Chapter 3

 

Tall buildings seemed to drape themselves over Miley, like her heavy winter shawl (which she had left behind), but they didn’t make her feel at all warm. No, not a bit.

  Miley was terribly scared. And she suddenly felt tired, and oh! so weary. She wanted nothing more than to lie down and rest.

  That was when she spotted the open doorway. Where does that lead, she wondered?

  There was a signboard above the doorway. Written in

scraggly letters, it said:

 

The Devil’s Element

  And underneath:

Inward Goods Only.

 

  The Devil’s Element meant nothing to Miley but she hoped the doorway might lead to somewhere warm and dry.

  Miley slipped inside. She descended some steep, wooden steps and found herself in an empty cellar room with a small truckle bed inside it.

  The room was dry but not at all warm. Shivering, Miley lay herself down. Above her, a high window gleamed in the weak, wet glow of lamplight from the

street above. Soon she had fallen fast asleep, still wearing her day clothes.

  So, now you know how Miley got there.