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You’ll have to be good. And I’ll hold your collar for the roads.”
    She scurried down the side path to the front of the house, creeping down the little drive on the far side of the car in case they saw her from the hallway. Then out, on to the pavement, whispering to Choc, “It’s OK. Come on.” He seemed to know they were doing something they shouldn’t; he kept casting anxious glances back towards the house.
    They got to the corner of the road when Amy suddenly realized that she didn’t know where they were going. She stood hesitating by the wall, her fingers curled in Choc’s collar. She hadn’t really meant to bring him – but she was glad she had. His fur was soft and springy under her fingers, and he was so warm. “Where shall we go?” she muttered.
    Choc pulled her gently to the edge of the pavement and looked up, his eyes hopeful.
    Amy laughed. “You want to run away to the park?” Actually, it wasn’t that stupid an idea. It was a big park, and the playground where they’d found Choc that time before was huge, with all sorts of climbing frames and tunnels. There was bound to be somewhere she could hide out for a bit. And it shouldn’t be too busy by now. It was late afternoon.
    Choc hurried her eagerly towards the park, and Amy wished she’d brought her coat. People kept looking at her Brownie uniform. She didn’t want anyone to notice her. It was no good running away if someone told Mum and Dad where she was and she had to go home after half an hour.
    They’d probably seen that she was gone by now, she realized, checking her watch. Dad would have gone to call her back in.
    Amy slowed down, shifting her rucksack on her shoulder. Somehow, it all seemed a bit more serious now. As though she hadn’t really run away until someone knew she’d done it.
    Choc looked back at her curiously and barked. He wanted to get to the playground. Dogs weren’t actually allowed in it, but there were usually plenty of people riding bikes or scooters round the paths at the edge, and most of them had food for a soulful-eyed dog.
    The playground wasn’t as empty as Amy had hoped it would be. A couple of mums were pushing little girls on the swings, and there was a gang of boys skateboarding over on the side. They were a bit older than Amy. The two mums kept giving them dirty looks, and making loud comments about playgrounds being for children.
    With them there watching, there was no chance of sneaking Choc into the playground, as Amy had meant to, and she was forced to come up with another plan. A patch of bushes and brambles ran along the back of the playground, and they walked round it as Amy eyed it thoughtfully. Choc sniffed around under the bushes with interest: the ground smelled of squirrels, and other small and delicious things.

    It didn’t look particularly comfortable for hiding out in, Amy decided at last. It was a bit scary, the thought of huddling up in her sleeping bag under those bushes. And prickly. And what if there were foxes?
    She jumped as one of the little girls inside the playground raced along the bridge of the climbing frame, shrieking as her friend chased after her. Amy watched them dash by. The climbing frame was a massive one with all sorts of platforms and tunnels, and a couple of the little bridges ran over the back fence and out on to the grass in front of the brambly bit. The ends of the bridges had been blocked off, so that smaller children didn’t use them to run out of the playground. But it would be quite easy to wriggle up on to them. Even Choc could do it if she gave him a boost.
    The two little girls were playing on the seesaw now, so Amy quickly stuffed her rucksack and sleeping bag up on to the bridge and then picked up Choc. He wriggled in surprise, and she staggered. He wasn’t a huge dog, but he was heavy. “Come on, up, Choc!” she muttered, trying to squish him under the metal