The Christmas of Adventure

©2015 June E.

Philip, Dinah, Jack and Lucy-Ann are excited at the prospect of spending their first Christmas together, but by Christmas Eve all their plans lie in ruins. Things get even worse when a severe snowstorm brings the country to a standstill and leaves Bill snowbound, hundreds of miles away. Forced to fend for themselves in Bill's remote moorland cottage, rumours abound of a strange and terrifying creature lurking in the woods nearby... and with a ruthless thief on the loose, striking at night and stealing birds from the local Sanctuary, the scene is set for a frightening and perilous adventure. Can they stop the thief before it's too late? Or will Kiki be the robber's next victim?

Chapter 22: 'I feel like a real detective!'

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The children had lots of fun exploring the contents of the detective kit. The green box lid was removed to reveal six different compartments; each compartment contained an interesting-looking packet, box or envelope, and at the bottom of the box there was a book containing all sorts of instructions, advice and tips on how to be a detective. One packet contained dark grey fingerprint powder, and another was opened to reveal a very soft brush, used for dusting the powder onto surfaces. There was a roll of special tape for carefully lifting the fingerprints, a powerful magnifying glass, and fingerprint record cards.

'Let's investigate the finger prints in this room!' said Jack. 'Bill, can you show us how it's done?'

For of course, Bill was a policeman, and so he knew all about things like that.

'I suggest we use the windowsill and one of the door knobs,' advised Bill. 'They both have smooth surfaces and so should take prints easily. Gently sprinkle on the fingerprint powder... yes, that's right, not too much. Now take that soft brush and very gently brush off the excess powder. If there are any fingerprints, the powder will stick to them.'

'Oh, this is such fun! I feel like a real detective!' said Dinah, as she carefully brushed the doorknob with the soft dusting brush. 'But what a shame, all the fingerprints on here are smudged – there are no clear ones at all.'

'That's because so many people handle a door knob,' said Bill. 'They can end up in one big smudged muddle.'

'Hey, look!' said Jack eagerly. 'The windowsill has lots of clear prints on it. Bill, will you show us how to use that special sticky tape to pick up the fingerprint and transfer it to a fingerprint record card? I want to study it under the magnifying glass and find out who it belongs to.'

'It's getting late, and that could take quite a while,' said Bill. 'I think we had better leave that for the morning.'

The children chorused their disappointment, but Bill stood firm. It was nearly ten o'clock, and that meant bedtime.

'Nevermind, Dinah,' said Lucy-Ann. 'At least now you will be able to tuck yourself up in bed and start your new book. Bill, can we still have twenty minutes reading time?'

Dinah forced a smile.

'Yes of course, but only if you go upstairs quick sharp and hop into bed within the next five minutes!' ordered Bill. 'And don't forget to brush your teeth!'

'Don't forget to blow your nose!' squawked Kiki, who was standing on Jack's head, much to his discomfort.

'Come on Kiki,' said Jack. 'You've had quite a shock today, so you had better sleep in my room – I don't want to leave you in the sitting room on your own. Is that okay, Bill?'

'Yes, just for tonight – tomorrow she must sleep in the sitting room like she does at home – that way, if she wakes up at dawn she won't disturb you and Philip. You boys need your sleep.'

'It's been quite a day,' said Philip, yawning. 'It seems an age since this morning. Come on, Woffly, you can sleep in my sock drawer – you'll be cosy in there.'

'Well, mind you keep the drawer closed, I don't want that creature coming into my room in the night,' grumbled Dinah. 'How on earth I manage to sleep with a mouse in the house, I really don't know.'

The children wished Bill good night and trudged upstairs without further protest, for in truth they were all tired out. By half past ten, there were four sleeping children in the two little bedrooms. Kiki had settled down on Jack's bed post, her head tucked under her wing. Woffly nibbled quietly for a while, making a little hole in one of Philip's socks. At last, he curled up in the toe of a red woollen sock and drifted off to sleep. Lucy-Ann slept with her head under the covers as usual, with only her nose visible – a habit formed when she was very young, as protection against imaginary ghosts. Dinah slept flat on her back, 'People of the World' face down on her bed, opened at a chapter called 'Indigenous People of Siberia'. She dreamt of snowy rides through the Russian forest, her sledge pulled by a pack of Huskies.

Before very long, Bill was also sound asleep in his room. Now, the only sounds that broke the peaceful silence were the ticking of the sitting room clock and the occasional creak of a floorboard as the old house settled down for the night.

It was around midnight when Dinah woke up, and instantly she knew that something was wrong. She opened her eyes and blinked, trying to focus in the darkness. Instinct told her not to make a sound. To her horror she felt 'People of the World' begin to slide off her bed, and before she could stop it, the book hit the floor with a resounding CRASH! She held her breath, listening anxiously.

'Surely the whole house will be awake after that awful noise,' she thought.

But no one stirred. Dinah was the only person awake. What had awoken her from the depths of sleep? Her instinct that something was wrong persisted, making her feel distinctly uneasy. Part of her wanted to slide down and pull the blankets over her head... but instead she quietly threw back the covers and slid out of bed. The night was cold, and the room was pitch dark. Dinah felt around until she found her slippers and dressing gown and then slipped them on quietly.

Tying the belt of her dressing gown tightly around her waist, Dinah felt a little warmer. She padded silently across the bedroom floor and opened it slightly. Then she stood and listened. The house was in total darkness. The boys' bedroom door was ajar and from within came a low, regular snoring sound. She tiptoed to the top of the stairs and listened again. She could hear the ticking of a clock downstairs, but that was all. Everything in the house seemed to be exactly as it should be – so why did she feel so uneasy?

Creeping back to her bedroom, Dinah went over to the window. The uneasy feeling grew stronger. She lifted the edge of the curtain, just enough so that she could peep outside. There was a pale moon and a clear night sky – no wonder she felt so cold. In the distance an owl was hooting.

'How lovely to be an owl and have the night woods all to yourself, flying around when everyone else is asleep,' she thought dreamily.

Their snowman was visible on the front lawn, illuminated by the moonlight.

'It feels like weeks since we made him, not just a few days ago,' she thought.

Then she froze. For the snowman was not the only thing on the lawn. Standing nearby was a tall bulky figure... abnormally tall... it was the creature from the woods!

Dinah could not take her eyes off the terrifying shape; she stood transfixed. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle, and a cold terror gripped the pit of her stomach. Her heart pounded, and beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead. The creature was standing absolutely still, gazing directly at their cottage. Then, it took a slow, heavy step towards the front door! Desperately, Dinah tried to remember if anyone had bolted the front door... which of them had been the last person to come in... she couldn't remember. Had Bill remembered to check it before he retired to bed – she simply didn't know.

A second later she heard the door knob rattle – the creature was trying to get into the cottage! She opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out. She felt as if she was paralysed. Then, she heard noises from the boys' bedroom – someone was getting out of the bed. CLICK – the bathroom light was switched on, instantly flooding the front lawn with yellow light. Perhaps this alarmed the creature, for seconds later Dinah saw the monstrous furry figure retreat down the path and out of the front gate. Within seconds it had disappeared into the blackness of the night.

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