time,” said Mrs Crawford. “What about Tuesday? It’s George’s birthday and he’s having a monster party. It would be lovely if Joe and Toby could come.”
“Yes, please!” said Toby excitedly.
“Cool!” George added.
Joe was less enthusiastic. The idea of a five-year -old’s birthday party wasn’t so appealing to him.
“Well…” he began.
Mrs Crawford smiled. “Maybe you’ve already got plans, Joe. But it would be lovely if Toby could come.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind?” Mum asked Mrs Crawford.
“Of course not! We’ve already got a houseful of kids coming – another one won’t matter.”
“Awesome!” said Toby and George. And they started squeaking again.
“Five more minutes, Joe, and then turn it off!” called Dad, poking his head round the living-room door.
It was a few hours later and Joe was playing a motor-racing video game.
“Did you hear me?” Joe’s dad asked.
Joe made a face. “Yeah, all right, Dad.”
Just one more lap
, he thought to himself as he steered his car through the flags.
Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!
“Get lost, Toby!” Joe grumbled, not bothering to turn round. “Dad says I’ve still got five minutes!”
Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!
“Go away!”
Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!
Why were little brothers so annoying! Joe grabbed a cushion, spun round and lobbed it at Toby – but he wasn’t there.
Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!
Joe frowned. “Toby? Where are you?”
“Under here, Joe!” came a squeaky voice.
Joe peered under the coffee table and gasped. It was Flash!
CHAPTER TWO
Joe blinked a few times. It really
was
Flash. But the guinea pig looked different to the super-sleek blur of fur that had been zooming round the obstacle course at the Crawfords’ house earlier that day.
Flash’s coat was damp. His eyes were big, green and staring. And every time he opened his mouth, little soapy bubbles popped out.
Joe rubbed his eyes.
“I need your help!” said Flash urgently, and an extra big bubble popped out of his nose,filling the room with a flowery smell.
Joe gulped. “Are you … er … dead?”
“I can’t pass over properly until you help me!”
Joe groaned. Flash had become an Undead Pet, another creature stuck in limbo, unable to pass over to the afterlife until his problems had been solved. And thanks to the magical Egyptian amulet that his great-uncle Charlie had given him, there was only one person who could help – Joe!
“But, how…?” Joe muttered. “I was playing with you a few hours ago!”
“A lot has happened since you left,” the guinea pig said miserably.
Just then there was a shout from upstairs.
“Come on, Joe,” called Dad. “Turn it off now!”
“OK, coming!” Joe flicked the game off and turned back to Flash. “What happened to you?”
Flash trotted out from under the table, leaving a trail of damp footprints on the carpet. “It’s a long story…”
The guinea pig gave himself a shake, splattering Joe with sweet-smelling droplets.
“Urgh! What’s that smell? Did you pour a bottle of perfume over your head or something?”
“It’s fabric softener,” said Flash.
“What?”
“You know, the gloopy stuff that goes in the washing machine.” As Flash spoke a ripple of bubbles escaped from his nose.
“But how did you get covered in it?”
“After you left, George and Erinput us back in our hutch, but I wanted to keep playing. I noticed that George hadn’t shut the hutch properly…”
“So you got out?” Joe asked.
Flash nodded. “I ran through the kitchen, but then something horrible appeared!” He began to shiver and a big bubble burst out of his left nostril.
“What was it?”
“A snake!” Flash let out a squeal.
“Very funny!” Joe rolled his eyes.
“No, really. There was a snake in the kitchen!” Flash’s fur was standing on end now and his eyes bulged. “It was huge. A monster!”
Joe frowned. “But Erin and George don’t have a snake.”
“I saw it!” squeaked
“Yes, please!” said Toby excitedly.
“Cool!” George added.
Joe was less enthusiastic. The idea of a five-year -old’s birthday party wasn’t so appealing to him.
“Well…” he began.
Mrs Crawford smiled. “Maybe you’ve already got plans, Joe. But it would be lovely if Toby could come.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind?” Mum asked Mrs Crawford.
“Of course not! We’ve already got a houseful of kids coming – another one won’t matter.”
“Awesome!” said Toby and George. And they started squeaking again.
“Five more minutes, Joe, and then turn it off!” called Dad, poking his head round the living-room door.
It was a few hours later and Joe was playing a motor-racing video game.
“Did you hear me?” Joe’s dad asked.
Joe made a face. “Yeah, all right, Dad.”
Just one more lap
, he thought to himself as he steered his car through the flags.
Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!
“Get lost, Toby!” Joe grumbled, not bothering to turn round. “Dad says I’ve still got five minutes!”
Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!
“Go away!”
Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!
Why were little brothers so annoying! Joe grabbed a cushion, spun round and lobbed it at Toby – but he wasn’t there.
Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!
Joe frowned. “Toby? Where are you?”
“Under here, Joe!” came a squeaky voice.
Joe peered under the coffee table and gasped. It was Flash!
CHAPTER TWO
Joe blinked a few times. It really
was
Flash. But the guinea pig looked different to the super-sleek blur of fur that had been zooming round the obstacle course at the Crawfords’ house earlier that day.
Flash’s coat was damp. His eyes were big, green and staring. And every time he opened his mouth, little soapy bubbles popped out.
Joe rubbed his eyes.
“I need your help!” said Flash urgently, and an extra big bubble popped out of his nose,filling the room with a flowery smell.
Joe gulped. “Are you … er … dead?”
“I can’t pass over properly until you help me!”
Joe groaned. Flash had become an Undead Pet, another creature stuck in limbo, unable to pass over to the afterlife until his problems had been solved. And thanks to the magical Egyptian amulet that his great-uncle Charlie had given him, there was only one person who could help – Joe!
“But, how…?” Joe muttered. “I was playing with you a few hours ago!”
“A lot has happened since you left,” the guinea pig said miserably.
Just then there was a shout from upstairs.
“Come on, Joe,” called Dad. “Turn it off now!”
“OK, coming!” Joe flicked the game off and turned back to Flash. “What happened to you?”
Flash trotted out from under the table, leaving a trail of damp footprints on the carpet. “It’s a long story…”
The guinea pig gave himself a shake, splattering Joe with sweet-smelling droplets.
“Urgh! What’s that smell? Did you pour a bottle of perfume over your head or something?”
“It’s fabric softener,” said Flash.
“What?”
“You know, the gloopy stuff that goes in the washing machine.” As Flash spoke a ripple of bubbles escaped from his nose.
“But how did you get covered in it?”
“After you left, George and Erinput us back in our hutch, but I wanted to keep playing. I noticed that George hadn’t shut the hutch properly…”
“So you got out?” Joe asked.
Flash nodded. “I ran through the kitchen, but then something horrible appeared!” He began to shiver and a big bubble burst out of his left nostril.
“What was it?”
“A snake!” Flash let out a squeal.
“Very funny!” Joe rolled his eyes.
“No, really. There was a snake in the kitchen!” Flash’s fur was standing on end now and his eyes bulged. “It was huge. A monster!”
Joe frowned. “But Erin and George don’t have a snake.”
“I saw it!” squeaked
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