Over The Top: Make A Wish

I've never liked Reginald. He's a creep. No really, he is! I don't think he likes me either, but I don't mind. Its what I think of him that matters.

He's a creep because he never respects my things. He takes whatever he wants and leaves it when he's finished with it. Just dumps it. I tell him to ask me first but he never does.

"Get lost!" he says, or "Dry up!"

I don't feel like getting lost or drying up. Not when I find my bike down the end of the drive, or my skateboard in the hedge.

He comes from the city to stay with us sometimes. Mum says he hasn't got anywhere else to go. I can think of a few places I'd like him to go! Mum says he needs to get away from the city life because he's stressed, she says he has to wind down. That's what she calls it. Winding down. Is he a clock or something?

I'm scared to leave the house when Reginald comes to stay. As soon as I'm down the road, helping Dad on the farm, I know what Reginald will be doing. He'll have my models out, all over the floor, or he'll be using my new set of felts, or he'll be helping himself to my secret bag of lollies in the wardrobe ... I wish... no, I'd better not make a wish. Something happened last year, when Reginald was here ... its too dangerous to go making wishes these days.

You don't have to believe me, but this is what happened.

Reginald and I were lying in our bunks. (Mum always puts him in my room when he comes. Its a real pain. I'd rather have my sister in the bottom bunk, but she always goes to the spare room when Reginald comes). Anyway, it was really late, and we were still awake. Reginald was bragging about how good he was at everything, and I was telling him to shut up and go to sleep when there was a thump sound in one of the cupboards. I thought it was the cricket bat slipping, but the thumping sound came again.

"What's that?" whispered Reginald.

"How should I know?"

"It might be a ghost!"

"Don't be stupid!"

We heard the thump again, and scratching noises against the door.

"There's something in there!"

"I'll turn the light on." I said.

We blinked in the bright room till our eyes were adjusted, then I opened the cupboard door. That's when things really started to go haywire.