more tentacles were tethering themselves around his arms and wrists and waist. “Come on, help me! I’m losing my grip!”
Robert hated Glenn more than anyone he’d met in his entire life, but what else could he do? No one deserved this. Whatever
this
was. He swung his leg with all his might, kicking one of the tentacles. It didn’t budge.
Another tentacle slithered out of the locker and grabbed Glenn’s right ankle, yanking his leg into the black vortex. He was off the ground now, hanging on for his life, nearly consumed. Robert reached out and grabbed Glenn’s wrists, trying to pull him out, but he was no match for the beast beyond the locker.
“Don’t let go!” Glenn yelled, his eyes wide with terror. “Please, Robert, don’t you let—” And then a thin purple tentacle coiled itself around Glenn’smouth, silencing his voice.
Robert could feel Glenn’s wrists slipping through his fingers. It was too late. He was losing his grip and Glenn was going to disappear inside the black, swirling vortex …
And then Robert felt four tiny paws racing up his back and vaulting over his shoulder. Pip and Squeak landed on the largest tentacle and sank their teeth into it. From deep within the locker came a low, bellowing roar. Pip and Squeak bit again and again. Fizzy green goo bubbled out of the wounds like a strange toxic sludge. One by one, the tentacles released their grip on Glenn and retreated into the locker. Robert pulled hard on Glenn’s wrists, yanking him back into the hallway. Both boys landed in a heap on the floor and for a long time, at least a minute, they didn’t move. They were too numb and frightened and exhausted to do anything.
The next time Robert looked at his locker, it resembled a perfectly ordinary locker, with rigid metal walls and a hook for hanging coats. Pip and Squeak wereresting contentedly on the small shelf near the top.
“What just happened?” Glenn finally asked.
“We saved your life,” Robert said. “You’re supposed to say thank you.”
TWELVE
Robert stepped through the front door of his house and called out to his mother. “Mom, are you here?”
“In the kitchen,” she called back.
“I brought a friend for dinner, is that okay?”
“You brought a
what
?”
Glenn lingered in the doorway, as if he hadn’t made up his mind to stay or go. “Maybe I should just leave,” he whispered. “We could talk tomorrow—”
Mrs. Arthur came out to the living room, wiping her wet hands on a dish towel. “Come in, come in!” she exclaimed warmly, as if the governor of Massachusetts had just arrived in her living room.
“Mom, this is Glenn.”
“You’re one of Robert’s classmates? You go to Lovecraft Middle School?”
Glenn shrugged. “I guess.”
“It’s very nice to meet you. We’d love to have you stay for dinner. Does your mom know you’re here? Do you want me to call her?”
“She lives in Arizona.”
“Oh,” Mrs. Arthur said. “How about your father?”
“You don’t need to call anyone, Mrs. Arthur.”
“Well, dinner will be ready at five. Let me fix you a snack in the meantime.”
The boys carried bowls of pretzels and potato chips up to Robert’s bedroom. Once the door was closed, Robert unzipped his backpack and the rats scampered out onto the carpet.
“This is Pip and Squeak. We’ll need to swipe some food for them at dinner. Whatever you can drop in your lap without my mother noticing. They eat pretty much anything.”
Glenn stared at the creature, fascinated. Pip andSqueak seemed to relish the attention. They smiled, chattered their teeth, and purred.
“Which one controls the body?”
“I’m not sure. They might take turns.”
“I thought Professor Goyle got rid of them.”
“He tried,” Robert said. “But last night I snuck into his classroom and took them back.”
“You did not!”
“I sure did. And that’s not the worst part.”
Robert told Glenn the whole story. He started with Karina and the attic above
Robert hated Glenn more than anyone he’d met in his entire life, but what else could he do? No one deserved this. Whatever
this
was. He swung his leg with all his might, kicking one of the tentacles. It didn’t budge.
Another tentacle slithered out of the locker and grabbed Glenn’s right ankle, yanking his leg into the black vortex. He was off the ground now, hanging on for his life, nearly consumed. Robert reached out and grabbed Glenn’s wrists, trying to pull him out, but he was no match for the beast beyond the locker.
“Don’t let go!” Glenn yelled, his eyes wide with terror. “Please, Robert, don’t you let—” And then a thin purple tentacle coiled itself around Glenn’smouth, silencing his voice.
Robert could feel Glenn’s wrists slipping through his fingers. It was too late. He was losing his grip and Glenn was going to disappear inside the black, swirling vortex …
And then Robert felt four tiny paws racing up his back and vaulting over his shoulder. Pip and Squeak landed on the largest tentacle and sank their teeth into it. From deep within the locker came a low, bellowing roar. Pip and Squeak bit again and again. Fizzy green goo bubbled out of the wounds like a strange toxic sludge. One by one, the tentacles released their grip on Glenn and retreated into the locker. Robert pulled hard on Glenn’s wrists, yanking him back into the hallway. Both boys landed in a heap on the floor and for a long time, at least a minute, they didn’t move. They were too numb and frightened and exhausted to do anything.
The next time Robert looked at his locker, it resembled a perfectly ordinary locker, with rigid metal walls and a hook for hanging coats. Pip and Squeak wereresting contentedly on the small shelf near the top.
“What just happened?” Glenn finally asked.
“We saved your life,” Robert said. “You’re supposed to say thank you.”
TWELVE
Robert stepped through the front door of his house and called out to his mother. “Mom, are you here?”
“In the kitchen,” she called back.
“I brought a friend for dinner, is that okay?”
“You brought a
what
?”
Glenn lingered in the doorway, as if he hadn’t made up his mind to stay or go. “Maybe I should just leave,” he whispered. “We could talk tomorrow—”
Mrs. Arthur came out to the living room, wiping her wet hands on a dish towel. “Come in, come in!” she exclaimed warmly, as if the governor of Massachusetts had just arrived in her living room.
“Mom, this is Glenn.”
“You’re one of Robert’s classmates? You go to Lovecraft Middle School?”
Glenn shrugged. “I guess.”
“It’s very nice to meet you. We’d love to have you stay for dinner. Does your mom know you’re here? Do you want me to call her?”
“She lives in Arizona.”
“Oh,” Mrs. Arthur said. “How about your father?”
“You don’t need to call anyone, Mrs. Arthur.”
“Well, dinner will be ready at five. Let me fix you a snack in the meantime.”
The boys carried bowls of pretzels and potato chips up to Robert’s bedroom. Once the door was closed, Robert unzipped his backpack and the rats scampered out onto the carpet.
“This is Pip and Squeak. We’ll need to swipe some food for them at dinner. Whatever you can drop in your lap without my mother noticing. They eat pretty much anything.”
Glenn stared at the creature, fascinated. Pip andSqueak seemed to relish the attention. They smiled, chattered their teeth, and purred.
“Which one controls the body?”
“I’m not sure. They might take turns.”
“I thought Professor Goyle got rid of them.”
“He tried,” Robert said. “But last night I snuck into his classroom and took them back.”
“You did not!”
“I sure did. And that’s not the worst part.”
Robert told Glenn the whole story. He started with Karina and the attic above
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