"Now... I had them when I was doing my embroidery... I know that because I can't do my sewing without my glasses... haven't been able to for ages. So I must have had them then. I was sitting on the sofa, I know that!"
Dot stroked Wizzie's silky back and sighed.
Wizzie did one of his special yawns, with his big pink tongue curling out of his mouth. It had happened again!
Nan Com was always losing her glasses. She had two pairs - one she called her "long lookers", which she used for things like driving when she had to see a long way, and another pair for reading and for doing her embroidery - she loved doing that.
And either she got them mixed up, so she couldn't see properly, and Dot's mum Suzie had to sort everything out, or she put them down and couldn't remember where she'd put them.
It seemed to happen every time she came round for Sunday lunch, like today, or even just to have a chat.
And it was no good asking Dad to try and help, even though it was his mum that kept losing them. He was hopeless at finding things.
"Now Nan" said Suzie VERY patiently. "Let's just try and think where you had them last. You were reading your book just before lunch weren't you?"
"Oh no dear" said Nan, wagging her finger. "It was the paper. I know that, because I was telling you about that story about the lollipop lady who gave out lollipops to all her children on her birthday and the council said she shouldn't but her MP got involved and now everything's all right. You remember that Bill, don't you?"
"Mum" said Bill a bit scratchily (Dot could see her dad was trying to have a nap) "It doesn't matter what you were reading, does it? The thing is where you were when you had them last!"
"Well, I just can't remember dear" said Nan sadly. "That's just it - my memory plays tricks!"
Dot snuggled back in the sofa and tried to read the same line of the Harry Potter book she'd been trying to read for the last ten minutes. It was true though, she thought - memory does play tricks. Where does all that stuff go when you forget? It must be somewhere. But where?
Wizzie yawned again then jumped up and started scratching, back leg going scritch scritch scritch. Then he dug his nose into the bit between the cushion and the arm of the sofa, and started "digging". Crazy dog!
PLOP! Something shot out and landed on the coffee table.
Nan's glasses!
"Oh CLEVER dog Wizzie!" said Nan, giving him a big stroke. "Just what I - oh! But these are my long lookers!"
Dad gave a huge sigh. He'd just been going off to sleep.
That's it, thought Dot. I need some space!
She got up and said "I'm just going to do some stuff on my computer... "
But Nan was off again. "Now - if these are my long lookers and they're in the red case, that must mean my reading glasses are in
the - "
Phew! Dot shut the door to her room and gave Wizzie a pat as he jumped up on her bed and went straight off to sleep. How do dogs do that?
WHAT A FUSS to make about some glasses! Why couldn't Nan just remember!!
She switched on her laptop and turned round to give Wiz a stroke.
But then... "PLEASE - HELP US!"
Dot spun round. Something WEIRD was happening on her laptop screen!! Instead of the usual screen saver of her and Wizzie on the beach in Cornwall - there was another picture.
One she'd never seen before.
It was of two children, dressed in long white robes, each with a golden belt. A boy and a girl, her age, holding hands.
As Dot watched - her mouth wide open - the boy reached towards her and said it again: "PLEASE HELP US!" But just as he spoke, his voice cracked and faded and the picture went fuzzy and jumbly and before Dot could do anything they'd vanished. Gone!
And there was the picture of her and Wiz, just like always.
"WHAT is happening?!" gasped Dot. "Mr Mouse, Wizzie, wake up! Wake up NOW!"
