growling, snapping their teeth.
Forward. Forward. Toward the edge of the yard.
Will it work? Evan wondered. Will the jolt of electricity destroy the ugly,
destructive things?
22
He swung the broom hard, batting the monsters forward.
Swung it again.
They bobbed and bounced over the low shrubs that divided the yards.
On into Conan Barber’s backyard.
“Nooooooo!” Kermit let out a cry and slapped his forehead. “The switch! I
forgot to turn it on again!”
Creatures bounced into the next yard. Beneath the tufts of black hair, their
skin glowed bright blue in the morning sunlight.
“You jerk!” Evan shrieked at his cousin. “How could you forget again? How could you?”
Andy plopped down on the grass, lowering her head and uttering an unhappy
sigh.
Kermit fumbled in his back pocket for the fence control. He finally tugged it
out and pressed the red button to turn on the power.
ZZZAAAAAP!
Evan shrieked and leaped into the air as a powerful shock jolted through him.
“I told you not to stand there!” Kermit cried.
Evan jumped aside.
“I turned it up all the way!” Kermit declared.
“Too late,” Evan muttered.
The Monster Blood creatures had all bounced and rolled into the next
backyard.
Conan’s yard.
“Oh, no,” Evan moaned softly. “Here comes more trouble.”
All three of them gasped as Conan came lumbering across his yard, a can of
Coke in one hand, his other hand balled into a tight, angry fist.
23
“Conan—go back!” Evan warned. But his voice came out tiny and weak. He knew
that Conan couldn’t hear him over the growls and snarls of the Monster Blood
creatures.
“What’s the big idea?” Conan boomed. “It’s not my birthday! Get these
balloons out of my yard!”
“Get back! Get back!” Evan tried to warn him.
Kermit and Andy stood frozen, watching Conan storm toward the bouncing, evil
blobs.
Evan waved frantically with both hands. “Get back—!”
Conan scowled at him. “Are you ordering me around in my own yard?”
“But—but—” Evan sputtered.
Conan kicked at one of the creatures. “Whoa. This balloon has hair on it!”
He bent to pick the creature up—and it jumped onto his arm. With a growl,
it swallowed Conan’s Coke can.
“Hey—!” Conan protested.
The creature started to swell up from the liquid.
Conan struggled to shake it off. But it clung tightly to his arm.
And then, with a loud, wet POP, it exploded.
Thick slime splashed over Conan’s face. He spluttered, thrashed his arms out
in surprise. Wiped the slimy goo from his eyes.
And blinked at two hairy, round creatures clinging to his arm.
“Get these off me!” he shrieked.
With a furious cry, he swung his free arm—and batted the two blobs
together. They made a loud SQUISH as they collided with each other. And
they dropped to the ground.
Another creature bit into Conan’s leg. Conan stumbled and tripped over
another one.
He pulled himself up quickly, glaring furiously at Kermit. “You invented
these hairy things—didn’t you!” he accused. “Don’t even answer. It’s some kind
of lab experiment—right? I know this is your kind of thing.”
“No. Listen—” Kermit started weakly.
Another Monster Blood creature exploded, sending a wave of cold slime over
Conan.
He spluttered again and tried to wipe it away. Then he shook a fist at them.
“It’ll be payback time—real soon,” he threatened. “Payback time!”
And he slunk back toward his house, covered in slime.
Evan breathed a sigh of relief. We have enough problems without having Conan
in our face, he thought.
Of course, Conan will be back. But we can’t worry about that now.
He gazed over the backyards. The Monster Blood creatures were spreading out
over the entire block.
What are we going to do? Evan wondered.
He turned back to the house. “Hey—Aunt Dee is home!” he cried.
“When did she get back?” Kermit wondered.
“We have to tell her what’s
Forward. Forward. Toward the edge of the yard.
Will it work? Evan wondered. Will the jolt of electricity destroy the ugly,
destructive things?
22
He swung the broom hard, batting the monsters forward.
Swung it again.
They bobbed and bounced over the low shrubs that divided the yards.
On into Conan Barber’s backyard.
“Nooooooo!” Kermit let out a cry and slapped his forehead. “The switch! I
forgot to turn it on again!”
Creatures bounced into the next yard. Beneath the tufts of black hair, their
skin glowed bright blue in the morning sunlight.
“You jerk!” Evan shrieked at his cousin. “How could you forget again? How could you?”
Andy plopped down on the grass, lowering her head and uttering an unhappy
sigh.
Kermit fumbled in his back pocket for the fence control. He finally tugged it
out and pressed the red button to turn on the power.
ZZZAAAAAP!
Evan shrieked and leaped into the air as a powerful shock jolted through him.
“I told you not to stand there!” Kermit cried.
Evan jumped aside.
“I turned it up all the way!” Kermit declared.
“Too late,” Evan muttered.
The Monster Blood creatures had all bounced and rolled into the next
backyard.
Conan’s yard.
“Oh, no,” Evan moaned softly. “Here comes more trouble.”
All three of them gasped as Conan came lumbering across his yard, a can of
Coke in one hand, his other hand balled into a tight, angry fist.
23
“Conan—go back!” Evan warned. But his voice came out tiny and weak. He knew
that Conan couldn’t hear him over the growls and snarls of the Monster Blood
creatures.
“What’s the big idea?” Conan boomed. “It’s not my birthday! Get these
balloons out of my yard!”
“Get back! Get back!” Evan tried to warn him.
Kermit and Andy stood frozen, watching Conan storm toward the bouncing, evil
blobs.
Evan waved frantically with both hands. “Get back—!”
Conan scowled at him. “Are you ordering me around in my own yard?”
“But—but—” Evan sputtered.
Conan kicked at one of the creatures. “Whoa. This balloon has hair on it!”
He bent to pick the creature up—and it jumped onto his arm. With a growl,
it swallowed Conan’s Coke can.
“Hey—!” Conan protested.
The creature started to swell up from the liquid.
Conan struggled to shake it off. But it clung tightly to his arm.
And then, with a loud, wet POP, it exploded.
Thick slime splashed over Conan’s face. He spluttered, thrashed his arms out
in surprise. Wiped the slimy goo from his eyes.
And blinked at two hairy, round creatures clinging to his arm.
“Get these off me!” he shrieked.
With a furious cry, he swung his free arm—and batted the two blobs
together. They made a loud SQUISH as they collided with each other. And
they dropped to the ground.
Another creature bit into Conan’s leg. Conan stumbled and tripped over
another one.
He pulled himself up quickly, glaring furiously at Kermit. “You invented
these hairy things—didn’t you!” he accused. “Don’t even answer. It’s some kind
of lab experiment—right? I know this is your kind of thing.”
“No. Listen—” Kermit started weakly.
Another Monster Blood creature exploded, sending a wave of cold slime over
Conan.
He spluttered again and tried to wipe it away. Then he shook a fist at them.
“It’ll be payback time—real soon,” he threatened. “Payback time!”
And he slunk back toward his house, covered in slime.
Evan breathed a sigh of relief. We have enough problems without having Conan
in our face, he thought.
Of course, Conan will be back. But we can’t worry about that now.
He gazed over the backyards. The Monster Blood creatures were spreading out
over the entire block.
What are we going to do? Evan wondered.
He turned back to the house. “Hey—Aunt Dee is home!” he cried.
“When did she get back?” Kermit wondered.
“We have to tell her what’s
Similar Books
