It was my turn to stare at them with my mouth hanging open. “Monster Blood,” I finally choked out. “You know. The stuff you want me to return?”
They exchanged glances. “We don’t know anything about that,” the man with all the rings said. “We work for the company that makes the Gas Attack cans.”
“A bad batch was sent out,” his partner said. “It’s way too smelly. It can make people really sick.”
“Did you order it?” the first man asked. “We’ll give you your money back.”
I let out a long sigh. These men were not going to help me at all. “You’ve got the wrong guy,” I said, shaking my head sadly. “My neighbor ordered the Gas Attack. We already used it. It was disgusting, but we’re okay.”
“Sorry we bothered you,” Ring Fingers said. They turned and hurried to their car. As he pulled open the door, he shouted back at me, “Good luck, kid. Ever think of playing basketball?”
Ha-ha. Very funny.
I watched them drive away. Then I tightened the raincoat belt and ran across the front yard to Bradley’s house.
“OWWW!” I let out a cry as my head bumped a low tree branch. Whoa. Guess you have to duck a lot when you’re nine feet tall!
I climbed the stoop and pounded on Bradley’s front door. “You’ve GOT to have that box,” I muttered. “You’ve GOT to have the instructions.”
Bradley pulled open the door. His eyes bulged in horror and he let out a terrified shriek. “A GIANT!” he wailed. “Get away — now! I’m calling the police!”
“N-no —” I stammered.
He slammed the door in my face.
“No! It’s me!” I pounded the front door again, with both fists.
The door cracked. I saw the hinges fly off. And the door fell in with a thud.
I didn’t know my own strength!
I heard a deafening siren. The burglar alarm!
Bradley stood there trembling in the front hall, eyes still bulging. He started to back away.
“Bradley, it’s ME!” I shouted over the blaring alarm siren. “It’s Matt. The Monster Blood did this to me. You’ve got to help me!”
He squinted up at me. “Matt?” he squeaked. “R-really?”
I thundered over to him. “Where is the Monster Blood box? Bradley, do you still have the box?”
“I — I might,” he stammered. “Up in my room.” He turned and began running up the stairs.
I tried to follow him up, but — CRASH! — my head bumped the ceiling. No way I could fit on the stairs.
The burglar alarm continued to blare, rising and falling. I stared up to the second floor. “Do you have it? Can you find it?”
And then I heard other sirens. From out on the street.
The police! They must be responding to the burglar alarm!
I froze in panic. “Bradley — hurry!” I screamed.
I couldn’t let the police see me like this! Crazy thoughts flew through my head. What if they thought I was a giant from outer space? What if they shot first and asked questions later?
I had to get out of here.
I spun away from the stairs — and saw two police patrol cars pull to the curb in front of the house.
“Bradley? Where are you?” I screamed. “Bradley?”
Three uniformed cops raced up the front walk.
Ducking under the ceiling light, I took off. To the back of Bradley’s house.
“Police officers!” a deep voice shouted from the busted front door.
Did they see me? I heaved open the kitchen door and crept across the backyard toward my house.
Halfway there, I heard footsteps. Heavy breathing. A shadow came up from behind mine on the grass.
The police! NO!
I spun around to face them.
“Hey! Bradley — it’s you!” I cried.
“I — I’ve got the box,” Bradley whispered. He held it up to me. A green box with MONSTER BLOOD in dripping red letters.
“Come on. Hurry,” I said. I ran to my kitchen door.
I pulled it open and ducked my head to go inside.
“Huh?” Wait! I froze in surprise.
I didn’t have to duck. I fit into the doorway.
I grabbed the door and held on tight. Something was pulling me down. Something invisible … tightening … holding me down … pressing me … flattening me!
My whole body ached. I let out groan after groan.
I gasped when I realized I was shrinking.
I watched my big hands grow smaller, like balloons losing their air.
My arms pulled in. The floor seemed to rise up. But I knew I was sinking down. Folding in … dropping … dropping …
In seconds, I would be just a few inches taller than Bradley. Still shrinking … sinking into the huge raincoat … disappearing.
