“You’re just a dumb-dumb dummy!” Chris shouted.
Bim let out a weak cry. Then he rolled himself up into a tiny ball on the carpet.
My heart was thudding in my chest. But I was starting to feel a little less frightened. We were winning — and Bim was losing.
I stared at the little orange ball so still on the floor. “Good-bye, Bim,” I said. “And good riddance!”
“Good-bye, Bim,” Chris, Carlos, and Kelly echoed.
“My feelings are small.” Bim’s voice came out tiny and weak from somewhere inside his balled-up body.
“My feelings are sad and small,” he squeaked. “And when Bim’s feelings are small, you know what happens?”
All four of us stared down at him without saying a word.
Was he going to disappear? Vanish into thin air?
“When Bim’s feelings small, it makes Bim not happy,” he squeaked. But then his voice suddenly grew deeper, stronger. “It makes Bim’s feeling VERY NOT HAPPY!” he roared. “VERY NOT HAPPY!”
“Oh, no!” I wailed. “Look out!”
I stumbled back and nearly knocked Penny over. I saw Kelly and Carlos back up to the wall.
The little orange ball unfolded quickly. Bim stood up … stood tall … grew … spread out FAST. His shoulders popped wide. His chest swelled.
In seconds, he roared back to his big size. He turned angry red again. His eyes bulged like glowing hot rocks. His fangs slid down.
He opened his mouth in a deafening animal roar.
He grew bigger … bigger. Until his head nearly hit the ceiling.
He was a monster now!
I grabbed Penny. Her eyes were wide with terror. Her slender body was shaking. I heard her teeth chatter.
I pulled her down the hall to Chris’s room. I thought she’d be safe there. “I’ll take care of it,” I told her. “Don’t worry. Try to calm down. I’ll take care of it.”
Take care of it. What a joke!
“Lock the door,” I told Penny. “Lock the door, and you’ll be safe.”
She was shaking too hard to argue with me.
I closed the door and hurried back into the hall.
“Come on, everyone!” I shouted.
But I didn’t have to call them. They were already tearing after me. We bolted down the stairs and out the front door. We didn’t stop till we were at the sidewalk.
I struggled to catch my breath. Up in my bedroom, I could hear Bim roaring like an angry lion through the broken windows.
I turned frantically to Carlos. “Insulting Bim didn’t work out too well,” I said. “Any other ideas?”
Carlos nodded. “Yes. Run! He’s coming after us!”
Bim burst out of the house, roaring, flailing his gigantic arms, gnashing his dripping fangs. I gaped in horror. He had become a giant monster!
He had to be at least ten feet tall. His open-jawed roar made the windows on the front of the house shake.
He grabbed the tree next to the stoop and ripped it out of the ground. Then he heaved it at us and came running.
“Bim angry! Bim angry!” he raged. He stretched his arms out, ready to grab us.
No way could we outrun him. He came at us with big, lumbering strides, frothing and bellowing.
“Bim angry! Bim angry!”
He stumbled over a bush and fell heavily over it. With a growl, he picked himself up, turned — and ripped the bush from the ground.
He rolled it out of his way and came running.
“Bim very ANGRY!”
“He … he’s going to catch us,” Chris stammered, panting hard.
“What can we do? We can’t fight him!” Kelly cried.
Bim ripped a mailbox up and flung it across a driveway.
“Back to my house!” I cried. I waved them toward the backyard. “We’ll lock ourselves in my room and call 911!”
We started along the side of the house.
“NOOOO!”
I let out a wail of horror as I felt strong arms wrap around my waist.
Bim grabbed me from behind.
I felt his hot breath on the back of my neck. And his sticky drool on the back of my shirt.
He lunged forward and tackled me to the grass.
I tried to scramble out from under him. But he was too heavy, and his grasp was too tight.
“Living meat!” he growled in my ear. “Living meat! My feeling is HUNGRY!”
And then I felt his wet teeth sink into my neck.
