John P. Mallon Writer & Poet
The summer holidays have started. Alfie Foggle, happy that school has now finished, is looking forward to spending his holidays doing absolutely nothing. A world away, Braddle and every other inhabitant of Carporoo are building a new city, a new home, but people are disappearing and no one knows why. Braddle sets out to solve the mystery and puts himself and everyone he loves in danger. On a quiet summer’s morning, Alfie’s plans for doing nothing are turned upside down as he discovers Carporoo: Braddle needs help and only Alfie can give it.
He placed one foot on the chair and stopped. What if the thing on the washing line was a long hungry snake with big fangs searching for dinner or a hairy thing with a million legs desperately praying for a boy to get too close? He was about to take his foot off the chair and remove himself to a safe distance to think about it some more when, to his surprise, his body jumped up onto the chair. He felt his hair caress the washing line. ‘Be careful idiot,’ a voice in his head scolded. He raised the magnifying glass to his eye and, after moving it up and down a couple of times, immediately fell backwards. If the back of the chair had not been there in the direction of the fall he would have landed hard on the pavement. He steadied himself. ‘Alfie, I won’t tell you again,’ the voice said.
“No, it can’t be,” he said out loud.
Trembling, he raised the magnifying glass again.
“Yes it is,” he replied.