The Mysteries of Brambly Hollow

Cassie,” Meli confided to Cal later that evening after the kids had retired to their bedrooms. “Just lately she seems to spend so much time on her own.”
    Flicking pastel blue eyes over the rim of the sports page, Cal regarded her oddly. “Why? We’ve only been here a couple of months. She still needs to make new friends. It’s different for the boys,” he interjected before Meli could make a comparison. “They’ve got each other, they don’t really need anyone else.”
    “But what about when the school breaks up for summer? She’ll have nothing to do.” And when she gets bored with her bedroom, and her pocket money runs out, so she can’t fill the vacuous hours roaming the shops, she’ll be under my feet moping all day, or annoying the boys; punishing me still for making her move here. Meli didn’t say any of this out loud though.
    “Now don’t start that,” Cal berated her, crumpling his newspaper across the protuberance of his belly so he could give Meli his finest ‘fatherly’ look. “She’ll be fine. That must be nearly six weeks away.” Five, Meli correct him in her head. “Plenty of time for her to make friends. Besides, you’ll be here, even if you are working, so she’ll not be short of company.” Extending both arms, he snapped the paper open again. Meli was left glaring at a shrunken image of Tiger Woods head, superimposed on her husband’s shoulders. After a moment, Meli shrugged resignedly at Tiger. Cal was probably right. They were here now, there was no going back, she just had to weather the storm until Cass got over her sulks.

    “Mum, mum, come here,” the demanding trill of George’s voice filtered down the landing as Meli emerged from the bathroom.
    “What is it?” asked Meli, popping her head around the door.
    “Ssshhhh,” David silenced her urgently, finger pressed to his lips before beckoning her to join them at the window. Intrigued, Meli found herself tip-toeing across the carpet. Following David’s pointed finger, she stared down into the garden. Super Squirrel, or SS as they now referred to him, was standing on the starting block: an upturned terracotta flower pot. Meli found herself holding her breath, watching.
    SS was on his hind legs, his body bobbing up and down in slow motion as he sized up the problem: measuring the distance and height of the first challenge, an upright wooden post. Squatting, he spent a moment wiping his whiskers with his forepaws as though thinking the whole thing over, and then leaping onto the lawn he bounded across to the base of the post. Clasping it, he ran half way up, before encountering the flower pot that had been placed upside down under the platform. Realising that there was no short cut, SS dropped to the floor and hopped back to the launch pad. Mounting it again he launched himself with ease and alighted on the six inch square platform at the top of the post. Crouching low, he paused briefly to stare around him, checking the coast was clear before stepping out onto the length of washing line. Instantly he twirled upside down. Meli gasped, expecting him to fall to the ground, but clasping it tightly with his tiny fingers and toes he clambered along the underside as easily as he would if walking upright. Reaching the end he drew himself up the next pole. From the top his reward was in sight, just a short tightrope walk away to a podium and a container of rich, tasty peanuts. Suddenly he was gone, flying through the air on widely extended limbs. Alighting on the grass, he raced away towards the bushes, startled by something.
    Mother and sons’ scoured the garden from their elevated position, but apart from some bushes, which were disturbed by something moving inside them, they couldn’t see anything.
    “Well, looks like you’ve got his interest anyway,” Meli placated the crest fallen faces with a smile. “Better luck next time.”

    “Quassi, here boy,” Meli called as she let herself in. It was 9.15 a.m. and the kids had already been dropped off; they’d got this down to a fine art at last and hadn’t been late for days. Even Cassie hadn’t been able to complain.
    “Quassi,” she called again, depositing her keys on the sideboard. “Don’t be a pain.” She was keen to get on and did not want to waste valuable time and effort playing hide-and-seek with the dog. The masks were going extremely well, and barring any unforeseen problems, she was confident they would be finished in time. Wandering into