A Monster Ate My Packed Lunch!

by Pamela Butchart

  Maisie looked TINY at the BIG TABLE in the hotel. And she felt so far away that I kept having to actually SHOUT so she could hear me.

  None of us could BELIEVE how fancy it was inside the hotel OR how old everything looked.

  Zach said that he was pretty sure all the furniture and chairs were ANTIQUES, which meant that they were at LEAST one hundred years old, and as SOON as he said that I thought about how Ranger Tam had said the MONSTER had lived in the lake for over one hundred years.

  Jodi was STARING down at the table with a really

  And then she looked up at me and Zach and said, “I don’t know what to do.”

  I thought she was talking about the MONSTER because I felt EXACTLY THE SAME. I had

  what we were going to do! And I KNEW that there was

  I was going to be able to SLEEP because our cabin was RIGHT next to the lake!

  But then Maisie started SMILING and she picked up one of the little forks in front of Jodi and handed it to her and Jodi smiled and said thanks.

  And I saw that there were LOADS of forks and knives on the table and that I hadn’t even noticed how many there were because I couldn’t stop thinking about the

  That’s when Zach nudged me and said that he thought all the cutlery was a bit WEIRD and that the hotel was a bit CREEPY too.

  Then Ranger Tam appeared and he was wearing a white apron and a CHEF’S HAT and he said, “Your first course! Enjoy!”

  And then he asked us how Gary was and we pointed down the table and said that he was fine.

  Then Ranger Tam said, “That one screams like a banshee! Gave me the fright of my life!”

  And that’s when Zach asked him what a BANSHEE was and Ranger Tam got a SERIOUS LOOK on his face again and said, “Did your teachers not tell you about those either?”

  That’s when Jodi’s eyes went WIDE and she said, “Tell us.”

  And Ranger Tam came closer and whispered, “They’re wailing ghosts that live in the woods. Noisy things as well!”

  And that’s when the WHOLE TABLE started SHAKING and all the CUTLERY started jumping around and CLATTERING and I looked and saw that it was MAISIE causing the shaking. And I didn’t BLAME her for shaking so much because ghosts are SCARY, especially weird, wailing ones that live in the woods!

  And even though the table was shaking, Jodi said, “Can you tell us more about the monster? We need to know.”

  But as soon as Ranger Tam opened his mouth, all the LIGHTS went out and

  When the lights came back on, Maisie was NOWHERE to be seen.

  I was just about to start PANICKING when I realised what had happened and I lifted the edge of the tablecloth and saw that Maisie had fainted and slipped off her chair and landed underneath the table.

  That’s when Ranger Tam said, “Just a wee flicker! Happens all the time up here in the Highlands!”

  But I could tell by his face that he was definitely WORRIED about something.

  So that’s when I SIGNALLED to Jodi and Zach to meet me under the table. And the table was SO BIG that the three of us were able to sit up with our legs crossed and I don’t think the teachers even noticed that we were under there.

  I pulled Maisie on to my lap and she kept her eyes shut but opened her hand and I knew that meant she was waking up and that she wanted a TWIX.

  So I looked at Zach but he said that he’d forgotten to bring one even though HE was supposed to be the one in charge of Maisie’s FAINTING SNACKS. And then his face went a bit red and I knew he HADN’T forgotten the Twix and that he had eaten it.

  But then Zach smiled and said, “Wait here.”

  And then he disappeared for a second and came back with a bowl of SUGAR CUBES and put one into Maisie’s open hand and said, “Eat this.”

  And Maisie ate it in TWO SECONDS FLAT. And then she put her hand out for another one and Zach laughed.

  That’s when I said, “I’ve called you all here under the dining table because we need to have an

  right away.”

  And Jodi nodded LOADS and she didn’t even seem ANNOYED that I had been the one to say all the OFFICIAL STUFF about the meeting and I knew it was because this was SERIOUS because there was a MONSTER and now there were WAILING BANSHEES too. So there wasn’t any time to argue about who was in charge.

