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its breath. Its slavering jaws gaped to engulf her. ‘Room for one inside.’ The voice was Gary’s.
    Fliss woke, damp and shaking. It was a long time before she slept again.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN
    TUESDAY MORNING. FOR the first time ever, Fliss didn’t want to meet Lisa at the end of the road for the walk to school. She dawdled so long over breakfast that her mother started giving her funny looks. ‘Fliss,’ she said. ‘Are you feeling all right?’
    â€˜I’m fine, Mum.’ Pushing Coco Pops round her bowl.
    â€˜Then eat your breakfast, dear. It’s almost twenty to nine. Lisa will go without you.’
    That’s the general idea, she thought, but didn’t say. Her mother dropped toast on her plate. Fliss pushed aside the unfinished cereal and began to butter a slice as carefully as if she were painting a masterpiece. Hermother sighed, cleared Dad’s place and ran water into the sink.
    Fliss knew her tactic had failed the moment she turned out of the driveway. The end of the road was about a hundred metres away and Lisa was there, waiting. It was almost ten to nine, for Pete’s sake. They’d practically have to run to reach school on time, yet there she was. Fliss thought of ducking back into the driveway but if she did she’d certainly be late for school, and anyway Lisa had probably spotted her. With a grimace of resignation she walked towards the girl she’d regarded till lately as her best friend.
    â€˜Hi, Fliss. Why d’you leave in such a rush last night?’ Lisa sounded genuinely concerned.
    Fliss gazed at her. ‘Are you kidding? After the way you all ignored me and mocked me and then came at me as though you meant to trample me into the floor? You’d have left in a rush too. Anyone would.’
    â€˜Would I heck!’ Lisa’s tone was scornful. ‘It was a bit of fun, that’s all.’
    â€˜Well, it wasn’t fun for me, Lisa. It scared me, the way the four of you moved in that thing as though—’
    â€˜As though we’d been doing it all our lives,’ finished Lisa. ‘That’s what you were going to say, isn’t it?’
    Fliss nodded. ‘Something like that, yes.’
    â€˜And that’s exactly how it felt, Fliss.’ Lisa’s eyesshone. ‘We couldn’t put a foot wrong, any of us. I mean, you’d think— I expected we’d stumble and fumble around, you know? Knock things over, step on our own tail, fall down. Three of us couldn’t even see, and yet we ended up running, Fliss. Running like one creature, not four. I can’t describe the feeling except to say it was awesome. Sincerely awesome.’
    â€˜Yes, well, like I said, it was no fun for me.’
    Lisa laughed. ‘You shouldn’t have joined if you can’t take a joke, Fliss. And anyway, you’ll get the last laugh, won’t you?’
    â€˜How d’you mean?’
    â€˜You’re Ceridwen, aren’t you? Heroine-Saint of Elsworth? You get to vanquish the worm, remember?’
    â€˜Oh, yes. I see what you mean, but I still don’t like the way you ganged up with the others against me last night, Lisa. You’re supposed to be my friend.’
    Lisa sighed. ‘I am your friend, Fliss. Same as always, only you’re not in the worm, see? You don’t know what it’s like ’cause you’re not part of it, and that’s bound to make a difference, right?’
    Fliss shook her head. ‘I don’t see why. It’s only a play when all’s said and done.’
    â€˜Ah, but is it?’
    â€˜What d’you mean? Of course it is.’
    â€˜I dunno – maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. Inside that worm last night it felt like something bigger, Fliss. Much bigger.’
    â€˜I don’t know what you’re talking about, Lisa. You’ve been talking crazy-talk ever since this play thing started and I wish you wouldn’t. It scares