An invisible ghost is haunting a hotel down on Earth, emitting the most terrible smells and forcing the guests to leave. And worse – it’s conjured up a terrifying swarm of furry claws. Can Charlie and his friend Lewis sniff out the truth and discover why the ghost is creating such a stink?
Charlie and Lewis are sent down to Earth to investigate a ghost who is haunting a hotel, bought by Jim and Daisy. The ghost is letting off such terrible smells, no one will stay at the hotel for long. But why? Here’s the moment when Charlie and Lewis first smell the Stink-Monster.
The smell of mouldy, very stinky socks had wafted into the room. It was soon joined by the stench of rotting fish and stale eggs. Then something even worse filled the air: the stink of fresh dog poo. And if reading that makes you feel as bit sick, just imagine what it was like having to smell it.
It was as if twenty stink bombs had been thrown into the room all at once.
The man who’d ordered the spaghetti stopped mid-forkful, letting the strands dribble all the way down his chin. Then he let out a dramatic, ‘Ugh!’
‘I couldn’t agree more,’ I whispered to Lewis. ‘Gross or what.’
Lewis just nodded. The smell was so ghastly he could hardly speak. Then he gasped, ‘The ghost who’s doing this must be close by … got to find him.'
'Yeah, all right,’ I replied. I really didn’t want to fly about in this cloud of stink. But this was our chance.
Meanwhile, all the guests had been engulfed by the smell. Some were bent double they were coughing so much. Others were dabbing their streaming eyes with hankies, while Priscilla was announcing over and over, ‘I’m going to be sick! I’m going to be sick!’
Jim sped in and immediately started opening the windows, but nothing could stop this tidal wave of stink. Then he shouted, ‘Don’t worry, ladies and gentlemen, help is at hand.’ He went charging off and returned moments later with skeleton masks.
‘These were the only ones in our local shop – please out them on,’ he urged the guests.
Extract 2
At night, the Stink-Monster doesn’t just release smells but a werewolf’s claw flying about all my itself. It terrifies Jim but Charlie and Lewis decide to confront the ghost. Here’s what happens next.
‘You needn’t think we’re scared of you,’ I yelled, as it whirled around us. ‘I could make a claw appear too if I wanted, but I’m too cool. And what do you think you’re doing? You should never use your power to bully humans. You’re the stupidest, smelliest, most pathetic ghost I’ve ever met.’
‘OK, Charlie,’ whispered Lewis. He could tell I was really mad. ‘I’ll take over now.’ He glared at the claw, still circling furiously round us like a mad wasp, and said, ‘Look, ghost, we don’t know why you’re behaving like this, and ruining Jim and Daisy’s hotel. We thought it might be because you didn’t like the hotel’s new name. But actually, I don’t care what your reason is now …’
‘That’s right, you tell it,’ I said.
‘I’m ordering you, on behalf of the Spook Squad, to leave this hotel tonight – and never return. Is that clear?’
‘See you Stinky,’ I added. The claw had stopped moving. It just hovered there in the air. The next moment it vanished into the shadows.
‘We’ve done it,’ I cried. ‘It’s gone.’
But Lewis wasn’t convinced. ‘It left too easily.’
‘No, it could see we meant business. I mean, no one messes with the Spook Squad, we’re …’ But the words died on my lips.
For suddenly, out of the air, came not one but two massive furry claws. Behind them came two more … and more behind them. Wherever we looked the air was full of claws: a great seething swarm of them, all whizzing round madly, and making straight for Lewis and me.
I’d like to tell you that Lewis and I faced up to this great army of claws with amazing bravery.
I’d like to tell you that.
But actually, we were so petrified we fled into the hotel as fast as we could.
