Chapter 22

Vanishing Springs, as Jake had called the spot (which isn't actually spring at all, but he'd called me a swot when I'd tried to explain the difference, and so I'd soon shut up), is close enough to the village that I refuse to let Jake give me a ride the rest of the way home. In fact, I refuse to let him walk with me at all. At least once, I've followed him back to the main road where he'd left his bike. I'm a loner, but I'm not an idiot.

I'd run ahead while he messed about getting his helmet on, slipping off the road to hide just past the edge of the forest. But he soon caught up, and my school uniform wasn't the best camouflage... So, I didn't escape him, and he trailed along behind me the rest of the way, despite my continued attempts to make him see his presence was not welcome.

"I've just shown you proof about kids going missing around here, and you're telling me to leave you to walk on your own?" He'd said. "In a place you hardly know?"

"I'm not your responsibilit