They’re crooks’ names. And one of them’s called Boss. They’re all crooks. They want to flatten the wood, chop down all the trees and take care of the animals. Including the wolves. And that means Grandpa too.’ He wiped away another tear. ‘What do we do now, Tim?’
Tim swallowed. He wrapped an arm around Alfie’s shoulder. ‘Don’t give up, Alfie. We’ll go and look for Grandpa Werewolf and we’ll find him. Even if we have to search all night.’
Alfie looked around. There was something shiny on the ground near the felled tree.
‘Tim,’ Alfie whispered, picking it up. ‘Look.’
There was an unfamiliar tone to his voice. Tim turned around. ‘What is it?’ Then he saw what Alfie was holding. It was a mobile phone and there was a big crack in it.
‘Whose is it, Tim?’
‘I’m afraid …’ Tim swallowed. ‘I’m afraid it’s Grandpa Werewolf’s.’
Just at that moment they heard a loud crashing sound. A car was driving straight towards them through the bushes. Blinding lights shone in their faces. Dust flew up. Branches snapped. Car doors opened and slammed shut.
Two dark figures had got out of the car.
11
Rattlebones and Boss
‘Busybodies. What shall we do with ‘em, Boss?’
Tim and Alfie couldn’t see a thing behind the blinding lights. For a second, something strange popped into Alfie’s head. This has all happened before, he thought. That time, Tim and Dad got out of the car, but now he was in trouble.
He felt an iron grip on the back of his neck and gasped with fright. Another hand closed over his mouth.
‘Lock ‘em up, Rattlebones.’
Alfie shivered when he heard the name. It was Rattlebones and Boss, the crooks who wanted to cut down all the trees.
‘We’ll chuck ‘em in the boot. We’ll decide what to do with them later. You take the other one, Rattlebones.’
The next instant, Alfie and Tim were being lifted up. Before they had time to think, they were hanging over the men’s shoulders and unable to see their faces. The whole forest was upside down.
‘Let go of us,’ screamed Tim.
Immediately fingers squeezed his nose shut.
‘Shut up, squeaky.’
Alfie was too scared to make a sound. The ground was under his head and the dark sky was above his feet. They were coming up to a long black car. The kind of shiny American limo you see in gangster films. A car with dark windows.
‘Open the boot, Rattlebones.’
‘OK, Boss.’
‘No,’ shouted Alfie. ‘We don’t want to go in the boot. It’s dark in there. We—’
The men weren’t listening. They opened the boot and threw in Alfie. Then they threw Tim in on top of him.
Wham! The boot slammed shut.
12
Help!
Alfie tried to make something out, but couldn’t see a thing. It was as if he had his eyes shut. It was that dark.
‘Ooph,’ groaned Alfie. ‘There’s something heavy on top of me, Tim. I can hardly breathe.’
‘Oh, sorry, Alfie. That’s me, I think.’ Tim rolled to one side.
‘Phew, that’s better,’ said Alfie.
Not being able to see each other was weird. They were just two voices in darkness, as if they didn’t really exist.
‘Where are the crooks?’
‘They’ve gone, Alfie, I can’t hear them any more.’
‘What do we do now, Tim?’
Tim shrugged. Alfie couldn’t see that, of course.
‘I don’t know. There’s nothing we can do. Or … wait a sec. Have you still got Grandpa Werewolf’s mobile? Then we could call home.’
‘No such luck,’ Alfie said. ‘I haven’t got it any more. I dropped it when the crooks grabbed us. But it was already broken anyway.’
Tim sighed very loudly. ‘Then we’re at the crooks’ mercy.’
Alfie nodded. Tim couldn’t see that, of course.
‘This is terrible, Tim. First they cut down Grandpa’s tree and now they’ve taken us prisoner. What if they just leave us here? For ever and ever. What then?’
‘I’d rather not think about it, Alfie. It could be twenty years before anyone finds us. Then we’ll just be two skeletons locked in a dark boot.’
