into a huge, dark cellar. Gwendolyn pulled a flaming torch
off the wall and carried it high in front of her to light our way.
“Follow me,” she whispered. “Hurry.”
The flickering torch cast a narrow path of light through the cellar. I
couldn’t see anything on either side of us. Total blackness.
Gwendolyn led us deeper into the darkness. It smelled damp and sour down
here. Somewhere in the distance I heard water dripping.
Cara and I huddled close together, trying to stay in the light of the torch.
I squeezed the bottle of Vampire Breath tightly in my hand.
Gwendolyn stopped so suddenly, we nearly walked into her.
She turned slowly. The torchlight revealed a smile on her face.
“Are we here?” Cara demanded. “Where is the door?”
“Yes. We’re here,” Gwendolyn replied in a whisper. “We’re all alone here.”
“Huh?” I cried. I didn’t understand.
“I have you all to myself here,” Gwendolyn continued. Her smile grew wider.
Her eyes were half-shut. “We won’t be interrupted by Count Nightwing or the
others.”
“But—where do we escape?” I demanded.
Gwendolyn didn’t reply.
“Why have we stopped here?” Cara cried.
“I’m so thirsssssty….” Gwendolyn hissed. “So thirssssty…”
As she lowered the torch, I saw long, pointed fangs slide down her chin.
“I’m so thirsty….” She sighed. “So terribly thirsty…”
She grabbed me by the shoulders. And I felt the scratch of her fangs against
my throat.
22
“No—!” I screamed.
I grabbed her arms and shoved her off me.
“No! Get away! Get away from me!” I howled.
Her eyes flashed excitedly. Saliva dripped from her pointed fangs. “So
thirssssty…” she hissed.
“Get away! Get away!” I pleaded.
“You want to escape, don’t you?” she teased. “This is the only way to
escape!”
She tossed back her head and opened her mouth wide. Then she dove for me.
“No way!” I cried. I ducked away. Her long, curly hair slapped against my
face. I staggered back. Caught my balance.
She prepared to attack again.
“Freddy—the Vampire Breath !” Cara cried. “Use the Vampire Breath !Maybe it will take us to the future!”
“Huh?” I had forgotten I had it in my hand.
“So thirsty…” Gwendolyn murmured, licking her dry lips. “So thirsty…”
I raised the Vampire Breath high. The blue glass bottle caught the
light from the torch.
Gwendolyn gasped and drew back in fear.
I grabbed the top. And started to pull.
“No—please!” Gwendolyn begged. “Put that down! Don’t open it! Please—don’t open it!”
I squeezed the glass top—and pulled open the bottle.
23
Nothing happened.
All three of us stared at the open blue bottle in my hand.
“It takes a few seconds,” I told Cara. My voice came out high and shaky.
“Remember? Back in my basement, it took a few seconds. Then it came whooshing
out.”
Gwendolyn’s eyes were wide, locked on the bottle.
We stared in tense silence.
A few seconds went by. Then a few more seconds.
Gwendolyn broke the silence with a gleeful laugh. “It’s empty!” she declared
through her laughter. “The castle is filled with empties! There’s a whole room
of them over there.” She pointed into the darkness.
I raised the bottle to my face and squinted inside. Too dark to see anything.
But Gwendolyn was right. It was definitely empty.
I let it fall to the floor.
Gwendolyn’s grin was so evil in the shadowy light from the torch. I tried to
back away. But I bumped into a stone column.
Trapped.
As she grinned so hungrily at me, Gwendolyn’s fangs shone in the pale light.
“So thirsty…” she whispered. “Freddy—don’t run away. Help me. I’m so
thirsty….”
“I’m thirsty, too!” a voice boomed from behind me.
I spun around to see a flash of orange torchlight. The light bounced toward
us. And inside it, I saw the angry face of Count Nightwing.
He floated to us, his eyes narrowed at
off the wall and carried it high in front of her to light our way.
“Follow me,” she whispered. “Hurry.”
The flickering torch cast a narrow path of light through the cellar. I
couldn’t see anything on either side of us. Total blackness.
Gwendolyn led us deeper into the darkness. It smelled damp and sour down
here. Somewhere in the distance I heard water dripping.
Cara and I huddled close together, trying to stay in the light of the torch.
I squeezed the bottle of Vampire Breath tightly in my hand.
Gwendolyn stopped so suddenly, we nearly walked into her.
She turned slowly. The torchlight revealed a smile on her face.
“Are we here?” Cara demanded. “Where is the door?”
“Yes. We’re here,” Gwendolyn replied in a whisper. “We’re all alone here.”
“Huh?” I cried. I didn’t understand.
“I have you all to myself here,” Gwendolyn continued. Her smile grew wider.
Her eyes were half-shut. “We won’t be interrupted by Count Nightwing or the
others.”
“But—where do we escape?” I demanded.
Gwendolyn didn’t reply.
“Why have we stopped here?” Cara cried.
“I’m so thirsssssty….” Gwendolyn hissed. “So thirssssty…”
As she lowered the torch, I saw long, pointed fangs slide down her chin.
“I’m so thirsty….” She sighed. “So terribly thirsty…”
She grabbed me by the shoulders. And I felt the scratch of her fangs against
my throat.
22
“No—!” I screamed.
I grabbed her arms and shoved her off me.
“No! Get away! Get away from me!” I howled.
Her eyes flashed excitedly. Saliva dripped from her pointed fangs. “So
thirssssty…” she hissed.
“Get away! Get away!” I pleaded.
“You want to escape, don’t you?” she teased. “This is the only way to
escape!”
She tossed back her head and opened her mouth wide. Then she dove for me.
“No way!” I cried. I ducked away. Her long, curly hair slapped against my
face. I staggered back. Caught my balance.
She prepared to attack again.
“Freddy—the Vampire Breath !” Cara cried. “Use the Vampire Breath !Maybe it will take us to the future!”
“Huh?” I had forgotten I had it in my hand.
“So thirsty…” Gwendolyn murmured, licking her dry lips. “So thirsty…”
I raised the Vampire Breath high. The blue glass bottle caught the
light from the torch.
Gwendolyn gasped and drew back in fear.
I grabbed the top. And started to pull.
“No—please!” Gwendolyn begged. “Put that down! Don’t open it! Please—don’t open it!”
I squeezed the glass top—and pulled open the bottle.
23
Nothing happened.
All three of us stared at the open blue bottle in my hand.
“It takes a few seconds,” I told Cara. My voice came out high and shaky.
“Remember? Back in my basement, it took a few seconds. Then it came whooshing
out.”
Gwendolyn’s eyes were wide, locked on the bottle.
We stared in tense silence.
A few seconds went by. Then a few more seconds.
Gwendolyn broke the silence with a gleeful laugh. “It’s empty!” she declared
through her laughter. “The castle is filled with empties! There’s a whole room
of them over there.” She pointed into the darkness.
I raised the bottle to my face and squinted inside. Too dark to see anything.
But Gwendolyn was right. It was definitely empty.
I let it fall to the floor.
Gwendolyn’s grin was so evil in the shadowy light from the torch. I tried to
back away. But I bumped into a stone column.
Trapped.
As she grinned so hungrily at me, Gwendolyn’s fangs shone in the pale light.
“So thirsty…” she whispered. “Freddy—don’t run away. Help me. I’m so
thirsty….”
“I’m thirsty, too!” a voice boomed from behind me.
I spun around to see a flash of orange torchlight. The light bounced toward
us. And inside it, I saw the angry face of Count Nightwing.
He floated to us, his eyes narrowed at
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