Crawf's Kick it to Nick

by Adrian Beck

  Their footsteps echoed as they ran. Nick glanced back at the opening. It quickly started to look a long way away.

  ‘Slow down, I’m sure we’re under the oval by now,’ Nick called.

  ‘Totally,’ said Bruiser, puffing. ‘We’ve come about thirty paces. There’s point eight paces to a metre, so we’re probably about twenty-four metres in. Let’s give about three metres for the boundary and ten for the bank that leads to the creek. That makes us about eleven metres into the field of play. Given the angle we’ve been travelling I’d say we’re directly beneath the fifty-metre line on the grandstand end.’

  ‘Wow.’ Nick was impressed. ‘You being a maths nerd is actually paying off for once. Keep that up!’

  ‘Right, we’re exactly where we want to be. So, why can’t I see any bugs?’ Ella whispered as they caught up. ‘Wait, hang on, hang on . . . I think I can hear something!’

  Clickety-clack, clickety-clack.

  It was quiet, but it was definitely the creepy sound of the bugs crawling.

  Ella scanned with her torch for the source.

  Clickety-clack, clickety-clack.

  It was louder now. Bruiser jumped with fright and knocked Ella’s torch to the ground. Everything went dark.

  ‘Sorry.’

  ‘This is getting freaky,’ whispered Nick, as he squinted into the darkness. ‘Really freaky.’

  ‘Shhh,’ said Ella, picking up the torch.

  There was a pile of rubble further ahead. It blocked the whole drainpipe with only an opening the size of a footy at the top. Water trickled through the gaps.

  ‘Looks like some kind of cave-in,’ said Nick.

  ‘Totally,’ said Ella, striding towards the rock pile. ‘I’m gunna climb up to the top and photograph the other side.’

  ‘You’re what?’ said Bruiser.

  ‘We haven’t found any evidence yet,’ explained Ella. ‘But maybe the burrowing bugs caused the cave-in. Maybe they’re all on the other side.’

  ‘I’ll go,’ said Nick.

  With the camera hung round his neck, he climbed onto the rubble. The mound shifted under his weight, which at least took his mind off the possibility of bugs hidden amongst it.

  Nick scrambled up the pile. As he reached the top his gumboots slipped. He tore a big hole in his jeans, grazing his thigh.

  ‘Um, please be careful,’ said Bruiser.

  ‘Yeah,’ said Ella. ‘Those little suckers could come squirming out of anywhere.’

  ‘Terrific,’ said Nick, holding the camera like a weapon.

  Still, there were no bugs.

  Then a rumble sounded. Dust fell. Nick glanced up at the section of rock that formed the top of the drainpipe. He couldn’t tell how stable it was. The quicker they were out of here the better.

  Nick lay at the top of the pile to peer through the gap. The clicking noise was definitely coming from the other side. A cool breeze hit him in the face. He flicked on the night-vision setting and thrust the camera into the opening.

  ‘Woah,’ said Nick.

  ‘What do you mean, woah?’ asked Ella.

  ‘Good woah?’ asked Bruiser.

  ‘That depends,’ said Nick.

  There were three glowing orange bugs scuttling over the nearest rocks on the other side.

  ‘Nick, stop mucking around,’ said Ella. ‘Just tell us what you can see.’

  ‘Well,’ said Nick, as he angled the camera, taking pictures. ‘I see bugs.’

  Now the screen showed bugs everywhere, crawling over each other. There had to be a hundred or more. Some four times the size of the ones he’d seen on the oval.

  ‘Perfect!’ cried Ella. ‘Make sure you get a good shot.’

  ‘Shouldn’t be too hard,’ Nick muttered. ‘I think we’ve found their whole nest!’

  As Nick leant forward to take more photos, the rocks shifted beneath him, and the gap at the top of the pile began to open up. He flung his arms out but he couldn’t stop skidding forward. The rocks started tumbling away from him.

  Suddenly, Nick was falling headfirst into the bugs’ nest.

  ‘Aaaaah!’ yelled Nick.

  He was sliding forward on his stomach, with his arms at full stretch, desperate to stop himself. But the rocks were moving beneath him.

  In the dim light thrown out by the camera, he saw the bugs turn towards him. They gnashed their pincers. A few even jumped at him. Nick was sliding straight towards one the size of a cat.

  Then he stopped. Someone had grabbed him by the ankle.

  ‘I’ve got ya, mate,’ called Bruiser. ‘But this is my bad arm.’

  The big bug hissed at Nick.

  ‘Your bad arm is worth two of my good arms,’ cried Nick, clawing backwards. ‘Just get me outta here!’

  Bruiser dragged Nick back to the top of the pile.

  ‘Thanks, mate. Big time!’ said Nick. ‘Right, we’ve got heaps of evidence. Let’s go.’

  But as Nick and Bruiser started sliding down their side of the pile, Nick brushed his hand across his leg. His fingers touched something slimy . . . and warm.

  A bug sunk its pincers into his thigh! The camera dropped from his fingers. His eyelids became heavy. All his muscles went limp. He felt himself start to fall and begin to shake.

