Shane Hegarty’s christmas story starter ‘Something in the Living Room’ is read by Kwaku Fortune

Shane Hegarty is an Irish author for young audiences. His bestselling Darkmouth series, about a reluctant monster hunter, has been translated into over a dozen languages and a major animated film is in the works. 
His Christmas story starter is read by actor Kwaku Fortune, who was most recently seen in Normal People and Asking for It

Something In The Living Room

“Pony! Pony! Pony!” my little sister Eve shouted. “Ponyponyponypony!!”

It was Christmas morning. Me and Eve had been up a whole hour already because we had been woken by a noise. 

It had to be have been Santa visiting our house and we were going to exPLODE if we had to wait any longer to see what he had brought us. 

We tried to wake Mum and Dad.

“It de middull of de nite,” Dad complained with his face buried in his pillow. 

“It can’t be the middle of the night!” I said, running back to the bed. “Santa’s already been. We heard him.” 

Mum snorted a big snorty snore. It sounded like a pig crossed with a drill.

“How long do we have to wait?” I asked Dad.

 “One … hour,” Dad mumbled, sleepily.

“One!” counted Eve before running out of the bedroom.

“Ffffftrrrkkkklllpppttt,” snorted Mum, sounding like a baboon mixed with a duck.

Me and Eve raced down the stairs to the living room. I’m big so went two steps at a time. Eve slid down the bannisters and landed with a grunt on the winter coats piled at the end. 

The only light in our hallway came from the moon shining through the window over our front door. It made the silver stars on my pyjamas wink.

We heard slurping from the living room. 

“Pony!” gasped Eve. 

She shoved through the door – and screamed. 

I followed her in and, seeing what Eve was looking at, I screamed too. 

There was something in the living room. 

It screamed.

It was not a pony…