‘Lily’s told us what she saw,’ Dad said. ‘Sorry, Alfie. I thought that journal was just your fabulous imagination. I had no idea those were real daily events.’

‘I wish you’d told us right at the start, Alfie,’ Mum said quietly.

‘You wouldn’t have believed me,’ I said. ‘And I had to keep Whizzy safe.’

39

A Letter

4th September

I’m shaking so much I can hardly write. I’ve run all the way back up the corridor because of this letter! It’s from Sam:

Hey Alfie,

Hope you’re OK. I’m really, really sorry I left you on the rec that day when I could have backed you up. I keep thinking about it and wishing I’d just stayed and told Mr Lombard it wasn’t your fault.

I didn’t realise you never told anyone I was there. You plonker. But thanks. Seriously. I’ve spilt it all now. A bunch of scientists came to investigate the weather stuff in Folding Ford! Two women and a man. One of them stood with half their body in the rain and half completely dry.

Anyway, I told them about the fire and the weird stuff (Mum came with me) and they’ve sampled the ground and air around Ash House. They’re going to prove you didn’t do it. They’ll find evidence of Whizzy. When she was in that box and trying to escape it, she must have sent disruptive magnetic and electrical disturbances over the village, and there will be traces left, so even if they don’t believe me they’ll see the truth when they log everything.

I told the police too. So you’ll be out soon.

And remember our mega football game on the rec that day? I’ve found out that every brain has a magnetic field, so maybe that’s how Whizzy made our game so amazing: magnetic interactions.

Sorry about what’s happened to you. It could have happened to me. Everything before that was the most fun I’ve ever had!

Guess what else? My grandad spoke a word yesterday! He said YES. It came out funny, but it’s a good sign.

Sam

PS: There’s me, Mrs Gillespie, your mum & dad & your sister all trying to get you out, so don’t be sad!!!!!!!!!

; > )

PPS: Also, I’ve googled electricity in animals and the Oriental hornet converts sunlight into electrical energy. I’ll show you when you come out. Or if you’ve got the internet there, just type in ORIENTAL HORNET . It’s awesome.

There was a colossal printout attached to the letter. Sam’s looked up magnetic tunnels between Earth and the sun too, and wow. They happen about every eight minutes.

Miss Jukes let me read my letter in the quiet room. She’d opened it and read it first, in case anything was smuggled inside, I suppose.