Creeped Out by Z. Fraillon Page B

command. There was a moment of tense silence, and then the sack opened wide. The Cranklesucker scuttled out of the sack and skidded around the students before coming and sitting obediently at Mr Golag’s feet.
    Jasper didn’t think the Cranklesucker seemed too bad, for a monster. It looked like some sort of bat-dog. Well, a warped bat-dog, with venomous lumpy spines and big fangs.
    â€˜A Cranklesucker is a bit like a leech in monster form,’ Mr Golag announced. ‘It may not look so dangerous, but in the wild, this little beauty will latch onto your nose and suck you dry of blood in four minutes and twenty-eight seconds.’
    Jasper felt himself move back in his chair. The monster had turned around and seemed to be eyeballing the students one by one.
    Probably working out which of us is the juiciest, Jasper thought.
    â€˜But don’t Munchers eat people?’ asked Saffy, apparently not worried that there was a bloodsucking killer in the room. ‘Is it still a Muncher if it sucks your blood?’
    â€˜Munchers don’t always eat whole people,’ said Mr Golag. ‘Many of them just eat parts of people. And your blood is a part of you.’
    â€˜Oh, that’s much better,’ muttered Felix.
    â€˜In fact, Cranklesuckers don’t even use their teeth to attack. They use their lips for suction. But don’t worry,’ Mr Golag continued. ‘I have this Cranklesucker so perfectly trained that he won’t even think about the delicious, saltysweet young blood in the room. At least, not while I keep focused on exactly what I want him to do.’
    Mr Golag went quiet again. Jasper got the feeling that his teacher knew just a bit too much about how young blood might taste. It wasn’t a comforting thought.
    Mr Golag must have noticed the way Jasper was looking at him. ‘Ahem. It’s all about getting into the right frame of mind,’ he explained. ‘You must think like the creature you are manipulating.’
    Then Mr Golag whistled once again, and this time the monster scurried up his leg and around his back, before perching happily on his head. Mr Golag smiled, and looked around the class as though expecting applause.
    â€˜There. So simple. Just focus.’ Mr Golag gestured back at the flies in their glass jars. ‘Focus, and think like a fly.’
    Jasper was still trying to work out exactly how a fly might think, when he felt Mr Golag’s hairy, knobbly hand on his shoulder.
    â€˜Good. First think , then do !’ he whispered in Jasper’s ear.
    Jasper looked at the fly. He imagined he was the fly, swooping towards the top of the glass. He thought about the sensation of taking off into the air.
    â€˜Yes!’ Mr Golag cheered as Jasper’s fly took off inside the glass. Jasper was sure it had been a fluke, but he wasn’t about to say so.
    Mr Golag thumped Jasper’s shoulder in encouragement, before heaving his way back to the front of the classroom.
    Jasper tested his fly again, imagining how it would feel to circle around the glass, and then land on his head. Sure enough, the fly flew three perfect circles around the glass, then settled into a perfect fly headstand.
    Awesome, Jasper thought. He grinned and started fantasising about the pranks he’d play if he could control something – even a fly.
    Jasper glanced up at Mr Golag. The teacher was rummaging around in the sack, mumbling as he did so. The Cranklesucker had moved onto Mr Golag’s shoulder and was bobbing happily up and down, humming to itself.
    Jasper lifted the glass away from the fly. But rather than buzzing off, the fly stayed on the desk, looking at him.
    Jasper stared closely at the fly. He imagined his legs pushing off from the table top, zooming up into the air, his wings buzzing merrily as he made his way towards Saffy who was sitting three desks away.
    Watch out, Saffy, here I come, Jasper thought.
    Jasper couldn’t believe it. The fly did