“No!” screamed the woman, skidding on the grass as she tried to escape. She could hear the werewolf’s throaty growl and feel its hot breath on the back of her neck.
But before the creature could pounce, an object came sailing through the air and caught it on the side of the head. It was a leather money bag filled to the brim with coins. The werewolf fell, stunned by the blow.
“Run, while you still can!” Sir Otto ordered the woman, running over to collect his money bag.
“You hit my mum!” shouted Luke.
The landlord snarled. “She had to be stopped.” He glanced up and caught sight of Cleo. “You — go and tell the Movers to bring my cage from Sneer Hall,” he ordered.
“I’m not your messenger,” retorted Cleo.
A deep growl built at the back of the wolf’s throat as it began to come round.
“Do it!” shouted Sneer.
Luke stared deep into the wolf’s eyes, hoping to find a glimmer of his mum in there. Nothing. “He’s right, Cleo, we’ve got no choice,” he said.
The mummy muttered something under her breath, but nonetheless she ran off in the direction of number 5 to seek the help of G.H.O.U.L.’s faceless assistants.
“Vampire,” Sir Otto grunted at Resus, his eyes never leaving the werewolf. “In the shed in the grounds of Sneer Hall, there’s a pole that I use to control my hellhounds. Dixon will show you where it is.”
“Then why can’t Dixon go and get it himself?” demanded Resus.
“Because I want someone to bring it here, not write a sonnet about it!”
Grumbling, Resus dashed off towards Sir Otto’s mansion, pausing only to grab Dixon by the shirt and drag him along with him.
Sir Otto and Luke were left to face the wolf. Cowering normals watched on from various hiding places around the square, fascinated.
“Why are you doing this?” asked Luke. “Why are you saving people?”
“Call it financial sense,” the landlord replied. “You can’t pay if you’re dead.”
Luke gave a grim laugh. “I might have known it would be all about you!”
“You’re in this too,” said Sir Otto. “You’ll have to keep your mother occupied until the others get back.”
“You want me to distract a werewolf?” asked Luke incredulously. “How?”
Sir Otto bit down hard on his cigar. “By doing what it is you freaks do best,” he growled. “Be your freakish self.”
Luke paled. “I-I can’t change into a wolf to fight my own mum,” he protested.
“Your choice,” said Sneer flatly. The werewolf raised its snout to the sky and gave a howl. “But if I were you, I wouldn’t take too long to decide…” With that, he kicked open the door to the house. Once inside, he slammed it closed, leaving Luke alone with the werewolf.
Saliva dripped from the creature’s jaws as it turned to glare at Luke. He backed out of the garden and into the square, the wolf stalking his every move. If it attacked, there would be no way he could defend himself. His only chance in a fight would be if he transformed — but he couldn’t bear the thought of hurting his mum.
“M-Mum,” he stammered. “It’s me — Luke!”
His words seemed to have no effect, and the wolf continued to advance.
Behind Luke, the first Movers arrived and began to assemble Sir Otto’s cage. Cleo watched anxiously from the far side of the square.
Suddenly, the creature leapt. Before Luke could react, a metal loop was slipped over the blonde werewolf’s head, tightening around its throat and jerking it backwards. As the werewolf howled in anger and thrashed wildly, Resus and Dixon struggled to keep hold of the long metal pole to which the loop was attached.
“Get that cage ready!” bellowed Resus as Luke dashed over to help with the pole. The wolf howled in fury.
Finally, the Movers slotted the last remaining section into place: a heavy barred door. Resus and Dixon began to push Mrs Watson’s wolf towards the enclosure.
“Three, two, one … now!” shouted Resus.
Dixon released the catch to loosen the loop, then they slid the noose off the blonde wolf’s head and gave it a final shove before the Movers slammed the cage door shut with a clang! Sir Otto Sneer reappeared from his hiding place and ran over to the cage, locking it with a small, silver key that he slipped into the pocket of his waistcoat.
Luke and Resus sank to the ground, exhausted. Cleo scurried over and knelt beside them. “Are you OK?” she asked.
“I’m fine,” said Luke, catching his breath.
“You did the right thing,” said Resus. “At least your mum will be safe now until she changes back.”
Mrs Watson’s werewolf hurled itself angrily at the bars of the cage again and again, but it held secure.
Sir Otto watched the werewolf for a moment, smiling to himself. Then he turned to the now almost deserted square and bellowed, “Ladies and gentlemen!”
“What’s he doing?” asked Luke as he and Resus climbed to their feet. All around them, normals were slowly beginning to emerge from their hiding places.
“You have all seen just how dangerous life in Scream Street can be,” called the landlord. “Therefore, if you wish to stay, the price is now a mere two hundred pounds per person!”