“Ohhhhhh.” A moan escaped my throat.
I clamped my eyes shut and waited for the pain to rush down my body.
But to my surprise, I felt no pain.
I heard Bim growl. Then felt his grip loosen. The weight on top of me lightened.
I took in a deep breath. Opened my eyes. Climbed to my knees.
And gasped in shock. Carlos was holding Bim up in the air. Bim was still huge. But Carlos held him high.
“I don’t believe it! He … he was so easy to pick up,” Carlos said. “Light as a feather!”
Heart pounding, I scrambled to my feet. “Carlos!” I screamed. “Put him down — fast! He can make himself weigh a ton!”
Too late.
Bim scrunched up his face and let out a loud grunt.
“Whooooaaah!” Carlos cried out in surprise as Bim turned heavy.
And toppled on top of Carlos.
“He … he’s crushing me!” Carlos choked out.
Bim didn’t move. The huge alien held his weight on top of Carlos.
Carlos’s face turned red, then purple.
“Can’t … breathe …” he groaned. “Help. Can’t … breathe …”
Kelly, Chris, and I moved without saying a word. We dove to Bim’s side, lowered ourselves — and pushed. Pushed against Bim with all our strength.
Carlos’s eyes were popping. His face was bright blue.
We pushed harder. And somehow we rolled the big monster off our friend. Rolled him like a heavy log.
Carlos groaned. His face slowly returned to its normal color.
Kelly and I grabbed Carlos by the arms and tugged him to his feet. The four of us took off, running full speed toward my house.
I glanced back. Bim was trying to climb up to run after us. But he was so heavy, he couldn’t raise his own weight!
He pushed himself off the grass with both hands — then went crashing back to the ground.
I reached the kitchen door first and pushed it open. The four of us scrambled inside.
“My feeling angry! My feeling VERY angry!”
I could hear Bim shouting from out front. I slammed the door and locked it.
I was gasping for breath. I think we all were.
But we pulled ourselves up the stairs to my room. Once we were safely inside, I closed the bedroom door and locked it.
Chris and Carlos hurried to my dresser. They each grabbed a side and slid the tall dresser in front of the door.
“That should keep him out,” Kelly said. Her whole body shuddered. She hugged herself. “Quick, Meg — call 911.”
“Okay,” I said. I glanced around the room, searching for my phone.
“Hurry!” Kelly cried. “Please!”
“My … my phone,” I murmured. I searched the dresser top. Then I checked my desk.
“I … don’t see it,” I said, my voice trembling. “My phone …” I turned to the others. “Did anyone else bring a phone?”
They shook their heads.
I crossed the room to my bed and searched the bedspread. “I thought I had it here,” I said.
I heard a crash downstairs. We all heard it.
“Meg — he’s in the house!” Chris said.
“I can’t find my phone,” I said, spinning frantically around, my eyes searching everywhere.
Kelly’s chin trembled. She hugged herself tighter. “We’re trapped in here? We can’t call for help?”
I heard thundering footsteps coming up the stairs. I froze. I suddenly felt cold all over.
A deafening CRAAAASH rocked the room.
The door burst open. The dresser tilted. Bim shoved it with both hands. It toppled to the floor, drawers spilling out.
Bim stepped over it and gazed at us with an ugly grin.
“Living meat!” he cried.
We all stood frozen, gaping at the giant alien as he stomped toward us.
Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.
Bim grunted and drooled. His chest heaved up and down. His antennae rocked back and forth on top of his huge head.
I uttered a cry as his fangs slid down. He made loud sucking noises, moving them up and down.
“Feeling hungry, Megs!” he growled.
He took a step toward me. Then another. A gob of thick drool made a splat sound as it hit the carpet.
“No — please!” I cried. I saw the terrified faces of Chris and my two friends.
“Leave her alone!” Kelly shouted.
Bim grunted in reply. He took another thudding step forward.
I backed up. My legs were all rubbery and weak. I thought I was going to cave in like a folding chair.
