Chapter 1

CHARLEE SAM COPELAND SaRah HORNE. TURNS INTO A T-KEX 'Belly-busting hilarity!

CHAPTER 1 Charlie McGuffin was being followed. A malevolent shadow was watching him. Waiting. Something– or someone– was stalking him through the corridors of the school. A dark presence, menacing, unseen and unknowable– 'Look, Dylan, I know it's you following me. I can see you there,' Charlie said, hands on hips. 'Can you actually stop? You just look weird doing it. Seriously, Dylan– come out from behind the pillar.' Dylan stepped out from behind a pillar. 'And take that ridiculous hat off,' Charlie added. Dylan took off the ridiculous hat, a floppy summer hat borrowed from his mum. 'And the sunglasses. Take those off as well.' Dylan took off the sunglasses. 'Now please stop following me.' Dylan stepped forward, chest puffed. 'You know you can run, McGuffin, but you can't hide. You. Can't. Hide.' A smile slid across Dylan's face like a slug trail. 'I'm your shadow. Your dark half.

Wherever you go, I will be there. Hunting you. Ready to pounce like a… like a… frog.' 'A frog? A pouncing frog? Frogs don't even pounce.' 'Yes, they do. They pounce on flies. And you're my fly. Trapped in my web.' 'A… frog web?' said Charlie, looking a little baffled. 'You think you're so clever, McGuffin, don't you? Well, you're not. Your silly little friends might think you're a genius–' 'I'm not sure they do actually. In fact, I'm pretty certain Flora thinks I'm the total opposite. She even said that to me yesterday. She said "Charlie, you are actually the total opposite of a genius."' 'Enough!' Dylan held his hand up. 'Just know that I am going to capture you.' Dylan opened his hand. Inside was a matchbox. He shook it. It was empty. 'I am going to wait until you change into an animal. And I'm going to trap you. And then you won't be laughing. Or if you are, no one will hear you. Because you'll be trapped in a matchbox. A matchbox prison!'

Dylan started laughing to himself and then walked off, still laughing wildly, leaving Charlie standing alone in an empty corridor. Charlie couldn't help it– Dylan was getting to him. He could feel his stress levels begin to rise, little shivers of electricity darting through him. This was the first sign that Charlie was about to change. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply a couple of times, focusing on his breathing. Then he opened his eyes wide. 'Hey, Dylan!' Charlie shouted to the small figure at the end of the long corridor. 'Dylan! I think I'm changing! Quick!' Dylan turned round and began running back as fast as he could. 'Quick, Dylan! It's happening!' Dylan sprinted as fast as he could. He reached Charlie, panting. 'Oh, sorry,' Charlie said. 'False alarm.'

Dylan glared at Charlie. 'WHAT?' 'I'm sorry!' Charlie said, grinning. 'I could have sworn I started feeling it. Ah, well, it's an unpredictable science, this whole changing business. Better luck next time. Actually there won't be a next time. You're wasting your time. I've worked out how to control it, you see, so I can absolutely guarantee a hundred per cent that there'll be no more Charlie changing into anything.' Charlie winked at Dylan, and then walked off, laughing maniacally, leaving Dylan standing alone in the empty corridor.

AUTHOR'S NOTE If you haven't read Book 1 in this series, Charlie Changes Into a Chicken, then you're probably pretty confused about what's going on right now. Tough luck. You should have bought Book 1. You come waltzing in here thinking, Oh, I don't need to read Book 1. I'm very clever and I'm sure I'll work out what's happening as I go along. Well, NOW who looks silly? You haven't a clue what's going on, have you? You don't know who Charlie is or who Dylan is or why Dylan is trying to put Charlie in a matchbox. All I can say is good luck with the rest of the book, dunderhead.