Chapter Nine
The Boy
Excited normals crowded around Sir Otto, clamouring to be the first to give him fistfuls of extra cash.
“What are they doing?” demanded Cleo. “Can’t they see how dangerous this place is for them? Why are they paying to stay?”
“That’s exactly why they’re paying to stay,” said Resus sadly. “Some people will do anything for a thrill.”
Luke watched as each of the tourists paid the additional fee to Sir Otto, then hurried over to the cage to take photographs of his mum’s werewolf. At every pop of a flashbulb, the wolf howled in terror and threw itself against the bars of its cell.
Luke ran over to Sir Otto. “This is low, even for you.”
The landlord grinned as he stuffed another handful of notes into his money bag. “I’m glad I haven’t disappointed you. Now, shove off!”
“Not without the key to the cage,” said Luke, holding out his hand.
Sir Otto roared with laughter. “And why would I give you that?”
“So I can let my mum out as soon as she changes back.”
The werewolf growled as more and more normals crowded around its cage. “I can’t see that happening any time soon,” grinned Sir Otto.
Luke glared at him. “If you don’t—”
Resus grabbed his friend by the arm and dragged him away. “Leave it,” he said.
Luke fought to free himself. “But I’ve got to help my mum!”
“We will help her,” the vampire assured him. “We just have to wait for the right moment.”
A family of normals were now daring each other to stand close enough to the cage to be able to get video footage of themselves alongside the snarling wolf.
“Couldn’t you pick the lock with your nails?” Luke asked Resus in desperation.
“Then what?” demanded the vampire. “Open the door and let her eat me while you figure out where you’re going to take her?”
“But I can’t just leave her there. She’s my mum!”
“You have to,” said Cleo. “It’s safer for everyone this way — including her.”
“Luke!” cried a voice. Mr Watson was hurrying across the square towards the trio. “I wondered where you’d got to! I’ve been at Mr and Mrs Crudley’s, trying to stop them from leaving the house — but I heard a commotion. Are you OK?”
Luke forced a thin smile. “I’m fine, Dad.”
His dad looked relieved. “I can’t find your mum anywhere either. Have you seen her?”
Cleo and Resus exchanged glances. “Actually, she’s—”
“She’s with Dr Skully,” Luke interrupted quickly. “One of the normals recognized him and he lost a few bones. Mum’s helping him to find them.”
&
nbsp; Mr Watson surveyed the crowd in the square. “I figured something must have gone wrong,” he said. “Still, it was worth a try.” He gestured towards the werewolf, snapping at anyone who came within a few metres of its cage. “What’s going on there?”
“Sneer got Dixon to shapeshift into a wolf,” Luke lied. “They’re using it as a trick to attract more visitors.”
“Nasty man,” muttered his dad. “Right, I’d better get back to babysitting the Crudleys. They’ll be plucked apart and used as mudpacks if they wander outside and this lot spot them!” He began to make his way back towards the bog monsters’ home. “If you see your mum, tell her I was looking for her.”
“I will,” Luke called after him.
“Why didn’t you tell him?” asked Resus, once Mr Watson was out of earshot. “Why didn’t you tell your dad what really happened to your mum?”
“He had a hard enough time coming to terms with me being a werewolf,” said Luke quietly. “Seeing my mum that way would send him right over the edge.”
“He’s bound to find out sooner or later,” said Cleo. “Now that she’s started transforming…”
Luke shook his head. “It’s a one-off,” he insisted. “Once she transforms back, it won’t happen again.”
“You don’t know that,” Resus pointed out.
“It won’t happen again!” said Luke angrily. “Even if I have to stay with her twenty-four hours a day to stop her getting angry.”
“That’s ridi—”
“We’ll help you,” Cleo said quickly, giving Resus a warning look. “We’ll help to keep your mum calm so it doesn’t happen again.”
Luke stared unhappily at the werewolf, still pacing around its cage. “Thank you.”
Suddenly, the surly woman appeared, her clothes ripped and covered in dirt, her face as white as a sheet. Twigs and leaves stuck out from her hair. “Y-you’re the werewolf,” she stammered as she caught sight of Luke.
“I’m one of them,” he replied sourly.
“M-my reward…?”
“Your reward is that you’re still alive,” snarled Cleo. “Unless you want him to transform as well?”
“Grrr!” growled Resus under his breath.
A low moan escaped from the woman’s lips and her skin seemed to grow even paler. She ran shakily for the doorway out of Scream Street.
Even Luke couldn’t resist laughing. “I wouldn’t like to have her nightmares tonight,” he said.
