Free A Weird Case of Super-Goo by Kenneth Oppel

Chapter 1
Weak Brainwaves
    “I quit!” shouted Giles. “I’ve had it with you two!”
    “Now, Barnes,” said Tina, “there’s no need to get so worked up. It’s just a small glitch.”
    “Look at my hair! Look at it! It’s bright orange! That’s not what I would call a small glitch!”
    Giles turned back to the mirror and stared at himself in horror. How stupid, he thought angrily. Why had he volunteered to test Tina’s latest invention? He glared at the smoking metal helmet which, until a few seconds ago, had been fastened to his head. Tina called it the Brain Drainer. The helmet bristled with all sorts of lights and dials, and sprouted bundles of wires which trailed across the basement floor to a small radio.
    What was supposed to happen was this: you put on the helmet and tried to concentrate on the radio. The power of your brainwaves was supposed to turn into electricity and switch on the radio. Tina had said you could even tune it, if your brainwaves were powerful enough.
    But it didn’t work out like that. In fact, it didn’t work at all. Giles had sat in a chair for over half an hour, concentrating so hard he got a headache and a crick in his neck. The radio sat, silent, at the other end of the workshop.
    “Come on, Barnes,” Tina said impatiently, looking at her stopwatch, “you’re not trying hard enough.”
    “I’m trying, I’m trying!” said Giles through gritted teeth. The helmet on his head was starting to overheat.
    “You must have very weak brainwaves,” she said in annoyance. “A very weak brain indeed.”
    “ I’ll try,” Kevin volunteered.
    “No thank you, Kevin. At least Barnes has a brain.”
    When the helmet began to buzz and smoke, Giles angrily snatched it off his head.
    “That’s it! See, it doesn’t work. Nothing happened!”
    But something had happened.
    His hair had turned bright orange.
    “Barnes, it’ll probably grow out. In a few months,” said Tina.
    “It’s not so bad, Barnes—really,” said Kevin, who was trying very hard not to laugh. “I mean, orange is a great colour. Lots of kids at school would love to have orange hair.”
    Suddenly both Kevin and Tina were laughing uncontrollably, eyes screwed shut, doubled over.
    “Okay, this is the last straw,” shouted Giles. “I’m tired of your stupid inventions! I’m tired of all the little glitches! I’m tired of this whole genius business! I quit!”
    “I just quit the genius business,” Giles shouted as he walked into his house, slamming the door behind him. “Mom? Dad?”
    “In here,” came his father’s voice from the living room.
    Giles turned down the hall and stopped in the doorway, waiting for his parents to notice his hair. Mr and Mrs Barnes were sitting side by side on the sofa. They looked like they’d been sitting there for quite some time. MrsBarnes cradled a mug of tea in her hands and was staring blankly out the window.
    “Hi, Giles,” said Mr Barnes, glancing at him distractedly.
    Giles frowned in amazement. “Haven’t you noticed anything unusual about me?” he said. “Anything different about…my hair, maybe?”
    “It’s orange,” said Mr Barnes placidly.
    Giles knew that something must be wrong.
    “Is everything okay?” he said worriedly. “Is someone sick?”
    “No, no,” said Mr Barnes. “Your mother’s had a bit of a shock. She just got a call from your Aunt Lillian. She’s coming to stay.”

Chapter 2
The Visitor
    Aunt Lillian was a supernatural specialist. She told fortunes, read palms, interpreted tarot cards, and made astrological predictions. She was an expert on ghosts, goblins, and ghouls.
    She was Mrs Barnes’s younger sister—and no matter what his Mom said about Aunt Lillian, Giles liked her. He liked the way she dressed, with scarves and headbands and too much makeup on her cheeks and eyes. He liked the ghost stories she always told. He liked the dramatic way she talked and did things, like reciting old poetry and flambéing vegetables for