Disappearing?
Yes! I was shrinking too fast. Shrinking too far! In a few seconds, I’d be the size of a bug. And then … GONE!
“Help me! Help me!” I screamed. I tried to pull myself upright. Tried to stand tall. Tried to stretch myself up.
But I couldn’t fight the wave pulling me down.
I gripped the sides of the door. I tried to fight off the panic that swept over me. Tightened my throat. Kept me from taking a breath.
Total, mind-numbing panic.
I watched Bradley appear to grow taller … taller.
And I knew I couldn’t stop myself.
In a few seconds, I would disappear forever.
The floor swooped up beneath me. The kitchen light suddenly seemed far away. I felt like a tiny mouse, peering up at the ceiling.
“Do something!” I screamed at Bradley. “I can’t stop shrinking!”
He gaped at me, eyes rolling wildly in his head.
“Read the Monster Blood box!” I shouted. “What does it say? Read it!”
Bradley’s hands were shaking as he pulled the box to his face. He twirled it between his hands, searching for instructions. He dropped it. The box hit the floor. He bent to pick it up — and stepped on it.
“Hurry!” I pleaded. I could feel my bones pulling in … my skin tightening…. “Whoa, wait. I found something,” Bradley said finally. He began reading from the side of the box:
“ ‘We hope you enjoy this sample twelve-hour version of MONSTER BLOOD. But for more exciting results, use this coupon for twenty percent off on new, improved, LONG-LASTING MONSTER BLOOD!’ ”
“It’s just a sample!” I cried happily. “Yes! Yes! Just a sample — and it’s wearing off!”
I ran to the hallway mirror. I gaped at my reflection. Yesss! I was back to my normal height.
“Excellent!” I turned and slapped Bradley a high five. Then we bumped knuckles. “I’m back! I’m back!” I cried.
I hurried to the stairs. “Let’s check out my ivy plant,” I said. “I’ll bet it’s smaller, too.”
Bradley followed me upstairs. I could still hear the alarm siren wailing next door.
“Whoa!” Bradley stopped short in the doorway to my room and let out a cry. The ivy plant still climbed over the ceiling. It hadn’t shrunk like me.
“It — it’s like something in the jungle!” Bradley cried.
“I guess Monster Blood works differently on plants,” I said.
I didn’t care. I was back to normal.
We returned to the kitchen — and Mom came bursting in. “Oh, thank goodness! You’re both safe!” she cried. “There was a robbery next door. The robbers broke down the front door. But they didn’t take anything.”
“I … I know,” I said. “I went next door, Mom, and —”
“To help Bradley?” Mom cried. “You risked your life to help Bradley? Matt — that’s so wonderful of you!” She wrapped me in a hug.
Should I tell her the truth? Should I tell her what really happened?
No way. She’d never believe it.
* * *
That night in my room, I cut back the leaves on my ivy plant so I could get to my worktable. I felt
great. No. I felt better than great.
I was back to normal. I’d set the world’s record in the 500-meter freestyle. And now I wanted to win Mr. Scotto’s Science Prize.
I began fitting the sides of my birdhouse together. I already had the computer wiring ready to install. I knew I could build the winning project.
No way Bradley could build one as good as mine….
The next morning, Mom drove me to school with my science project.
I carried it carefully between my hands, into the gym. Dozens of kids were already there. Long tables had been set up under one basketball net.
The big room was quiet. Kids were busy setting up their projects.
I carried the birdhouse down the first aisle, looking for a place to put it down. I stopped next to Shawn Deere, a brainy girl in our class I liked a lot. She was attaching a water hose to the back of a tall plastic box.
I had to ask. “Shawn, what is it?”
She didn’t look up. She concentrated on the hose. “It’s a waterfall that flows UP,” she said. “I’m trying to prove that gravity doesn’t exist.”