‘Yuck,’ said Alfie. ‘I don’t want to turn into a skeleton. I already turn into a werewolf every full moon.’
In the darkness Alfie and Tim looked at each other. They didn’t see that, but they felt it. Their hands sought each other and gave each other a squeeze. Then they both started screaming at the top of their voices.
‘Help!’
‘Open up!’
‘Let us out!’
‘We don’t want to turn into skeletons.’
They kicked the lid of the boot and pounded it with their fists. It was a shame it was so dark, because most of the time they just hit each other.
‘Ow!’
‘Sorry, Alfie.’
‘That’s OK, Tim.’
‘Hey, you’ve got your finger up my nose.’
‘Whoops, sorry. It wasn’t intentional.’
‘Fine, Alfie. Let’s stop kicking and hitting.’
It was quiet for a moment.
‘What now, Tim?’
‘We have to wait.’
‘Maybe I’ll never find out Grandpa Werewolf’s secret now, Tim.’
‘What kind of secret was it, Alfie?’
‘I don’t know. He hasn’t told me yet.’
It was quiet again. Just for a moment.
‘You hear that, Tim?’
‘What?’
‘That noise.’
‘I can’t hear anything, Alfie.’
‘I can hear it very clearly. Listen.’
‘Be quiet then,’ Tim said. ‘I can hear something now too, I think. What kind of monstrous noises are they, Alfie?’
Alfie didn’t say anything at first, then whispered, ‘I think it’s them.’
13
Werewolf Itch
‘Them, Alfie? Do you mean the Chipper and the rest of them?’
Alfie didn’t say anything, but Tim felt that he was nodding. They listened in silence.
Chopping, sawing, trees falling. The noises were terrifying. It sounded like the whole wood was being cut down in one go. The boot shook. The sounds went on for a long time before finally stopping.
‘What now?’ whispered Alfie.
‘Maybe they’ve moved on somewhere else.’ Tim replied.
They kept listening, but couldn’t hear a thing any
more.
‘They’ve gone,’ Tim said after a while longer. ‘Phew. Now let’s hope someone comes to save us.’
They waited quietly now, feeling as if they’d already been in the boot for hours. Maybe they had. In the dark, time does very strange things.
‘Oh no,’ Alfie said suddenly. ‘What a disaster.’
‘What?’
‘WROW is demonstrating tonight. I won’t be there. What will Mr French think when I don’t show up?’
‘I don’t know,’ Tim said. ‘But he’ll definitely be happy to see you again tomorrow. He’ll forgive you for not being there tonight.’
They were silent again. Neither of them could think of anything else to say. They waited and thought and hoped that someone would open the boot soon.
While he was lying there, something strange happened to Alfie. Suddenly white eyes were looking at him. Again he saw the old grey werewolf with his gold earrings and necklaces.
Am I dreaming again? thought Alfie. He must be. He’d dreamt about that old werewolf lots of times. Still, it was very strange, because he wasn’t really asleep. At least he didn’t think he was.
The pale white eyes stared straight at him. ‘You must search well, little werewolf Search under the stone. Follow the beast, then you will find it …’
I don’t understand, thought Alfie. What does he mean? What will I find? Which beast? Who is that old werewolf? Why do I dream about him?
‘Search well, wolf cub. Under the stone. There lies the—’
‘Hey, Alfie, are you asleep? Why don’t you answer me?’ Tim elbowed Alfie in his side.
Alfie looked up with a start. It was still dark.
‘Were you asleep or something?’ Tim asked. ‘I said your name three times, but you didn’t answer me.’
‘I … I was having a kind of dream, but I wasn’t really asleep.’
‘Like a daydream, you mean? What was it about?’
Alfie hesitated for a moment. ‘I’m not sure. An old werewolf told me something.’
‘Do you mean Grandpa Werewolf?’
‘No, much, much older. With gold in his ears and around his neck. I have to search under the stone, he said.’
