The Spider Gnomes

by Linda Chapman

  Sophie laughed, feeling better. “I guess we’d better think about the clue now,” she said.

  But she didn’t want to stand around, thinking about clues. She wanted to do something exciting!

  “Maybe we could just take a little look in the woods,” she said, gazing into the tangled trees. “To find out where the spiders are coming from.”

  “Your grandpa said not to,” Sam reminded her.

  “I know, but…” Sophie looked at him hopefully. “We might find out something useful, and it’ll be loads more fun than sitting here working out the clue. Come on, which is it to be? Go to the woods or stay here?”

  Sam grinned. “No contest. Let’s go!”

  Chapter 3

  A Curtain of Cobwebs

  The woods pressed in around Sophie and Sam. The leaves overhead blocked out the light, and they could hear strange rustlings in the undergrowth. They headed down a path, fighting through brambles and stepping over tree roots.

  “How are you feeling?” Sam whispered to Sophie.

  Part of Sophie’s Guardian magic meant that whenever a shadow creature was near, a tingling feeling would run through her, and she’d suddenly become super-fast and super-strong. It was what she liked best about being the Guardian. It was amazing doing the moves she practised in her tae kwon do classes, but with the magic flowing through her!

  “I just feel normal so far,” she whispered back.

  They continued along the twisting path, looking at the stream of spiders.

  “Maybe they’re leaving because they’re scared of something,” Sophie suggested.

  “They don’t look scared,” Sam pointed out. “They’re moving quite slowly, marching, almost. It’s like they’ve got a purpose—” He broke off as he and Sophie stepped into a clearing. “Wow! Look at those massive trees!”

  Sophie was already staring at them. They were huge! Their trunks were as wide as a car and they seemed to reach all the way up to the sky. “I never knew there were trees like that in here!”

  The Shadow Woods was such a spooky place – you never knew quite what you would find in it.

  Suddenly she felt a familiar tingling in her toes. “Sam! My Guardian powers are starting!”

  He gulped. “That means there must be a shadow creature around!”

  Sophie looked at the trees. She felt like she was being pulled towards them. “This way!”

  The tingling grew stronger as they headed in the direction of the towering tree trunks. Suddenly Sophie stopped. There was a giant cobweb about four times her height stretched between two of the trees! A row of small spiders was marching out from underneath it, heading towards the town.

  “Look!” she exclaimed. “I wonder what’s behind that cobweb?”

  Sam looked queasy. “Um, a pretty big spider?”

  Sophie lifted her chin. “Well, take cover, Incey Wincey, here we come!”

  “Sophie! Wait!” Sam clutched her sleeve as she started forward. “It might be really dangerous.”

  “But that’s where the spiders are coming from! I’ve got to find out what’s behind that web.” Sophie saw the worry in his eyes. “Why don’t you wait here if you want?”

  “No way! I’m not letting you go through there alone,” said Sam fiercely. “If you’re going to be eaten by a giant spider, I’ll be eaten too!” Suddenly there was a dropping movement from the trees behind them, and two long hisses rang out.

  “Whoa!” Sam yelled as he and Sophie swung round. Sophie stared, her blood running cold.

  Two horrible-looking shadow creatures stood facing them. They were as tall as Sophie and Sam, had segmented round bodies, and as well as having two arms and two legs, had four other hairy limbs waving from their backs. Their skin was a mottled dark grey, and their red eyes gleamed on either side of their hooked noses. Two long yellow fangs curved out of each of their mouths.

  Sophie could hardly get the words out. “OK. This is officially not good.”

  Sam nodded. His face was as white as paper.

  The creatures shifted from two legs to eight as they scuttled closer to each other. “Humanssss!” hissed the one on the left, who had particularly long fangs.

  “Just when I was feeling hungry too,” replied the one with jet-black legs on the right. He gave a rattling laugh and rubbed two of his legs together. “After a big fat bluebottle fly, there’s nothing I like better than a human, and these two look very juicccccy indeed!”

  “Stay still, little humansssss,” wheedled Long Fangs, creeping closer. “We promise we won’t hurt you.”

