Mom and I were in my bedroom. Mom leaned over me with her hands on my shoulders, reading the comic strip on my laptop.
It was a long story, the longest I had ever drawn. I called it Dr. Maniac vs. Robby Schwartz.
Mom finally finished it and took a step back. “Wow,” she said. “That’s excellent, Robby. Very exciting. The swimming pool scene is terrific.”
“Did you really like it?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said. “But it has such a sad ending. You deleted your brother and your friend Brooke?”
I nodded. “I thought it was a perfect ending,” I said. “Good triumphed over evil. But it was also sad.”
“I like the way you mixed the real world with the pretend world,” Mom said. “Very clever. I know you hate being an only child. So you invented a brother and sister for yourself.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s why I made up Sam and Taylor,” I said.
Mom patted my shoulder. “Maybe you spend so much time at your computer because you’re lonely,” she said.
“I’m not lonely, Mom,” I replied. “I just like to make up stories.”
“Well, that’s good,” Mom said.
“I’m going to write a new comic with all new characters,” I told her. “Maybe I’ll give myself three brothers and three sisters!”
That made Mom laugh. The phone rang. She gave me a wave and hurried downstairs.
I turned back to my laptop.
“Whoa!” I let out a startled cry. There was a drawing on the screen I’d never seen before.
In the drawing, Dr. Maniac and the Scarlet Starlet stood side by side. And standing next to them was my imaginary sister, Taylor.
“Hey — I didn’t draw this!” I cried. I leaned close and studied the screen. They were standing in an amusement park.
“I … don’t believe this!” I muttered. “How is this possible?”
Then dialogue balloons popped up over their heads.
Taylor said: “Listen, Robby, next time, I want a BIGGER part! I didn’t get to do ANYTHING in your dumb story!”
The Scarlet Starlet said: “We don’t like your ending. We have a BETTER ending!”
And finally, Dr. Maniac, grinning out at me like an evil fiend, said: “You won’t like our ending, Robby. But we’ll be showing it to you — real soon! We’ll be WAITING for you — in HorrorLand!”
Several kids received mysterious invitations to be special guests at HorrorLand theme park. They were supposed to have a week of scary fun — but the scares quickly became TOO REAL.
Britney Crosby and Molly Molloy disappeared. Billy Deep was horrified when his sister, Sheena, became invisible. Then Sheena disappeared, too.
A park guide — a Horror named Byron — warned the kids they were all in danger. Byron tried to help them. But then he was dragged away by other Horrors.
Why are they all in danger? The kids are desperate to find Byron to get some answers.
Carly Beth Caldwell and her friend Sabrina Mason arrived at HorrorLand a few days after the others. They quickly got themselves lost and locked into an area of the park called Wolfsbane Forest.
Who else is trapped in this forest of werewolves? You guessed it — Robby Schwartz.
Robby continues the story….
Wolfsbane Forest. When I saw the big sign at the entrance, I thought it sounded like a place in one of my comic stories.
But it was real. Too real!
A forest where wolves and werewolves walked free. They howled at the moon and padded on their furry paws over the crackling dead leaves on the forest floor.
I could see the glowing eyes of the inhuman beasts through the dark trees. Were they stalking me? Stalking their prey?
A chill shook my body, as if someone had dropped ice down my back.
HorrorLand is an amusement park, right? And Wolfsbane Forest is one of its biggest attractions. It’s supposed to be fun.
I told myself the half-man, half-wolf creatures were machines. Big toys run by someone in a hidden control room.
But they looked so real, so menacing. Even in bright daylight, I stayed on the alert and kept my distance.
But now it was night. And I listened to the hungry howls all around me. And each sound made me jump with fright.
How did I let this happen?
Why did I stay so long in Werewolf Village?
It was my first day at HorrorLand. Yes, I was excited. When the invitation came in the mail, I forgot about everything else. I HAD to go!
