And as if the world wasn’t mad enough already… Granny arrives!

It must have been about midnight when there was an almighty splash in the swimming pool. A tidal wave crashed against the window and Chicken Man and I shot out of bed, wide-eyed.

“What the hell was that?” whispered Chicken Man.

I checked the sharpness of my talons, then peeked through the curtains.

I sighed. I should have known.

Granny Were had arrived. And never one for double checking her coordinates she’d crash-landed in the pool.

As I watched the spacepod bobbing on the surface of the water, a hatch swung open and an old bird with sagging jowls and a mean eye, clambered into view.

“Oy there!” she screeched. “This is water. I’m not a duck!”

Lights flashed on in the neighbouring houses.

I bolted from the door.

“Sssh!” I hissed.

“Ssssh? Who are you ssssshing? Now that’s what I call welcome. Some granddaughter you are!”

I muttered under my breath. “And some grandmother you are.”

“I heard that!”

She would. Granny can hear a creaking stair from the next house – it’s part of her “were-ness”.

“Well, whaddayawaitin’ for? Get me outta here!”

And so it is. Granny Were, my werechicken grandma has arrived. And everyone knows about it.

Chicken Man went and hid in the cupboard for the next twelve hours. It was probably a wise move. A werechicken granny, squawked out after a long intergalactic flight is not a pleasant creature to meet. I’m hoping by the time she’s slept off the journey – and all the beans she ate on the way – I’ll be able to reintroduce them and hope they get off a better second start.

Now the trial of having Granny around begins. Ba-kaaaak!