They Call Me Creature by R.L. Stine Page B

okay.”
    The dog whimpered softly, too weak to raise his head from the grass.
    I looked up to see Ellen running, bringing my dad, pointing furiously to Georgie. “He was attacked!” I shouted to Dad. “His leg—it’s pretty bad.”
    Dad’s mouth dropped open when he saw the chewed-up leg. “He’s losing a lot of blood. I’ll slow the bleeding.” Dad took off his T-shirt and shredded it.
    â€œLaura, go in the house and get the bandages,” he said as he wrapped Georgie’s leg in a strip from his T-shirt. “We’d better get him to a vet—fast. He’s going to need surgery on this leg.”
    Dad and I carried poor Georgie to the van and set him down gently on the backseat. He stared at us with those big, dark eyes and didn’t move. We were covered in blood.
    â€œI’ll call you later,” I told Ellen. I climbed into the van beside Dad.
    â€œHope he’s okay,” Ellen said, shaking her head sadly. Her eyes glistened with tears. “Call me!”
    As Dad backed the van down the driveway, Georgie whimpered softly behind us.
    â€œI think I saw the animal that attacked Georgie,” I said.
    â€œWhat was it?” Dad kept his eyes on the road.
    â€œWell, I’m not really sure. It was too dark to see clearly. But it was about Georgie’s size—” I told him.
    â€œWell, that could be anything,” Dad interrupted.
    â€œI know,” I said. “But here’s the weird thing. It was running on four legs. And then it stopped and stood up, and ran into the woods on two legs.”
    Dad swallowed. “Two legs?” He didn’t take his eyes off the road.
    â€œYes. Isn’t that strange?”
    Dad didn’t reply.
    I glanced out the window. Most of the houses we passed were dark. Georgie cried softly in the backseat.
    â€œHey, wait!” I cried. “This isn’t the way to the animal hospital! Dad—turn around!”
    â€œI’m not going to the animal hospital,” Dad said softly, still avoiding my stare.
    â€œBut—but—” I sputtered.
    â€œThere’s a good place in Walker Falls,” he said. “I know the doctors there. They will—”
    â€œWalker Falls? But that’s two towns away!” I shrieked.
    â€œIt’s a good place,” Dad insisted. “They’re experts at this kind of surgery.”
    â€œBut, Dad—”
    Finally he turned to me. To my shock, his eyes were cold. His expression remained hard. “Don’t argue with me, Laura. I know what I’m doing.”
    â€œOkay. Fine.” I sighed. I turned away from him and stared out the window.
    We drove the rest of the way in silence.
    Dad won’t go near the animal hospital, I realized. Even in an emergency like this one.
    Why won’t he go there? I wondered.
    What did he do that he can no longer face Dr. Carpenter?
    What horrible thing did he do?

 

    We had to leave Georgie in the hospital. The vet cleaned and stitched up the wound. But he wasn’t sure if Georgie’s leg could be saved. We’d have to wait and see.
    When we got home, I couldn’t sleep. I tossed and turned all night, thinking about Georgie, thinking about the weird animal that attacked him. So many strange things were going on in the woods.
    I had to find out what was going on there. And I couldn’t do it from Chicago.
    My whole life suddenly seemed out of control. I was afraid now of the thing I loved most—the woods. And I was angry with Dad. Angry because he didn’t trust me. Or confide in me. Angry because he wanted to send me away.
    I was afraid of him, too, I realized. I didn’t know my own father anymore. I was afraid of what he might do next.
    After school I hurried to the animal hospital. Dr. Carpenter greeted me in the waiting room. She looked really stressed. She had dark rings under her eyes, and her blond hair was unbrushed, falling in damp