  Zach said that we needed to find out MORE about the LAKE MONSTER and Jodi nodded LOADS again.

  Then Zach said, “We need to find out where it LURKS so we can stay FAR away from there!”

  And Maisie nodded loads too, but her eyes were still shut tight and she kept crunching on the sugar cubes.

  But Jodi didn’t nod this time. And I knew that it was because she didn’t WANT to stay far away from it.

  And that’s when she said, “I think we should try to find it.”

  And Maisie

  Because we could all see that Jodi had

  The SHINY LOOK that she gets when she has a

  That night I couldn’t sleep.

  And it wasn’t just because Maisie snores MEGA LOUD for such a small person. OR because she’d brought her giant HUMPBACK WHALE to bed with her.

  It was because I could hear NOISES outside the lodge.

  Strange SPLASHING noises!

  But I must have fallen asleep at some point because the next thing I remember was Jodi’s face staring down at me from above.

  when I saw it but then Jodi put her hand over my mouth and put her finger to her lips.

  That’s when I woke up a bit more and calmed down and Jodi took her hand off my mouth and whispered, “Can you hear that?”

  So I listened but all I could hear was Maisie snoring.

  Then Jodi said, “I think there’s something outside. I’m going to check.”

  And then she jumped off the bed and I had to literally LEAP off the bed too so I could PIN her to the ground. Because if there WAS something outside, then there was NO WAY I was letting her open the door OR go outside!

  That’s when I whispered, “You’re not unlocking that door!”

  But Jodi kept WRIGGLING and trying to get free and saying that someone needed to INVESTIGATE so I actually had to lie on TOP of her and make my body go all HEAVY like I used to do when I was little and my mum was trying to make me go somewhere I didn’t want to go.

  But then Jodi yelled, “OK! OK! Ouch! Get off me!”

  And that woke Maisie up and she shone her torch RIGHT in our eyes and said, “What’s going on? What are you both DOING down there?!”

  But before I could explain, Jodi said, “SHHHHHHH! There it is again. Listen!”

  And that’s when I realised that Jodi hadn’t meant the SPLASHING sound that I’d heard before I fell asleep.

  Because this wasn’t a splashing sound at ALL.

  It was WORSE.

  And that’s when Maisie said, “Is …is …is that WAILING?!”

  And we nodded because there was no point trying to hide it because it obviously WAS wailing.

  And that’s when Maisie’s eyes went WIDE and she whispered,

  By the time we got to the boys’ lodge, Maisie was shaking SO MUCH that I had to check she wasn’t FREEZING TO DEATH and that she was just shaking with FEAR.

  That’s when Jodi turned to us and said, “The wailing is definitely coming from here.”

  And she was right. The wailing was much LOUDER now and I could hardly BREATHE because I couldn’t believe there was a

  That’s when Jodi said, “I think it might be inside. I’m going in.”

  But then Maisie’s eyes went WIDE and she pointed to something and started

  And that’s when I looked and saw MIST coming from behind the boys’ lodge and I actually GULPED because I have a

  and I was imagining a weird MISTY GHOST THING making all the noise!

  That’s when Jodi took a DEEP BREATH and started TALKING TO HERSELF, saying things like “Stay CALM” and “This is what you’ve been TRAINING FOR” because Jodi wants to be an actual GHOST HUNTER when she’s older and she watches all the
EXTREME HAUNTING programmes on TV with her mum and she doesn’t even SCARED.

  So that’s when I said, “What are we going get to do if we see it?!”

  Jodi said, “I’m going to take a VIDEO of it on Maisie’s phone to prove that ghosts EXIST. And then I’ll probably call the police and the government.”

  And I nodded because I didn’t really know what else to do because things were getting a bit

  with the LAKE MONSTER and the scary BANSHEE GHOST!

