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The rain had stopped now and the clouds were blowing over. He shivered with pleasure as he felt the warm autumn sun shining down on his fur. That was what he wanted to do! He would find somewhere to lie in the sun. If only Gran hadn’t been chasing him, he could have stayed in the little garden at the back of Helena’s house. He was sure there would have been a nice sunny place to curl up. And when Helena came home, she could stroke him while he snoozed.

He glanced uncertainly back down the road. He could go and see. He could squeeze back under the gate… But he could hear Gran calling him, her voice more and more worried. That high, panicked note made the fur lift a little along his spine, and he hurried on a few steps further.

He couldn’t go too far, though, he realized, after he’d gone past a few more houses. It was hard, half hopping along with his cast like this, and he was already getting tired.

He was looking around, wondering where he could go and rest and sleep in the sun for a little while, when he heard it. It drowned out Gran’s shouting – the low rumble of a car, heading down the road towards him.

Caramel’s ears went back, and his tail fluffed out to twice its normal size. He had heard cars before, of course. But now the sound reminded him of the accident, and that strange blaze of light, and then waking up to find he couldn’t walk.

He whipped his head desperately from side to side as the growl of the car grew louder, and as it roared past he shot into the nearest garden, forgetting how much his leg was hurting, and how weary he was. He had to get away.

Caramel darted under the bushes, not even noticing how wet they were. And then he huddled there, shivering and terrified, and wishing he’d never strayed outside the house.

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“You let him out?” Helena gaped at Gran as they stood outside the gates after school. She couldn’t understand it. For a moment when Gran had started to explain, Helena had thought that she must be joking – that it was some sort of silly story, but it wasn’t.

“I’m so sorry, Helena, I wasn’t thinking. It was the washing, you see – I had to get it in because of the rain. Oh, I’m not explaining this very well.”

Gran looked exhausted, Helena realized. She’d probably spent ages getting Caramel back in. She felt guilty for being angry, but only a little bit. How could Gran have let him out, when it was so important that he stayed in the kitchen?

“He slipped past me. He was so quick…”

“We might need to get him to the vet’s to see if he’s damaged his leg.” Helena started off down the road towards home, weaving round everyone pouring out of the school gates. Usually they went back to Gran’s house on the days that Mum was working late, but Helena was sure Gran would understand that she wanted to check up on Caramel first.

“How did you get him back in?” she asked, turning to look at Gran, who was hurrying after her.

Gran stopped and simply stared at her, and Helena’s stomach seemed to lurch inside her. All at once, she knew what Gran had been trying to make her understand.

She hadn’t got him back. Caramel was lost!

Helena turned back, looking at the road and the cars flashing by, taking everyone home from school. Then she simply ran. She ran all the way home, ignoring Gran calling after her. After a little while, she couldn’t hear Gran shouting anyway.

Her mouth was dry, her heart racing. She was so horribly certain that as she turned into their street, she would see the little heap of sandy fur again. And that this time, Caramel wouldn’t have been so lucky. He had his leg in plaster – how could he get out of the way of a car?

When she turned the corner into their road, Helena stopped for a moment, panting, her face scarlet. There was no cat in the road, not that she could see. And no crowd of horrified passers-by. She took a deep, shuddering breath and went on, hurrying up their side of the road, and then carefully crossing over and checking the other side. Looking under all the cars.

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At last she stopped, leaning against the front wall of their house and trying not to cry. Where was he? Gran had tried to explain that he’d run under the side gate, so he must have come out on to the road. Perhaps he was just hiding somewhere, Helena thought, with a sudden jolt of hope. She dropped her school bag by the front door, and set off up the road, calling. “Caramel! Caramel!”

But he didn’t come, and she couldn’t even hear an answering mew. She flinched as a car sped past, wanting to shout after the driver to slow down. What if Caramel ran across the road to get to her?

Would he come anyway? Helena wondered worriedly. Perhaps he didn’t know her well enough to want to come back. He’d only lived with them for half a week, after all. But he’d been getting so friendly – she had really felt like he was their cat.

Perhaps he’d gone back to his old house – his old owner – if he knew where it was. Helena gulped back tears.