Benjamin Franklinstein Meets the Fright Brothers by Matthew McElligott Page A

stock-still.
    â€œHis eyes!” Scott said, pointing at Franklin. “They’re changing color.”
    Red!
    â€œCome on!” Victor dragged Scott down an aisle toward the back of the store.
    They peered through a shelf. Franklin flung the phone into the air. He pressed his hands against his ears and roared.
    â€œHe’s acting the same way he did when my radio got wet!” Scott said.
    â€œIt must be the phone,” Victor said. “We’ve got to shut it off!”
    Franklin snapped his head at the sound of Victor’s voice. He thrust his arms toward the boys, fingers clutching the air, and charged down the aisle.
    â€œOr we could just get out of here!” Scott said, running for the exit.
    SMASH!
    A bathtub sailed over their heads, crashed onto the floor, and slid to a stop, blocking the door. The boys whirled around to see Franklin searching for something else heavy to throw.
    â€œRrrrrrrrraaarrrrrrrggghhhhh!”
    Victor and Scott fled down another twisting aisle.
    You could get lost in this place , Victor thought. Good thing!
    At the end of the next aisle, Scott scrambled up a tall shelf stacked high with hubcaps.
    â€œWhere are you going?” Victor whispered.
    â€œUp!”
    Victor struggled to the top. They lay flat on their stomachs, inches from the ceiling, and listened to Franklin’s heavy footsteps below them. Victor tried hard not to breathe.
    â€œThat noise is making him crazy,” Victor whispered. “Did you see where he threw the phone?”
    â€œI can hear it, but I can’t see it,” Scott whispered. “Uh-oh.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œDust. I’m . . . allergic. . . . Aaaaa-choo! ”
    Franklin’s head jerked up. He swung his arm and struck the shelf, tipping it over. Victor, Scott, and hundreds of hubcaps crashed onto the hard floor below. The clatter enraged Franklin.
    Victor froze.
    Scott sprang to his feet. He picked up one of the hubcaps, aimed, and flung it Frisbee-style. It flew through the air, past Franklin’s head, and crashed against the ceiling.
    Franklin swatted at the air. He roared and shook his fists.
    â€œCut it out!” Victor said. “You’re just making him angrier!”
    Scott grabbed another hubcap and hurled it. Again, it narrowly missed Franklin and bounced off the ceiling.
    Franklin’s eyes burned brighter. He clambered over the fallen shelf toward the boys.
    â€œEven if you hit him, it’s not going to do any good,” Victor insisted. “He’s too powerful!”
    â€œI’m not aiming at him .”
    Scott picked up a third hubcap, squinted into the distance, and flung it. The hubcap whizzed over Franklin’s head and ricocheted off a broken ceiling fan. A small object fell from one of the fan’s blades.
    Victor’s phone!
    â€œI’ll distract him!” Scott said. “Get to your phone and turn it off!”
    Scott grabbed another hubcap, aimed, and hurled it at Franklin. It bounced off his forehead. Franklin shook his head, and Scott flung another. Then another.
    Victor scrambled around the rubble, dove for the phone, and pushed the Off button. The noise ceased.
    Franklin froze. His eyes slowly softened back to their natural blue.
    Scott ran to Victor’s side. “You okay?”
    â€œThanks to you,” Victor said. “That was genius.”
    Franklin blinked. He looked confused. “Weren’t we just ... somewhere else?”

    They tried their best to clean up Cousin Ernie’s store, but it was impossible. Franklin had done too much damage.
    â€œAm I to understand,” Franklin said, “that I took a phone call from someone claiming to be from the Modern Order of Prometheus, my eyes went red, and I came at you?”
    â€œYou threw a bathtub,” said Scott.
    â€œHeavens! I shall never answer a telephone again. It seems Victor and I owe you a debt of gratitude, Scott.”
    â€œWe have to get to the