Bella Tabbypaw in Trouble

Chapter Five Glow in the Dark

“Girls,” exclaimed Goldie, “meet Ruby and Rusty Fuzzybrush! But what are you two doing here?”

“We use the tunnels as our secret hiding place,” said Ruby. “Mom and Dad don’t know about them, so please don’t tell.” She put down two unlit lanterns she’d been holding.

“How did you get in?” asked Jess. Maybe the fox cubs found the magical entrance, too, she thought to herself.

“We know lots of ways,” said Rusty, “but they’re all hidden. That’s why nobody else comes here.”

“Somebody else has found a way in, I’m afraid,” said Goldie. She explained about Bella and the Boggits. “If you know the tunnels well,” she added, “will you help us find Bella?”

The fox cubs agreed immediately. “What an adventure!” said Rusty excitedly, picking up the lanterns. “These might be useful. Mr. Cleverfeather invented them.”

Jess and Lily took one each and looked for a way to turn them on.

“Where’s the switch?” Jess asked.

The fox cubs laughed so hard they fell over. “There’s no switch for glowworms!” giggled Ruby. “Watch!”

She put her mouth close to Jess’s lantern and whispered, “Wakey, wakey, little glowworms. Rise and shine! It’s glowtime!”

Instantly, there was a soft glimmer that grew brighter and brighter until the tunnel was filled with yellow light.

“Wow!” said Lily. She whispered to the glowworms in her lantern. “Wakey, wakey, rise and shine! It’s glowtime!” She laughed in delight as her lantern lit up, too. The tunnel wasn’t so scary now that she could see clearly.

They were about to set off again when a great gruff shout echoed down the tunnel.

“Boggits!” said Goldie, clutching at Jess and Lily. A moment later, there was a crashing sound and the whole tunnel seemed to shudder.

“It’s an earthquake!” Lily whispered fearfully.

There was another crash. She covered her ears to shut out the noise.

The lanterns went dark.

“Oh, no!” Jess said. “The noise must have frightened the glowworms. It’s too dark to go any farther without them.”

“Glowworms,” Lily whispered, “don’t be frightened. It’s just a noise and we won’t let it hurt you. Please wakey, wakey.”

There was the smallest beam of light.

“Please?” begged Lily. “Rise and shine?”

Rusty crept over. “Hey, wormies!” he whispered. “We’re desperate.”

There was a tiny glimmer, then another, then another. Soon the lantern was filled with glowing lights, and the girls could see again.

“What are the Boggits up to?” said Goldie. “I’m so worried about Bella! Rusty and Ruby, I know it’s scary, but please take us through the tunnels so we can look for her.”

Rusty and Ruby darted away.

As the others followed, Jess noticed that the light from the glowworms was casting huge shadows on the tunnel walls. What are they? she wondered with a flutter of fear. Then she realized! “The fox cubs’ shadows make them seem like giants!” she laughed.

Ruby and Rusty heard. They waved their paws and lashed their tails, making their shadows look like angry monsters!

The tunnel twisted and turned, then widened out. The friends found themselves at the opening of a vast cavern, with a thin, pale shaft of light filtering through a small hole in the roof.

In the middle were four grubby, hairy creatures, covered in fur of sickly yellow, washed-out blue, and dingy green.

Boggits!

“But where’s Bella?” whispered Goldie.

Lily and Jess peered around the cavern. When the Boggits had kidnapped Lucy Longwhiskers, they had locked her inside a cage. What had they done with Bella?

Then, to their surprise, Bella walked out from behind one of the Boggits, wearing her night goggles and backpack, whistling happily!