  But then something hit him on the leg. Hard.

  ‘Ow!’ yelled Nick, suddenly re-energised.

  Bruiser was at the bottom, pointing the torch up at him.

  Nick noticed the footy tumbling away from him down the pile.

  ‘Did I get it?’ asked Ella. ‘If not, I’ll shoot another handpass at it.’

  ‘No, no, you got it,’ winced Nick, as he scraped away the remains of the bug on his thigh. ‘Thanks. That hula-hoop drill is clearly working for you.’

  Clickety-clack, clickety-clack.

  One tiny bug’s head appeared behind Nick at the top of the pile. When he looked back again there were three bugs. Then four.

  Then about fourteen.

  Ella snatched up the footy and fired off another handpass.

  Squelch!

  It popped a bug. She caught the footy on the bounce. And kept firing.

  Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!

  Goo splattered everywhere. Nick slid to the bottom of the pile. He fumbled for smaller rocks to pelt at the bugs.

  ‘Guys, isn’t it time we made a break for it?’ asked Bruiser, jumping on bugs that had dropped from the ceiling. Goo splashed around his feet. The big guy was giving it everything.

  More bugs scuttled through the gap. Some headed high, some low.

  ‘You’re right, mate! Let’s go!’ cried Nick.

  They started running towards the tunnel entrance, but the bugs were fast. Nick yanked off his belt and swung it round like nunchucks, smacking his buckle into as many bugs as possible.

  Soon the bugs were around their feet again. Nick started stomping too, but there were always more. He glanced at Ella firing off a blur of handballs.

  A bug leapt at her.

  Squelch!

  The footy turned it to goo. Then a bug ran at her feet. Ella fired.

  Squelch!

  Another bug fell from the ceiling as Ella was waiting for the footy to bounce back. She punched it so hard it burst in midair. Goo spluttered onto Nick’s face.

  ‘Remind me to never, ever, mess with you,’ said Nick.

  They were nearly out of the drain! But then there was a thundering sound of rock grinding against rock. It came from between them and the entrance.

  ‘Bruiser, stop jumping!’ Nick yelled. ‘Just run!’ The ground shook underfoot. Then . . .

  Keerraassh!

  Dust, dirt and rock fell around them. Nick huddled with Ella and Bruiser on the ground as rocks collided – cracking and splitting. They coughed through the thickening dust. It sounded like the whole world was collapsing. Suddenly it was very dark.

  ‘Well, they don’t teach you how to get out of this in AusKick,’ said Ella.

  She clicked on the torch.

 
; When the dust cleared, Nick realised they’d survived a cave-in. It had squashed some of the bugs behind them, but it had also blocked the way out.

  Nick eyed off the rocks directly above, hoping they’d remain in place.

  In the background the clicking sound of crawling bugs grew louder.

  ‘I think they’re burrowing through the rubble,’ said Bruiser. ‘We’re in serious trouble, aren’t we?’

  ‘Afraid so,’ said Nick.

  They were stuck.

  Underground.

  With mutant bugs coming for them.

  ‘Well, this sucks,’ said Ella.

  ‘Um, guys,’ said Bruiser, pointing at the water lapping at their gumboots, ‘if the bugs don’t get us . . . the water will. It’s rising.’

  ‘You’re right. There’s nowhere left for it to go. We have to dig our way out. Fast,’ said Nick. They scrambled to the top of the new cave-in that blocked their escape and began flinging rocks aside.

  Seconds later, Bruiser had good news. ‘Guys, I’m through,’ he cried, revealing a gap at the top of the pile. ‘I’ve dug a tunnel.’

  ‘Best on Ground, Bruiser!’ said Nick. ‘You go first, Ella.’

  ‘Why, cos I’m a girl?’

  ‘No, because you’ve got the smallest body,’ said Nick. ‘You’re least likely to disturb the rocks and cause more to fall.’

  ‘You’re not exactly Aaron Sandilands,’ said Ella, referring to the enormous Dockers’ ruckman.

  Behind them, a bug broke through the rubble and another landed in the water with a splash.

  ‘Just go!’ said Nick.

  ‘All right, all right,’ she said, and started crawling through.

  Nick glared at the rocks above. Bruiser had his palms flat against them – as if he alone was keeping them in place.

  ‘I’m through,’ yelled Ella, as her gumboots disappeared. ‘Next!’

  The water had already reached halfway up the pile.

  ‘Go on, then,’ said Bruiser, not budging.

  ‘Nah, mate, you go,’ said Nick. ‘Don’t argue with your –’

  ‘Ex-captain,’ interrupted Bruiser.

  ‘Yeah, yeah. Seriously, go!’

  Bruiser shook his head and squeezed himself through.

  Nick glanced back at the first rock pile. It was covered in bugs. To his horror, he saw the camera sitting right in the middle. Bugs were crawling over it.

  ‘Nick, I’m through,’ called Bruiser. ‘Follow me out, quick!’

  Nick knew that all their efforts would count for nothing if they didn’t bring back any proof, but as he started for the camera, a large rock tumbled onto it, smashing it to pieces.

