Chapter One: The Challenge

(Please note if reviewing this piece of writing, it is aimed at 9-13 year olds.)

The library was a labyrinth of shelving set about in no particular order. Only in a library such as this would you find The Fellowship of the Ring next to Fantastic Mr. Fox simply because the librarian couldn't be bothered to sort out the years of mess. There were towers of books gaining dust because no one would delve deep enough into the room to find them. It would have been the perfect place to hide and camp out had it not been so blatantly obvious.

So why was I there? I was there because I enjoy a challenge. The challenge was to skip all lessons after lunch without being caught. I had crept into the library to see whether there were any suitable areas I had previously overlooked but had soon found there wasn't. Well, except the hatch into the attic but I couldn't even get near that. The stairs were metal, spiralling, noisy and in full view.

Stupid brain. I should have just climbed over the playground wall. I'd climbed over higher before.

But, another part of me reasoned, you need a backup. That's just sense. If they catch you in here you can just say you didn't know lessons had started or something.

What if James and the others tell?

They won't. Even if they do, what's the worst that could happen? Being expelled again? Who cares? It's rubbish here anyway! And if you get kicked out you can go home. You won't have to stay another second in this stupid boarding school.

My position was currently quite strong. I was behind several shelves but had positioned the books so that I still had a clear view of the librarian's desk. Miss Louis, first name Suzanne, looked up from her computer as Mr Green, Ian, walked in.

"I haven't seen Luke out in the playground, Suzanne. Is he in here by any chance?"

Suzanne was quite young but not kind. At first you'd think she was. with her floral dresses and pretty face, but she could turn on you in an instant. She was also negligent which was how I slipped under her radar to get in: she had been talking to someone on her mobile and hadn't heard me sneaking under the counter.

"Not that I know of." She replied vaguely.

"Mind if I take a look around?"

"Not at all." Was the prim reply.

Mr Green was nice enough. In my head I didn't call him by his first name which is saying something. He taught me French for a while which I wasn't bad at. But, a few weeks after I came to this school, they switched him for Mrs Smith in some lessons. Whilst Mr Green would encourage me, Mrs Smith hated me.

I also liked Mr Green because he reminded me of a teacher I liked at the school I went to before this one: Mr Tucker. They were both classic 'old teachers'- one who should retire but "loves the job too much".

I decided it was time to slink further into the library. After all, Captain Green and his team of commandos were after me. If they caught even a glimpse of me I'd be shot down. Any tactic would be tried, starting with the most cunning.

"Luke? Luke, are you there?"

I sighed inaudibly. He had to ruin it. The ingeniousness of calling for someone didn't really tally with the commandos.

Mr Green decided his call was enough of a search and trotted back to Miss Louis' desk. Opening his mouth to speak he was suddenly drowned out by a loud "DDDDDRRRRIIIIINNNNGGG" that didn't stop: the fire alarm.

At first I was worried, waiting to smell smoke but then I saw Mr Green roll his eyes and I knew it was only a drill.

This relief didn't last long though as I realised this fire drill would highlight my absence sooner than I had planned. I had nowhere to hide.

Maybe I should go... I thought to myself.

I happened to look up. My eyes immediately were drawn to the attic hatch.

Before I could hesitate, I was on the stairs and climbing. No! This was a mountain and I was scaling it. I'd find treasure... or a yeti or something.

Enough kidding around.

Sprinting up the rickety stairs, I ignored the slight wobble. I reached the ceiling and look down.

Well this is high. Not that is bothered me. My last school had kicked me out for climbing onto the roof of the Science building and jumping from it to English and beyond. that was fun: I rolled like a street jumper!

I slid the hatch up and across revealing darkness, then hoisted myself up and replaced it. Maybe i was safe up here. I couldn't see them looking in the attic.

I turned.

"Whoooah!" It was huge! The whole school must just have one massive attic!

There were boxes but they were pushed to the edges of the room leaving a clear line up the middle which was perfect, I decided, for gymnastics which I proved by cartwheeling down it.

