‘It was just then that a strange tiny creature appeared in front of their faces. It was buzzing and flying in little spirals and looked like a tiny person with flashing wings. The boys were so amazed they both stopped crying. And then, even stranger, the hovering little person spoke to them. It had a very loud voice for such a teeny thing. “Why are you crying, silly boys?” it said. “You’ve barely started looking yet. Search for another week just a little further on and I promise you will find something to make you both very happy.” The little flying person zipped and bobbed as though it was very excited. “But,” it said, looking suddenly very serious, “make sure you watch out for the Furry Man. If he catches you, he’ll roast you alive and then eat your ears and your eyes and your noses before he starts munching on your bellies.”
‘Peter and James shivered with fear at the sound of it. They were so weak they didn’t think they could search a single step further. And if they met this Furry Man, they didn’t think they had the strength to run away from him.
‘Embarrassed because he’d never spoken to a little flying person before and not really sure what to say, Peter said, “Excuse me, but we’re only little and very, very thin. All we eat are weeds and leaves and nuts and old bread, you see. Sometimes we… we… get an apple or two. Look,” he said, pointing at his and James’s arms, “we’re no stronger than old twigs.”
‘The little flying person scratched its weeny head. “How much do you want to be happy?”
“Oh, very much,” said James.
“Are you hungry?” it asked.
“We’re starving,” said Peter.
“Are you lonely?” it asked.
“We’re the loneliest boys that ever there were.”
“Well then,” said the little flying person. “Keep in mind all the things you’re looking for and that will make you stronger than old twigs.”
“Really?” asked Peter.
“Truly?” asked James.
“Yes,” said the little flying person. “Much, much stronger.”
‘And with that, the little flying person zapped and zoomed in three speedy circles and disappeared.
‘Peter and James looked at each other with wide eyes.
“Did we really see a little flying person?” asked Peter.
“I think so,” said James. And he added, “Did it really talk to us?”
“Yes,” said Peter, “I think it really did.”
‘Both the boys were smiling because the little flying person had made them feel so much better. It was a strange little creature but it had been kind to them. No one had ever been kind to them before.
‘They searched around for some weeds to give them a little strength for the next part of their journey and found a big clump growing nearby. It seemed very fortunate. They ate the bitter weeds but were glad for them. Soon they were searching again.
‘They wandered through parts of the broken district they’d never seen before and knew nothing about. After six more days they were exhausted again but the landscape around them had begun to change. There were fewer buildings and the ones they found were not so broken as the ones they’d left behind. Some of them still had roofs and some even had windows and doors. Peter and James searched inside these houses but they never found anything to make them happy, nothing to fill their bellies and no one to talk to.
‘They began to think they’d dreamed that little flying person and all its advice. Worse, they started to believe that maybe they’d just got so hungry they’d imagined it.
‘Then a mist came down, all swirly and white like the coattails of an army of ghosts. They found themselves in front of what seemed like the very last house in the broken district. Beyond it there was nothing. They saw a large pile of bones by the front door. The bones were smooth and picked absolutely clean. Some of the bones looked like they must have belonged to little boys exactly like Peter and James.
‘They both thought that maybe the little flying person was the friend of the Furry Man and that it had told them to come here so that the Furry Man could share two more lost little boys with it.
‘They started to back away from the house when the front door opened and a huge figure lumbered out into the mist. He was a giant, much bigger than a normal man and twice as wide too. Long, thick, shaggy red hair covered his hands and feet and face and hung down from his head to his hips. He wore only a pair of ragged trousers that stopped below his knees and a waistcoat with no buttons. It looked like he’d left the same clothes on for a hundred years and just grown out of them.
‘Little boys, thought Peter and James, must be very fattening.
‘The Furry Man saw them and roared,
“AAAARRRGGGH! SUPPERTIME!”
‘He ran down his garden path with his arms stretched wide ready to grab a boy in each hand.
“Run,” cried Peter and both the boys turned on their heels and sprinted away as fast as they could. The mist was thick and it was hard to see where they were going. They held hands because they didn’t want to lose each other and it slowed them down. Meanwhile, the Furry Man, running on legs like tree trunks, took steps four times the size of theirs. He caught up with them very quickly. His two enormous arms reached out to grab the skinny boys.
“Now I’ve got you little morsels. Now I’ve got my SUPPER!”
“Let go of my hand,” said James. “It’s our only chance.”
“No,” cried Peter. “What if I never find you again?”
“Think of all the things we’re looking for and you’ll find me.”
‘The Furry Man’s hands came whooshing at them. James let go of Peter’s hand and ran into the fog. The hand missed him. Peter ran the opposite way. The other hand missed him.
‘The Furry Man couldn’t decide which one to chase and while he was thinking about it, they both disappeared.
“ARRRRGGGGHHH!” shouted the Furry Man. “NO SUPPER! AAAAARRRRGGGGH!”
‘Well, the Furry Man stood there for a long time sniffing the fog. Then he decided that one trail smelled juicier than the other so he turned and went the way Peter had run, following his big nose through the thick mist.
‘Separated now, the two boys could hear the Furry Man’s huge feet stomping over the rubble as he came looking for them. Every step made the ground shake.
‘James tiptoed as quietly as he could but he couldn’t see more than a few feet in front and had no idea which direction he was going in. Peter did exactly the same thing. Both of the boys were more lonely now than they’d ever been and certainly more frightened. They were so scared they thought the Furry Man might be able to hear the pounding of their hearts through the mist and that he’d follow the noise until he caught them.
‘James stumbled on a broken brick and fell down. His hands met nothing but air as he fell. The ground hit his chest and knocked all the wind out of him. His head and arms were hanging into space. He found himself looking down into a black pit so deep it seemed to have no bottom. One step further and he’d have tumbled into the pit never to see Peter again.
‘But the Furry Man heard James fall and he changed direction to follow. Peter heard too. He wanted to call out and see if his brother was all right – to make sure that it hadn’t been the sound of the Furry Man catching hold of him. But Peter dared not make a sound. Instead, he too ran towards the spot where he thought he’d heard the noise.
‘Then he heard the sound of heavy footsteps behind him. Somehow he’d managed to come between the Furry Man and his brother. Now the Furry Man was chasing him as they both ran towards James. Peter risked a glance over his shoulder and saw long red hair in the mist. The Furry Man was right behind him, his huge arms held out in front to catch him.