I mean, I know I got that weird message from Dr. Maniac and everything, but would you give up a free week as a special guest at the coolest theme park ever?
Why was Werewolf Village the first place I visited? I draw so many comics that take place in woods and forests. I love imagining the scary beasts and monsters that live in the forest. I couldn’t wait to see what the HorrorLand people created in their forest.
But I lost track of the time.
Under the thick trees of the forest, I didn’t even see the sun go down. And now, I stumbled through the dark, searching for the way out. Listening to the angry growls and long, mournful wolf howls.
It gave me lots of ideas for my next strip: Dr. Maniac vs. the White Werewolf.
Or maybe, Dr. Maniac vs. Wonder Werewolf!
Who would win that battle? How would the evil Maniac defeat an immortal Wolf Man?
I was thinking hard about these questions. I didn’t see the jagged rock in front of me. I let out a cry as I stumbled over it. My arms shot out to stop my fall.
I landed on somebody!
High, shrill screams made my heart stop beating.
My arms were tangled in somebody’s arms. We bumped heads.
I struggled to pull away. The screams rang in my ears.
Staggering back, I saw two girls about my age. Even in the dark, I could see that their eyes were wide with fear. Huddled together, they backed away from me.
Breathing hard, I brushed off the front of my jeans. “Uh … hi,” I said. “Guess I scared you, huh?”
“What are you doing here?” the taller one cried.
“Your hair — it’s so … wild! And it’s so dark here. We … we thought you were a werewolf!” her friend said.
“No. I don’t even shave yet,” I told her.
Always keep it light — right?
They still stared at me like I was some kind of hideous creature. Robby Schwartz, Terror of the Forest!
“Sorry I scared you,” I said. “I tripped over something. I can’t find my way out of this place.”
The two girls told me their names — Carly Beth and Sabrina.
“I’m Robby Schwartz,” I said. “I’ve been wandering around in circles for hours. I never was a Boy Scout. I don’t know how to read a compass.”
Carly Beth frowned. “I don’t think a compass would help,” she said.
She pointed to a tall wire gate. “Sabrina and I got lost, too. We saw some horrible men in cages. Some of them had wolf snouts. It wasn’t fun. It looked real. Finally, we found this gate.”
Sabrina walked to the gate and tugged at the metal lock. “We’re locked in. But there has to be an unlocked gate somewhere — right?”
“Unless they lock up the whole forest for the night,” I said.
Carly Beth hugged herself. “There has to be a way out. Otherwise, kids would get trapped in here every night.”
“Maybe that’s how they feed the wolves,” I said.
It was supposed to be a joke.
But no one laughed. Out of the silence, we heard rapid footsteps. We froze — and listened to the thud of heavy paws on the ground. Low snarls … growling wolves … hungry growls … wolves moving fast through the forest.
“They … they’re coming for us,” I whispered.
They burst out from the trees. Four of them. Heads lowered. Eyes glowing like yellow marbles.
My mouth dropped open. I froze in fear.
I knew I looked like a terrified character in one of my comics. And
suddenly, a scene from one of my first stories flashed through my mind.
Dr. Maniac vs. the Mighty Mole Boy.
I didn’t think about it. My body just moved. I dropped to my knees on the soft ground in front of the gate. And I began pawing at the dirt.
I dug frantically. Luckily, the dirt was soft as sand. I scooped up handfuls of dirt under the fence and shoved them aside. Pawing like the Mole Creature in my comic strip.
The growling wolves formed a line behind us. One of them lifted its head to the moon, as if signaling for an attack.
Breathing hard, I shoveled an opening big enough to slide my hands in. I pushed my hands into the shallow hole and dropped onto my stomach. Then I kicked with both feet. Kicked hard and fast … again … again.
The bottom of the fence scraped my back. But I pushed myself under it and over to the other side.
Then, wiping dirt off my forehead, I turned to help the two girls. I didn’t have to tell them what to do.
