𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕄𝕒𝕘𝕟𝕚𝕗𝕚𝕔𝕖𝕟𝕥 - ᵖᵉᵗᵉʳ ᵖᵉᵛᵉⁿˢⁱᵉ

꧁Tʜᴇ Esᴄᴀᴘᴇ꧂

The children first heard the wolves' howls when they reached the outskirts of the dam. They had run quickly to the house and nearly tumbled through the door. Katherine quickly grabbed her borrowed coat from the rack as they went.

"Hurry, They're after us" Mr Beaver yelled to his wife.

She looked around the room. "Oh alright then" she exclaimed as she hurried to the kitchen.

"What's she doing?" Peter asked as he tried to hurry the rest along. Mr Beaver gave him a gesture that Katherine thought meant 'Goodness knows'

She ran to help Mrs Beaver with her packing and Susan followed.

"You'll be thanking me later" Mrs Beaver rambled. "It's a long journey and Beaver gets cranky if there isn't food."

"I'm cranky now" Mr Beaver shouted.

Katherine heard the snarls outside and tied the parcel quickly as Mr Beaver ushered them to a hollow further in the house.

"Do you think we'll need jam?" Susan asked.

"Only if the witch serves tea," Peter remarked and Katherine said at the same time.

"Yes, we can put it right next to the 'eat me' sign around our necks because the wolves are outside!"

The two grinned at each other before they heard the howls outside the house. Paws began to pull the home apart and Mr Beaver ushered for them to follow down a narrow tunnel hidden behind a trap door. The door closed behind them and they ran down the tunnel as they heard the wolves break into the house behind them.

"Badger and I dug this" Mr Beaver explained as they hurried through. "Comes out right near his place"

Peter held a torch in front that had been resting in a holder at the start of the tunnel. Mrs Beaver was behind with Lucy, then Susan carrying the parcel and finally Katherine at the back.

"You told me it led to your mum's" Mrs Beaver accused.

Suddenly Lucy tripped on a stray root. Susan and Katherine helped her up as Peter turned to see if she was hurt. Lucy looked around in shock and then Katherine heard it too.

"They're in the tunnels" Lucy whispered.

Katherine passed Lucy to Susan and Mr Beaver charged off down the tunnel with Mrs Beaver and the children followed with renewed speed. When they finally stopped Katherine saw they had stopped at a dead end.

"You should have brought a map" Mrs Beaver cried.

"There wasn't room next to the jam" Mr Beaver turned exasperated.

He jumped up and dug his way through the earth. Mrs Beaver followed. Susan went up next and Katherine helped up Lucy before she turned to Peter.

"Go" she gestured, "You're needed more than me"

He protested as he was lifted out the hole then turned back and grabbed Katherine's hand hoisting her out the tunnel. Mr Beaver and Peter scrambled to make a makeshift barrier and Katherine helped pass the barrels.

Lucy shrieked and everyone turned to see she had tripped over stone statues. Lucy looked up confused as Mrs Beaver went to go comfort a shell-shocked Mr Beaver. The beaver walked up to a cowering statue of a badger.