Cliffhanger Read online

  'Don't let go of the rope, right?' said Jake.

  I felt as if my head was going to burst right out of my personalized safety helmet.

  This couldn't be real. It couldn't be happening to me. If I closed my eyes maybe it would all turn into a nightmare and then I'd wake up in bed at home with Walter Bear.

  'Tim?' said Jake. 'Open your eyes! Come on. Start backing towards the edge.'

  I backed one step. Then another. Then I stopped.

  'I can't!'

  'Yes you can,' said Jake. 'You'll see. Over you go. Don't worry. You can't fall. You just have to remember, you don't let go of the rope.'

  I stared at him and started backing some more. Then my heels suddenly lost contact with the ground. I slipped backwards and suddenly . . . there I was! Suspended. In mid-air. . .

  Cliffhanger is adapted from the author's original scripts for a two-part Channel 4

  Schools TV programme.

  Also available by Jacqueline Wilson Published in Corgi Pups, for beginner readers: THE DINOSAUR'S PACKED LUNCH

  THE MONSTER STORY-TELLER

  Published in Young Corgi, for newly confident readers: LIZZIE ZIPMOUTH

  SLEEPOVERS

  Available from Doubleday /Corgi Yearling Books: BAD GIRLS

  THE BED & BREAKFAST STAR

  BEST FRIENDS

  BURIED ALIVE!

  CANDY FLOSS

  THE CAT MUMMY

  CLIFFHANGER

  CLEAN BREAK

  THE DARE GAME

  DOUBLE ACT

  GLUBBSLYME

  THE ILLUSTRATED MUM

  THE LOTTIE PROJECT

  MIDNIGHT

  THE MUM-MINDER

  SECRETS

  THE STORY OF TRACY BEAKER

  THE SUITCASE KID

  VICKY ANGEL

  THE WORRY WEBSITE

  Available from Doubleday /Corgi Books, for older readers: THE DIAMOND GIRLS

  DUSTBIN BABY

  GIRLS IN LOVE

  GIRLS UNDER PRESSURE

  GIRLS OUT LATE

  GIRLS IN TEARS

  LOLA ROSE

  LOVE LESSONS

  This eBook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

  Adobe ISBN: 9781407045917

  Version 1.0

  www.randomhouse.co.uk

  CLIFFHANGER

  A CORGI YEARLING BOOK : 9780440863380

  First published in Great Britain PRINTING HISTORY

  Corgi Yearling edition published 1995

  19 20 18

  CLIFFHANGER was orignally written as a two-part drama for the Channel 4 Schools series Talk, Write and Read.

  Cliffhanger was produced by Central Television for Channel 4

  Schools, first broadcast January 1995.

  Text copyright © 1995 by Jacqueline Wilson Illustrations copyright © 1995 by Nick Sharratt The right of Jacqueline Wilson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

  Condition of Sale

  This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  Set in 14/16pt Linotype New Century Schoolbook by Phoenix Typesetting, Ilkley, West Yorkshire The Random House Group Limited makes every effort to ensure that the papers used in our books are made from trees that have been legally sourced from well-managed and credibly certified forests. Our paper procurement policy can be found on

  www.randomhouse.co.uk/paper.htm.

  Corgi Yearling Books are published by Random House Children's Books, 61–63 Uxbridge Road, London W5 5SA, A Random House Group Company

  Addresses for companies within The Random House Group Limited can be found at: www.randomhouse.co.uk/offices.htm

  THE RANDOM HOUSE GROUP Limited Reg. No. 954009

  www.kidsatrandomhouse.co.uk

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

  Printed and bound in Great Britain by Cox & Wyman Ltd, Reading, Berkshire

  For Tim and Joanna

  Chapter One

  I knew I'd hate it. I kept telling and telling Dad. But he wouldn't listen to me. He never does.

  'I like the sound of this adventure holiday for children,' said Dad, point-ing to the advert in the paper.

  'Abseiling, canoeing, archery, moun-tain biking. . .'

  'Sounds a bit dangerous to me,' said Mum.

  I didn't say anything. I went on watching telly.

  'How about it, Tim?' said Dad.

  'What about an adventure holiday, eh?'

  'You can't be serious! Tim's much too young,' said Mum.

  I still didn't say anything. I went on 7

  watching telly. But my heart had started thumping under my T-shirt.

  'He's nine, for goodness sake!' said Dad.

  'But he's young for his age,' said Mum.

  I still didn't say anything. I went on watching telly. I stared hard at the screen, wishing there was some way I could step inside.

  'Tim?' said Dad.

  I didn't look round quickly enough.

  'Tim! Stop watching television!'

  Dad shouted.

  I jumped.

  'Don't shout at him like that,' said Mum.

  'I'm not shouting,' Dad shouted. He took a deep breath. He turned his lips up into a big smile. 'Now, Tim – you'd like to go on an adventure holiday, wouldn't you?'

  8

  'He'd hate it,' said Mum.

  'Let him answer for himself,' said Dad. He had hold of me by the

  shoulders.

  'I – I don't really like adventures much, Dad,' I said.

  Dad went on smiling, but I think he wanted to give my shoulders a shake.

  Well, what do you like, Tim?' asked Dad.

  Watching telly,' I said.

  Dad snorted.

  'And drawing and reading and

  doing puzzles,' said Mum. 'And he comes top in all his lessons at school.

  Apart from games. You know he's hopeless at sport.'

  'Only because he doesn't give it a try,' said Dad. 'I was Captain of football and cricket when I was a boy.'

  Dad had tried to teach me football.

  Dad had tried to teach me cricket.

  He had tried. And I had tried. But it hadn't worked.

  'Tim can't help being bad at games,'

  said Mum, pulling me away from Dad.

  9

  She gave me a cuddle.

  'It's because you've turned him into a right Mummy's boy,' said Dad. 'I think an adventure holiday would do him the world of good.'

  He wouldn't listen to Mum. He

  wouldn't listen to me. He booked the adventure holiday.

  'You'll love it when you get there,'

  said Dad. Over and over again.

  He bought me new jeans and

  T-shirts and trainers and a stiff soldier's jacket to make me look tough.

  Mum bought me a special safety

  helmet to wear all the time to keep me safe.

  I didn't feel tough. I didn't feel safe.

  I needed to hug Walter Bear very hard when Dad drove us to