A Monster Ate My Packed Lunch!

by Pamela Butchart

  When we found out that our class was going on a school trip to a LAKE, we were SHOCKED. Because last time we went on a school trip, Miss Jones said, “NEVER AGAIN!” when we got back. And then she’d run off the bus and hugged her partner for ages.

  That’s when Jodi (my best friend) said that it was SUSPICIOUS that we were ALL OF A SUDDEN allowed to go on a school trip again and that she had a WEIRD FEELING about the LAKE and that lakes were a bit

  Zach said that we were just OVERREACTING because that’s what he ALWAYS says at first when STUFF happens to us. But then we find out that our teachers are VAMPIRE RATS or that there are PHANTOM LOLLIPOP MEN floating around the school or that the SHEPHERD’S PIE is POISON and he changes his mind.

  Maisie keeps saying that we should all apply to go to a NEW SCHOOL where the dinner ladies aren’t DEMONS. But, like Jodi says, who would save our school if WE weren’t around?

  But when we got to the LAKE, Jodi didn’t look so sure about saving anyone THIS time. And that was probably because of the WEIRD SIGN and the BANSHEES and the big muddy FOOTPRINTS.

  But it was when we found Gary Petrie’s ROBE down by the water that we KNEW.

  When we got off the bus we were all SHOCKED. And it was obvious that the teachers were shocked too because their mouths were all hanging WIDE OPEN.

  That’s when Miss Jones made us all get back on the bus and said that we must have come to the wrong place. And we knew that she’d said it because this place looked

  and it even had two FLAGS outside the reception and bushes cut into SHAPES.

  Then, just as Miss Jones was about to get back on the bus with us, a woman came rushing over with a HUGE smile on her face and she yelled, “Welcome! Welcome! Welcome to our Luxury Lakeside Retreat and Spa!”

  So that’s when Miss Jones told the lady that there must be some sort of mistake and that we were on a SCHOOL TRIP and that she had booked an adventure week at MENTORS LAKE.

  That’s when the woman got a bit of a weird look on her face and she said, “Oh yes. That’s us! You booked with us before we changed our name and added our luxury spa! But we still cater for school trips, don’t worry. We LOVE children here!”

  Then the woman clicked her fingers and an old man appeared and started taking our bags out of the bus while she rushed us all inside the hotel reception.

  Then the old man reappeared with a tray with fancy glasses on it and said, “Champagne?”

  So we all looked at the teachers and saw that they were smiling

  And then Miss Jones said, “No thank you. Oh well. Maybe just a tiny sip.”

  Then Gary Petrie told the old man that he went to places like this ALL THE TIME with his mum and that he’d like a sip too. But the old man just laughed and walked away.

  And that’s when Gary shook his head sadly and said, “Ah well. No tip for him then!” And then he took a wallet out of his pocket and showed us and we saw that he had

  So I said that we were only allowed to bring TWENTY POUNDS with us because that was what the letter home had said. But then Gary said that it WAS twenty pounds and that he had just got it changed into old ONE-POUND NOTES.

  That’s when the woman came over to us with a bunch of keys and said, “Tam will take you to your luxury lakeside lodges now. Supper will be served in the hotel at 8pm.”

  The teachers looked

  again and Miss Jones asked about the LUXURY LAKESIDE LODGES and the lady said that we’d been UPGRADED and that the lodges had HOT TUBS and BUTLER SERVICE.

  And that’s when Miss Jones

  and the other teachers started smiling loads and whispering to each other and Mr Beattie clapped his hands and said, “WOO-HOO!”

  So we all followed Tam down to the lakeside lodges and when we got there he said, “They’re all yours. Enjoy!”

  And that’s when the teachers went WILD and started running in and out of the different lodges and shouting things like, “OH MY GOODNESS!” and “THIS ONE’S MINE!” and “THERE’S A POOL TABLE IN HERE!”

  Then Miss Jones and Mr Beattie started ARGUING about which lodge they wanted and we just had to stand there for AGES until Gary Petrie eventually stepped forward and suggested they do ROCK PAPER SCISSORS.