Tim almost burst out laughing. ‘Under a stone? That’s weird. All you find under stones is beetles and worms.’
Alfie sighed. ‘I don’t understand it either. I’ve had that dream a lot lately. It always stops just when the old werewolf is about to tell me what I’ll find under the stone.’ Alfie thought for a while. ‘It’s funny. This is the first time I’ve had a dream when I’m awake.’
‘Hey, Alfie,’ Tim said after a while.
‘Yes?’
‘Do you ever think about your parents? I mean your real parents.’
Alfie gave a very loud sniff. ‘Those so-called real parents walked out on me a long time ago, Tim. I wouldn’t recognize them if I bumped into them. Your parents are my parents now. I want to stay with you for ever.’
‘It’s OK, Alfie.’ Tim felt for Alfie’s hand in the darkness. ‘Of course you can stay with us for ever. At least, if we ever get out of this boot.’ He sighed.
Suddenly Alfie groaned. ‘Ahhhh.’
Tim heard a strange sound. Kkrrr, krr, kr.
‘What’s wrong, Alfie?’
‘Errgh, itchy. Wrow. Very itchy. It’s the werewolf itch. Must scratch.’
‘What did you say, Alfie? Werewolf itch? Are you changing into a werewolf? Now?’
‘Wrow, itchier and itchier.’
Krrr, krrrch, krrrchhh. Alfie’s scratching got worse and worse.
Tim gulped and quickly let go of Alfie’s suddenly hairy hand. ‘Um, Alfie … can’t you wait a bit? Until we’ve been rescued or something?’ Tim hesitated. ‘I know it’s you, Alfie, but still … Being locked in a boot with a werewolf is pretty scary. What if you get hungry? And it’s real werewolf hunger? Maybe you’ll feel like eating my leg. Or my arm.’
‘Wrow.’
Tim suddenly felt a coarse, hairy paw on his face …
14
Knock Knock
‘No, Alfie, don’t,’ Tim cried. ‘Don’t bite me, please.’
‘Wrow.’
A werewolf paw gently stroked Tim’s cheek.
‘Don’t be silly, Tim. I’d rather eat my own leg. Down to the last toe, if I had to. You’re my very, very best friend. You know that.’
There was a sad little growl in Alfie’s voice and Tim immediately regretted what he’d said.
‘I’m sorry, Alfie. I’m just an idiot. I know you’d never hurt me. It’s because of the dark. Being stuck in this boot. It’s giving me strange thoughts. Sorry, sorry, sorry. I want out!’ Tim gave the lid of the boot an angry bash. ‘Ow, my hand.’
‘It’s all right, calm down,’ Alfie growled. ‘I’ll just take my shoes off. When my feet have turned into paws, shoes hurt.’ Quickly he kicked off his shoes.
‘Ow. You hit me in the ear,’ Tim shouted.
‘Shhh, Tim.’
‘But—’
‘Quiet, please. I hear knocking.’
‘What?’
They both held their breath and listened.
Tap. Tap.
Alfie was right. Someone was knocking on the boot.
‘Who is it?’ Tim whispered. ‘The crooks? Bonerattle and his boss? What are they going to do with us now?’
‘Wrow. Crooks aren’t polite. They’d just open without knocking.’
‘That’s true, Alfie. It must be someone else then. But who?’
More knocking. Then they heard a loud click.
A little bit of light shone in, then more. Slowly the boot opened and moonlight streamed in on either side of a tall dark figure.
‘Who is it?’ Tim whispered.
Blinded by the light of the full moon, they crept back in the boot as far as they could. Alfie didn’t move a muscle. Tim’s whispered breath blew into his ear. ‘Careful, Alfie.’
The dark figure raised the lid of the boot all the way. It laughed hoarsely and its eyes gleamed yellow. Suddenly it stuck one hand into the boot. Alfie growled.
‘Go away,’ Tim screeched.
