heck was that?â Dad clomped down the stairs.
Clumps of Missyâs fur were stuck to the cat flap frame. There was blood. And a slimy wet frog footprint â
inside
the house.
âA fox, maybe,â said Dad. âMissy must have chased it off.â He grabbed a torch and headed outside.
Lily saw another slimy frog footprint. Then another. And another.
She followed the prints to her sofa bed and found a big green puddle that smelled a bit like catâs pee.
âCanât find Missy anywhere,â Dad said.
âI hope sheâs OK,â said Lily. âThere was blood on the cat flap!â
âOnly a few drops,â said Dad.
âWhat about those webbed footprints?â said Lily. âAnd that big green puddle?â
âWhat footprints?â asked Dad.
Lily pointed, but the frog prints had already dried up.
Mum looked at the puddle.
âWell, Missy did that,â she said, and went to fetch a mop.
âI think itâs the frogs,â Lily said.
âIâm getting fed up with this frog nonsense.â Dad sounded cross.
âCome on,â said Mum. âAll back to bed. Everything will seem better in the morning.â
To Lily, morning seemed a long way off. âCan I sleep upstairs with you?â
âNo. Iâm going to put my earplugs in,â Mum said. âIâve had enough of screaming. I want a good nightâs sleep.â
âMe too,â said Dad. âGoodnight, Lily.â
Chapter Five
The Frogs are Comingâ¦
âI canât sleep down here with those horrid frogs around,â said Lily.
She pulled on her jeans, then carried her pillows and duvet upstairs to the small landing.
Then she thought, âI must block the cat flap.â
Lily dragged a log basket across the hole. She pulled the wooden handle off the mop-head, and took it upstairs.
After less than an hour, she was fast asleep.
She had left a lamp on downstairs. Pale light shone across the floor and up the stairs to the landing.
Behind the closed door, Mum and Dad slept. Rose Cottage was silent.
Then it started.
Something very strong pushed the log basket clear of the cat flap.
Lily woke as something soft yet heavy hit the floor with a âflumpâ. Then another. And another.
She peered down the stairs.
Her jaw dropped open.
Five giant frogs were squatting by the back door. Ten yellow eyes glinted in the gloom.
Lily kept very still. Her heart pounded. She gripped the wooden mop handle like a spear.
âI should wake Mum and Dad!â she thought. But Lily didnât want to bang on the door in case the frogs heard her.
Besides, her parents used good earplugs. Nothing would wake them.
The cat flap rattled. A huge head slowly pushed through.
The biggest frog of them all forced its way inside.
Chapter Six
Attack!
This frog looked older than the others. It had one blind eye, like a cold, white marble.
Lily ducked out of sight. But her shadow danced across the wall. All six frogs saw it.
The frogs began to move.
The first one reached the bottom of the stairs. It climbed very fast.
Lily felt dizzy with fear. âTheyâre going to eat me!â
She banged on the bedroom door.
âMum! Dad! Help! Help me! The frogs are coming!â
The first frog reached the landing. The second was close behind.
Lily raised the wooden mop handle, and hit the frog as hard as she could.
The frog stumbled back and fell onto the one behind. They both tumbled down the stairs.
When the frogs hit the floor, they burst, melting into a gloopy, green puddle.
Three more frogs began to climb the stairs.
Lily banged on the door like crazy, but Mum and Dad were fast asleep.
The next frog to reach the top took Lily by surprise.
It leapt, knocking her back against the door. Its claws dug into her T-shirt. Lily felt its hot, foul breath on her face.
The second frog jumped. It landed on the back of the first frog.
There was a sound like a water
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