  I didn’t think that the teachers would do ROCK PAPER SCISSORS but then all of a sudden Miss Jones got a REALLY SERIOUS LOOK on her face and put her hand behind her back and said, “One. Two. Three. GO!”

  And then she shoved her hand out in front of Mr Beattie’s face and we saw that she had made her fingers do SCISSORS. But then we saw that Mr Beattie’s hand had done a ROCK, and rock BEATS scissors.

  Mr Beattie yelled, “YES!” and said that he wanted the

  lodge with the POOL TABLE. And then we all had to watch as the boys marched inside and Gary Petrie even stood and did a SALUTE at us before slamming the door shut behind him.

  But then Miss Jones said, “Don’t worry. We might not have the big lodge but there are THREE lodges left for us and they’re all wonderful!”

  So we all RAN into the first lodge and I wanted to stay because it looked AMAZING and it had one of those MASSIVE sofas shaped like a CAPITAL “L”, but Jodi shook her head and said, “Follow me.”

  And she ran past the second lodge (even though it was the biggest out of the three!) and into the smallest lodge and yelled,

  And I was actually a bit ANNOYED at Jodi because we hadn’t even got to LOOK at the other lodges properly and she was deciding that we were getting the WORST LODGE.

  But then when we got inside I saw why Jodi had wanted the SMALL lodge and it was because it was actually RIGHT in the lake and had a WHOLE WALL OF GLASS so it felt like we were actually in a house on the WATER.

  I gasped and stared at Jodi and said, “How did you know?”

  And Jodi smiled and said that she’d asked Tam on the way down which was the best lodge so that she could be PREPARED and make sure we were the FIRST ONES IN. And that Tam had said this one because of the lake and the WALL.

  And then she said, “AND … it only has one bedroom so we all get to sleep together with

  And that’s when Maisie gasped and said, “Wait. You mean … we’re on our OWN?!”

  Jodi smiled and nodded and said, “We’re on our own!”

  As soon as we were unpacked, we had to go to the MEETING POINT for the FIRST ACTIVITY and we knew that because back at school Miss Jones had given us an

  Jodi was MEGA EXCITED and she was wearing her new EXTREME SPORTS OUTFIT that her mum had got off the internet and it could read her BODY TEMPERATURE and had a built-in SWIMMING COSTUME and TORCH. And she said that she’d used all her BIRTHDAY MONEY to get it in case we were made to do

  and that she wanted to be PREPARED.

  That’s when I started worrying that maybe I should go back to the lodge for my waterproof jacket because I only had my shorts on and my new Sponge Bob T-shirt from Asda. But then Gary Petrie turned up wearing a white DRESSING GOWN and SLIPPERS and I stopped worrying.

  Miss Jones rolled her eyes when she saw Gary and told him to go back to his lodge and get changed out of his dressing gown

  But Gary said that it WASN’T a dressing gown and that it was a ROBE. And that it had been left in the lodge by the HOTEL and that he was obviously MEANT to wear it. And then he started going ON and ON about how when he was at a luxury hotel in MEXICO for his mum’s wedding he’d had a ROBE and SLIPPERS there too and that he knew what he was doing.

  But before Miss Jones could say anything else, the old man called Tam appeared again and said that he was a RANGER and that we could call him RANGER TAM. And that our first activity was a NATURE WALK and that Miss Jones was welcome to come or she could join the other teachers for TEA AND SCONES i
n the hotel. And that’s when Miss Jones forgot all about Gary wearing the ROBE and rushed off.

  Jodi nudged me and GROANED and said that she didn’t want to go on a nature walk and that she wanted to do something EXCITING.

  But then Ranger Tam overheard us and he said, “I think this nature walk might surprise you, lass. It’s getting dark. And there’s a LOT of creatures that only come out at night. Let’s go.”

  So we all followed Ranger Tam into the woods.

  And that’s when Maisie started to SHAKE and she said, “Ranger Tam, what type of creatures do you mean?”

