Footsteps. Slow, deliberate.

Billy struggled to open his eyes, head throbbing where he had bashed it against the window. The strange words had almost physically floated before him, fat fuzzy shapes and uncomfortably bright colours. Warm liquid slowly dripped onto his cheek and he tried to look upwards, but his temple was pierced with unimaginable pain. It took all of his strength not to scream.

Darkness enveloped him.

Moments later, or hours - he had no way of telling - Billy blinked slowly as his eyes adjusted to the light and tried to remember how to see. The thoughts that had seemed to come from outside himself rose up again, filling in the gaps his other senses could not.

You feel fear, anxiety, adrenalin. There is DANGER.

He was no longer leaning on the window of the police car, which was rocking back on its wheels. The door he had fallen against opened, and Billy almost tumbled out. He heard strange noises, low-pitched, drawn out sounds like bass heavy music pumping dolefully through a thick wall. Once again words materialised before his eyes, his brain searching for answers when all he wanted to do was hide.

No escape! Where's Alex? Who are they? Why are they after YOU?

Billy was powerless to help the girl when rough hands dragged her out of the car. It happened slowly, sluggishly, as if they were underwater. He tried to scream when he too was seized, but a hand clamped over his mouth. His sinuses filled with a sweet medicinal smell and the world faded.

In his dream, Billy heard the hypnotic roar of rushing water. So loud, as if he were inside a whirlpool, a raging torrent of reds and blues dragging him into its depths…

'Billy! Wake up! Billy please wake up!' Alex's voice, broken with sobs and desperation.

'Wha-?'

Consciousness bubbled out of the whirlpool and Billy found himself squashed in the backseat of another car. A kidnapping then. They would find out where all the other children had been taken. He struggled to lean forward and look round the huge bulk of the dark-skinned man sitting between himself and the little girl. She watched him fearfully from the other side of the car through tear-stained eyes, hands wringing in her lap, bound with plastic ties.

The man studied him with a mixture of scientific interest and some caution, as if he half expected the seven year-old boy to break free and throttle them all. Billy glared up at him, but only saw himself reflected in the silver glasses. The sight shocked him beyond measure, dried blood caking the left side of his face, his eye swollen and purple.

The big man grinned and raised his hand.

Billy sank back into oblivion.

A huge fallen tree, a rescue. Baby birds in the river, crying, screaming…

Billy awoke to the sound of raucous laughter. He could still taste the river and hear the birds crying for help. They had wanted him, but he did not remember why.

'Quiet back there!' A woman's voice. Cruel, hard.

'Looks like he's coming round, want me to knock him out again?'

'No, leave him be. We've got hours to go yet.'

'Yeah, Johnson. You get too carried away with that chloroform!'

'Get fooked little man, didn't see you running to help. Did you see how fast he moved?' A deep voice, like the rumble of oceans.

'Ooh the little boy got the big man scared?' A more whiney, needling voice, spoken through a gap-toothed smile. The kind of voice children use when telling tales.

'It ain't natural, is all I'm saying!'

'Shut up, both of you. Johnson, give the boy a drink, but don't knock him out again! We need him to be awake when we arrive.' The big man grumbled and Billy was shoved painfully into the door as the man turned to reach behind them, returning with a grin and a bottle of water. He pushed the neck into Billy's mouth and tipped the bottle. The boy drank reluctantly. Warm water ran down his chin and into his bloodstained shirt.

'That's right boy, drink up.' The man's deep voice sounded absurdly kind given his propensity for 'chloroform', whatever that was. The chemical smell? Billy swallowed.

'Why-?' he began, but had to stop with a grimace. Speaking sent pain spiking up into his temple.

'No boy. You be quiet now. No questions.' The mirrored glasses shot him a look that forbade disobedience. Billy nodded nervously and tried to catch Alex's eye. The corner of the wooden box pushed insistently into his ribs. They hadn't been searched then. How he longed to take it out and study the strange object again. It will protect you when the time comes, the old man had said. Evidently this was not that time, for they were powerless in the hands of these three strangers. The old man would come. He would follow and rescue them. He had promised. Billy hoped Davey was not too old for this adventure. He was their only chance.

Billy closed his eyes and tried to conjure up his imaginary life; the adventures, the high seas, anything to escape the reality of the moment. But the Shadow had him completely overwhelmed now. All he could see through the darkness was a tiny pink light shining brightly in the darkness.

Alex.

Billy smiled weakly at her.

'Don't worry Alex, it'll be okay.' he said, with great difficulty. Johnson snorted derisively and the man in the passenger seat actually laughed out loud.

Alex sobbed and looked away.

'That's it, next branch, next branch!' The blackbird called. The roaring of the water completely filled Billy's senses. He was aware of nothing but the branch just ahead, in sharp focus within the dark wall of noise. And nesting within it, the blackbird's screaming children. He had to reach them, soon. Before the pain began.

'But you didn't talk!' Billy mumbled.

'What? What's that?'

'Little feller talking in his sleep, is he?'

'Yeah, wonder what he dreams about. What do you dream about Wonderboy?'

'Oh be quiet, you two!'

The car lurched around a corner at high speed and Billy almost fell off the seat. Strong hands gripped him and hauled him back up into place. The big man was watching him warily again, as if expecting him to commit some great act of magic. Billy looked out of the window and tried to pretend that there was nothing on his mind.

He saw that they had reached a city, and allowed himself to become hypnotised by the brightly coloured lights that were trailing alongside them like shooting stars. He would have done anything to escape this pain, this fear. He wondered what his new friend was thinking. Did she blame him for this? How had the man found them in the allotments - had he been followed? Had she?

Alex was still sniffing quietly, trying to suppress her sobs and Billy wished he could reach her, comfort her. Tell her about the old man and show her he was not afraid.

But he couldn't, and he was.

When the river pulled him under, Billy felt the water turn to treacle and the world slowing down. He saw himself from a distance, saw the old man running in slow motion beside him, felt the rope catch around his leg. The Shadow was a physical thing then, hovering around his limp body like a swarm of black flies.

As he watched, the flies streamed into his body through his eyes, nose, ears and mouth. His fingertips tingled as the Shadow filled him completely and he saw his eyes turn into blackened orbs while Davey tried to wake him.