On the edge

ON THE EDGE

|When Tug wakes up, he is not in his own bedroom at home. The door is locked and there are |
|bars across the high window. Loud music hammers through the house and through his head. |
|Then a woman comes in and says that she is his mother, but tug knows that she is not his |
|mother… ||Outside, Jinnystares though the trees at the lonely house on the hill. She hears strange |
|noises, but she turns away. After all, it’s none of her business … |

ON THE EDGE

Gillian Cross

OXFORD BOOKWORMS 3

1 TUG IS TAKEN AWAY
Day One – Sunday 7th August

Tug was running. His legs ached, his feet hurt, all his body was screaming at him to stop running. Buthe didn't want to stop. He wanted today's run to be better and faster than ever before. Now he was nearly at the end of his run, and his legs were burning, but he still went on running. As he came round the last street corner, he saw his own front door, a hundred metres away. I mustn't stop now! he thought. I promised myself I'd do eight kilometres, and I will!

The church bells were ringing,and the blood was beating in his ears. Suddenly it all seemed easy, and his legs felt strong. I can do it! he said happily to himself.
[pic]
His legs ached, his feet hurt.

He reached the front door, and looked at his watch. 36 minutes 20 seconds. At last! Eight kilometres in less than 37 minutes! I’ ve been trying to do that for weeks!
He put his key in the door. Now he couldhave a hot bath. His mother would get home later. She had promised to cook him a special meal - chicken and chips, and a chocolate cake. He smiled as he pushed open the door.
Strange! The house was dark, too dark. And there was something more... But he was too tired to think. Suddenly there was an arm round his neck and a hand over his face. He fell, and everything went black.

Day Two –Monday 8th August

Fifteen hours later and two hundred kilometres away in Derbyshire, Jinny Slattery carne out of the farmhouse. In the moonlight she could see the ridge of mountains called Ashdale Great Edge. It stood, black and f rightening, against the sky, with the Castle Rock at its southern end.
Jinny walked away from the farmhouse, and took the narrow road up the hill. It was two o'clockin the morning, and very quiet. When she reached some trees, her father stepped out and touched her arm.
'Oh!' she cried in surprise, and felt angry with herself. He had told her to be quiet.
'Follow me,' Joe said, and went on up the road. He walked quickly and silently, his dog just behind him.
I must remember what he told me to do, Jinny thought. I don't want to make a mistake!
Nowthey were high up on the moors. Further along was an old cottage, which Mrs Hollins used to rent to summer visitors. It was almost hidden by trees. On the right was a gate into a field, the field which they had chosen.

Jinny felt sick. She knew what would happen next. Joe had already filled every hole in the hedges round the field, so the gate was the only way out. Now he was putting a netover the gate.
Just then they heard a car driving up the road.
'Where is it going?' asked Jinny. 'This road only goes to the moors and Mrs Hollins' cottage.'
'Visitors,' said Joe softly, 'probably renting the cottage. Keep quiet, they won't see us in the dark.'
The car drove slowly past them and stopped in front of the cottage. Jinny could hear the voices of a man and a woman, and then astrange noise. Were they pulling something heavy into the house? She couldn't see what was happening.
When it was quiet again, Joe said softly, 'Remember, Jinny. Remember everything I told you,' and went silently into the field, followed by his dog.
Jinny was shaking now, not from cold but from fear and excitement. She knew that Joe and the dog were moving slowly through the field. She...