The Spider Gnomes. Linda Chapman

rolled his eyes. “Trust you to be a freaky spider expert, geek-brain!”

      “Shut up!” Sophie said angrily. It was OK for her to tease Sam, but not Anthony. He and his friends were always picking on Sam at school. “Least Sam’s not afraid of spiders like you. Chick-chick-chick-chick chicken!”

      Anthony scowled and kicked out at her.

      “Stop that, both of you,” Mrs B said. “Anthony, go on – take the spray upstairs and put some on your window ledge.”

      “Wish I had a spray that would work on you two,” Anthony muttered to Sophie and Sam as he passed. Sophie pulled a face at him.

      “Now, I wonder why there aren’t any spiders in here,” said Mrs B, looking around the kitchen.

      “It’s probably because of Nigel,” Sam told her. “Spiders really don’t like birds, because birds eat them.”

      “Maybe we should get more parrots then,” suggested Sophie, lifting the corner of the cover over Nigel’s cage.

      “FIRE!” he shrieked, flapping his wings.

      Mrs B quickly pulled the cover back down. “Maybe not! Now, I suppose I’d better go and help Anthony with all these spiders.” Picking up a broom, she bustled out.

      Alone, Sophie and Sam looked at each other. “What do you reckon is going on?” said Sam in a low voice.

      Sophie shook her head. “I don’t know!” Just then she caught sight of her grandpa through the window. He was standing by the fence that separated the garden from the wood. “Come on! Maybe Grandpa’ll know!”

      They hurried outside. Sophie’s grandpa was staring at the ground and scratching his short grey hair. He didn’t look like most grandfathers and was very fit – he went running and swimming every day.

      “Look at this!” breathed Grandpa as they came running up. “Hundreds of spiders – and they’re all coming out of the Shadow Woods!”

      Sophie’s scalp prickled as she stared down at the long line of spiders moving through the grass. “They’re everywhere inside – and at Sam’s house too.”

      Grandpa gazed grimly into the woods. “Something is going on with the shadow creatures. I just know it is.”

      Sophie grinned, unable to resist. “Your spider sense is tingling, Grandpa!” she said, thinking of Spider-Man.

      Sam sniggered too, but Grandpa didn’t look amused. “Sophie, this is no—”

      “Laughing matter. I know,” sighed Sophie. Grandpa was always telling her that she didn’t take things seriously enough. He’d been amazed when she’d become the Guardian. The job of protecting the gateway had never gone to a girl before, and Grandpa had assumed that Anthony would be the next Guardian after him. But the magic had chosen Sophie instead – and now she was determined to prove that she was the right choice.

      “Should we go into the woods and see where the spiders are coming from?” she said eagerly.

      Grandpa shook his head. “It’s too risky. We should look through The Shadow Files first, and see if anything like this has ever happened before.” He fixed her with a stare. “You have a worrying tendency to just go jumping into things, child. Remember: think before you act! Now, have you got The Shadow Files with you?”

      Sam nodded and took the book out of his bag. “Oh – and we found the clue for the red gem!” He opened the page and showed it to Grandpa.

      “Excellent!” Grandpa read it over quickly. “So, have you worked it out?”

      “Um… no,” Sophie admitted.

      Grandpa scowled. “Well, then, what are you doing, standing round here talking? You two get to work on the clue, and I’ll read through The Shadow Files and see if it says anything about spiders.” Taking the book, he strode inside.