Andrew hates his jumble-sale coat from the moment he first sets eyes on it.

Big, red and shiny, with sharp, teeth-like zips and flaps that look like nasty green eyes, the coat clings to Andrew like an octopus.

This is no ordinary coat, he is sure; it's a killer coat that wants to hurt him.

The problem is that his mother won't take his worries seriously.

Is the coat really a monster or is Andrew's imagination running away with him?Susan Gates is the author of "Dragline" and "Deadline for Danny's Beach", and "Beetle and Biosphere".