Read Online Myles and the Monster Outside by Philippa Dowding - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Philippa Dowding
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like Norman.
Not Myles, though. He sat with his eyes open, listening. It was suddenly eerily quiet outside. Too quiet. Not a bird, not a breeze, not a whisper.
But maybe ⦠just maybe ⦠a dogâs bark carried on the wind.
CHAPTER 14
IâM HERE NOW, MYLES.â¦
S cratch S . Scratch.
Myles woke with a snort and sat up straight.
When did I fall asleep?
He rubbed his eyes. The clock said five thirty. It was still dark. Heâd been asleep for one stupid hour. His mother was fast asleep beside him, her breath fogging the window next to her cheek.
Myles looked into the back seat.
BEA AND NORMAN WERE GONE! Myles sat bolt upright and looked outside.
WHERE WERE THEY?
âMom! MOM!â He shook his mother gently, then â¦
Scratch. Scratch.
Something was scratching just outside Mylesâs door . He gulped.
Scratch. Scratch.
Scratch.
Myles sat up straighter.
âMom? Uh ⦠Mom?â He shook her again, a little harder this time. But his mother didnât hear him. He shook her arm. âMom!â he said, a little louder.
âNot now, dear, I have to finish folding the laundry,â his mother mumbled pleasantly.
She wasnât going to wake up. Who could blame her? She hadnât slept properly in a long time.
Scratch. Scratch.
Scratch.
Whine.
Myles clenched his fists and counted to ten. He was shaking, his arms trembled, his knees were weak ⦠but he peeked out the car window.
And saw a nose. A DOGâS nose.
Myles gasped.
Courage! The ghostly dog seemed very real in the half-light. Courage wagged his tail then trotted across the parking lot, looking back at Myles a few times. Courage stopped at the edge of the dark woods.
Myles gulped. He really, really didnât want to go outside the car. There were lots of good reasons NOT to.â¦
First of all, Courage was a ghost .
Second, the monster was out there.
And third, who in their right mind would follow a ghost dog , in the dark of night , in the middle of nowhere , with a monster out there?
But ⦠his brother and sister were out there, too.
And Courage wanted him to follow. Myles really didnât know what to do. He should probably try harder to wake up his mother, but she looked so calm and peaceful. She hadnât slept much in four days.
âIf Iâm ever going to be brave, I should start now,â Myles said out loud. He bit his lip. He looked at the huge crack across Victorâs front window. He thought about the weird night.
He was scared, yes, and exhausted. But he suddenly also felt ⦠a tiny bit angry. Why did the monster get to kill their faithful old car? Why did it get to scare him half to death? Why did it get to whisper spooky things again and again?
He had pushed the car through the dark night. Help was coming. He took another peek at his mother, who was snoring gently.
He knew what he had to do.
Myles carefully opened the car door.
âOkay, Courage. Iâm coming,â he whispered into the darkness.
Across the parking lot, Courage pricked up his ears and wagged his tail. The dog padded a little way into the forest.
It was spooky outside. And cold. Myles could see a faint pinkness in the sky to the east. The sun was coming. Not up. But soon. The wind was gentle, the sky was clear, the air was fresh and clean. Bright stars peeked out of high, thin clouds racing toward the pink dawn.
âCourage?â Myles whispered. The dog peeked out of the woods, surrounded by a gentle golden glow.
Ghosts glow, just so you know.
Myles followed, step by step, further and further away from the car, from safety. His stomach clenched, his breathing was short and ragged. He looked back at Victor-the-Volvo parked in the little halo of light.
How he wanted to run back to the car! But he didnât. He kept going.
Courage disappeared into the dark forest. Myles hesitated. He didnât want to go in there. After this weird, long, scary night, he just
Not Myles, though. He sat with his eyes open, listening. It was suddenly eerily quiet outside. Too quiet. Not a bird, not a breeze, not a whisper.
But maybe ⦠just maybe ⦠a dogâs bark carried on the wind.
CHAPTER 14
IâM HERE NOW, MYLES.â¦
S cratch S . Scratch.
Myles woke with a snort and sat up straight.
When did I fall asleep?
He rubbed his eyes. The clock said five thirty. It was still dark. Heâd been asleep for one stupid hour. His mother was fast asleep beside him, her breath fogging the window next to her cheek.
Myles looked into the back seat.
BEA AND NORMAN WERE GONE! Myles sat bolt upright and looked outside.
WHERE WERE THEY?
âMom! MOM!â He shook his mother gently, then â¦
Scratch. Scratch.
Something was scratching just outside Mylesâs door . He gulped.
Scratch. Scratch.
Scratch.
Myles sat up straighter.
âMom? Uh ⦠Mom?â He shook her again, a little harder this time. But his mother didnât hear him. He shook her arm. âMom!â he said, a little louder.
âNot now, dear, I have to finish folding the laundry,â his mother mumbled pleasantly.
She wasnât going to wake up. Who could blame her? She hadnât slept properly in a long time.
Scratch. Scratch.
Scratch.
Whine.
Myles clenched his fists and counted to ten. He was shaking, his arms trembled, his knees were weak ⦠but he peeked out the car window.
And saw a nose. A DOGâS nose.
Myles gasped.
Courage! The ghostly dog seemed very real in the half-light. Courage wagged his tail then trotted across the parking lot, looking back at Myles a few times. Courage stopped at the edge of the dark woods.
Myles gulped. He really, really didnât want to go outside the car. There were lots of good reasons NOT to.â¦
First of all, Courage was a ghost .
Second, the monster was out there.
And third, who in their right mind would follow a ghost dog , in the dark of night , in the middle of nowhere , with a monster out there?
But ⦠his brother and sister were out there, too.
And Courage wanted him to follow. Myles really didnât know what to do. He should probably try harder to wake up his mother, but she looked so calm and peaceful. She hadnât slept much in four days.
âIf Iâm ever going to be brave, I should start now,â Myles said out loud. He bit his lip. He looked at the huge crack across Victorâs front window. He thought about the weird night.
He was scared, yes, and exhausted. But he suddenly also felt ⦠a tiny bit angry. Why did the monster get to kill their faithful old car? Why did it get to scare him half to death? Why did it get to whisper spooky things again and again?
He had pushed the car through the dark night. Help was coming. He took another peek at his mother, who was snoring gently.
He knew what he had to do.
Myles carefully opened the car door.
âOkay, Courage. Iâm coming,â he whispered into the darkness.
Across the parking lot, Courage pricked up his ears and wagged his tail. The dog padded a little way into the forest.
It was spooky outside. And cold. Myles could see a faint pinkness in the sky to the east. The sun was coming. Not up. But soon. The wind was gentle, the sky was clear, the air was fresh and clean. Bright stars peeked out of high, thin clouds racing toward the pink dawn.
âCourage?â Myles whispered. The dog peeked out of the woods, surrounded by a gentle golden glow.
Ghosts glow, just so you know.
Myles followed, step by step, further and further away from the car, from safety. His stomach clenched, his breathing was short and ragged. He looked back at Victor-the-Volvo parked in the little halo of light.
How he wanted to run back to the car! But he didnât. He kept going.
Courage disappeared into the dark forest. Myles hesitated. He didnât want to go in there. After this weird, long, scary night, he just
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