Jinxed chapter sampler

Inside the attic stood a few pieces of old furniture: a desk, a lamp and a table. She checked the desk drawers but they were empty. She checked the lamp for a bulb but it was missing — as was the bulb from the ceiling light above. A little wooden clock sat on the table. Cora recognised it as being a cuckoo clock. She had seen one in one of Dot’s books. Gently, she moved one of the hands on the face of the clock. Then the clock suddenly sprang to life! Cora jumped in shock as music filled the attic and a little bird popped out of a pair of doors. ‘Cuckoo!’ it chirped. ‘Cuckoo!’ Cora grabbed the wooden clock and pushed the bird back inside. The music stopped. Be quick and be silent , Dot had said. Cora f linched at her words. She paused. She listened and waited, still holding the wooden cuckoo clock in a pair of now shaking hands. When there was only silence, Cora placed the clock back on the table as carefully as she could. Scattered beneath the table were a few cardboard boxes. Cora rif led through the first one. In it was a collection of old crumpled-up newspapers. ‘ The Urt Chronicle ,’ Cora read as she f licked through the newspapers. Each of them was older than she was. And in the top right-hand corner of each was a

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