13 The Last

CHAPTER 13 THE LAST CHAPTER We look down. Yep, you guessed it. It's the puddle. 'How interesting!' says Jill, crouching down to study it more closely. 'A talking puddle!' 'That's the one we were telling you about,' says Terry. 'The not-very-Christmassy snowman puddle. I wouldn't get too close if I were you. It's not very nice

and it's vowed never-ending revenge on us.' But before Jill can move away, the puddle rises up, grabs her around the waist and drags her in.

'Let me go!' yells Jill. 'Not until Andy and Terry agree to get out of my treehouse!' it yells back. 'That's not going to happen,' I say. 'Let her go, or we'll stomp you so hard you'll be nothing but water vapour!'

'Stomp me and you'll stomp Jill!' says the puddle. 'And you don't want that, do you?' 'No, I don't,' I say. 'That does it. Now you've gone too far.'

'Not as far as you're going,' replies the puddle. 'Now hurry up and leave, or I'll drown your little animal-loving pal here!' 'You won't be drowning anybody and we're not going anywhere,' says Terry. 'In fact, it's you who's leaving —and very soon, too.'

Terry grabs our endlessly expandable Christmas stockings from the fireplace and throws one to me. 'Ooh, I'm so scared of your stockings,' says the puddle sarcastically.