  “Much!” cackled Black Legs. “Just one bite from our fangs and then you won’t feel a thing.”

  “Stay away from us!” Sophie said bravely. “I am the Guardian of the Gateway!”

  The creatures’ red eyes gleamed. “Better and better!” said Long Fangs. “So we eat you and your delicious-looking friend, and then we find the gems with no one to stop us.”

  “Excccccellent plan!” hissed Black Legs. “How King Ug will reward us! The Spider Gnomes will be celebrated by all shadow creatures for evermore.”

  Sophie’s fear faded as anger flowed through her. Who did these Spider Gnomes think they were? Glaring at them, she put her hands on her hips. “Yeah, well, there’s one problem with that…”

  “And what’s that?” chuckled Long Fangs.

  Sophie flicked her ponytail back. “Me!”

  Running forward, she jumped into the air, turning sideways. She kicked out hard with her left foot and then her right. Crunch! Crack! Her feet thwacked into Long Fangs’s chest and one of his legs.

  “Bullseye!” whooped Sam from behind her.

  Sophie leapt again, aiming for Long Fangs’s head – but as she flew towards him, the Spider Gnome tensed. The next second he was jumping high in the air.

  “Argh!” cried Sophie in surprise as her feet met thin air. She fell to the ground. As the breath was knocked out of her body, she felt her arms and legs being caught up behind her. “Let me go!” Sophie struggled wildly as four other limbs wrapped round her. Black Legs’s grip grew tighter and tighter, until she could hardly breathe. All of a sudden she heard Sam’s yell.

  “Die, you eight-legged mutant spider freak!”

  Sam’s backpack thudded into the Spider Gnome holding Sophie. The creature hissed, and his grip loosened. Sophie’s breath returned in a rush. It was all the chance she needed.

  Drawing on her superstrength, she ripped the Spider Gnome’s legs away from her and sprang free. Whipping through the air, she thwacked him solidly in the head with her foot. He screeched and crumpled to the ground. Sophie grinned in triumph. Ha! One down – at least until this one came to again!

  Turning, her eyes widened in horror as she saw Long Fangs soaring through the air. “Sam! Watch out!” she shouted. Landing right beside Sam, the Spider Gnome grabbed him with his bristly legs.

  “Hey!” yelled Sam.

  It all happened so fast. Sophie saw the backpack fly out of Sam’s hands and on to the ground, spilling out the two mega-soakers; she saw the Spider Gnome raise his head; saw his horrible fangs flash… and watched as they sank down towards Sam’s neck.

  Chapter 4

  Escape!

  No, this couldn’t happen! Sophie picked up one of the mega-soakers and threw it at Long Fangs. It smacked into the side of his head just as the sharp tips of his fangs scratched Sam’s neck. The shadow creature snarled and pulled back in surprise.

  “I can see that you still need to learn some mannerssss, little girl!” he hissed.

  Sophie’s heart thudded. “Yeah, well, come here and teach me some!”

  “With pleassssure!”

  The Spider Gnome dropped Sam and came scuttling towards Sophie. She grabbed the mega-soaker off the floor. Remembering that Sam had refilled the reservoirs just before they left his house, she blasted Long Fangs with it.

  The jet of water hit the startled Spider Gnome. He reeled backwards, spluttering and hissing. “Ack! How dare you, you –
you—”

  Nearby, Black Legs was just starting to stir. Sophie raced to the dazed-looking Sam and thrust the mega-soakers into his hands. “Here, keep firing while I get us out of here! I’ve still got my superstrength.”

  She threw Sam over her shoulder in a fireman’s lift. He didn’t need telling twice. As she started to run, he fired two blasts straight at the Spider Gnomes. They screeched with rage as the water hit them, waving their bristly legs.

  She threw Sam over her shoulder in a fireman’s lift. He didn’t need telling twice. As she started to run, he fired two blasts straight at the Spider Gnomes. They screeched with rage as the water hit them, waving their bristly legs.

  “You’ll pay for thissss, Guardian Girl!” choked out Black Legs.

  “Yessss, you and your friend will pay if it’s the lasssst thing we do!” gurgled Long Fangs.

