Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7 BLOOOING BLOOOING PZHHHT! BLOOOING BLOOOING ZPHLTTT!

For the second night in a row, Pearl was awakened by a strange sound. She turned to Merle, who lay sleeping in the sawdust next to her, and gave him a gentle kick. "Merle!" she groaned. "That's disgusting." "Not me," Merle replied groggily. He was telling the truth; he wasn't making the sounds. Pearl opened her eyes to see moonlight spilling into the room, giving away the facts that it was both very early in the morning and that Michael was not in his bed. BLOOOING BLOOOING PZHHHT! BLOOOING BLOOOING ZPHLTTT! The noises rang out again. "What is that?" Pearl wondered. She stepped out of her hamster mansion to investigate, creeping quietly through the bedroom door and into the hallway. The sounds grew louder as she approached the living room, her heart racing. Peeking slowly around the corner of the hallway, she discovered Michael, bathed in the flickering, cool light of his video game. "Michael?!" Pearl said. "Huh?" Michael uttered, his drowsy eyes fixed on the television screen. "The sun's not even up! What are you doing?" "Getting through level 4," he mumbled. "How long have you been awake?" "I dunno. I got up early to play before school."

Merle, having missed out on the excitement the night before and not wanting to be left out this time, joined Michael and Pearl. "What'd I miss?" he wondered. "Only a boy who should be sleeping." Pearl put her paws on her hips. BLOP! BLING BLOOP BLOOM— SKAAAAAWISHHHHH! "Yes!!!" Michael sat up straight. "I completed level 4!" He sank back into the sofa and closed his eyes. "I rule this game," he whispered. "Hmm," Pearl pondered. "I was just wondering if this game was ruling you."

"What are you talking about?" Michael asked. "I just totally squished level 4." "Yeah, what are you talking about?" Merle also wondered. "You remember the Galatians, right, Merle?" Pearl asked. "It's four in the morning." Merle yawned. "I can hardly remember my own name."