“Miaow!” said Cuddle, from somewhere by their feet. Grace shone the penlight at the kitten as she skipped up between them, her fur tickling their bare arms. She rubbed against Olivia’s neck, then touched Grace’s nose with her own.
“It’s like she’s telling us not to be scared,” Grace said. She tried to stroke Cuddle’s ears, but the kitten ducked out of the beam of light and Grace’s fingers found the bend in her tail instead.
The girls jumped as a booming voice echoed over them. “Ladies and gentlemen! I’m glad you’re all sitting down, as this next trick would have you falling over in amazement.”
There was a distant ripple of laughter.
“Who’s that?” Olivia whispered to Grace.
The voice continued. “May I present the Magic Box of Doom!”
“The Magic Box of Doom,” Grace repeated. “Do you think that’s where we are?” Her voice trembled.
Slam! A tiny door opened in the wall behind the girls’ heads, letting in a stream of light. Slam! Slam!
Two more doors opened by their feet. Slam! Slam! A door opened on Olivia’s side of the box, then another on Grace’s.
The sudden brightness made the girls blink. Grace switched off her penlight and put it back in her pocket.
Cuddle walked up to the opening behind their heads and sniffed it.
“Good idea, Cuddle,” Olivia said. “Let’s find out where we are.”
She wriggled head first towards the opening, arching her back like a caterpillar.
Grace shifted out of her way, using her elbows to move towards the bottom of the box.
“I can fit my legs through those two holes,” Grace said. She stuck them through, waving her trainers around.
Olivia grabbed the rim of the tiny doorway. She pulled herself up so her head poked through the opening – and gave a gasp of amazement.
The box seemed to be mounted on a stand. It was painted blue, with a golden latch shaped like a lion’s paw fixed just above the opening. Clusters of spotlights hung from the ceiling of a large room, behind a red velvet curtain that had been drawn up. To one side was a bank of seats, filled with rows of people. They were whispering to each other and pointing at her.
A grin spread over Olivia’s face. “Grace, we’re onstage!” She stuck her hand through one of the side openings and waved at the audience. “This is brilliant. I’ve always wanted to be an actress.”
A boy a little older than Olivia and Grace was standing at the back of the stage. He was wearing a blue suit with a gold sash slung across his body. His black top hat was too big for him and flopped down over one ear. He was staring at Olivia, his eyes wide with surprise. She realized he must be the owner of the booming voice.
The boy gave himself a shake, causing his top hat to fall over the other ear.
“Looks like I’ve already got an assistant,” he said.
He drew out a long shiny sword from his sash.
What’s he going to do? thought Olivia.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the boy said, “I will now cut this girl in half!”
