20 The High-Flying Prankster

The High-Flying Prankster Bethany was flying high—literally. She was flying higher than ever before because the beast was getting cocky in its new body. Usually, Claudette kept close to the ground because she wanted to keep Bethany safe, but the beast was plagued with no such concerns. It weaved in and out of the soggy clouds, doing occasional twirls and singing rowdy songs at the top of Claudette's voice.

At this height, the neighborhood seemed so small, so pathetic—like some kind of toy town that could be crushed at any moment. As Bethany looked upon it, she felt like one of the superheroes from her comics. The people beneath had rejected her, and soon, they would realize that they should have been her friends, not her enemies. The more she thought about the Gloria idea, the more she liked it too—After all, it was the least that she deserved for attacking Claudette. Bethany expected to feel nervous as they traveled to the orphanage, but she felt remarkably excellent. At this point, the beast dropped her. It's amazing how a little thing like being dropped from a great height can affect someone's mood. Within moments, Bethany's

spirits were no longer riding high, and as she tumbled through the air, the neighborhood didn't seem quite so pathetic or toy-townish. It had taken on more terrifyingly lifelike dimensions, and she shared her new review of the place by screaming for dear life. She was just about to be impaled by the pointy roof of the library when the beast scooped her up with Claudette's talons. "What the flip did you do that for?" screamed Bethany. "I thought it would be fun," said the beast. Bethany wondered whether she might have enjoyed it if she knew she was going to be saved. Two weeks previously, on one of their bucket-list days, she had made Ebenezer take her on a roller coaster, and she had loved it,

even though he'd trembled for hours afterwards. "Do it again," said Bethany. "This time, go higher." The beast shrugged Claudette's wings and flew Bethany even farther beyond the clouds before dropping her again. This time, she screamed for joy. They did this as they flew to the orphanage. Bethany was having fun because

she knew that Claudette would always be there to catch her, whilst the beast liked thinking that Bethany could smash into the ground at any moment. In between the screams, they would peek and peer at the people below who were making their way to the theater. Many of them were chatting excitedly about the evening that lay ahead of them. A day ago, Bethany would have loved to join in with their excited chatter, but now she just looked forward to destroying their happiness. The beast landed Bethany on the opposite side from the orphanage. It started to fly away. "Hey! Where are you going?" shouted Bethany.

"What, are you looking for a snack or something?" asked the beast. It lifted one of Claudette's talons in the air and farted out a stinky, grayish egg. When it cracked open, the street was filled with the stench of a rotten shepherd's pie. "I need to set up a camera at the theater because I'm broadcasting the performance for someone special. I'm sure you'll be able to bring Gloria in on your own." The beast flew away, leaving Bethany unable to ask any questions about broadcasting or special guests. She crossed the road and pushed open the rusted orphanage gates. Gloria was holding her final hijacking rehearsal on the front lawn. There was no stage, but this didn't matter, because Gloria was happy to use Timothy's back instead. She