“Living meat!” Bim snarled.
I backed up till I hit my bookcase. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t move.
Frantic, I grabbed a big hardcover book off the shelf — and heaved it at Bim.
It hit him in the chest and bounced to the floor. He blinked. It seemed to stun him. He shook his head hard.
I grabbed an old history textbook and flung it wildly. It bounced off Bim’s leg.
He grunted in surprise. He blinked again. He bent to rub his leg.
I heaved another book. I saw Chris grab a book from my desk. He sent it flying into Bim’s side.
Carlos lifted my iPod dock and tossed it at Bim’s head.
Bim ducked, but it sailed into his twin antennae.
“My feeling still HUNGRY!” he roared.
I heaved a heavy metal bookend at him. Chris tossed my book bag.
The four of us were throwing everything we could get our hands on.
I don’t think it hurt him. But Bim appeared stunned and confused.
I grabbed for another book — and gasped. The shelf was empty. I’d tossed all the books.
Now what?
Chris bounced my computer keyboard off Bim’s back.
The big alien growled like a cornered animal — and took another step toward me.
He was only a few feet away. I frantically searched the shelves. Nothing left to throw.
Fat gobs of drool fell from Bim’s open mouth. He made that sick sucking sound again with his fangs.
I dropped to my knees in front of a fallen dresser drawer. I desperately searched for something to throw at him. Anything to slow him down! Anything to keep from being living meat!
I fumbled in the dresser drawer. Under my sweaters, my hand wrapped around the Floig, the funny little doll from HorrorLand. I heaved the thing at Bim’s head.
He reached up and caught it in one hand. Then he lowered it slowly in front of his face.
His eyes went wide. He stopped grunting. His fangs slid back up. His mouth hung open.
He stared at the Floig without moving. And suddenly he started to shrink. Bim settled back into his old size — about three feet tall. The orange color returned to his skin. His antennae drooped over his forehead.
When he finally raised his eyes to me, Bim looked like a baby again.
“Now Bim remember!” he said in a soft voice. “Space travel made Bim forget. But now Bim remember why he came here.”
He hugged the Floig tightly to his chest.
“Bim been looking everywhere for you!” he told it.
I couldn’t help myself. A laugh burst from my throat.
I guess it was because I had been so terrified. And because Bim looked so funny cradling that ugly toy in his arms.
All four of us began to laugh. Bim laughed, too, but he had tears in his tiny raisin eyes.
“You came here to find that thing?” I finally asked him.
Bim nodded. “Weirdo Tracking brought me. Because Floig was here. Tracking brought Bim to your house.”
“But you forgot what you were looking for?” I asked.
He nodded again. “Space travel mix up Bim’s mind.”
“But what is that thing?” Chris demanded.
Bim rocked it, holding it against his chest like a baby. “Floig I played with when I was tiny Bim. Bim searching and searching for most favorite toy.”
Big tears rolled down the alien’s cheeks.
“This makes my feeling HOMESICK!” he exclaimed sadly. “Homesick. Very homesick. Bim go home now.”
He hugged the Floig tightly to his chest, and he began to spin. Faster … He twirled faster and faster like a top picking up speed.
“Good-bye, Megs and the brother,” he called. His voice already seemed far away.
Faster. He spun so fast, he became an orange blur.
And then the color faded. Bim vanished with a whoosh.
Gone.
I didn’t move. I didn’t blink. I stared at the spot where he’d spun.
No one said a word.
And then Penny interrupted the silence. She came shuffling into the room. I’d forgotten all about her!
“Did that crazy kid go home?” she asked. “Something is a little off about him. His parents should have a long talk with that kid.”
We couldn’t help it. We burst out laughing.
Penny was very confused. She made her way downstairs to give her fish their midnight snack.
Carlos and Kelly asked if they could help clean up.
I yawned. “Come back tomorrow morning,” I said. “I’m too exhausted to start cleaning up tonight.”
They went home.