  Ranger Tam kept walking for a bit and then he said, “Well, we’ll probably see or hear a fox. And owls. And it won’t be long before the bats will be darting about overhead. Majestic creatures!”

  Maisie’s eyes started to go all

  and I knew that it was because of the BATS.

  So I gave Zach a nod and he took out the carton of RIBENA that we take EVERYWHERE with us in case Maisie starts to feel faint and we told her to drink it.

  But then Gary Petrie said that nature was BORING and that he wanted to go back to the lodge and get in his HOT TUB. And also that he couldn’t walk properly because of his SLIPPERS.

  And that’s when Ranger Tam stopped suddenly. So we all stopped too.

  But he didn’t turn round. He just stayed facing the other way for AGES.

  I could feel Maisie’s grip on my hand getting TIGHTER and TIGHTER.

  And then VERY SLOWLY Ranger Tam started to turn round.

  And then he looked at us all for a bit with a WEIRD LOOK on his face.

  Then he said, “Did anyone else hear that?”

  I looked at Jodi and her eyes were WIDE and I had NO IDEA what Ranger Tam was

  talking about and all I could hear was the sound of my own

  beating in my chest!

  Then Ranger Tam said, “I take it you all know the Legend of the Lake?”

  And we all shook our heads because we DEFINITELY didn’t.

  And that’s when Ranger Tam smiled and said, “Well, you’d better follow me then.”

  So we all followed Ranger Tam into the woods.

  And everyone was SILENT and I knew that it was because they were trying to HEAR whatever it was Ranger Tam had heard that obviously had something to do with the

  I listened closely but all I could hear was the SNAPPING of branches under everyone’s feet and an OWL somewhere in the distance.

  And, to be honest, I couldn’t really concentrate properly because it was a LOT darker in the woods than it had been next to the lake and also because Maisie was gripping my hand so TIGHT I needed all my energy to stop myself from YELPING.

  We all listened closely as Ranger Tam started talking about CRICKETS and MOTHS and MIDGES. And then he stopped and asked if anyone had any questions.

  EVERYONE put up their hands but NO ONE asked about the CRICKETS or the MOTHS because everyone wanted to know about the LEGEND. And that’s when Ranger Tam got a REALLY SERIOUS look on his face and said, “It’s BACK.”

  And we all GASPED (even though we didn’t know WHAT was back) because we could just TELL that it was something BAD.

  Then Ranger Tam looked left. So we all looked left too. And then he looked right, so we did that too. And I had NO IDEA what we were LOOKING for but I was starting to get a bit worried that it might be a WOLF or a MASSIVE BEAR or something.

  But then Ranger Tam let out a LONG SIGH and said, “I wasn’t sure if your teachers were going to tell you or not. Maybe they don’t want to worry you. But I think you’re all old enough to know the truth.”

  That’s when I felt someone GRIPPING my other hand and I saw that it was Jodi and also that her EYES were so WIDE they looked like they were going to POP OUT.

  And then Ranger Tam took a deep breath and whispered, “It’s the

  And then Tam said, “Aye. You’re RIGHT to gasp. And she’s a big one as well! She’s lived in that lake for over a hundred years!”

  We all STARED at Tam as he pointed back to where the lake was and Jodi gripped my hand even TIGHTER.

  And then he said, “There’d been no sightings for a long time. To be honest with you, I thought the old girl had died. But then, just last week, I saw her with my OWN EYES.”

  And that’s when Zach did a GULP.

  And then Ranger Tam crouched down and looked us all in the eyes and said, “And, you know what, I think she’s even

  than she was before!”

  And that’s when we heard a SCREAM and everyone GASPED again and Maisie’s hand went LIMP in mine and she slumped to the ground with a THUD.

  And Gary Petrie started shouting, “HELP! I’M BEING ATTACKED!”

  I had

  what was going on and NONE of us could see Gary Petrie because he was too far behind us because of his SLIPPERS.

  I looked at Jodi. And Jodi looked at me.

  And I knew what she was thinking because I was thinking the SAME THING.