  But then the wailing got LOUDER and there was LOADS of mist and Jodi hissed “NOW!” and then she RAN behind the lodge towards the

  Me and Maisie just stood still because my feet wouldn’t work and also because Maisie was lying in the grass because she’d fainted.

  But then I heard JODI scream and I realised that I was going to have to leave Maisie and save Jodi from the BANSHEE.

  I RACED around the corner and that’s when I found Jodi standing with her hand over her mouth and she had her EYES CLOSED.

  So I looked through the mist and that’s when I saw something. But it wasn’t a BANSHEE. It was GARY PETRIE. And he was sitting in his HOT TUB. And it didn’t look like he had any CLOTHES on!

  And then he started WAILING.

  That’s when Gary said that his bites had been so SORE and ITCHY that he’d got out of bed to see if the hot tub would help but it hadn’t and that it had made them MUCH WORSE.

  And that’s when Gary said, “Pass me my robe.”

  And Jodi kept her eyes shut tight and said,

  Then Gary said, “I’m not naked! I’ve got my shorts on!”

  But Jodi still wouldn’t open her eyes just in case.

  So I found Gary’s robe and I picked it up

  and threw it at him.

  But there was a splash and Gary said, “Awww, Izzy! You’ve SOAKED IT!”

  So that’s when I told Gary to

  because I had to get back to Maisie because she’d fainted on the grass and was just LYING there on the grass without us. And that’s when Gary LEAPED out of the hot tub and ran past us in the soaking-wet robe and I knew that he was going to check if Maisie was OK.

  But then he yelled, “Where is she? I can’t see her.”

  And that’s when I got a horrible feeling in my stomach (which always happens just before I start to panic). So I took a deep breath and looked round the corner at the spot where I’d left Maisie.

  But she was

  Me, Jodi and Gary ran around the boys’ lodge in a big circle but we couldn’t see Maisie.

  Then Gary said, “Maybe she woke up and went inside. I’m going to check.”

  And that’s when Jodi GRABBED my arm and declared a SUPER-FAST

  And I nodded LOADS because I knew it had to be fast because we needed to find Maisie

  and also because Gary wasn’t allowed to be part of it because only me and Jodi and Maisie and Zach are allowed to be part of our meetings and INVESTIGATIONS.

  That’s when Jodi said that she thought Maisie’s disappearance might have something to do with the MONSTER and that we needed to go and find Ranger Tam NOW. She said that we couldn’t save Maisie unless we knew more about it.

  Just then Gary BURST out of the boys’ lodge and said she wasn’t inside. “We need to do a MANHUNT and we need to do it NOW. I’ve woken up Zach to help. Let’s go!”

  And that’s when Jodi got REALLY annoyed and she said, “Hey! YOU don’t decide how WE find Maisie. WE do. She’s OUR friend and this is OUR investigation.”

  And that’s when Gary’s eyebrows went REALLY HIGH and he said, “What investigation?”

  And Jodi got a look on her face and it was because she knew that she’d said

  That’s when Gary pulled the tie on his robe really tight and then he put his hands on his hips like JODI does and said, “Well. Maisie is MY friend, too. Maybe even my girlfriend! So I’m part of this now. Like it or not.”

  And I thought Jodi was going to

  like the time when she had clearly WON the egg-and-spoon race at school sports’ day but the judge hadn’t been paying attention and gave the medal to someone ELSE.

  But Jodi DIDN’T scream. She just said, “Fine. You and Zach keep looking for Maisie. Me and Izzy need to go and do something

  And then before I could say anything, Jodi grabbed my hand and we were running away from the lake and the lodges and up towards the hotel.

  When we got to the big hotel doors, I thought they would be locked. But they weren’t.

  So we went inside and that’s when we saw most of the lights were still on in the hall and up the staircase.

  I looked at the big clock at the bottom of the stairs and I said, “It’s almost midnight. Ranger Tam will have gone home.”

  But Jodi shook her head and said that she’d heard Ranger Tam tell the teachers that he was available “24/7” if they needed any help and just to come to the reception and he’d be there.

