7 Deep Trouble

Chapter 7 DEEP TROUBLE Andrew scratched his head. He couldn't make out what it was. But it wasn't a kitten. Eek! squeaked Thudd. "Whistling spider! Tarantula!" "Yaaaaaah!" screamed Judy backing away. "I hate spiders even when I'm bigger than they are! And this one's a hundred times bigger than I am! Let's get out of here!" Andrew put a finger to his lips. "It looks like it's asleep," he said softly. "Don't scream. You'll wake it up."

"Spiders don't have ears, Bug-Brain," said Judy. "Where's the way out of the tunnel? It's too dark to see." meep… "Spiders hear with hairs on legs," said Thudd. "Smell with leg hairs, too. Can tell if stuff is good to eat." As Andrew searched for the way out, his beam flickered on a white blob above his head. It looked like a big paper balloon. There was a raggedy hole at the bottom of it. When his light passed over the hole, Andrew could see small white creatures crawling over each other inside. They looked like eggs with legs. meep… "Baby spiders," said Thudd. "More spiders!" said Judy. "Get me outta here!" One of the big spider's dark, hairy legs twitched. Then it stretched. Soon another leg twitched and stretched. "It's waking up!" screamed Judy. Andrew's light fell on the opening to the tunnel. Judy raced for it.

As Andrew clambered after Judy, he shoved the back of his flashlight against his forehead. A suction cup at the back made it stick. meep… "This spider hunt in nighttime," said Thudd. "Desert too hot in daytime. Make spider dry out. "If spider lose lotsa water, legs get soft. Like plant that wilt. Then spider legs too soft for spider to walk. "Getting cool outside. Spider coming out soon, maybe. Gotta hurry!" Judy found a soft strand of spider silk in the tunnel. They used it to pull themselves along. Aroooooo! Ow! Ow! Owooooo! Chilling howls drifted into the tunnel. "Wolves!" said Andrew. meep… "Dingoes!" said Thudd. "Wild Australian dogs. Hunt in packs like wolves." Below the howls, Andrew heard a soft sound. Whhhhooooooooo… The wind, Andrew thought.

They were close enough to the top of the tunnel to see that it was nighttime now. The moon was full and bright. The view outside went dark for a second. meep… "Tumbleweed rolling over spider hole," said Thudd. "Tumbleweed break loose, roll across desert, spread seeds long, long way," "Shhhhh…," said Andrew. Andrew thought he heard a soft scraping sound at his back. He turned.

His beam reflected off many round, shiny black eyes in a hairy face. The spider was close behind them. It was getting closer every second.