The Slime That Would Not Die by Laura Dower

I needed most.”
    Could I have seen this coming? I knew there was something fishy about that VIP list! I never would have guessed in a zillion years that Oswald Leery would want my help to eliminate an actual B-Monster!
    â€œTogether, I need your help to locate my entire catalog of original B-Monster movies. Some are right here in Riddle. Others may be halfway across the world. And owners won’t always be willing to part with them. But we must find them all!”
    Leery moved closer to the camera.
    â€œThere is one more thing!” he cried. My stomach wrenched. Now I really could see his nose hair. I could almost feel him breathing on me.
    â€œI know you will guard my secret, the secret of the Bs,” Leery said. “But be careful who you talk to! There will be people who know things about the monsters. They will help you along the way. But you, Jesse, Damon, Stella, and Lindsey, you are the true Monster Squad.”
    All at once, static filled the screen. The camera sizzled.
    POOF!
    Oswald Leery was gone.

CHAPTER 11
    SMELLS LIKE FEET
    The lights inside the screening room blared on. I realized that I had squeezed my chair’s armrests so tightly that my fingers had gone completely numb. The truth was, I felt numb all over. None of us said a word. Could it all possibly be true?
    Walter reappeared. He strode to a small platform in front of the enormous screen.
    â€œAny questions?” he asked.
    Still no one said a word.
    â€œCome now!” Walter said. “You must have questions.”
    â€œThis is some kind of crazy hoax!” Damon cried.
    Walter Block shook his head. “No, this is real, my friends. Dr. Leery recorded that message for you just two weeks ago. He was on a remote island in the South Pacific Ocean, searching for Mega Mantis , who escaped again after the original film had been shown in error.”
    â€œDid you say Mega Mantis is on the loose ?” Lindsey stammered.
    Walter nodded. “Dr. Leery is traveling in the hope that he might get the monster’s coordinates and possibly tempt it to come to Riddle—or somewhere else.”
    I raised my hand. “Excuse me, but by any chance is this some kind of candid-camera reality show where my friend Garth is going to jump out from behind that curtain and yell ‘GOTCHA’?”
    Walter smiled. “No, Jesse. I’m afraid not.”
    â€œWhy us ?” Stella asked. “I mean, Oswald Leery has a huge number of fans. Why did he pick four random kids from Riddle to share his secret—and destroy the monsters?”
    Walter cleared his throat. “That is a very good question, Stella. And I have a very good answer. No one was chosen randomly. You all have connections to the Bs. Jesse had his Uncle Rich “Danger” Ranger. Lindsey’s grandfather Max took photos for the studio. And of course, Damon’s family owns the old Drive-O-Rama.”
    â€œWhat about me?” Stella asked. “No one in my family even likes monsters, let alone B-Monsters with fourteen tentacles and death breath. Why am I here?”
    Walter dimmed the lights and showed us a photograph up on the screen.
    â€œHey!” Stella said. “That’s my Great Auntie San San. Where did you get that?”
    â€œYour Great Aunt Sandra was one of the most popular B-Monster movie actresses ever. She won awards for all the roles she played. She was convincing as a spider lady or a gorilla tamer or a scientist from space. She was a mistress of disguise, the best of the Bs.”
    Stella got real quiet. “Great Auntie San San is an actress ? She never leaves her house.”
    â€œYes.” Walter nodded. “But she went into hiding only after the B-Monsters started coming to life. She went a little, well . . . crazy.”
    â€œCrazy just like you , Stella!” Damon cried.
    â€œQuit it, Molloy!” Lindsey yelled. “If this is going to work at all, we need to work