Mini Mystery page 3

Will put his fingers to his lips and frowned.  He thought it over for a moment and then said, "OK, let's follow whatever it is you saw.  Lead the way, Detective."

    Jeannine shot Will a suspicious look, as though she wasn't sure if he was convinced.  Finally though, she decided that it didn't matter.

            "Fine," she said loftily.  "Follow me."

    And together they marched around the hedges and down the side of the house.  They both looked up and down, but spotted nothing.

"See anything?" Jeannine asked.

"Nothing out here," Will answered.  "But maybe there's something still in the shrubs."  He then pushed aside the thorny branches and stepped deep into the bushes.

"Nothing in here either..." he began, but just as he spoke, the branches he had pushed aside swung back and smacked him in the face.  When he turned to face Jeannine, his mouth was stuffed with leaves, which he spat out onto the ground.  Will glared up at Jeannine, but she spoke first.

            "Don't you dare give me one of your ‘I told you so' looks!" she growled.  "We haven't checked around the back yet, and anyway, you didn't even use your MonsterScope, so how can you spot if there's anything...you know, Monster-ish going on?"

    Will opened his mouth to speak, but then thought better of it, and spat out more leaves instead.  He reached into his pocket and pulled back out a magnifying glass that glowed brightly in the early evening twilight.  His MonsterScope.

            "OK, I'm using my MonsterScope," Will grumbled, raising it to his eye and looking around in all directions.  "Happy now?"

            "I'll be happy," Jeannine retorted, "when we find something.  Let's go around back."

    Will frowned, but he followed Jeannine around the corner of the house to the back yard.  It was small and the ground was uneven, but the grass was neatly trimmed.  Will was still looking through the yard when Jeannine called out excitedly, "There!  In the bushed over the by the steps!  I see it Will!"

Will rushed over to the spot Jeannine pointed at, his MonsterScope raised in one hand while he quickly reached into the other and pulled out a flashlight inscribed with strange symbols down the side.  He pointed it at the bushes, but it didn't light up.

            "Oh, nuts!" he growled, shaking it hard as he fought his way ahead through the thorny branches.

            "There Will!" Jeannine shouted.  "It's moving!  Do you see it?"

            "I do!" Will shouted back.  Some of the low lying bushes were shaking of their own accord.  Will stepped in close, and raised his MonsterScope.

            "Nothing showing up in my..."

    But just as he spoke, the bush in front of him shook violently, and then something jumped out and latched itself on to Will's leg.

            "What is it Will?" Jeannine shouted.  "What's there?"

            "Get it off!" Will screamed.  "It's hurting me!"  He struggled and squirmed, "Get...off!"

What horrible creature has gotten a hold on Will?  To find out, click here for the next episode!