Sabrina was already on her stomach. She stuck both hands under the bottom of the fence. I grabbed them and started to pull her through to my side. “Duck your head! Duck your head!” I screamed.
Her hair got stuck on a wire. She let out a cry and lowered her face to the dirt. And I tugged her the rest of the way.
I turned to help Carly Beth. Behind her, I watched the wolves. Their silvery fur glistened in the moonlight. They raised their heads and let out hungry howls. They arched their backs, preparing to attack.
“Hurry, Carly Beth!” Sabrina screamed.
I grabbed Carly Beth’s hands and pulled.
Her body slid heavily over the dirt. She was halfway through when the wolves attacked.
All four of them leaped at once.
She screamed so loud, I dropped her hands.
My heart pounding, I grabbed for them again. I pulled hard. But Carly Beth was stuck.
“It’s got me!” Carly Beth wailed. “OWWWW! It’s got my FOOT!”
“Noooo!” A hoarse cry burst from my throat.
I pictured Carly Beth’s foot chewed to pieces.
But no. “Carly Beth — the wolf doesn’t have your foot!” I choked out. “Your foot is caught in the fence.”
She gave a hard kick. Her shoe caught in the fence. But I pulled her the rest of the way to my side.
The ferocious wolves leaped — and crashed into the fence. Howling angrily, they leaped again. Too late.
Carly Beth jumped to her feet, struggling to catch her breath. “Th-they’re real!” she stammered.
The wolves stared at us, their heads lowered. Like a staring contest. They didn’t move or blink.
“Let’s get away from here,” Sabrina said. She tugged her friend back from the fence. “At least we got out of the forest. Let’s go back to the hotel.”
Carly Beth turned to me. “You saved us from those wolves,” she said. “Digging under the fence like that.”
“That’s me. Robby Schwartz, superhero,” I said. “Know where I can buy a cape and tights?”
“We’ve got to find the other kids,” Carly Beth said. “We’ve got to tell them what Sabrina and I heard today. And what’s going on.”
She pulled her shoe out from under the fence. Then, taking long strides, she and Sabrina followed the path toward the Stagger Inn, our hotel. I had to jog to catch up to them.
“Other kids? What do you mean?” I asked, stepping between them.
“We met these kids,” Carly Beth said. “Other special guests. They said scary things happened to them here in the park. They said a Horror named Byron warned them.”
“Warned them about what?” I said.
“Warned them that we’re all in danger,” Carly Beth replied.
Danger? Suddenly, I remembered the end of that comic strip. Dr. Maniac warning me he’d be waiting at HorrorLand. Maybe I should have listened….
We passed the Crocodile Café. A neon sign over the door read: GRAB A BITE. GOOD FOOD IN A SNAP! I could see Black Lagoon Water Park in the distance.
The park was still crowded with kids and families. It cheered me up to be back in a crowd. We were out of that frightening Werewolf Village. Why did Carly Beth still look so totally terrified?
“I didn’t believe those kids when they told me about the missing girls,” Carly Beth said. “They said two girls — Britney and Molly — totally disappeared. And a girl named Sheena turned invisible,” she said. “I thought maybe they were trying to scare Sabrina and me.”
Carly Beth shook her head. “But I believe them now.”
“We heard these two Horrors talking,” Sabrina said. “Marcus and Bubba. Those were their names. They didn’t know Carly Beth and I could hear them.”
We ducked around a Frozen Eyeballs cart. Behind the cart, a Horror in a yellow apron was piling eyeballs on a sugar cone. Painted on the side of the cart were the words: EYE SCREAM. LICK AN EYEBALL FOR LUNCH!
“What did the two Horrors say?” I asked.
“They said things were going to get a lot scarier for us special guests,” Sabrina replied.
I squinted at her. “Seriously?”
Carly Beth frowned at me. “Don’t you think being attacked by real wolves was scary enough?”
“Carly Beth is right,” Sabrina said. “Something frightening is going on here.”
“Well … what should we do about it?” I asked.
