5 Eyeballia

CHAPTER 5 EYEBALLIA We must have all blacked out for a while because the next thing we knew we were all lying on the ground beside our tree. We got up and looked around. That's when we realised we were being watched by

MILLIONS OF EYEBALLS!!

I don't know if you've ever been stared at by millions of eyeballs, but if you have, I think you'd agree that it's a pretty creepy feeling. 'Why are they staring at us?' said Terry. 'I don't know,' I said. 'It's not just us they're staring at,' called Jill, who had climbed to the observation deck at the top of the tree. 'Come up here and see.' We climbed up. There were domes all around us— each one containing a different species of alien and surrounded by crowds of staring eyeballs.

'Oh no,' I said. 'This is terrible! We're exhibits in an intergalactic zoo!' 'I hate zoos!' said Terry. 'Some intergalactic space adventure this is turning out to be!'

'I know it's not great,' said Jill, 'but it could be worse. At least we're not contestants in one of those intergalactic death battles.' 'What intergalactic death battles?' I said. 'You know,' said Jill, 'those ones where some sort of evil aliens collect specimens from other planets and then make them fight each other… to the death.' 'I thought that just happened in comic books,' said Terry. 'No, I'm pretty sure it's a real thing,' said Jill. 'Well, let's hope it's not,' I said. 'Because some of those aliens look really mean. I think that one over there is a razor-toothed, blood-sucking Venusian worm man. I wouldn't even want to be in a dance contest with him, let alone a battle to the death!'

ABOVE: An artist's impression of Andy and a razor- toothed, blood-sucking Venusian worm man having a dance contest. 'Look,' said Terry. 'There's an absolutely enormous eyeball up there. That's the biggest one I've seen so far!'