Read Online Creeped Out by Z. Fraillon - Free Book Online Page B

their letters were destroyed.
    â€˜And, for your information, all those students affected were told that their parents wouldn’t be receiving their original letters. They were encouraged to write a more, shall we say, believable version of events.’
    Jasper let his gaze drop. Perhaps it was a good thing he hadn’t been able to let the monster loose.
    â€˜Principal Von Strasser asked me to remind you of his invitation to join him for apple pie. He also wanted me to give you this.’
    Stenka reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a folder marked:
    Student Intake File.
    â€˜You were meant to review this earlier in the year. If you remember, Principal Von Strasser took you to the records room?’ she said, handing him the folder.
    Jasper remembered. That was just before he had tried to escape Monstrum House and ended up running head-first into a Bogglemorph. A lot had happened since then, and he had completely forgotten about the file.
    Jasper flipped the file open. A photo stared up at him. The name on the file said Scarlett Maitland . His mother’s maiden name.
    â€˜Mum?’ Jasper gasped, looking up at Stenka.
    Stenka nodded. ‘Yes. Your mother attended Monstrum House. She was a talented student.’
    â€˜But she … she … never said …’ Jasper could only stare numbly at the photo.
    â€˜Did you not wonder why your mother soaks her feet in ice-cold water?’
    â€˜I always thought she just had sore feet,’ he replied.
    His brain was firing a million messages at him. He felt completely confused. His mother? Here? At Monstrum House?
    â€˜Of course, after the incident, we expected you would follow in your mother’s footsteps. But your mother was certainly not as much trouble as you are proving to be.’
    What incident? thought Jasper. But Stenka’s face was stony.
    â€˜I think that’s enough information for one day,’ Stenka said, pulling the file from Jasper’s hand and slapping it back into the desk drawer. ‘And now, I think we will return to the charges of breaking and entering,’ she continued. ‘I said you could use anything from Storeroom A. I don’t recall saying anything about breaking into the kitchen and stealing supplies.’
    Jasper wondered if he could just keep quiet, but Stenka was staring at him, waiting for him to speak.
    â€˜Well, to be fair,’ he began, ‘you never said not to break in and steal supplies.’
    Stenka’s face turned a deep shade of red, and Jasper wondered if it were possible for eyes to actually pop out of someone’s head.
    Stenka didn’t say anything for a moment. And then she did exactly what Jasper feared the most: she smiled. ‘Well done,’ she said.
    Wha–? Was she being sarcastic? Was she going to keep him in the basement with the Blibberwail forever?
    â€˜I don’t think you quite realise what you did today. No-one has ever made it through their first Task. In the entire history of Monstrum House,’ Stenka said. ‘You’re not meant to make it through. We set you up with an impossible task so that you all start to take your monsterhunting duties seriously. The Task is intended to rank students from the most able to the least able, but we don’t expect anyone to actually complete it. It’s a remarkable achievement.’
    Jasper was confused. Did this mean she wasn’t angry?
    â€˜Just imagine if no-one hunted monsters,’ Stenka said. ‘Imagine the chaos! You kids – misfits in the outside world – are the only hope. We need kids with courage, who are prepared to break rules to get things done. Like you did today. Kids who will go the whole way.’
    Jasper couldn’t believe it. She was actually congratulating him. No-one was ever going to believe this.
    â€˜Of course, there is still your punishment to discuss.’
    This was more like the Stenka he knew.
    He was almost relieved. Stenka