Jack tried another door. The hinges resisted, and he had to push hard to get it to open. Inside, the room was empty. It was clear that it had once been a nursery, as faded teddy-bear wallpaper hung on the walls. In one corner, the paper was peeling and a damp patch rose up the wall, making the room smell of mould. Jack slumped his rucksack off his shoulder. He went over to the window and tried the latch. It was stiff and would not open. Instead he rubbed his hand over the glass to clean it. Outside was a tree with branches that stretched awkwardly towards the window. Beyond that, was an overgrown garden. And beyond that, over the fence, he could make out a park. As he squinted towards the park, he noticed a girl peering over the back fence. She had dark hair and was looking at the house. Jack waved but the girl ducked out of sight. He would have waited to see if she came back, but at that moment, his sister started screaming. She had found the rat.