  So that’s when I said, “Well, he’s not here tonight.”

  But then Jodi said, “Look!”

  And she pointed and I saw that there was a fancy gold bell on the reception desk.

  So I reached out my hand and gave it a

  and waited. But no one came.

  So Jodi reached out and gave it TWO dings. But that didn’t work either.

  But then I heard something so I walked over towards the staircase and I saw a door that was slightly open and I heard a voice from inside say, “I’m a bit worried about the boat tour tonight.”

  So I waved Jodi over.

  Then we heard Ranger Tam say, “Don’t worry. I won’t get as close as I did last time.”

  And the other voice said, “You’d better not! You almost touched the tail!”

  I looked at Jodi and she looked at me because we both KNEW that they were talking about the MONSTER’S TAIL.

  And then all of a sudden the door opened properly and we saw Ranger Tam and the woman who ran the hotel standing there.

  That’s when Ranger Tam said, “And just what are you two doing here at this hour?”

  And as soon as he said that, the woman looked at her watch and hurried off without saying anything.

  So that’s when Jodi said, “We came to find you. We need to know

  about the lake monster. And we need to know now.”

  That’s when Ranger Tam laughed and then he said, “Well, you’re out of luck, lass. I’m afraid you’ve caught me at a bad time. I’m just about to take the boat out.”

  And Jodi said, “We just need half an hour. Forty-five minutes max.”

  Then Ranger Tam laughed again and said, “We don’t call it the Midnight Tour for nothing! It starts at midnight and I’m the captain! So unless you want to come with me––”

  And before Ranger Tam could even finish his sentence, Jodi said, “YES. We’ll come.”

  And I GASPED because there was NO WAY I was going out in a BOAT at MIDNIGHT on to a

  that had a MONSTER with a TAIL in it!

  But then Ranger Tam laughed again and said, “Hmm. Something tells me your teachers wouldn’t be too happy if I took you out on the boat at this hour! Let’s go. I’ll walk you back down to the lodges. We can talk on the way.”

  So we followed Ranger Tam out of the hotel and down towards the lodges and as soon as we started walking Jodi asked him about the BOAT and why he was taking it out at MIDNIGHT and I knew that she was asking because of what we had overheard about the TAIL.

  And that’s when Ranger Tam explained more about the

  of the lake he did for the guests. “There’s been a LOT of recent sightings of the monster in the lake at night,” he said. “People have been coming from far and wide to stay here in the hope that they’ll catch a glimpse of the big lass! Everyone wants to be the first one to get a decent photo of our monster and get themselves in the newspaper. Or maybe even on TV!”

  So that’s when I said, “How do you know the monster is a girl?”

  And Ranger Tam looked a bit surprised and he said, “We
ll. Um … I suppose I don’t!”

  That’s when Jodi asked what ELSE he could tell us about the monster. Like what it LOOKED LIKE. And I noticed that she’d started walking REALLY SLOWLY and I knew that it was because she wanted us to get as much INFORMATION as possible before we got to the lodges.

  And that’s when Ranger Tam said, “Well, she’s a scary-looking one, I’ll tell you that!”

  And then he laughed for ages even though it wasn’t funny at ALL.

  Then he said, “It’s her long tail that’s been spotted the most. I’ve seen it myself. Long, green and SLIMY! Gives me the shivers just THINKING about it.”

  And he chuckled to himself again.

  I had no idea why he kept laughing because

  living in the lake with a LONG SLIMY TAIL definitely wasn’t funny. But then I realised that he was probably just a nervous laugher like my mum.

  So anyway, then Jodi asked about the HEAD, but Ranger Tam said that sightings of the monster’s head were VERY RARE but that he had a FEELING there might be one soon.

  Jodi asked him why he thought that and Ranger Tam said, “Because she’s been getting CLOSER.”

  That’s when I remembered what the hotel lady had said so I said, “You almost touched the tail with your boat.”