  Sophie raced back through the woods, the tree trunks whizzing by. As they got closer to her house, she felt Sam grow heavier, and her strides became slower. The magic was wearing off. They reached the edge of the woods and, panting, she stopped and put Sam down.

  “That was close!” Sam gasped, looking shaken. He put his hand to his neck.

  “Let’s see.” Sophie checked it out. There was a scratch there, but nothing more. She shuddered. “I thought you were going to be properly bitten!”

  “Me too.” Sam stared down at the ground. “Sophie, I – I’m sorry I’m so useless.”

  “You’re not useless!” Sophie exclaimed in surprise. “I’d probably have been bitten myself if you hadn’t hit that Spider Gnome with your backpack. That was brilliant!”

  “You still always end up having to save me though,” Sam pointed out glumly.

  Sophie looked at his downcast face. “What are you talking about? You’re amazing to even come into the woods at all! I’ve got superpowers, but you’re just you.”

  Sam made a face. “Yeah – that’s the problem.” He changed the subject. “Anyway, I can’t believe that after all that, we still didn’t find out why all the normal spiders are coming out of the wood.”

  “Well, I vote that we don’t go back to find out!” said Sophie. “Not today, anyway.”

  They climbed over the fence into her garden.

  “Your grandpa’s going to be really mad when he hears what we did,” said Sam as they headed towards the house.

  Sophie hesitated. “We don’t have to tell him, do we?”

  “OK, let’s not,” Sam agreed quickly. “We’ll just keep trying to work out the clue for the red gem. I hope we don’t see those Spider Gnomes again though.” He winced and rubbed the scratch on his neck. “This really hurts.”

  They went inside. In the kitchen they could hear Mrs B talking to Nigel. “Can you say ‘Who’s a lovely parrot?’ Come on. Who’s a lovely parrot?”

  “Gimme a carrot!” squawked Nigel.

  Sophie and Sam giggled and went upstairs. Their smiles faded when they saw Grandpa waiting on the landing. “Have you worked out the clue yet?” he demanded, following them into Sophie’s bedroom.

  “Not quite,” admitted Sophie, wondering what he’d say if he knew where they’d been. Beside her, Sam moved his hand up to hide the scratch on his neck.

  Grandpa huffed. “Well, I’ve been looking at The Shadow Files. And though I found notes on some creatures called Spider Gnomes, I can’t find any mention of real spiders.”

  “Spider Gnomes!” Sophie glanced at Sam. “What… what does it say about them?”

  “That entry has been damaged.”

  “Can I see anyway?” Sophie asked.

  Grandpa opened the book and showed them. At some point, someone had spilled a drink on the page. Even so, Sophie recognised the creatures they’d just fought in the woods.

  Her eyes flicked over the words that could still be read.

  Very like real spiders… Eight limbs and… Can spin web and… NB Antidote involves eating web…

  Sophie stared down at the stained page. If only it hadn’t been damaged! Beside her, Sam looked as frustrated as she felt.

  Grandpa frowned. “As I said, it’s of no use to us. There’s no mention of real spiders.” He shut the book. “Forget about the Spider Gnomes. I’ll watch the spider situation, and you two can focus on finding the gem.”

  Sophie bit her lip as Grandpa strode out. She had an awful feeling that the Spider Gnomes weren’t going to be quite so easy to forget!

  Chapter 5

  Sam Behaving Strangely

  The next day, Sophie spotted even more spiders as she and Sam walked to school. “I wish we’d found out why they were all coming into town like this,” she said, watching them march along the pavement. “It’s got to be something to do with those Spider Gnomes, but what?”

  “Mmm,” Sam said distractedly. He was staring at something a little way ahead of them.

  Sophie followed his gaze. A blackbird was sitting on the fence. “Look at that bird,” said Sam, sounding disgusted. “It looks so… evil.”

  “Evil?” Sophie echoed in surprise. “Sam, it’s just a blackbird.”

  Suddenly the bird flew up from the fence, swooping towards the spiders on the pavement. Sam yelped and ran forward, waving his arms. “Hey, you great big bully! Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” The bird gave a startled squawk and flew off. Sam gazed after it with a strange loathing. “Horrible thing! I bet those poor spiders were really scared.”

