Free Spider Stampede by Ali Sparkes Page A

Josh’s hair was short and neat. He wouldn’t mind a spider in it at all. How could twins be so different? wondered Danny. He pulled on his sneakers. He loved playing computer games and listening to loud music. Josh would rather play with newts and listen to birdsong.
    But Danny had to admit he was useful for creepy-crawly removal.

    Danny abandoned the water pistol and picked up his skateboard. Soon he was racing up and down the path. Piddle was racing along beside him, yapping and nearly tripping him up every ten seconds.
    Upstairs from Jenny’s bedroom window a pop tune thumped loudly. From the kitchen poured the burble of daytime TV, which their mom liked to watch while she did the ironing.
    From the other side of the high wooden fence, there came a thump. And then another thump. And then a crotchety voice. “ Will you all shut up! I’d have a quieter afternoon on the main runway at the airport!” Josh grimaced. It was Miss Potts, who lived in the run-down red brick house next door. People thought she was a bit eccentric. An old witch more like, thought Josh.
    â€œI SAID,” came the voice again, louder. “Will you all SHUT UP?!”
    But Mom and Jenny and Danny and Piddle were all making way too much noise to hear. “Sorry, Miss Potts,” said Josh. He felt embarrassed. “I’ll ask them to be quieter.”
    â€œOh, don’t bother!” she snapped back. The top of her tweedy hat was the only thing he could see over the fence. “I’ll soon be deaf and then it won’t matter!”
    Josh waved at Danny and mouthed, “Miss Potts!”
    Danny skidded his skateboard to a halt, shaking his head. Piddle sat back on his furry bottom. He waited, wiggling impatiently, for the fun to start again.
    Josh ran past him and pushed the kitchen window shut. At once the noise from Mom’s TV program dropped. He could still hear Miss Potts though, just on the other side of the fence. She was muttering, “Remember! Remember! Oh, you stupid old biddy! Remember! Where did you hide them? Where?”
    Josh bent down. He peered through a knothole in the wood. He saw the old lady crawling along through the weeds, which were nearly as tall as he was, obviously searching for something. Then she suddenly bobbed up. She thwacked her hand hard against her forehead and snapped, “STUPID old woman! Had to go and get your brain burnt out, didn’t you?” Then she stood up and stomped off into her ramshackle garden shed.

    It was right what they said about Petty Potts, Josh decided. She really was crazy.
    â€œShe’s always moaning about noise!” Danny said, suddenly, right in his ear. Josh jumped. “Does she think this is a library or something? It’s a freakin’ yard! Kids play in yards. Dogs play in yards!” And he picked up a rubber ball and threw it for Piddle. “There you go, Piddle! Catch!”
    Piddle hurtled down the path. He threw himself into the pile of yard clippings and compost in the far corner. “Don’t pay any attention to her. Old whiny pants,” said Danny. “Come on, Piddle! Here, boy!”
    They glanced back across the yard expecting to see Piddle foraging through the leaves and cut grass. Then they both blinked and stared back at each other in surprise.
    Piddle had vanished.

“Look, there’s a hole! He must have squeezed through,” grunted Josh. He was almost upside down in the compost pile. “He’s gone next door!”
    â€œCan we get through after him?” asked Danny. He peered over Josh’s shoulder and eyed the compost pile warily. It was full of horrible things, he knew. Worms, beetles, ants, spiders…ugh.
    â€œMaybe—if we wriggle…” said Josh.
    â€œOr should we just go over and knock and ask for him back?” Danny said, hopefully. He really didn’t want to get personal with that heap of horrors.
    â€œWhat—like a lost ball?”