LITMIR.BIZ

      Contents

       Cover

       Title Page

       Dedication

      The Shadow Woods

      Chapter 1 - Small but Deadly

      Chapter 2 - A Furry Spy

      Chapter 3 - Under Attack!

      Chapter 4 - Icicle Imps Everywhere!

      Chapter 5 - Anthony’s New Pet

      Chapter 6 - Imp on the Loose!

      Chapter 7 - The Village Fête

      Chapter 8 - Outnumbered

      Chapter 9 - Saving the Day

      Chapter 10 - In the Woods. . .

      The Shadow Files

      What’s next in store for Sophie?

      Copyright

       About the Publisher

       The Shadow Woods

      Very few people ever enter the Shadow Woods. The crooked trees press closely together, their branches reaching out like skeletons’ arms. Strange whispers echo through the quiet air, and eyes seem to watch from the shadows. Anyone who does go in soon leaves, their skin prickling with fear. For these woods are like no others. Hidden deep within them is a gateway to the Shadow Realm – a dark and chaotic world where all the mischief-making creatures like goblins, boggles and trolls live.

      Many hundreds of years ago, the Shadow Realm creatures could pass freely between our world and theirs, but they caused so much trouble that it was decided the gateway between the two worlds must be shut for good. Yet no one knew how to do this, until a locksmith with magical powers made an iron key and then slotted a gem from the Shadow Realm into its handle. The secret had been found! The locksmith forced as many shadow creatures as he could back into their own world and locked the gateway firmly behind them.

      From that day on, the locksmith became the Guardian of the Gateway, watching over the precious key and stopping the few shadow creatures left in this world from causing too much trouble. As he grew old he passed his powers on to his grandson, who in turn passed the powers on to his. For hundreds of years, the Guardianship has passed down from grandparent to grandchild, and the gate has always remained safely shut.

      But now for the first time, disaster looms. The shadow creatures have stolen the iron key! Luckily, there was no gem in its handle when it was taken, but there are six gems from the Shadow Realm hidden somewhere in our world. If the shadow creatures find any of them, they’ll be able to slot them into the key and open the gateway, letting hordes of villainous creatures loose to cause mayhem and trouble.

      Only one girl stands in their way… and her name is Sophie Smith.

      King Ug, the leader of the Ink Cap Goblins, sat on his rotting tree-stump throne, an icicle hanging from the end of his knobbly nose. His three guards, Potato Nose, Flaky Face and Big Feet stood around him. They were all looking at a small fluffy white creature in front of the throne. Standing on its hind legs, it bowed with a flourish.

      “Greetings, King Ug.”

      “Aw,” Potato Nose sniggered. “Isn’t it sweet?”

      The Icicle Imp bounded over to him, its left hand reaching up to its chest. “Sweet?” it spat. “Shall I remind you what I can do, Goblin?”

      Potato Face turned pale. “Er…”

      The Icicle Imp jumped on to Potato Face’s foot. “Those who know us fear us! Do you fear me, Goblin?”

      “I fear you! I fear you!” gasped Potato Face. “I’m sorry I said anything, sir!”

      The Icicle Imp stared at him for a moment longer and then marched back over to King Ug who was chuckling. “So you want the Icicle Imps to help you find a shadow gem, King Ug?” it said.

      King Ug nodded, pulling out an iron key that hung about his neck on a rope. “I have the key to the gateway here, but I need to put a shadow gem in the handle for it to work. The Guardian has already found four shadow gems. There are two left hidden around the town. Find me any single gem and the Icicle Imps shall be well rewarded!”

      “It shall be done, King Ug!” declared the Icicle Imp. “We’ll listen to the Guardian’s conversations, we’ll follow her footsteps, track her every move. As soon as we see her with a gem, we’ll overpower her. After all, she’s just a girl.”

      King Ug snorted sourly. “A girl who’s beaten not only the Ink Cap Goblins, but also the Spider Gnomes, the Swamp Boggles and the Fog Boggarts.”

      “She shall not beat the Icicle Imps.” The little creature drew his lips back.

      The goblins caught their breath at what they saw.

      “Excellent!” Ug chortled. “This time the Guardian shall be beaten. This time we will triumph!”

      The other goblins joined in with his chortling, their laughter echoing up through the dark trees.

      Sophie stood in her bedroom. She was still wearing her white tae kwon do uniform, and she had her long blonde hair tied back in a high ponytail. “Hands up… push off… bring knee around… kick,” she muttered, going through one of the moves she had just been practising in class. Balancing lightly on the balls of her feet, she tried it at full speed. Bringing her knee around her body, she kicked out fast, but then she lost her balance and almost fell over.

      She sighed and pushed her heavy fringe back. If there had been a shadow creature nearby she was sure she could have done the move properly. Being the Guardian of the Gateway meant that whenever Sophie was close to a shadow creature her superpowers kicked in – she became super-fast and super-strong and could do all the difficult tae kwon do moves that she could normally only just watch.

      Which was a good thing, because ever since Sophie’s grandfather had told her she was the new Guardian, she’d met all sorts of horrible shadow creatures. So far, she and her best friend, Sam, had managed to always defeat them and now she had four shadow gems safely hidden in a purse belt that she wore around her waist. She and Sam were determined to find the two remaining gems before the shadow creatures did.

      She readied herself in a fighting stance. “Watch out, flaky butt, here I come!” she muttered, picturing King Ug, leader of the Ink Cap Goblins.

      Pushing off, she brought her leg around and kicked her foot out hard, imagining it knocking the king over. This time she did the move perfectly, landing without a single wobble, her fists up by her face.

      “Yay!” she whooped, punching the air.

      “You know, you are seriously weird!”

      Sophie swung round. Her twin brother, Anthony was standing in the doorway. He looked like Sophie, with thick blonde hair and a tall, slim

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