The Light switch

Chapter Seven

Ant sat on top of the power box that connected to the light switch, polishing her flying helmet by blowing her stale breath onto the lenses and cleaning them with a rag.

"Boss wouldn't give this job to no other group you know." She was explaining to the five other goblins that were part of her Ant's Flying Aces.

"If this switch is pulled all the goblins will have to flee to live in the dark again and we can kiss this comfy town goodbye, that's why I was put in charge." Said Ant, slapping on her helmet and pointing to herself with a dirty green thumb.

"Now make sure you are all ready for when Lord Tuskmouth comes for inspection, I wouldn't want to be someone he catches snoozing on a job!" She spat.

Fortunately for Jane and Tilly the goblins were not snoozing, but they had been pulled away from their guard posts to listen to Ant talk about the importance of staying alert. They crept in along the side of the wall, sticking to the shadows cast by the single flickering light that the goblins had set up just above the light switch. Although the room was large with high ceilings like the Lullaby Sparrow room, they had to go slowly as they were never far from the goblins who prowled around like hunters waiting for their next meal.

"How are we to get to the switch?" Whispered Tilly when they had found a corner to hide in behind some cables.

"I'm not sure, there are more of them than us and even one is big enough and strong enough to capture us both. But we cannot give up when we have got so close." Whispered back Jane.

It was then that the very door they had snuck through opened and the huge body of Lord Tuskmouth squeezed his way into the room, barely fitting through the door. Before anyone could say a word Lord Tuskmouth began sniffing the air.

His little yellow eyes shone around the room looking for the source of the smell he barely remembered was human.

"My Lord can I help at all? I..." Said Ant suddenly cut off by a snarl and a glare by the hulking Lord Tuskmouth.

"So," He dribbled, "You managed to get all the way here little girl, past my useless mob, past my even more useless wolves, and even now you hide in a room with my finest guards and they don't even know you're here. Well done. But you forgot one thing." He said and grabbing the torch above the switch held it up high. "I can still smell you, and you won't escape me."

Jane and Tilly were frozen with fear, as his big padding feet took him around the room as he held the torch up checking behind the jungle of wires and cables that connected the station to the city.

It would surely only be a matter of time before their spot would be searched and their adventure come to an end. All their bravery, all their hard work, all their smarts would mean nothing, and Blanket Town would be in the goblins hands. But Jane was not going to let that happen.

"Tilly, help me out this jumper." She whispered urgently.

"Out the jumper? But how will you move? Jane, we need to run as soon as we can and as fast as we can to get away, you need your jumper's butterflies."

"Tilly, I have a plan just please listen and be ready."

Lord Tuskmouth had now explored every part of the light switch room except one and smiled a crooked grin as his slow padding feet got closer and closer.

"I have you now blanketsnatcher and little girl. You have caused me too much trouble and now it's all over. What was the point of all your efforts, just to be caught in a corner and to let everyone down who relied on you?" He growled tearing through the wires and cables like a forest gorilla, grinning gleefully as a stripey jumper came into his sight.