Over the next couple of days, I lose count of the number of times someone asks me, ‘Are you okay, Malky?’

Look, have you ever been on a really fast roller coaster? Mam took me and Seb to Thorpe Park two years ago, and there was this ride called TerrorSpeed that Seb was too small for, so I went on my own while he and Mam watched and it was great, but …

When I came off, I was in a bit of a daze. Not dizzy, like staggering and so on. Just … spacey. It wasn’t for long – just a minute or so when I felt as if I was walking on cotton wool.

Well, that’s what this is like, only it’s going on all the time. I keep running my fingers over the indentations in my arm left by Cuthbert’s teeth. They don’t hurt any more, and you can hardly see them, but they are there.

Mam sees me fiddling. ‘What’s up with your arm, Malky?’

I’ve been bitten by an imaginary crocodile, Mam.

I pull my sleeve back down. ‘Nothing. Just a bit itchy.’

I can’t even talk to Susan about it because of our argument. Besides, she’s been away on a trip to some school orchestra competition in Leeds.

And then comes another dream, and this one is … well, I’d better just tell you. Bear with me. It’s funny.

Sort of.

I’m in the lunch hall again. It looks normal. It sounds and smells normal as well. I’m not taking any risks, though. I go up to Mason Todd who eyes me warily – as he might, I suppose. I’ve hardly spoken to him in real life for weeks.

‘Hey, Mason,’ I say. ‘Am I dreaming?’

He looks me up and down, as though I’m a stranger. ‘Of course you are!’ Then he adds, ‘Weirdo.’ He goes back to talking to Tilly Sykes who snorts with laughter at something he murmurs.

This is the awesome thing about being in a dream, you see. I wouldn’t normally do what I do next. And, before I do it, I carry out another ‘reality check’ just in case Mason’s lying. The old digital clock above the serving hatch is flashing numbers randomly – another sure sign that I’m in Dreamland.

‘Hey, Mason!’ I call out, loud enough for everyone nearby to hear, even though the lunch hall is pretty noisy. He turns round. ‘Is it true you and Tilly are secretly dating?’

They both turn bright red. ‘No!’ he says.

‘Well, that’s what I’ve heard, but she doesn’t dare tell you that she’s also in love with Jonah Bell, except he’s in love with Kez Becker!’