  Sophie shook her head helplessly. Her best friend was often a little bit crazy; it was one of the things she liked about him. But he wasn’t usually this bad! She sighed. “Come on, Great Spider Protector – let’s get to school.”

  Sam’s odd mood continued throughout the day. In science he picked up the piece of cardboard they’d been given to do an experiment with and started smelling it!

  “What are you doing?” Sophie asked in astonishment.

  Sam breathed in deeply. “Mmmmm. Have you ever noticed how great cardboard smells, Soph?”

  Sophie raised her eyebrows. “Um, no.”

  “Lovely, lovely cardboard,” Sam said, happily stroking it.

  “Sam!” Sophie snatched it off him before Anthony and his friends noticed. They’d tease him forever if they saw him stroking cardboard!

  “You smell it,” Sam urged. “Go on!” He grabbed her arm, trying to lift the cardboard towards her nose.

  “No!” Sophie frowned. “Sam, are you feeling OK?”

  He looked surprised. “Yes. Why?”

  “Oh, no reason. I mean it’s totally normal to want to smell cardboard!”

  “It just smells nice, that’s all,” Sam protested.

  Sophie put the cardboard away under her books. “You are being seriously weird today,” she told him.

  After school, it was time for the first meeting of the new basketball club. Sophie had persuaded Sam to join it. Sam looked glum as they all gathered in the gym. “I wish you’d just let me go home,” he whispered to Sophie. “You know I’m going to be rubbish at this – I’m useless at sport!”

  “You’ve got to at least try,” said Sophie firmly. She’d been really looking forward to the new club. “You never know, you might be really good and it would be cool to have a sport we could do together.”

  Mr Fergus, the PE teacher, put them into teams of four. “Right!” he called, “let’s see which team can shoot the ball through the hoop the most times in five minutes. Starting… now!” He blew his whistle.

  Sophie was in a team with Sam and two other year-five boys, Jake and Nasim. Aiming carefully, she managed to get the ball through the hoop on her third attempt. Nasim, who was very tall, did it on his second try. Jake jumped up and down, flinging the basketball and failing each time.

  Finally it was Sam’s turn. Looking nervous, he dribbled the ball a few times. Suddenly, almost as if he hadn’t planned it himself, he squatted then soared up into the air, so high that he was only a little bit lower than the hoop. He shoved the ball down through it with a swish. As Jake and
Nasim whooped, Sam landed, his eyes wide with astonishment.

  “Cool, Sam!” said Jake, banging him on the back.

  “But – how did you do that?” Sophie gasped. She’d never seen Sam jump like that before in his life!

  “I—I don’t know,” he stammered.

  “It was awesome,” breathed Nasim. “Do it again!”

  Once more Sam sprang upwards, this time half-turning in the air as he patted the ball down through the hoop. Woosh! A look of excitement dawned on his face as he landed. “Oh, wow!” he burst out. “You were right, Soph. I am good at basketball, afterall!”

  “But…” Sophie shook her head. “I don’t get it. How can you be this good?”

  “It doesn’t matter. Just keep doing it!” said Nasim, looking at the other teams who were all struggling to get the ball through the hoops.

  Grabbing the basketball, Sam did it again and again. Swish! Woosh! Nasim and Jake cheered each time. Sophie was too stunned to join in.

  Mr Fergus beamed as he came over. “Well done, Sam! I think we’ve found our star player. Are you sure you’ve never done this before?”

  The session continued with them practising running with the ball, dribbling it and passing it. Sam was the star of the afternoon. He dodged and darted, never being caught or stopped.

  At the end of the session, Sam was surrounded by a group of year fives and sixes all wanting to talk to him. Feeling worried, Sophie went to get changed. When she came out, Sam was waiting for her, smiling from ear to ear. “Thanks for making me come to basketball today, Sophie.”

  “Mmm.” Sophie put her clothes away in her bag.

  “What’s up?” he said.

  She hesitated. “Sam, don’t you think it’s just a bit weird, you being so good at basketball? I mean, you’ve never even played before! You… you don’t think there could be something magic going on, do you?”