through the air towards Saffy. âWhy did you hurt me, Saffy?â asked a Barbie doll with a melted face in a sing-song voice. The dolls surrounded Saffy and pulled at her hair and clothes. She swatted at them, screaming.
Jasper began whistling the Sesame Street song. He wished his tune was something cooler. But he closed his eyes and kept whistling, imagining Mr Z in his beach chair with a drink in his hand.
Saffy stopped screaming and Jasper opened his eyes, still whistling his tune. The dolls were poised in front of her, but Saffy didnât seem so frightened anymore. She looked curiously at the mangled dolls, as though they were an exhibit in a museum.
Boris shoved everyone into a line. âLink up,â he said. Jasper, Felix and Saffy held hands and followed Boris.
More fears popped out from the walls. Witchesâ faces, dead people, moths, birds, cockroaches, a rabid-looking monkey, brussels sprouts. But it was more like a being on a ghost train than the Trail of Terror.
Jasper kept whistling. Even when Saffy started laughing at a few of the fears â and really, a pile of cheese was a strange fear â he didnât stop. Heâd almost forgotten why he was whistling in the first place, but he knew he had to keep on going.
They turned one last corner. Boris removed his earplugs and put his hand over Jasperâs mouth.
A lush green screechwort nest rose up in front of them. A soft, gentle humming was coming from deep inside.
A majestic monster was sitting there, on top of twenty-three colourful eggs bundled in the nest.
They had found the queen.
16
âCripes,â Felix gasped.
Jasper, Saffy and Boris stood with their mouths hanging open. Jasper had never thought he would find a monster beautiful, but the queen was amazing. Her body shimmered, and almost seemed to glow. Her wings whirred softly and she blinked at Jasper with soft, doe-like eyes.
The queenâs wings fluttered gently above her eggs, as if she was caressing them.
âThe eggs,â said Jasper. But he wasnât sure anymore why he had wanted them. He was completely mesmerised by the queen.
The queen still hummed softly. She didnât seem to notice them standing in front of her. Jasper sighed, then leapt onto the nest, clambering over the screechwort towards the queen. Jasper listened to the humming. He closed his eyes and felt completely at peace.
Sheâs beautiful , thought Jasper. But something told him this was wasnât quite right.
The whispering burst into his head.
JAAA ... SPEER! DAAN ... GEERR ... USSSS!
MON ... STEERSS ... BEWAARE!
Jasper read the words as they scrawled themselves on his mental pad.
Dangerous! Monsters beware!
His eyes flew open. He turned to look at the queen again and screamed.
The queen rose up in her nest. She wasnât beautiful anymore. She was hideous. And absolutely terrifying. Huge, fanged mandibles protruded from her face. Her eyes were red, and her skin rippled with anger.
The queen sprang from the nest. Her gentle humming had turned into a horrible screech.
She flew towards Jasper with such force that he fell back, cracking his head on the floor. He rolled out of the way, just as she pounced down with her nippers gnashing. She might not have had a stinger, but the queen certainly wasnât harmless.
Felix and Saffy were staring at the nest in a kind of awe. Felix was even swaying back and forth. Boris was still looking adoringly at the queen. But the queen was focused on Jasper.
Jasper got gingerly to his feet. âOK. Definitely not beautiful.â
Jasper had a bit of dog drool left in the flask on his belt. He only had one shot at this.
The queen flew up into the air again, shrieking, then darted down towards Jasper. He loosened the flask from his belt and held it behind his back until the very last moment.
When the queen was almost on top of him, Jasper smashed the drool onto her head with all his strength, then dived out of the
Jasper began whistling the Sesame Street song. He wished his tune was something cooler. But he closed his eyes and kept whistling, imagining Mr Z in his beach chair with a drink in his hand.
Saffy stopped screaming and Jasper opened his eyes, still whistling his tune. The dolls were poised in front of her, but Saffy didnât seem so frightened anymore. She looked curiously at the mangled dolls, as though they were an exhibit in a museum.
Boris shoved everyone into a line. âLink up,â he said. Jasper, Felix and Saffy held hands and followed Boris.
More fears popped out from the walls. Witchesâ faces, dead people, moths, birds, cockroaches, a rabid-looking monkey, brussels sprouts. But it was more like a being on a ghost train than the Trail of Terror.
Jasper kept whistling. Even when Saffy started laughing at a few of the fears â and really, a pile of cheese was a strange fear â he didnât stop. Heâd almost forgotten why he was whistling in the first place, but he knew he had to keep on going.
They turned one last corner. Boris removed his earplugs and put his hand over Jasperâs mouth.
A lush green screechwort nest rose up in front of them. A soft, gentle humming was coming from deep inside.
A majestic monster was sitting there, on top of twenty-three colourful eggs bundled in the nest.
They had found the queen.
16
âCripes,â Felix gasped.
Jasper, Saffy and Boris stood with their mouths hanging open. Jasper had never thought he would find a monster beautiful, but the queen was amazing. Her body shimmered, and almost seemed to glow. Her wings whirred softly and she blinked at Jasper with soft, doe-like eyes.
The queenâs wings fluttered gently above her eggs, as if she was caressing them.
âThe eggs,â said Jasper. But he wasnât sure anymore why he had wanted them. He was completely mesmerised by the queen.
The queen still hummed softly. She didnât seem to notice them standing in front of her. Jasper sighed, then leapt onto the nest, clambering over the screechwort towards the queen. Jasper listened to the humming. He closed his eyes and felt completely at peace.
Sheâs beautiful , thought Jasper. But something told him this was wasnât quite right.
The whispering burst into his head.
JAAA ... SPEER! DAAN ... GEERR ... USSSS!
MON ... STEERSS ... BEWAARE!
Jasper read the words as they scrawled themselves on his mental pad.
Dangerous! Monsters beware!
His eyes flew open. He turned to look at the queen again and screamed.
The queen rose up in her nest. She wasnât beautiful anymore. She was hideous. And absolutely terrifying. Huge, fanged mandibles protruded from her face. Her eyes were red, and her skin rippled with anger.
The queen sprang from the nest. Her gentle humming had turned into a horrible screech.
She flew towards Jasper with such force that he fell back, cracking his head on the floor. He rolled out of the way, just as she pounced down with her nippers gnashing. She might not have had a stinger, but the queen certainly wasnât harmless.
Felix and Saffy were staring at the nest in a kind of awe. Felix was even swaying back and forth. Boris was still looking adoringly at the queen. But the queen was focused on Jasper.
Jasper got gingerly to his feet. âOK. Definitely not beautiful.â
Jasper had a bit of dog drool left in the flask on his belt. He only had one shot at this.
The queen flew up into the air again, shrieking, then darted down towards Jasper. He loosened the flask from his belt and held it behind his back until the very last moment.
When the queen was almost on top of him, Jasper smashed the drool onto her head with all his strength, then dived out of the
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