Flash.
“OK, then,” said Joe, going along with the story, although he found it hard to believe. “What did you do?”
Joe winced. “You drowned?”
Flash nodded. “Look at me!”
Joe popped a few bubbles as they drifted out of the damp guinea pig’s mouth and floated towards him. “So, what do you need me for?”
“To save my friends from the snake! What if it eats Bolt and Lightning?”
“But maybe it wasn’t a snake,” Joe said. “I mean, snakes don’t just pop up in kitchens. And I think the Crawfords would know if there
was
one hanging round their house. Maybe it was just a hose pipe or a skipping rope.”
A stubborn expression appeared on Flash’s face. “It
was
a snake! A huge one. And they won’t know about it because it’s hiding behind the fridge! I saw it slither off there when Mum came into the kitchen.”
Joe scratched his head. “But how could a snake just sneak into someone’s house withoutthem seeing it?”
“I don’t know! But you’ve got to stop it, Joe,” Flash said firmly, “before it gobbles up my friends!”
CHAPTER THREE
Joe wasn’t sure what to do next. He wanted to help Flash but he couldn’t exactly call the Crawfords and tell them there was a snake in their kitchen. They’d never believe him. He still wasn’t sure he believed it himself!
“Come on,” he said. “Maybe we can find out what sort of snake you
think
you saw.”
“Hey!” squealed the guinea pig as Joe picked him up and squashed him into the large front pocket of his hoodie.
Joe crept out into the hall and listened.He could hear Toby splashing about in the bath upstairs. Dad was talking to him. He could hear Mum up there, too, moving around. Luckily, he didn’t have to worry about Sarah – his pain- in-the -neck big sister was away at Guide Camp.
Joe snuck into the kitchen and spotted Dad’s new tablet computer lying on the table. He lifted Flash out of his pocket, then switched on the tablet and tapped in the word “snake”.
“What colour was it?” asked Joe.
“Orange!”
“And how big was it?”
“Enormous!” gasped Flash.
Joe smiled. “Yeah, but everything looks enormous to you, Flash, because you’re so little!”
Flash made an indignant snorting noise and a stream of bubbles burst out of his nose. “It was nearly as long as this table!”
“Really?” Joe reckoned the kitchen table was about a metre long. If there really
was
a snake,then it was a big one! He tapped in the details.
Joe spotted a site about exotic pets in the search results. He opened the page and then clicked on a photo of an orange snake. “There!” he pointed. “Is that it?”
Flash peered at the picture of the snake and gave a squeal. “That’s it!”
Joe read the text. “It’s a corn snake,” he said. “It says they’re not dangerous to people…”
“But what about guinea pigs?”
Joe read some more. “Oh.”
“What? What is it, Joe?”
“It says corn snakes should be kept away from other pets … and…”
“What?” Flash peered up at Joe. “Tell me!”
“Well, it says that a corn snake’s main source of food is … small rodents!”
Flash gave a super-loud squeak and a rush of bubbles popped out of his ears, filling the air with flowery scent.
“Joe?”
Mum was standing in the doorway. “What are you doing? And what’s that smell? Have you been spraying air freshener?”
“No!” Joe shook his head. “It’s nothing to do with me!”
Mum gave her nose a rub. She couldn’t see the undead pets – no one apart from Joe could. But thanks to her allergies she could always sense when one was close.
“Why are you using Dad’s tablet?” Mum asked. “You know he said you had to get permission.”
Joe felt his face turn red. “I was just finding out about … animals.”
Mum sighed. “I know how much you love animals, and I could see that you and Toby had a great time playing with the guinea pigs, but we’ve been through this hundreds of times! We
“OK, then,” said Joe, going along with the story, although he found it hard to believe. “What did you do?”
Joe winced. “You drowned?”
Flash nodded. “Look at me!”
Joe popped a few bubbles as they drifted out of the damp guinea pig’s mouth and floated towards him. “So, what do you need me for?”
“To save my friends from the snake! What if it eats Bolt and Lightning?”
“But maybe it wasn’t a snake,” Joe said. “I mean, snakes don’t just pop up in kitchens. And I think the Crawfords would know if there
was
one hanging round their house. Maybe it was just a hose pipe or a skipping rope.”
A stubborn expression appeared on Flash’s face. “It
was
a snake! A huge one. And they won’t know about it because it’s hiding behind the fridge! I saw it slither off there when Mum came into the kitchen.”
Joe scratched his head. “But how could a snake just sneak into someone’s house withoutthem seeing it?”
“I don’t know! But you’ve got to stop it, Joe,” Flash said firmly, “before it gobbles up my friends!”
CHAPTER THREE
Joe wasn’t sure what to do next. He wanted to help Flash but he couldn’t exactly call the Crawfords and tell them there was a snake in their kitchen. They’d never believe him. He still wasn’t sure he believed it himself!
“Come on,” he said. “Maybe we can find out what sort of snake you
think
you saw.”
“Hey!” squealed the guinea pig as Joe picked him up and squashed him into the large front pocket of his hoodie.
Joe crept out into the hall and listened.He could hear Toby splashing about in the bath upstairs. Dad was talking to him. He could hear Mum up there, too, moving around. Luckily, he didn’t have to worry about Sarah – his pain- in-the -neck big sister was away at Guide Camp.
Joe snuck into the kitchen and spotted Dad’s new tablet computer lying on the table. He lifted Flash out of his pocket, then switched on the tablet and tapped in the word “snake”.
“What colour was it?” asked Joe.
“Orange!”
“And how big was it?”
“Enormous!” gasped Flash.
Joe smiled. “Yeah, but everything looks enormous to you, Flash, because you’re so little!”
Flash made an indignant snorting noise and a stream of bubbles burst out of his nose. “It was nearly as long as this table!”
“Really?” Joe reckoned the kitchen table was about a metre long. If there really
was
a snake,then it was a big one! He tapped in the details.
Joe spotted a site about exotic pets in the search results. He opened the page and then clicked on a photo of an orange snake. “There!” he pointed. “Is that it?”
Flash peered at the picture of the snake and gave a squeal. “That’s it!”
Joe read the text. “It’s a corn snake,” he said. “It says they’re not dangerous to people…”
“But what about guinea pigs?”
Joe read some more. “Oh.”
“What? What is it, Joe?”
“It says corn snakes should be kept away from other pets … and…”
“What?” Flash peered up at Joe. “Tell me!”
“Well, it says that a corn snake’s main source of food is … small rodents!”
Flash gave a super-loud squeak and a rush of bubbles popped out of his ears, filling the air with flowery scent.
“Joe?”
Mum was standing in the doorway. “What are you doing? And what’s that smell? Have you been spraying air freshener?”
“No!” Joe shook his head. “It’s nothing to do with me!”
Mum gave her nose a rub. She couldn’t see the undead pets – no one apart from Joe could. But thanks to her allergies she could always sense when one was close.
“Why are you using Dad’s tablet?” Mum asked. “You know he said you had to get permission.”
Joe felt his face turn red. “I was just finding out about … animals.”
Mum sighed. “I know how much you love animals, and I could see that you and Toby had a great time playing with the guinea pigs, but we’ve been through this hundreds of times! We
Similar Books
