Monster Blood IV

15

Two blue creatures bobbed beside the garage.

Two creatures about the size of chipmunks.

Squeaking softly, they grinned at Evan, Kermit, and Andy. Their big black eyes rolled in their heads.

“It multiplied!” Kermit exclaimed.

Evan swallowed hard. He scooped a gob of slime off his shoulder. “I don’t like this,” he murmured. “I don’t like this one bit.”

“But they’re so cute!” Andy protested.

Evan shivered. The night air suddenly felt much colder. He turned to the house. It was covered in darkness.

What if Aunt Dee wakes up and catches us out here? he wondered. I’ll be in major trouble. My baby-sitting job will be over. No sleepaway camp…

“It’s getting late,” he told them. “We’ve got to go in.”

“But we can’t just leave these little guys out here!” Andy protested.

Evan sighed. He knew Andy was right. “Okay,” he agreed, “let’s round them up quickly. We’ll get a bag or a bucket or something.”

The two blue blobs began bouncing in different directions.

“No! Don’t let them get away!” Evan cried. “If they split up, we’ll never catch them.”

“I have an idea,” Kermit said. He darted across the grass and picked up the garden hose. He turned the nozzle, and a hard spray shot out.

“I’ll keep them against the back of the garage,” he announced. “You go find something to put them in.”

Evan watched as Kermit raised the hose and aimed the spray at the two creatures.

The hard spray sent them both flying against the garage wall.

“It’s working!” Kermit cried. “I’ve trapped them!”

He kept the spray on them. The water pushed them back, pressing the two creatures against the garage.

“Hurry—!” Kermit cried.

But Evan hesitated. He watched as the two creatures opened their mouths wide. Wider. And began to gulp.

“Kermit — turn off the hose!” Evan shouted. “It’s a bad idea. They’re drinking it!”

As the stream of water shot into their gaping mouths, the creatures inflated rapidly. They gulped the water hungrily, blowing up bigger and bigger.

“Kermit — shut off the hose!” Evan ordered.

Too late.

Another loud explosion. Another burst of water and slime.

And now Evan stared across the lawn at FOUR blue blobs!

Startled, Kermit dropped the hose. Water shot across the lawn.

Evan dove for the garage and frantically turned the water spigot. The water dribbled to a stop.

But the four blue creatures were already lapping up water from the grass. And growing bigger.

“We have to stop them,” Evan gasped. “We have to pick them up before they explode again.”

He and Andy ran together, frantically reaching down to grab two of them. But Andy stopped suddenly — and Evan ran right into her.

“Whoa!” he cried. “Why did you stop?”

“Look at them.” Andy pointed.

Evan gazed down at the bobbing creatures. They were lapping the night dew off the grass. “What about them?” he asked impatiently.

“These four look different,” Andy replied. “Check out their faces. They’re not smiling.”

“Who cares?” Evan shrieked. “They’re drinking! Why do we care if they’re smiling or not? Do we want eight of them? No! So let’s get them!”

Evan leaped forward and grabbed one in each hand. One blue blob slipped out and bounced away, squeaking loudly.

Evan wrapped both hands around the other one, determined to hold it tight. “Get a bucket!” he told Andy. “Or a garbage bag or something!”

Then Evan let out a scream as a sharp jolt of pain shot through his arm.

He looked down. The blue creature had clamped its jaws around his wrist.

“H-help!” Evan stammered. “Owwwww! It — it’s biting me! It’s biting my hand off!”