Maria JackCHAPTER ONE
The Mr Wells Mystery
"Where's Mr Wells? Why isn't he at school?"
It was Thursday, and Matt Johnson and his friend Linda Chapman looked at each other, surprised. They usually had History on Thursdays, but their favourite teacher was still absent. Nobody knew where he was.
"Where can he be?" said Linda.
"Remember, he disappeared after our visit to the castle!" replied Matt. He looked at Linda and smiled. "Perhaps he's lost in time!"
"Sssh, Matt!" warned Linda. "The others can hear us!"
The two friends had a secret and Mr Wells was part of it. Thanks to their teacher's special computer software, Matt and Linda could travel in time! Their first adventure into medieval times was still fresh in their memory.
Matt saw that Linda's open, friendly face was serious now. "Don't worry," he said quietly. "Nobody knows our secret."
"Except Mr Wells..." said Linda.
"Stop talking, Chapman! And Johnson, sit down!" A thin man with an irritated expression came into the classroom. It was Mr Briggs, the Maths teacher.
"No History today, but extra Maths exercises for everybody!" he said. The class groaned. Mr Briggs was the strictest teacher in Greenwood Middle School, and his lessons were worse than medieval torture!
"Come back soon, Mr Wells!" thought Linda.
After school, Matt and Linda walked home together as usual. Greenwood was a quiet London suburb where people weren't too curious and here, for now, the secret of their trip in time was safe. Outside her house Linda said, "Matt, why don't you come in? Mum made a chocolate cake yesterday, and we can surf the Internet."
Linda was a computer fan - and a chocolate cake fan! Her parents were divorced and she lived with her mother, who made the best cakes in Greenwood.
"Okay, can I use your phone to call Gran? She worries if I'm late." Matt had lived with his grandmother since his parents' death in an accident some time ago.
Ten minutes later, the chocolate cake still on their faces, the two friends were sitting at the computer. Linda switched it on, but then an unusual thing happened. Instead of the usual menu on the screen, a strong white light appeared.