"Ow!" A splinter lodged itself in my hand shaking my balance. I crashed down in a cloud of dust onto a cardboard box which broke sending heavy dictionaries falling onto my stomach.

"Ow...ow...ouch!"

I lay dazed for a while then pulled the stupid splinter from my hand, struggling to see the tiny fragment of wood in the half light. Then I pushed the heavy 'Oxford's' off me and sat up, checking myself for actual damage.

I'd have a few bruises.

New game: what's in the boxes?

At first this seemed an exciting prospect but after opening a couple and finding only exercise books and chalk I decided to move to the far wall.

As I came closer I saw a door in the wall and ran closer, enthusiastic. The handle was stiff and the door, stuck but I pushed and shoved with all my eleven year old strength.

It flew open and I flew through it into sunlight, wind and a big drop.

Luckily for me, I wasn't falling. There was a ledge outside the door and I'd fallen on it, just short of slipping over the edge.

I got up, carefully and found, to my right, a plank. It was laid from the ledge across to the roof of the canteen. As the canteen roof was lower it was slanting downwards.

Across the bridge, on the canteen roof, was a real life trapdoor! Tow hatches in one day? I was in luck!

The more I looked at the plank, the more I had a feeling I'd seen it before. Then it hit me: you could see it from the playground. Well, you could see the middle of it. The other kids told me the builders had left it when they had come to repair the canteen roof ages ago.

The trapdoor was staring at me, willing me to explore inside. I could go over there. Fire drill would be over by now so they wouldn't be in the playground. They'd all be in lessons or looking for me.

It was a wide plank. It looked strong too...

Taking a step onto it, I tested the ground. The ground was sturdy.

Glancing back only once, I bit the bullet and began walking across. I concentrated on my footing whilst enjoying the exhilarating feeling of the drop below and the wind whipping my hair back.

Then I heard a scream. It screamed my name. More followed and I stopped looking down and turned my attention to my left were five hundred and seventy nine students and a staff of about a hundred. They all stared back.

Fire drill wasn't over yet then.

I waved. Why not? They all look so worried and I'm perfectly fine.

Then some teachers broke away, sprinting. They were after me. If I was caught I'd be tortured and killed. I had to make it to the bunker; my troops were relying on me. But I had to cross the rest of the perilous bridge. Easy. I was brave. I was a hero.

Throwing caution to the winds, I ran the rest of the way, grinning at the gasps from below. I was definitely enjoying the attention.

Once I reached the trapdoor, I yanked it up and jumped down. It slammed down above me.

At first I could seen nothing except a few indistinct shaped but, as my eyes slowly adjusted, I could see more.

The only source of light was a small, dirty window but it illuminated the small room enough to be able to see a chest.

My heart beat a little faster.

A chest meant treasure, even if it did have rat poo around its base.

Crawling towards it, I paused as I heard noises. It was the teachers. I could hear them shouting, trying to build up their courage to cross the plank.

Continuing on to the chest, I lifted the lid and my heart sank at what I found- a shoe box.

Well you may as well take a look inside, I told myself.

Flicking off the lid I picked up a circular object just bigger than my palm. I couldn't make much of it out in the dim light but fiddling told me it had three dials, each around the next, which turned. There was also a button in the middle that screamed PUSH ME!

So I did.

Nothing happened.

I heard footsteps on the roof above me; they'd crossed the plank.

Ignoring them, I wondered what this thing would look like in daylight.

I turned a dial and it clicked a couple of times whilst moving around clockwise.

The hatch opened as I fiddled with the button.

"Luke, you'd better be so-"

I pressed the button and Mrs Scott's voice cut off.

There was nothing around me but black. Deep, impenetrable.

Then, suddenly, I was in sunlight and falling.

"Aaaah- oof!" I had expected a bigger drop than that for some reason.

For a moment or two I lay on the grass beneath me wondering what exactly had just happened.

I heard a cow 'moo' to my right so I sat up, rubbed my eyes and looked around.

This was a grassy hill and there seemed to be a village to the left.

Bemused, I looked at the cow to my right.

Then I rubbed my eyes again.

Dreaming? I must be.

How else could that cow have wings?