“Cool,” I said. I moved down the table. Another kid was slipping batteries into a complicated metal contraption. It looked like an insect with a dozen legs. “It’s a Self-Destruction Machine,” he told me. “When I turn it on, it totally destroys itself.”
“Awesome,” I said.
I still thought my birdhouse had a good chance of winning. It was simple and useful, and it really worked. I set it up at the end of the table and checked out the computer functions. When I showed it off to Mr. Scotto, I wanted everything to work without a glitch.
A short while later, Mr. Scotto came down the aisle. He studied each project and made notes on a long clipboard.
Since I was at the end of the table, he saw my birdhouse last. He was definitely impressed by the temperature control and the built-in rain guard. He grinned when I showed off the computerized seed feeder.
“Matt, you’ve taken Bradley’s idea to a new level,” he said. “Great imagination. And the computer programming is brilliant!”
“Thank you,” I said. I could feel my heart start to race. I was excited.
“I have to give a few projects a second look,” he whispered. “And I’ll need to see Bradley’s birdhouse. But I think yours is the winner.”
He moved back up the aisle. I wanted to cheer and jump up and down in triumph. But I knew I had to wait for that.
I gazed down the rows of tables. Whoa. Wait. Where was Bradley?
“I don’t believe it,” I muttered. Bradley hadn’t even shown up!
I guessed he couldn’t get his birdhouse to work. Or maybe he realized he couldn’t win with a stolen idea.
I saw Mr. Scotto striding back down the row toward me. He had a big smile on his face. And he carried a silver trophy in his hands. I knew he was about to make the big announcement.
“Matt —” he said.
And then the gym doors burst open. And I saw a giant tree crash through the doorway.
No. Not a tree.
It took me a few seconds to recognize my huge ivy plant. Its tendrils stretched out like tree branches. The huge leaves bobbed and shook like a ship’s sails!
Bradley dropped the pot to the floor. He stepped out from behind the monster plant. “Ta-DAA!” he sang. “Mr. Scotto, I made this plant grow big by using ultraviolet laser light beams!”
What a liar.
Oohs and aahs rose up and echoed off the high gym walls. Some kids started to clap. Kids were gaping at the giant plant and crying out in disbelief.
The ivy plant bobbed in its pot like some kind of movie monster. Glowing under the lights, the fat leaves shimmered and shook. The tendrils curled and uncurled like long green snakes.
Mr. Scotto handed Bradley the silver trophy. “Our WINNER!”
Cheers rang out.
I didn’t cheer. I was too stunned to do anything. I had to grab the tabletop to keep from falling to the floor.
I can’t let Bradley get away with this, I decided. I can’t let him win with this lie. He’s a total cheater. And, it isn’t even his ivy plant — it’s MINE!
I started over to Bradley and Mr. Scotto. I had to tell Mr. Scotto the truth about Bradley’s project. I had to stop this.
But halfway across the gym, I looked down. And saw one of the long snakelike tendrils curl around Bradley’s ankle.
Bradley was waving the trophy over his head, enjoying the cheers and applause. He didn’t seem to notice.
Another long tendril stretched … stretched … and wrapped itself around Bradley’s knee.
Bradley held the trophy in front of him and posed for pictures. Cameras flashed. Bradley’s grin grew wider.
I watched a thick tendril wrap itself around Bradley’s waist. Another one curled around his thigh. Bradley was in major trouble and had no idea! Would he ever escape?
I decided I’d better hurry.
I pushed past the crowd of newspaper photo graphers and shook Bradley’s hand. “Congratulations!” I said. “You deserve it, Bradley. You really do!”
After his battle with Monster Blood, Matt was thrilled to receive a surprise invitation to HorrorLand theme park. One of the Horrors even gave him a special key card that helped him win every game. Matt’s luck was improving fast. Or so he thought.
Matt soon met Billy and Sheena Deep. They found a café where they saw their missing friends, Britney and Molly, behind a large window. Matt used his key card to enter the mysterious café — and gasped! Britney and Molly were gone….
And Sheena became invisible!
What’s next? Turn the page to join Matt in HorrorLand….
