Phantom Castle

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C HAPTER 1 My brother Arthur is concentrating very hard.

I can tell from his tightly-pursed lips and knitted-together eyebrows. “It’s been a superlative holiday!” he announces proudly, expecting everyone to look impressed by his big word.

My brother is three years older than me, you see, so he likes to think he knows more than I do.

I roll my eyes, while Mum smiles and says, “Thank you, Arthur, it has indeed been a superlative holiday.”

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Arthur looks very pleased with himself and gives me a smug look as he struts back into the caravan.

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He is so busy looking smug though that he doesn’t see the step and stumbles on his way into the caravan. I smile.

I really don’t want our holiday to end. You see, I’ve been staying with my mum, dad and brother in a really big caravan on a really big campsite, with a really big pool. I really don’t want to go home and back to school!

But there is something else that is bothering me, because I still haven’t found

anything super-special for my school project.

My teacher, Mrs Green, has asked everyone to bring in something that shows what we’ve done in the holidays, when we go back to school next week.

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I’ve started to collect all sorts of things – a Cumbrian seashell, a Cumbrian bar of soap, a Cumbrian glow-in-the-dark bracelet, and a lovely, super-smooth, speckled Cumbrian pebble – but I still haven’t found anything quite special enough.

Arthur is also looking for something to bring back to school. He has to make a presentation about an interesting animal.

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“What have you thought of for your school project?” I ask Arthur.

“That’s an absolute top secret, Bel,” says Arthur.

“Why is that?” I ask.

“Aha!” says Arthur, tapping the side of his nose knowingly with his finger. “Well, that would be telling, wouldn’t it?!”

My brother can be seriously annoying like that. “Please?” I say, but I can tell from Arthur’s face that I can’t persuade him.

Just then, Mum comes in, looking really worried. “Arthur,” she says, “what is that terrible smell coming from this tin under your bed?”

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She waves the tin in the air as far away from her nose as she can. I have to hold my nose and Mum quickly opens the caravan door wide open. The smell is disgusting! On the tin, there’s a piece of paper stuck down. “TOP SECRET!” and “KEEP OUT!” are written in capital letters, with a picture of a skull and crossbones.

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