Hodgepodge Read online

  ‘Creatures aren’t rocks, or coins, or teapots,’ I tell him. ‘You can’t just put them on a shelf or in a box. They need to be looked after. They need love.’

  Hodgepodge climbs up into my arms.

  ‘I’m sure SOMEONE will come along soon to let you out,’ I say. We slam the door shut.

  ‘What do we do now?’ asks Willow. ‘We can’t take ALL of these animals home with us, can we?’

  But even as she says it, the creatures start to leave through the open window.

  Gavin climbs onto Jason’s back, and they hop off into the garden.

  Tyson and the platypus slip between the bars of the front gate and head off towards the creek.

  Titania disappears in a shower of dirt.

  ‘Right then,’ I say. ‘Time to go home, Hodgepodge.’

  ‘You two have been in and out all weekend,’ says Mum at dinner. ‘What were you up to?’

  Willow and I exchange a look. ‘Just hanging out,’ Willow says.

  ‘It’s nice to see you getting along so well,’ Mum says with a smile.

  David Cole comes in carrying a steaming platter of what looks like squid tentacles and cornflakes. ‘LOOK AT US!’ he says. ‘Sitting down to dinner like a real family.’

  He and Mum share a gooey look that makes Willow roll her eyes.

  There’s a MUffLED fART from under the table.

  ‘Artie,’ says Mum. ‘Make sure you put those socks in the dirty-clothes basket tonight. YOUR FEET STINK.’

  ‘Who could that be?’ asks Mum, getting up to answer the door.

  ‘What do you kids think of my Kraken Crunch Casserole?’ David Cole asks.

  ‘It’s disgusting,’ says Willow.

  ‘Have you even tried it?’

  ‘I don’t have to try it. It is clearly disgusting.’

  ‘I think it’s great,’ I say, sneakily feeding Hodgepodge another tentacle. It’s not a lie if Hodgepodge likes it

  David Cole BEAMS.

  Mum comes back in, holding a bunch of flowers. ‘It was the family next door,’ she says. ‘Welcoming us to the neighbourhood. How lovely! And they’ve got a daughter your age, Willow. Her name is Arabella-Rose.’

  Under the table, Hodgepodge is heading straight for Mum and the tasty flowers.

  David Cole starts SNEEZING.

  ‘Oh dear,’ says Mum. ‘I’d better get rid of these.’

  Mum and David Cole leave the room, and Hodgepodge tries to follow them.

  ‘No, Hodgepodge!’ I whisper. ‘Stay!’

  Mum and David Cole come back in, just as I shove Hodgepodge back under the table.

  David Cole narrows his eyes. ‘Oh, I see,’ he says. ‘I see what’s going on here.’

  He points at Willow. ‘You’ve been feeding Murphy my Kraken Crunch Casserole!’

  Willow goes pink. ‘Um, no I haven’t. Have I, Artie?’

  I am not very good at lying, but luckily this time I don’t have to.

  ‘Willow HAS NOT been feeding Murphy your Kraken Crunch Casserole.’

  David Cole bends down to look under the table.

  ‘WAIT!’ says Willow, and picks up a tentacle. ‘I’ll try it.’

  She looks at it for a moment, then closes her eyes and pops it in her mouth.

  ‘See?’ she says. ‘Delicious.’

  That night, I snuggle down into my bed, Hodgepodge letting out SOfT fLOWERY fARTS by my feet.

  My bedroom door opens a crack, and Willow slips in, with something tucked under her arm.

  ‘Is Hodgepodge okay?’ she asks.

  I nod. ‘He’s good. Happy to be home.’ Hodgepodge farts cheerfully.

  ‘So tomorrow we’ll make mine, okay?’ Willow asks.

  I blink. ‘Make your...WHAT?’

  ‘My Fetchling.’

  I stare at her.

  ‘Hodgepodge has clearly adopted you,’ she explains. ‘And it isn’t fair that you get a pet monster and I don’t.’

  I narrow my eyes. ‘Are you going to ask this one to get your parents back together as well?’

  Willow looks a bit sad.

  ‘NO,’ she says. ‘I think maybe my parents knew what they were doing when they split up. Because now Dad gets to be with your mum. And my mum gets to be a florist like she always wanted.’

  Hodgepodge crawls over to Willow, and rests his head on her lap.

  ‘I just want a pet monster of my very own,’ Willow says, scratching Hodgepodge behind his ears.

  ‘But we don’t have THE BIGGE BOKE OF FETCHING MONSTERS,’ I remind her. ‘It crumbled into dust, right?’

  Willow grins her terrifying grin. ‘I LIED,’ she says, and shows me the thing tucked under her arm. ‘So tomorrow we’ll make MY Fetchling. I’ve already chosen the spell.’ She opens the book.

  I look at the picture of the PHOENIX. ‘Um, are you sure? Don’t phoenixes catch on fire?’

  ‘Exactly,’ says Willow.

  ‘And look at these ingredients,’ I say. ‘We don’t have any of these things!’

  Willow just shrugs. ‘We’ll figure something out.’

  ‘What if it turns out to be a GIANT MONSTER MADE OF FIRE?’ I say. ‘What if it burns our house down?’

  Willow rolls her eyes. ‘It won’t be a giant monster made of fire.’

  ‘But you don’t know that,’ I say. ‘You don’t know what’s going to happen!’

  Willow grins her terrifying grin. ‘That’s what makes it fun!’