Читать книгу Sam Wu Is NOT Afraid of Ghosts! - Katie Tsang - Страница 8

After the INCIDENT, I knew I could never show my face at school again. Just like when Five-Eyed Frank got framed for an evil crime on his home planet and had to blast-off to a faraway moon.

As I’m sure you’ve gathered, unlike the SPACE BLASTERS, I don’t fly spaceships so I didn’t have the faraway moon option. Instead, I took off on my version of an intergalactic travel machine: Two-Wheel TUBS. (I named my bike after the SPACE BLASTERS’ spaceship: TUBS, which stands for ‘The Universe’s Best Spaceship’. I added the ‘Two-Wheel’ so people would know it was a bike.)

I didn’t know where I was going, but I just had to get out of town and escape the name ‘Scaredy-Cat Sam’. I would have a brave adventure. And I would have to do it while Na-Na was napping and before my mum and dad got home from work.

So I packed a bag with everything I’d need for my new life on the run:

My custom-made space helmet (to protect my head from ghost attacks)

My extremely valuable SPACE BLASTERS special edition collectible cards (for bartering)

Poison mist (my mum’s hairspray)

Bag of rice (a spaceman’s gotta eat)

Bottle of my favourite hot sauce (good for blinding ghosts and also for seasoning my food)

Extra pair of underwear (just in case I had another ghost related incident)

I didn’t want my family to worry, so I left them a note.

Dear Mum, Dad, Na-Na, Lucy and Butterbutt,

I’m very sorry, but the time has come for me to blast-off to the far beyond for a brave adventure, and to make a new name for myself. You’ll probably never see me again. Don’t believe any rumours you hear about me.

Mum, it was me who broke your favourite vase, not Butterbutt.

Dad, please stop doing the hokey-cokey at family parties.

Na-Na, sorry I won’t be there to help you weed the garden.

Lucy, help Na-Na weed the garden. And don’t let Butterbutt in my room.

Love,

Spaceman Sam

PS Watch out for the Ghost King. He’s tricky – I know from experience.

It was almost a clean escape. But then my little sister Lucy came into the kitchen just as I was putting the rice in my backpack. She was holding Butterbutt (who was looking especially evil).

‘Sam,’ she said, stroking Butterbutt, ‘why are you putting a bag of rice in your backpack?’

‘None of your business!’ I said, without making eye contact with her.

She put down Butterbutt and started poking through my backpack. Butterbutt began attacking my ankles. I was definitely NOT going to miss him.

‘What are you doing with Mum’s hairspray?’ said Lucy.

‘That’s NOT hairspray, it’s poison mist for me to use on my enemies. And put it back.’

‘You don’t have any enemies,’ she said.

‘I have plenty of enemies,’ I said, grimly. But I didn’t want her to be too scared, so I put on a tough voice and added, ‘But that’s nothing for you to worry about, little Lucy.’

Lucy frowned. ‘Why do you sound so stuffy? Do you need to blow your nose?’

I glared at her. ‘Never mind,’ I said. ‘Now go back to your room. I’ve got things to do, places to go, ghosts to banish, things to blast . . .’

I swung my backpack on my shoulders with a grunt. It was heavier than I’d thought. It was probably the rice, which was taking up most of the space. I patted Lucy on the head.

‘Be good for Mum and Dad,’ I said. ‘And help Na-Na in the garden.’

‘You’re so weird,’ she said, but she went back to her room and Butterbutt followed her (with one final swipe at my feet).

And then it was time for my great escape – my brave adventure. I couldn’t even tell Zoe or Bernard where I was going.²

Unfortunately, it was still daytime, and I couldn’t see the moon, so I stopped at the park and went on the swings for a while.

I was pretty lonely, swinging by myself. I was going to have to get used to that, though, being bravely on the run, all alone.

I thought about when Spaceman Jack was on the run from the Ghost King and what he did. Then it hit me. I needed a trusty companion! Just like Spaceman Jack had his flying lizard, Three-Headed Tommy!

Three-Headed Tommy is always by Spaceman Jack’s side. Whether they’re eating on TUBS or getting sucked through black holes or exploring a new galaxy, wherever Spaceman Jack goes, Tommy is there too. So I knew I wouldn’t get lonely (or only very occasionally a tiny bit scared) if I had my own trusty companion.

I hopped on Two-Wheel TUBS and sped to the pet shop.