Super Schnoz and the Invasion of the Snore Snatchers by Gary Urey Page A

some invisible force grabbed hold of my nostrils.
    â€œHelp!” I cried out. “Something’s pulling me by the nose into the shadow!”
    Vivian jumped onto the bed and grabbed my leg. She tugged with all her might, but her effort was useless.The vacuum was too powerful.
    â€œSomeone throw me an alien costume for Schnoz to wear!” Vivian shouted. “Hurry! Before it’s too late!”
    Jimmy ripped off his costume and tossed it to Vivian. The suction doubled in force, inhaling Vivian and me along with the hoses and battery into the dark depths of the shadow.

CHAPTER 17
    THE OLFACTORY BULB
    T he intense pressure of the shadow propelled Vivian and me through a long tunnel.The journey felt like being inside a giant neon glow stick. A fluorescent green hue—the same shade as the Apneans’ eyes when they communicated with each other—illuminated the passageway as we traveled into another dimension.
    I looked up and saw that we were heading straight for an even brighter light. Vivian and I clutched each other’s hands as we burst through a thin snot bubble and landed feetfirst in a small room.
    â€œWhere are we?” I wondered.
    Vivian shrugged. “I have no idea.”
    The wheezing sound of Robo-Nose’s snore-propulsion system hummed in my ears. A wall behind me began to shimmer like a precious jewel. I saw the outlines of three Apneans forming in the cascade of colors.
    Vivian pulled on her alien mask and tossed me my costume. “Put this on before they materialize!”
    The alien outfit Jimmy had stitched together fit me nice and snug, but the mask was another story.The thing wouldn’t fit over my nose!
    â€œHelp me!” I hollered to Vivian. “They’re almost visible!”
    Vivian yanked at the mask, trying with all her might to slip the disguise over my beak. “This is like a grown man trying to put on a four-yearold’s sock,” she grunted. “On the count of three, we’ll give one giant tug. One…two…three…!”
    The mask slipped over my nose just as the Apneans appeared in the room. Without even acknowledging us, they picked up the snore hoses and battery storage and then scurried away.
    â€œWhat should we do now?” Vivian asked.
    â€œWe need to stay under the radar and try to find the ship’s weakness,” I said. “Remember, these creatures are out to destroy Earth.”
    Vivian handed me another jar of cayenne pepper. “Just in case,” she said, and then we walked through the shimmering door and into Robo-Nose.
    We walked down a long corridor. The walls were metallic colored, and every few yards were weird glistening doors.The Apneans barged in and out of them without giving us a second glance.
    â€œI think our costumes are working,” I said.
    â€œLet’s go in one of the doors and check things out,” Vivian suggested.
    â€œUm…are you sure?” I hesitated. “What if we walk through a door and it’s an Apnean ladies’ restroom?”
    Vivian brushed me off. “These aliens are highly advanced beings. They probably don’t even have genders or go to the bathroom.”
    I took a deep breath and we stepped through a door. The experience was like taking a shower with rainbow water. Brilliant colors washed over us as we materialized on the other side. We saw two Apnean heads behind a privacy wall. Their eyes were flaming with fluorescent green light, obviously in deep conversation with each other. The Apnean closest to us reached up and pressed a button. A loud whoosh like a toilet flushing filled the room. My nose caught a whiff of a stinky, familiar scent.
    â€œWhat’s that bad smell?” Vivian whispered to me.
    â€œApnean poop,” I said. “This really is an alien bathroom.”
    Before the other Apnean could flush his space age potty, Vivian and I rushed back into the hall.
    â€œThere goes your theory that Apneans