Toby’s adrenaline spiked and he burst into action. As the sounds of shouting and running echoed far away, he clambered up the metal staircase. Crawling up the stairs on all fours, he continued to use his outstretched palms like feelers so he didn’t injure himself. His breath came in short, sharp bursts.
With no light to offer him guidance, it seemed as if the stairs went up forever.
‘I think I can hear him in this wall!’ came the muffled voice of a child.
‘You in there, Carter? Scurrying through the walls like the rat you are, aye?’ Mr Snarky spat the words at him, from below. Toby was grateful now that the wood was so difficult to break through. There would be no way Snarky could follow without breaking it down with some tools. ‘We’ll find you, boy! You’ll get lashes for this, let me t