  ‘No! This can’t be happening,’ he cried.

  Their evidence was destroyed. Without proof they wouldn’t be able to convince any adults to deal with the bugs. Nick figured it was all up to him now.

  The water had almost risen to the height of Bruiser’s tunnel. The section of rocks and mortar that formed the top of the drainpipe was vibrating.

  The football floated by. Nick grabbed it.

  He eyed off the ceiling once more. Then, with all his strength, he slammed a handpass at it.

  Immediately there was a rumble.

  Nick dived into the tunnel. Then a swell of water and rock launched him from behind.

  Ella and Bruiser were waiting for him at the edge of the drainpipe opening. Nick swung his arms out. With Ella and Bruiser clotheslined either side, he launched all three of them off the edge.

  They spun as they fell. Right behind, water spewed from the drainpipe, thrusting out rocks.

  Nick, Ella and Bruiser smacked into the creek.

  Nick scrambled backwards then dived aside as rocks rained from above. Ella and Bruiser threw themselves sideways.

  All three of them leapt towards the bank, just as rocks crashed right where they’d been. They clawed their way to land, covered in mud.

  The rocks continued to fall, splashing and smashing together to form an island in the creek. It was only seconds before the chaos subsided, but to Nick it seemed like a lifetime.

  Ripples echoed out from the pile as the last few rocks fell into place.

  ‘That’s one way to solve a bug problem,’ said Ella, as they watched the green-tinged water flow down the rubble.

  ‘There’s no way the bugs could have survived that cave-in,’ said Nick. ‘So it’s definitely game on tomorrow.’

  ‘Looks like it,’ said Bruiser. ‘We saved the day.’

  ‘Again,’ said Nick. ‘It’s getting to be a bad habit being this awesome.’

  ‘So, the big game will go ahead,’ said Ella, rubbing her hands together. ‘Pity we won’t have you two playing with us.’

  ‘We’ll be cheering you on,’ said Nick, wiping mud off his face. ‘Even as Taylor-I-love-myself-Thorn leads you out. Seriously, who’d you rather have as captain?’

  ‘Um, Nick?’ said Ella.

  ‘Exactly,’ said Nick, pointing to himself with both his thumbs. ‘The Harvster!’

  ‘Nick?’ said Ella again.

  ‘Yeah, me. Thanks. I get it.’

  Ella whispered, ‘Nick, Bruiser, I need help right now.’

  Nick spun to look at her.

  ‘There’s something on my back,’ she said, swiping over her shoulder, ‘that I can’t quite reach.’

  It was a bug. Its big black eyes glinted in the moonlight. It was right between Ella’s shoulder blades, clinging to her t-shirt.

  The bug scurried away from Nick, towards Ella’s bare arm.

  ‘Hey!’ yelled Nick. ‘Bad idea, bug-a-lug!’ The bug turned back to hiss at Nick.

  ‘Yeah, get off!’ cried Bruiser from Ella’s other side.

  As the bug turned to screech at the big fella, Nick slammed it flat against Ella’s t-shirt. It burst into green goo.

  ‘Thanks,’ said Ella. ‘I guess one bug did survive after all.’

  ‘Not for long,’ said Nick.

  They’d done it. All by themselves they’d destroyed the mutant bugs. Nick gave Ella and Bruiser a high five. He was super glad he’d never have to worry about those creepy creatures ever again.

  Or so he thought . . .

  PUFFIN BOOKS

  Published by the Penguin Group

  Penguin Group (Australia)

  707 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3008, Australia

  (a division of Penguin Australia Pty Ltd)

  Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

  Penguin Group (Canada)

  90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Canada ON M4P 2Y3

  (a division of Penguin Canada Books Inc.)

  Penguin Books Ltd

  80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL England

  Penguin Ireland

  25 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland

  (a division of Penguin Books Ltd)

  Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd

  11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi – 110 017, India

  Penguin Group (NZ)

  67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand

  (a division of Penguin New Zealand Pty Ltd)

  Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, Rosebank Office Park, Block D,

  181 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parktown North, Johannesburg, 2196, South Africa

  Penguin (Beijing) Ltd

  7F, Tower B, Jiaming Center, 27 East Third Ring Road North,

  Chaoyang District, Beijing 100020, China

  Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London, WC2R 0RL, England

  First published by Penguin Books Australia Ltd, 2014

  Text copyright © Shane Crawford and Adrian Beck, 2014

  Illustrations copyright © Heath McKenzie, 2014

  The moral right of the authors has been asserted.

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or tra
nsmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  Cover and text design by Bruno Herfst © Penguin Group (Australia)

  Photographs by Wayne McPherson

  puffin.com.au

  ISBN: 978-1-74348-203-2

  ®™ THE AFL LOGO AND COMPETING TEAM LOGOS, EMBLEMS AND NAMES ON THIS PRODUCT ARE ALL TRADE MARKS OF AND USED UNDER LICENCE FROM THE OWNER THE AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE BY WHOM ALL © COPYRIGHT AND OTHER RIGHTS OF REPRODUCTION ARE RESERVED.