Chris gazed around my destroyed bedroom. “Thank goodness that’s over. This was a crazy night,” he murmured.
“Crazy night,” a tinny, shrill voice repeated.
“Crazy night,” another voice echoed.
“Huh?” I uttered a startled gasp. And turned in time to see three Bims climb in through the broken window.
Then three more followed them into my room. They were all identical. They looked exactly like Bim!
“Who are you?” I screamed. “What do you want?”
“Bim invite us,” one of them said. He grinned at me. “Bim say come.”
“Good back rubs,” another one chirped. “Bim say good back rubs here.”
“Bim invite us,” the first one repeated.
“Living meat and good back rubs.”
“Bim say to come. Good back rubs every day.”
One of them settled down into a dresser drawer on my floor. “We come forever and ever!” he said.
What a nightmare! A room full of chattering Bims!
I gaped in horror at the lumpy, smelly, disgusting creatures.
Every time I thought this Halloween couldn’t get worse — it DID!
I had to get out of there. I couldn’t deal with this. “Chris, let’s go!” I cried.
We both started for the bedroom door, but two of the creatures blocked our way.
“Where Bim?” one asked.
“Where Bim? Where Bim?” they all started chanting in their tinny voices.
“Bim isn’t here. He left!” I cried. “Bim went home!”
That silenced them. They squinted at me with their tiny raisin eyes.
“Bim go home?”
“Bim home? Don’t stay for back rub?”
“Yes. Bim went home,” Chris said.
They all began chattering to each other in a strange language that sounded like clicks and burps. Suddenly, they turned silent. They formed a tight circle around Chris and me.
“Chris,” I whispered, “I don’t like this.”
We couldn’t duck away. They had us surrounded.
I watched for their fangs to drop down … for the Bims to grow huge and angry.
“Sorry,” one of them said. His antennae drooped over his forehead. “Sorry.
No Bim.” He moved closer. His tiny eyes were locked on mine.
I held my breath. What did they plan to do?
“No Bim here,” he repeated. “Bim go home. We go home, too.”
My mouth dropped open. Huh? Would they really leave?
Yes. They began to twirl. Slowly at first, then picking up speed. They spun so fast, the wind almost knocked Chris and me over. The window curtains flew up to the ceiling. The ceiling light rattled and shook.
And then silence. Everything still. They were gone.
My heart pounded. I glanced around my room. It looked like someone had taken one of those big wrecking balls and swung it into everything I owned. What a disaster!
“Bim go home!”
“Oh!” I jumped when I heard a tiny voice behind me.
I spun around. Chris! He laughed. “Bim go home! Bim go home!”
He did a crazy dance around the room. “Bim gone! Bim gone!”
We both cheered and bumped knuckles and danced and celebrated. Then we went down to the kitchen and stuffed ourselves with junk food and Halloween candy.
We had fun — for a little while. But I kept thinking that Mom and Dad would be home in two days. How could I ever explain what happened here?
Finally, we went up to our rooms. I suddenly felt tired, but I knew I’d never get to sleep. I kept glancing at the window, expecting more weird space aliens to come popping in.
My dresser was still lying facedown on the floor. My clothes and books were scattered all over the carpet. My cell phone was on the floor near the door. I picked it up and put it into my pocket. Then I started across the room to see if I could pull a nightshirt from the mess.
And something caught my eye.
A dull yellow-green glow. On the corner of my desk.
I blinked. Was something on fire?
Stumbling over, I lurched to the desk. And stared at the little green-and-purple Horror. The tiny figure the old shop owner had attached to my souvenir package.
As I stared at the glowing figure, I remembered Jonathan Chiller handing me the package. And I remembered his words: Take a little Horror home with you.
The Horror glowed with a steady yellow-green light. And as I gazed at it, I suddenly felt strange. Quivery. Dizzy.
I leaned toward the light. I felt myself pulled to it.
And I let out an angry growl. “Stop it! Stop!” I screamed. “Enough! Haven’t I had enough scares for one Halloween?”