Stig goes to the window and peers out. ‘Why does she want us to leave? Did you tell her you saw a face in the tree?’

‘No.’ But could she know something?

Stig’s face is pale. ‘How far is Olav’s house?’

‘Two or three miles. There’s a path that cuts through the forest; if we go while it’s still light I can easily find the way.’

‘There’s no one closer?’

I shake my head and swallow, my mouth suddenly dry. We haven’t heard a howl since the gunshot last night, but what if Olav didn’t kill the wolf?

Stig pulls on his boots. ‘I think I saw some snowshoes in the woodshed.’

The overhead light in the kitchen makes a buzzing sound, then flickers and goes out. Stig stares at it, then back to me. His voice is edged with fear. ‘I think we should go, Martha.’

I look about the room and a sense of dread crawls across my skin. Ever since I saw the shadows rush past me on the porch, I keep feeling there’s something in the cabin with us. When the spinning wheel moved by itself, Stig was properly freaked out. Maybe he senses it too – that feeling of being watched.

I bite my lip. I want to get away from this place, but I don’t know if we should risk going outside. The electricity often plays up – it doesn’t have to mean anything – and the living-room light hasn’t gone out.

I pick up my phone. ‘Let me try calling Mum first, OK?’

Stig nods and reaches for his coat while I dial her number. I hold my breath and wait. She speaks and my heart leaps, but it’s just a recording telling me to leave a message.

‘Mum, it’s me. I’m at the cabin. Mormor is dead, but you know that. Why didn’t you tell me?’ My voice wavers. ‘You need to come quickly – something’s happened to the tree. I can see things, and … Mum, why do we need to leave?’ I hear Stig repeatedly pressing the kitchen light switch and look over at him. ‘I’m not here on my own. We’re going to walk to Olav and Yrsa’s now, before it gets dark. Please hurry, Mum. I’m scared.’

The phone bleeps and a voice asks if I want to re-record my message. I hang up and return the phone to my pocket with a sigh.

‘Stig, maybe we should stay. We don’t know why she sent the message. If she knew about the wolf, maybe she wouldn’t want us to go outside.’

He frowns. ‘We only heard one shot fired last night. So Olav must have got it first time, otherwise he would have fired again.’ He pauses, then adds, ‘A wolf would only attack if it was hungry, and there are plenty of sheep to kill out there.’