Free The Nightmare Game by Gillian Cross

she’s thinking.”
    â€œI do know,” Tom muttered. “I can feel—” He broke off suddenly and began to follow Emma, making for the shed.
    Last time they’d been there, it had been much too dark to see what the garden was like. Now, as the flashlight lit the way ahead of them, Robert saw that the garden was as perfect as the house. The edges of the lawn were cut into crisp curves, and the beds around the sides were full of tidy shrubs standing in a layer of bark chippings.
    It didn’t look like a garden where children ever played.
    The bikes were very well hidden. Tom had jammed them right in behind the shed, so that they were invisible from the house. Emma was leaning into the space and pulling at the nearest bike, but she couldn’t move it.
    â€œHang on,” Robert said. He squatted down and took out the little flashlight he’d brought with him.
    Peering into the gap, he saw that Tom had locked all three bikes together. The loop of one of the locks had caught on a nail and there was no hope of getting them out without unhooking it. He wriggled the bikes, attempting to work them free, but there wasn’t enough space to maneuver properly. They would have to undo the lock.
    The girl from the house was still watching them. They could see the beam of her flashlight flickering up and down as she tried to work out what they were doing.
    â€œWe won’t be long,” Robert called over his shoulder. Then he lowered his voice. “Can you reach in there, Tosh? It’s too narrow for me.”
    There was no answer.
    Looking over his shoulder, Robert saw that Tom wasn’t listening to him. He was staring back at the house, looking grim and miserable.
    Emma had noticed that, too. She gave Tom’s shoulder a brisk shake. “Stop daydreaming!” she said roughly. “We’ve got to get on with this. Unless you want that girl to panic and call the police.”
    â€œBe quiet,” Tom muttered. “You’ll scare her even more if you start shouting. Why can’t we just take the bikes and go?”
    â€œThey’re stuck,” Robert said. Even he was starting to get exasperated.
    â€œLet me see.” Tom squinted into the space between the shed and the fence. When he saw the lock, he nodded. “I’ll have to get in there and undo it.”
    â€œThe nails’ll rip your jacket to pieces,” Emma said.
    â€œNot if I take it off.” Tom unzipped it and pushed it into her hands. Then he looked again and took off his sweatshirt, too. “Might as well be as thin as possible. Hold the light steady, Robbo.”
    Emma stepped back, out of the way, to let Robert stand at the corner of the shed. Lifting his flashlight high, Robert shone it down onto the tangled bikes and Tom breathed in and wriggled toward the lock. When he was near enough, he stretched down to reach it with both hands, leaning away from Robert.
    As he bent, his shirt caught on a different nail. The cloth was pulled up, leaving the whole of his side exposed as he bent into the beam of the flashlight.
    Robert was shocked into speech. “What’s that ?” he whispered softly.
    There was a dull red bruise under Tom’s ribs, running all the way across his side. It had a raw, new look, as though it had just happened.
    â€œWhat’s what?” Tom whispered back, glancing around. When he saw where Robert was looking, he dragged his shirt down hastily, tearing the material. “Oh. That. It’s nothing.”
    â€œNothing?” Robert was horrified. “You must be joking. How on earth—?”
    â€œDon’t fuss,” Tom muttered. He looked quickly at Emma, who was standing just out of earshot. “Let’s just get the bikes out of here as fast as we can. That girl’s frightened enough already. We don’t want her to panic and call the police.”
    That certainly made sense. Robert put his questions on hold and waited to