Before they could answer, I felt something wrap around my ankle.
“LOOK OUT!” I screamed. My hands flew out in front of me — and I went plunging headfirst to the ground.
I hit the asphalt hard and bounced once or twice.
My breath caught in my throat. Something had brought me down. Something …
Why were the girls laughing?
I spun around — and saw the puffy green stuffed snake at my feet. Someone probably won it in a carnival game and dropped it.
The two girls helped pull me up. “You’re an awesome superhero,” Sabrina said.
“We won’t tell anyone you tripped over a stuffed snake,” Carly Beth said. “Just everyone we meet.”
They both laughed again.
I held up the snake. “Look at those vicious fangs!” I said. “This snake is a killer. I just saved your lives again!”
I handed the snake to a little girl who was walking by with her parents. “You’re our millionth customer!” I said. “You win a fabulous stuffed snake!”
“Thanks,” she said. She flung the snake over her shoulder and kept on walking.
We watched her go. Her parents kept looking back at us.
“We’ve got to get serious,” Carly Beth said. She started toward the hotel again. “We were almost killed back there.”
“Maybe those kids found Byron, that Horror who said he wanted to help,” Sabrina said.
We made our way through a group of teenagers who were playing Keep-Away with a kid’s baseball cap. They tossed it back and forth, shouting and laughing.
“I just came here for fun,” I told the girls. “Do you really think we were all invited for another reason?”
I didn’t hear their answer. I could see them talking. But their words disappeared into the air. Something very strange was happening to me….
I suddenly felt as if I were floating. As if I had left my body down on the ground, and I was hovering above it. Too far away to hear what Carly Beth and Sabrina were saying.
I struggled to concentrate on them. But I could feel myself being pulled away … feel my mind drifting, swimming in the air….
I held my breath. Shook my head. Tried to make the strange feeling go away.
Blinking, I focused on the building up ahead. Big blue neon letters over the wide entrance announced: THE GAME PRESERVE. 100 VIDEO GAMES.
Game Preserve? A huge game arcade?
Without realizing it, I had spun away from the girls. And my legs were taking me there. My mind was already there. And I was being pulled, like by a vacuum cleaner … pulled to the game arcade.
“He
y — Robby!”
I heard Carly Beth shout. “Robby! Where are you going? Hey!”
“Catch you later,” I said.
At least, I think I said it. Because my brain was already in the arcade.
And I stepped through the doors into a huge room … under intense blue light. The blue light washed over everything. The games looked blue … and the people playing them did, too. The floor and the walls glowed like blue ice.
I walked past a row of war games and then a long row of racing games, cars roaring and squealing. I saw pinball games against one wall and a wall of classic games like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong.
I didn’t stop to check them out. Guns roared. Bombs exploded. Music rose and fell. I kept walking through the blue light, as if my legs knew where they were going.
I didn’t have a choice.
Is this what it feels like to be hypnotized?
The strange blue light swirled around me like a fog. And when it finally cleared, I was standing in a tiny back room. The roars and blasts of the games behind me faded into the far distance.
I stopped — and stared in shock at the one game in the room.
A big video screen with flashing lights all around it. Evil laughter poured out of its speakers. And the title of the game filled the screen in dripping purple letters:
DR. MANIAC’S WORLD OF PAIN
I gasped. How could this be?
How could there be a Dr. Maniac game? And what was the power that pulled me here … that drew me to this game?
I knew I had to play it.
I moved to the counter beside the game console. A helmet with an orange visor and yellow leather gloves were waiting for me there. Next to them, I saw a stack of silver tokens.
Someone wanted me to play this game.
Someone got it all ready for me. But — who? And why?
And why couldn’t I just turn and walk away?
I pulled the heavy helmet down over my head. I peered out through the plastic orange visor. There were speakers inside the helmet. I heard music and that deep evil laughter.
I pulled on the yellow gloves. They were light and slipped on easily.