The Poison Factory Read Online Free PDF

charged at them, but his clawed feet impaled a couple of mechanical rabbits, and then he skidded through a pool of robo-pooh and flipped onto his back. His feet flew into the air, throwing the unlucky bunnies far across the room.
    The three children belted out of the kitchen, and down the corridor. Gaz slapped the button to call the elevator. It pinged gently. Behind them, Albert clawed his way out of the kitchen through the mass of robotic toys. Glaring at the children, he snarled, and clattered towards them.
    ‘Come on! Come on!’ Damo was yelling at the elevator doors.
    There was another bell chime and the doors slid open. Gaz pushed the others in and punched the button to shut the doors again. They clamped closed just as Albert slammed into them with a frustrated roar.
    They all slumped against the walls, exhausted. Gaz pulled out the bottom of his t-shirt, and the TruthScorpion dropped to the floor. He kicked it away from him. Damo was struggling to find his scorpion in his big, baggy tracksuit top.
    ‘Here, what are you doing?’ Hayley asked. ‘Let me help.’
    She reached up the back of the jumper and was pulling the scorpion out when it twisted in her hand and stung her. Her face went all rosy, and her eyes glazed over.
    ‘Aw, no,’ Gaz groaned.

    ‘Listen, I have to tell you this lads!’ Hayley exclaimed, grinning madly. ‘You’ve both been sending me Valentine cards for years!’
    ‘No I haven’t!’ Damo snorted a little too loudly, rolling his eyes. ‘Girls are so soppy.’
    ‘Yeah!’ Gaz spluttered. ‘She’s … she’s lost her mind or somethin’. I never sent any cards …’
    Both boys fell into an embarrassed silence, desperately hoping Hayley’s scorpion sting would wear off quickly.

7
Dying To Go
    T he elevator took Gaz, Hayley and Damo up to the top floor. In the few seconds of peace, they each treated themselves to a sweet from the bag, as a reward for escaping from the cockroaches, and to help Hayley get over her embarrassing bout of honesty.
    ‘We’d better go easy on these,’ Gaz said, warily. ‘There’s not many left. We’ve got to have some for Molars.’
    When the doors slid open, they found themselves on a flat, open section of rooftop. Across from them was a door, marked ‘Management’. It was the only door they could see.
    ‘So where’s the security office?’ Damo moaned. ‘How do we find Joey?’
    ‘I don’t know,’ Gaz sighed. ‘But I need to go for apee right now, or I’m goin’ to burst.’
    ‘Me too,’ Damo agreed.
    They went up to the base of a chimney that jutted out from the roof, and unzipped their flies.
    ‘Bet I can get higher up than you can,’ Gaz said.
    ‘In your dreams, bud!’ Damo laughed.
    ‘Typical boys!’ Hayley muttered, disgusted.
    She turned away to look out over the rooftops. She needed to go too, but she decided to hold on until she found a proper toilet. When the boys were done, all three of them walked across to the door marked ‘Management’. Gaz knocked nervously, and a voice inside beckoned them in. They opened the door to find themselves faced with a small science lab, and a wall of monitors that showed lots of different views of the factory. A thin, angular man wearing a white coat sat with his back to them on a stool at the large desk. He was working with some test tubes. He swivelled to face them, his skinny legs folded at sharp angles. They recognised his exhausted-looking face immediately. It was Cornelius, the man they had met when they had first entered the factory.

    ‘Ah,’ he said. ‘You made it. Have you got the sweets?’
    The three children looked at each other, mystified. Gaz handed over the bag. Cornelius stood up and took it, hefting in his hand and looking inside.
    ‘My! We were hungry, weren’t we? Ahhh, nobody can resist the smell of my jellies. One of my best inventions,’ he chuckled. ‘Been doing any burping, lately?’
    Hayley couldn’t contain herself any longer.
    ‘Can I use your