04a012bc2b17ae954d3cdbfce12d0efc

Kitty’s heart skipped. Had she just understood what the cat said? “Hello, I’m Kitty,” she managed.

“Lovely to meet you!” Figaro gave a theatrical bow. “Please take me to your mother, Kitty. There’s an emergency, and I must get her help!”

Kitty’s stomach did a somersault. “I’m sorry—my mom’s already gone out. She left a little while ago.”

Figaro clutched his cheek with one paw.“This is dreadful … but wait!” He stared at Kitty’s cat costume. “You’re a superhero too, so you can save us from this terrible disaster!”

“Oh, I can’t really,” said Kitty. “I wouldn’t know what to do!”

“Youare a superhero, though,” insisted Figaro. “Who will help us if you don’t?”

Kitty looked nervously at the night sky. She’d only been pretending when she had dressed up in the costume, but now this cat believed she reallywas a superhero. How could she tell him that she didn’t dare go out into the dark?

Chapter

2

Kitty looked into the night. The thought of venturing outside made her feel wobbly inside, but how could she explain that to Figaro? He was expecting her to be a brave superhero.“What’s happened?” she asked. “Is somebody hurt?”

Figaro leaped onto Kitty’s bed and flicked his tail impatiently. “There’s an awful noise coming from the clock tower, and the animals in the neighborhood are in great distress! We have no idea what’s making this dreadful racket. You must help!”’

Kitty leaned her head out the window. The clock tower was a long way from her house, but she could hear a terrible, high-pitched howling. It sent a shiver down her back.

“The clock tower is very tall, and the walls are too slippery for any of us to climb. There is panic out on the rooftops tonight, and we need your help.”

Kitty’s stomach lurched. The noise could be anything! Did she really want to go and find out?

Figaro leaped neatly off the bed. He placed his paw on her knee, his face solemn.“Please, Kitty! We need you.”

Kitty gulped. She wanted to help, and there was also a tiny part of her that wanted to see what it was like to have an adventure. She took a deep breath.“I’ll go to the clock tower if you help me find the way.”

Figaro’s whiskers perked up. “Thank you, Kitty! Every cat in Hallam City will be forever grateful.” He skipped to the window, his white paws flashing. “Follow me, and I’ll take you there at once.”

Kitty’s heart pounded as she climbed onto the windowsill. Clouds moved to hide the bright full moon, and the darkness thickened. For a second, Kitty nearly turned back inside. Then she took a deep breath and clambered through the window. She scrambled up from the windowsill and balanced on the roof, her heart racing.

The shadows seemed to stretch toward her. She shivered as she gazed around, trying to spot the places she knew. There on the corner was Mr. Harvey’s shop with all the cards and magazines in the window. Beyond that was the park, with its tall trees and duck pond. The clock tower looked very small in the distance.

The wind stirred and touched the back of Kitty’s neck like a cold finger. A creature with wide wings swooped past with a terrible shriek. Kitty froze—her breath stuck in her throat.

“Don’t worry, it’s only a screech owl,” said Figaro, bounding away across the rooftops.

Kitty couldn’t move. She clutched the chimney, and the bricks felt rough under her hands. She was just about to tell Figaro she wasn’t really a superhero when suddenly there was a break in the clouds.

Moonlight poured over the rooftops, turning everything soft and silver. Kitty felt her magical superpowers tingling. She narrowed her eyes and turned on her nighttime vision. Then she listened carefully and found she could hear lots of tiny nighttime sounds, from insects chirping to the whispering of the wind in the trees.

Kitty let go of the chimney and felt her super balance kick in. It felt amazing! She skipped across the rooftops, light as a moonbeam.

“Come on—this way!” called Figaro, leaping from one roof to the next.

Kitty jumped across easily. Then she tried a somersault and landed on her toes. Figaro nodded approvingly. Kitty smiled at him.

The wind changed direction, and the terrible howling from the clock tower grew louder.

Figaro shook his head.“It’s getting worse. We have to hurry!”

They ran along the next rooftop. Then Figaro stopped suddenly, scratching his ear.“This is no good! That’s much too far to jump,” he said.

Kitty crept onto a narrow ledge.“I think I can see a way across.” She climbed up the gutter and ran past a row of chimneys. A strange shape moved on the opposite roof. Kitty swallowed. It looked like a monster with two heads.It’s just a shadow, she told herself.Remember … you’re braver than you think! When she looked again, she realized it was only the shadow of an oddly shaped tree.

She bent her knees and got ready to jump to the opposite roof.

“Help me!” called a little voice. “Somebody please help me!”