‘Exit game!’ said John, as he and Tina stopped to catch their breath.
Nothing happened. They were still standing, panting, on the footpath in a quiet suburban street just down the road from their school.
‘Not again,’ whispered Tina. ‘Trapped!’
‘Come on,’ said John. ‘Let's get back to my place. Then we can work out what we're going to do.’
As they raced along the picturesque streets, storm clouds began gathering above them.
The first drops of rain started to fall as they burst through the front door. They slammed it shut behind them, and collapsed on to the sofa in the living room.
‘I knew there was something wrong,’ said John. ‘I just knew it. Weird things happening. Then the princeling. And now the Cracker.’
‘But what are we going to do?’ asked Tina. ‘We have no weapons here.’
‘I don't know,’ said John. ‘I guess we just have to lay low until we figure out a plan.’
‘What plan?’
‘I don't know!’ John's voice held an edge of desperation.
The telephone rang.
John reached over tentatively and picked it up as if it might suddenly grow teeth and bite him at any instant.
‘H … hello.’
‘John Hayes,’ said the headmaster's stern voice. ‘Skipping class yet again. I am very disappointed in you and Tina.’
‘How did you know we were here?’
‘Mr Cracker is also most disappointed,’ continued the headmaster, ignoring John's question. ‘He has made it his personal mission, his new goal in life, to return you to his classroom. And I have had little alternative but to ring your parents. They too are most disappointed.’
The screech of car tyres in the driveway interrupted the conversation. John hung up the phone as his parents came bustling into the house.
‘Just what are you playing at, young man?’ demanded his father.
‘Oh, I'm so terribly, terribly disappointed in you John,’ wailed his mother, before turning her attention to Tina. ‘What have you done to my boy, you harpy?’
‘Mum, Dad, stop it!’ cried John. ‘This is all wrong. You're meant to be trusting, and … and understanding … and nice.’
‘I'm afraid that your behaviour has tossed all the trust and understanding out the window,’ said Mr Hayes. ‘And as for nice — ’
The front door burst open and Tina's father came storming in.
‘Leading my daughter astray again,’ he bellowed, fire in his eyes. ‘I'll teach you.’
He barged past Mr and Mrs Hayes, grabbed John by his shirt and lifted him from the sofa.
‘It's high time someone pounded some sense into you.’
And then the phone started ringing again.
Mr Burrows shook John violently, as Mr Hayes continued to complain and Mrs Hayes wailed.
‘The phone is ringing,’ said Tina. But no one took any notice of her or the phone.
‘Isn't anyone going to answer it?’ she yelled, panic rising.
Still, no one responded.
Tina jumped to her feet and grabbed the phone, placing it to her ear. Then with a yelp, she dropped the receiver.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The sound echoed from the dropped receiver.
Crack! Crack!
‘John!’ cried Tina. ‘It's him!’
John wrenched himself free of Mr Burrows and rushed to Tina's side.
‘We've got to get out of here,’ said Tina.
‘You're not going anywhere,’ said Mr Burrows.
‘Except back to school,’ added Mr Hayes.
John took hold of Tina's hand, giving it a little reassuring squeeze and calmly led her to the still open front door.
‘Where do you think you're going?’ demanded Mrs Hayes.
But John and Tina didn't answer. They walked out of the house and into the rain.
‘We'll call the police!’ Mr Burrows yelled after them. ‘Then you'll be sorry.’
As the rain grew heavier, John and Tina picked up their pace, from a walk to a jog, and then to a run.
They ran and ran, away from everything, not even knowing where they were going.