To the south of Horsmarlonerpool, over the Bridge of Spires, are the meadows.
The meadows are fields which are perfect for playing in. They go for miles and miles, and in the summer are full of tall grass.
Zak had told his Mummy and Daddy that he was going to the meadows to walk his pretend dog Enzo. It was only a pretend dog, so Mummy and Daddy couldn’t see it, but to Zak, Enzo was very real. He was small, with short, soft brown and gold fur, and four little legs, and a happy little friendly happy face, and a tail that was nearly as long as his body! And when that tail wagged, you felt the wind in your face from the force of it.
“Alright,” said Mummy, but make sure you’re back before it gets dark. “Remember, Zak,” she said - very sternly - “back before dark.”
Mummy and Daddy didn’t mind Zak going off to play - the meadows were soft and safe - but they didn’t like him staying out when it got dark in case he got lost and couldn’t find his way home.
“Well Enzo can see in the dark,” Zak argued. But seeing as Enzo was imaginary, Mummy and Daddy didn’t trust him as much as Zak did.
“Just be back before dark!” Mummy called again and Zak shut the front door.
Zak and Enzo had a perfect afternoon. They made a camp in the long grass, and they found one meadow where Farmer Headcorn had mowed all the grass to make hay, and they rolled about in that, laughing and laughing.
They had their lunch of raspberry sandwiches and cornflakes - raspberry sandwiches for Zak, cornflakes for Enzo - and ate them by a well. It was really a well for Farmer Headcorn to bring up water for his sheep, but Zak and Enzo decided it was a wishing well and each threw a pebble down. (You see, here’s a secret: You don’t need money at a wishing well, anything will do.) They both wished for good luck, and lay back on the grass to let their lunch settle.
When Zak opened his eyes, it wasn’t quite as warm as before. And when he looked up into the sky, it wasn’t quite as bright blue as before.
He turned his head to the side on the grass, and saw that the sun was now orange, and sinking towards the far away hills.
“Wake up, Enzo!” cried Zak, in a panic. “We’ve been asleep too long and it'll soon be dark!”
Enzo jumped up onto his four paws and sniffed the air. Zak was right, the evening was coming.
“Mummy!” yelled Zak! “I promised her! Run!”
Zak and Enzo rushed across the first meadow headed back towards home. But when they got to the end of that meadow, and jumped over the gate, there was another meadow in front of them.
Zak looked back and checked the sun. Now, it was even more orange, and even lower. “Run, Enzo!” said Zak.
They raced across the second meadow, but when they got the end of that they saw - a third meadow! They’d been having such a lovely afternoon they’d forgotten how far they’d walked.
Zak looked back and checked the sun again. Now it was a deep red orange, and just touching the top of the hills.
And looking out over ANOTHER field, Zak began to worry. Were they even running in the right direction? Were they running towards home, or running away from it?
Mummy always told him to be home before it got dark because she worried about him, but now, for the first time, Zak was worried about himself. And Enzo.
He knelt down and looked his dog in the eyes.
“Enzo,” he said. “I’m a little bit worried. I think we might be lost. Can YOU find the way home?”
Ezno rubbed his head against Zak’s hand as if so say “Don’t worry - please don’t worry,” and then went and climbed up on top of a gate and sniffed the air again.
Enzo barked.
“Do you know the way?” Zak asked.
Enzo barked again and began trotting off down the side of the field, in a different direction to the one they were going.
“Are you SURE?” Said Zak.
Enzo barked again, and so Zak ran after him.
They ran through Bluebell Wood, and then ANOTHER meadow - which Zak remembered was where the summer fate was held until he saw - THE TWISTY BRIDGE! And beyond it - the town of Horsmarlonerpool.
“You DID it, Enzo!” he laughed.
They ran thought the streets of the town where all the buildings were glowing dark red in the last light of the setting sun.
And finally, they were home.
Zak opened the front door, let a much smaller and still panting Enzo in, and shut it behind them. And there was Mummy and Daddy. Waiting.
“What did we say?” said Mummy. “What time do you call this? I call it, ‘after dark’”
Zak thought a minute. “I don’t know. What time does it say on the Town Hall clock?”
Mummy and Daddy went to the window by the front door and looked down the street to the Town Hall.
“It says half past seven,” said Daddy.
“Well,” said Zak, feeling a bit clever. “If that’s what you see it says, then it can’t be totally after dark at all, can it?”
Zak’s Mummy and Daddy looked at each other and sighed, and then smiled.
“Come here,” said Mummy, and Zak went to her. She gave him the biggest hug and Zak smiled and closed his eyes.
“Actually, Mummy, Actually, Daddy. I’ll tell you the truth. I did get a little bit lost, but Enzo found the way home.”
A few minutes later, when Zak was lying in bed with Enzo lying on top of his covers, Daddy came in with a honey sandwich on a plate and mug of hot chocolate.
Zak sat up in bed and smiled.
“I know you missed dinner, so you must be hungry.” said Daddy.
Daddy went to sit on the bed, but Zak said “Oh, watch out for Enzo.”
Daddy didn’t believe that Enzo was real, but carefully sat on the very side of the bed whilst Zak took the mug of chocolate and honey sandwich.
“Now you said you got lost today,” said Daddy. “Well that was very honest of you, telling us. And I’m very proud of you for keeping calm and figuring it out.”
“Oh no, Enzo figured it out,” said Zak.
Daddy smiled, gave Enzo a kiss on his forehead, and said goodnight.
Zak finished his sandwich and chocolate, put the plate and mug up on his bedside table, and snuggled down.
“Thank you for helping me today, Enzo”, said Zak.
And through the covers, he felt his dog stretch, yawn, and smile his way into a long, long dream.