The hand reached further into the boot. They saw claws and hair.
‘Who are you?’ Tim shouted.
Alfie looked more carefully at the dark figure.
‘Wrow?’
Alfie reached forward cautiously. The dark figure growled something they couldn’t understand then suddenly grabbed Alfie by the wrist and pulled hard.
‘Alfie!’ Tim shouted.
15
Cousin Wolf
Alfie shot forward, tumbling out of the boot and on to the ground. He shook his head. The full moon was shining down on his hairy head and his white wolf paws. That was a delicious feeling for a werewolf, better than sunlight on your cheeks.
A strange, powerful smell forced its way into his nostrils. Alfie blinked a few times and looked up. Moonlight filled the lenses of his glasses. He was lying with his snout on a pair of hairy feet with long sharp claws.
Standing in front of him was an enormous werewolf in baggy overalls. He was tall, at least twice as big as Alfie. His teeth glinted in the moonlight. He spread his mighty forelegs.
‘Cousin wolfie,’ he roared. ‘It be you. And me be I too. We be us, our very own werewolf cousins. Oh, happy days.’
‘Leo,’ Alfie growled, just before his big cousin almost crushed him in a warm hug.
Tim stood up in the boot, immediately banging his head on the lid. He ignored the pain and stuck his head out of the boot.
‘Leo?’ he said with surprise. ‘Is that you?’
The big werewolf roared with laughter, while throwing Alfie in the air and catching him.
‘Yeppedy-doodah and yes indeedy. Of course it be Leo. Yippy and yahoo.’
Alfie shot up into the air again.
‘Leo, could you put me down, please?’ groaned Alfie.
‘Oh, sure, cuz. Leo’s a big ninny-pooper. He be so glad to see his wolfie cuz again.’ Very c
arefully he put Alfie back down on the ground.
Leo was a gigantic werewolf, as tall as a basketball player. He had lived almost his whole life alone in the woods, and usually only talked to himself. ‘Sorry, sorry, Leo be an awful loaf.’
‘It’s OK, Leo,’ Alfie growled.
Tim climbed out of the boot. ‘Help,’ he said, looking around. ‘Check it out. Look at all the trees. They must have cut them down while we were in the boot.’
Alfie nodded. ‘And now they’re probably at it somewhere else. We were so lucky you came by, Leo. You saved us.’
The big werewolf nodded proudly. ‘Leo heared bangings and shoutings in the boots of the car. Leo thinked to his self, Knock, knock, who’s there? Then he opens the boots and sees little Alfie wolf and thinks, Yahooey.’ Leo was so happy he bent down to throw Alfie back up in the air, but Alfie ducked under his outstretched paws.
‘Wrow, what brought you here, Leo? Was that just coincidence?’
‘Co-in-see-dents? Let’s think. What be Leo doing again?’ Leo scratched his nose with a long claw. ‘Oh, yeah, Leo members. He be looking for the ringaruppa.’
‘Ringaruppa? What’s a ringaruppa?’
Leo hesitated. ‘Well, youse know, Grandpa Werewolf’s ringaruppa. For talking to unvisible peoples.’
Alfie looked at Tim. ‘Wrow. Unvisible peoples? I don’t get it.’
‘Hang on,’ Tim said. ‘Let me think for a second. Maybe … I think … Yes, I know what it is.’
‘Wrow, that’s smart, Tim. What’s a ringaruppa?’
‘A ringer-upper, Alfie. To ring people up. Leo means the mobile phone.’
‘Yes, that be it. A phonifier, a ringaruppa. So Grandpa Werewolf can talk to unvisible peoples.’
‘Wrow,’ Alfie gave a growly laugh. ‘Now I get it. Sorry, Leo, Grandpa Werewolf’s ringaruppa is broken.’ He searched the ground around him. ‘Look, there it is. Next to the car. I dropped it when the crooks put us in the boot.’
Alfie the Werewolf 4: Wolf Wood Page 3
