22
The sensation of having fingers curled around his throat stuck with Toby as he awoke. Breathing heavily, he realised that was because it was still happening. Only inches separated his face from a pair of curious eyes. A dull weight compressed his chest, slender hands resting on his Adam’s apple.
‘What? You!’ he shrieked, shunting the tiny body off him in a panic and kicking his sheets everywhere. Rolling onto his side, he spluttered. Then he shot an accusing glance at Violet with whom, only a few seconds ago, he had been forehead to forehead.
‘Ow! Meanie!’ she complained. ‘What you do that for? You scared me half to death!’
‘You – I – Violet?’
‘Who else is it gonna be? You woke me up with all your fidgeting. I could handle the crying but when you started breaking wind… Well, I had
