Soot shrieked, waking up the huge bird.
If there is one thing you must know about the Great Bavarian Mountain Owl, it’s that the species is not good in the mornings. Oh no. They are by nature nocturnal creatures, so once they go to sleep, they prefer to doze until the afternoon, potter around a bit, have a very late breakfast or brunch, preen their feathers for a while, catch up with the latest owl news, all before they really do anything.
Wake up a Great Bavarian Mountain Owl before noon at your peril.
That’s exactly what the unfortunate boy did.
The bird squawked violently at Soot, and hopped up from the bed. He bounced up and down for a short while, trying to peck peck peck at the little ghost. Next the bird flapped his huge wings and took to the air. He chased the boy all around Alberta’s bedroom squawking and trying to grab him with his sharp talons.
“AAAAAAAAAHH!” screamed Soot, as he tried desperately to fend the bird off. He rushed to the door. It was locked.
The owl was pecking at Soot even more ferociously now with his razor-sharp bill.
Like a mouse trapped in a house the boy scuttled around the edges of the room. This was no use, the bird simply dive-bombed him from above. Desperately Soot started trying to hide behind the glass cabinets, but the owl tossed them aside with his powerful wings. Stuffed owls crashed through the glass and on to the floor. It was a macabre sight. Soon Aunt Alberta’s bedroom was a mess of broken cabinets, smashed glass and stuffed owls – in strange outfits.
Frantically Soot reached for the nearest object he could find. This happened to be a tiddlywinks set. He lifted it high above his head and crashed it into Wagner’s face, sending multicoloured discs flying through the air.
But the great owl kept coming.
Soot had to escape. The only way out was the way he came in. The boy dashed towards the fireplace, and started trying to scrabble up the chimney.
“Aaargh!” he screamed.
The owl had grabbed hold of Soot’s foot with his bill and was tugging him back down. With his other foot Soot landed a sharp blow on the bird’s head and his bill snapped open to squawk.
Soot then scrambled up the chimney. With the fireplace well below him he felt safe for a moment. That oversized bird was giving him the screamin’ abdabs*! But surely he couldn’t follow him up here?
He was wrong.
Soot looked down.
Travelling up the chimney like a missile was Wagner, his eyes gleaming in the dark. The bird’s bill was biting the air wildly. He wanted to rip the boy to shreds.
“Noooo…!” screamed Soot, his cry echoing through all the chimneys and tunnels of the house.