Monster Blood IV

16

Evan tugged at the creature with his free hand. “Help me! Ow! It — it’s sucking my skin!” he wailed.

Kermit and Andy dove to his side. They both grabbed at the wet blue blob. Andy’s hands slipped off, and she stumbled backwards.

But Kermit held on, held on with both hands. And tugged. Tugged until they all heard a loud POP.

Kermit pulled the creature off and tossed it across the yard.

Evan rubbed his arm. “It was sucking my skin,” he moaned. “Sucking the water out, I guess.”

Kermit started running to the house. “I’m telling Mom,” he cried. “This is too dangerous!”

“No!” Evan grabbed Kermit around the waist. “I can’t get in any more trouble with your mom. Let’s get them all rounded up first. If we don’t, there will be hundreds of them!”

Evan turned to Andy. Her teeth were chattering. “This is getting scary,” she murmured. “Listen to them.”

The blue blobs weren’t grinning anymore. Low growls came out of their scowling mouths.

“They were so cute,” Andy said softly. “But now they’re turning mean.”

Two of the creatures were rolling in the grass, sucking up moisture. Two others were bouncing toward the garden hose.

Evan turned away. He glanced quickly to the house. “Where is Kermit?” he asked.

Andy shrugged. “Did he go inside to tell his mother?”

“I hope not,” Evan moaned. “I’m going to be in such bad trouble!”

The blue blobs were inflating, getting ready to explode and multiply.

“I’m already in big trouble,” Evan told himself. He started to the house. But halfway there, he saw Kermit running from the garage.

“I’ll catch them!” Kermit cried. He waved a long-handled net in the air. Evan recognized it — the net Kermit used to collect butterflies.

Kermit ran across the grass, swinging the net.

Evan heard a loud, wet explosion. His eyes swept over the dark lawn. How many were there now?

Eight?

Yes.

His throat tightened in panic. We can’t catch them all! he thought.

Kermit lowered the net to the grass. Swung hard. And captured one of the blue blobs.

It uttered a sharp growl. The net bounced and shook at the end of its pole.

“Got one! Where do I dump it?” Kermit called excitedly.

Evan spotted a bucket at the side of the garage. He ran across the grass toward it, waving to Kermit to follow him.

Kermit saw the bucket too. He began to lower the net into it. “In you go!” he cried.

But they both heard a ripping sound.

The creature hurtled out from the net — and bounced away.

“He — he chewed through the net!” Kermit exclaimed. He tossed the net aside.

Evan picked up the bucket and chased after the bouncing creature. “Just pick them up and toss them in,” he cried. “If we can keep them from drinking, they won’t multiply.”

Andy dove for one. It slipped out of her hands. “We need gloves,” she suggested. “We could hold them better if—”

“We don’t have time to find gloves!” Evan cried. “If we don’t catch them fast, there will be a hundred of them!”

“But what if they grab on to you?” Andy cried. “What if they start sucking your skin?”

Evan didn’t know how to answer that question. He swallowed hard. “Just be careful,” he told her.

Hearing low grunts, he raised his eyes to Aunt Dee’s flower garden. “Oh, noooo!” he moaned.

“Mom’s flowers!” Kermit cried.

Three or four of the creatures were sucking the water from the flowers. The blobs were already huge, ready to explode. A wide path of flowers lay dead and wilted behind them.

Kermit’s mother took such pride in her flower garden; she struggled to keep it blooming all through the winter. And now it’s a mess, Evan saw.

And she’s going to blame me.

“Get them!” he shouted. “Get them out of the flowers!”

But he heard a muffled scream. And spun around.

“Help me… help…” Andy struggled as a big blue blob wrapped around her face.

It pulsed and throbbed.

She hit it with both fists. Pounded it.

She dropped to her knees, struggling to remove it.

Evan froze in horror as the creature grunted and growled, spreading wetly over Andy’s face.

“Help…” she moaned. “Can’t breathe… can’t breathe…”