  When we got out of the woods and back to the lake, no one could BELIEVE how many MIDGE BITES Gary Petrie had on his legs!

  Ranger Tam said he had something back at the hotel that would help. And also that a robe and slippers had been DAFT THINGS to wear in the woods.

  But Gary wasn’t listening because he was too busy COUNTING his midge bites and saying stuff like, “I’m up to TWENTY just on this leg!”

  I looked at Jodi and her eyes were still WIDE and she was just sort of STARING into space and I knew that she was thinking about THE MONSTER.

  I bent down to see how Maisie was coping with everything because she’d only just woken up after fainting in the woods and me and Zach had had to carry her out by an arm and leg each. But Maisie wasn’t doing well at ALL. Her face had gone completely WHITE and she was mumbling, “No, no, no, no, no, no, no.”

  And then she sat up and said that she wanted to go back now.

  So Zach said that sounded like a good idea and that we should all go back the lodge and have a cup of tea.

  But Maisie shook her head and said that she didn’t mean the LODGE, she meant her HOUSE, and that she didn’t want to hear any more about the LAKE MONSTER.

  And that’s when I looked at Jodi and I could just TELL by her face that she DID want to hear more about the LAKE MONSTER and that there was

  she was going to let any of us go home until we found out EVERYTHING.

  Zach sat down next to Maisie and held her hand and said that she shouldn’t worry and that Ranger Tam might have been joking and that it had only been MIDGES that had attacked Gary Petrie’s legs, not monsters.

  That’s when I looked at Jodi and she looked at me because we’d both seen the EXPRESSION on Ranger Tam’s face when he’d been talking about the MONSTER and we knew that there was

  he was joking!

  Then all the teachers came rushing over and Miss Jones saw Gary lying on the ground with his legs in the air counting his midge bites and she shouted, “GARY! Will you PLEASE go and put some TROUSERS on! Everyone can see RIGHT up your dressing gown!”

  And that’s when Gary started saying that it WASN’T a dressing gown, it was a ROBE, and also that he had SHORTS on underneath anyway.

  Next Ranger Tam appeared with a tube of cream and told Gary to take it back to his lodge and put it on and that it would help the bites. And he also told him to put some LOOSE TROUSERS on so his legs didn’t get too hot and make the bites more

  Then Miss Jones came over to us because Maisie was shaking her head backwards and forwards and not moving from where we were standing.

  Miss Jones looked at me before she said anything to Maisie and I knew that was because out of everyone I am probably the one who understands Maisie the MOST and can tell what she means even when she isn’t using actual words to say stuff and she’s only using her BODY or her EYES.

  So that’s when I said that Maisie had had a bit of a fright in the woods when Gary had screamed because of his legs. But I didn’t say anything about the MONSTER. And when I lo
oked at Jodi, she winked and gave me a little nod.

  Suddenly Maisie GASPED and said, “Ranger Tam was RIGHT!”

  But then Gary started YELLING that the cream was BURNING so Miss Jones RUSHED over to him.

  And that’s when Maisie GASPED again and I thought she was gasping about Gary’s Petrie’s

  but then I noticed that she was POINTING and STARING at something and that her POINTING FINGER was SHAKING.

  So I looked where she was pointing and that’s when I saw an old wooden sign that said “Welcome to Lake Mentors”.

  And then Maisie looked at us all with WIDE EYES and said, “The name is an ANAGRAM. Move all the letters around and it says something else.”

  I still couldn’t see what Maisie meant because Maisie is MUCH better than me at PUZZLES and ANAGRAMS and stuff like that.

  And then all of a sudden Zach gasped and said, “You’re right!”

  Jodi looked a bit annoyed and I knew that it was because SHE couldn’t see it.

  Then Zach said, “Um … I guess Ranger Tam wasn’t joking then.”

  And Jodi said, “Why? What? What is it?!”

  And Zach gulped and said, “If you rearrange the letters in

  And I looked at Jodi and she looked at me and we both looked back at Zach because we’d just realised that the sign said, “Welcome to Lake Monster”!