Kids who know me — Matt Daniels — know that I can handle things. I mean, if you grow to nine feet tall in under an hour, you can pretty much handle anything.
But here I was, staring into the mirror in this tiny café in the HorrorLand hotel. Two girls had vanished into thin air. Another girl stood right beside us — and we couldn’t see her!
No way I could get my head around this!
I froze. I kept blinking. But I couldn’t make the room stop spinning.
They do a lot of weird stuff at HorrorLand. It’s a scary theme park, I told myself. It’s supposed to be creepy.
But is turning kids invisible one of their tricks? My heart pounded. Or is something really dangerous going on?
In front of me, the big mirror on the café wall shimmered and bubbled — as if it were alive!
I swung away from the mirror and stared at this kid I’d just met. Billy Deep. He and his sister had received a surprise invitation to HorrorLand, too. Now he didn’t look happy about it. Billy’s mouth hung open, and his eyes were popping out of his head. He looked scared.
The café stood empty. Just rows of little tables with blue-and-white-checkered tablecloths.
“Help me!” Sheena screamed. “Matt! Billy! You’ve got to do something! I’m invisible!”
“I — I don’t understand —” Billy stammered. He was having a lot of trouble getting the words out.
I could feel my heart thudding in my chest. I struggled to think clearly.
I’m a science freak. I knew there had to be a scientific answer for what was going on here. “Is it some kind of trick mirror?” I asked.
“When we came into the café, I … I touched the mirror,” Sheena said in a shaky voice. “I thought I saw Britney and Molly in it. The mirror felt weird. Kinda soft and … and warm.”
“So it is a trick mirror!” I cried. I rushed forward and stuck out my hand.
“HEY!” I shouted as my hand sank into the mirror.
The mirror was soft and warm. Kind of sticky. My hand plunged in wrist deep. And I could feel the thick liquid pulling my arm deeper.
“No way!” I shouted, and jerked my hand away.
Billy ran up beside me and pressed his hand to the mirror. He pounded it with his fist. We both pounded.
Solid glass now.
“T
his has to be a trick,” I said. “But how can it be soft like liquid one second and then —”
“Forget about the mirror!” Sheena screamed. “Do something to help me! Did you forget? I’m invisible! You’ve got to help me!”
I didn’t blame her for losing it. But I suddenly had another thought.
“Maybe Britney and Molly are standing here,” I said. “Like Sheena. Only they’re invisible, too.”
“Huh?” Billy squinted at me.
I started to shout.
Then he joined in. “Molly? Britney? Are you here?”
“Can you hear us? Britney? Molly?” I said. “Are you still in the café with us? Are you here?”
Silence.
It was so quiet, I could hear the blood pulsing in my ears.
I felt Sheena tug my arm. “Hurry,” she said. “We have to find help.”
Billy and I darted to the café door. I knew Sheena was right behind us. I could hear her footsteps on the tile floor.
We burst out into the long hotel hall. Spider webs hung from the ceiling. The black-and-white wallpaper was covered with grinning skulls.
But who cared about that fake stuff? We had a real problem to deal with.
“The Horror at the front desk will know what to do,” Billy said. He swallowed and then added in a tiny voice, “I hope.”
“He refused to help us before,” Sheena said.
“This is different,” I said. “This time —”
We turned a corner and bumped into two Horrors. They wore orange-and-black uniforms and had silver badges on their caps. MP’s — Monster Police.
I read their name tags. The tall redheaded one was named Benson. His chubby partner was named Clem. Clem had purple horns that curled out from his forehead.
I had run into MP’s before. A bunch of different MP’s had chased me through the park. They were trying to take away the strange plastic room key card another Horror had given me. I had it tucked safely in my jeans pocket.
They were scary dudes. But this time, I was glad to see these guys. “We need your help,” I said, breathing hard.
“Front desk is that way,” the Horror Cop named Benson said, pointing down the hall.
“You don’t understand,” I said. “We have a problem. Billy’s sister is invisible.”