Cleo gazed around her at the crowds still filling the square. “And to think, all this was started by a little boy!”
“I’d forgotten all about him,” admitted Luke.
“I hadn’t,” said Resus. “I’d like to know what he’s doing here. Let’s go and find him.”
The trio set off towards the emporium. As they approached, Eefa appeared in the shop doorway. “I was just about to come looking for you three,” she smiled. “Your little friend is feeling better.”
“Thank goodness,” said Cleo. “Is he up to talking yet?”
Eefa rolled her eyes. “You could say that…”
“I’m a vampire!” the boy declared.
Since Resus had left him, the boy had been skipping around Everwell’s Emporium, telling Eefa about his family’s history.
“Yes, we know you’re a vampire,” said Resus through gritted teeth. “You’ve told us at least a dozen times — and it’s still not impressing me. I’m a vampire too.”
The boy looked at Resus in his jeans and jumper. “You don’t look like a vampire,” he said.
“It’s my afternoon off.”
“What’s your name?” asked Cleo.
“Kian,” replied the boy. “Kian the vampire!”
“Nice to meet you, Kian,” said Cleo. “I’m Cleo, and this is—”
“What’s wrong with him?” asked Kian, pointing to Luke, who was staring silently out of the window across the square. “He looks sad.”
“He is sad,” said Cleo. “Some people were cruel to his mum.”
“Why?”
Cleo took a deep breath. “Because she’s a werewolf, and they haven’t seen one of those before,” she explained.
“And they still wouldn’t have if you hadn’t performed your little bat trick in front of them,” grumbled Resus under his breath.
“Wow! His mum’s a werewolf?” exclaimed Kian, wide-eyed in astonishment. “I’m a vampire.”
“If you tell us one more time…”
“Some men took my mum away,” said Kian matter-of-factly. Resus stopped in his tracks. “They came and dragged her from our house.”
Luke turned from the window. “When was this?”
“A few days ago,” said Kian. “I don’t know how long ago exactly, because I hid in the cellar until they stopped looking for me as well.”
Cleo looked surprised. “Why were they looking for you?” she asked.
Kian shrugged. “They had fiery torches and sharp bits of wood, so I don’t think they wanted to be friends,” he said.
“What happened next?” asked Resus in a friendlier tone.
“Then some different men came to the house,” replied the small vampire. “They didn’t say anything, but they looked much kinder.”
“They’re called Movers,” explained Luke. “They came for me, too.”
“I asked them if they knew where my mum was, but they couldn’t hear me,” said Kian. “They brought me here to a new house.”
“You’re here alone?” exclaimed Cleo.
“Oh, no,” smiled Kian. “My grandad already lives in Scream Street. I’ve come to stay with him — look!” He proudly showed them a purple wristband with the number 31 printed on it.
Luke rubbed his own wrist, where, waking for the first time in his new home all those weeks ago, he too had found a purple band.
“There’s another vampire in Scream Street?” asked Resus. “I didn’t know that. What does your grandad look like?”
“I don’t know,” said Kian. “I’ve never met him before, and I couldn’t find him anywhere in the house when I woke up. He’s a vampire.”
“So, there’ll just be you and him?” asked Luke.
“And my mum,” Kian replied. “She’ll come and live with us when she finds our new house — won’t she?”
Cleo put her arm around the small vampire. “I’m sure she will,” she said gently.
Resus reached out and took the boy’s hand. “Until that happens, you come to me for anything you need,” he said. “I live at number fourteen. My name’s Resus Negative.”
“That’s my name, too!” beamed Kian.
“I don’t think…” began Resus.
“It is! My name is Kian Negative — and I’m a vampire!”
Chapter Ten
The Lie
“He’s definitely a Negative,” agreed Alston, lowering the vampire child’s hand as he lay asleep on the couch. “He has all the right lines on his palm.” Resus’s dad, like the rest of his family, had discarded his costume and returned to wearing his cape.
Luke, Resus and Cleo had brought Kian back to Resus’s house to meet his parents, where, after an hour of constant chatter, the boy had eventually fallen sound asleep.
“Then how come we’ve never heard of him?” asked Resus. “If his grandad’s been living in Scream Street all this time, we’d know about it, wouldn’t we?”
“Maybe he’s not the socializing type,” suggested Alston. “If he’s elderly, he might prefer to stay indoors and keep to himself.”
“Even if that’s the case,” said Resus, “I thought we were the only living descendents of Count Negatov.”
“Count Negatov is the one we found in the sewers, isn’t he?” asked Cleo. She recalled the moment when she, Luke and Resus had pulled a fang from the mouth of an apparently dead vampire, only to discover that the founding father was still very much alive.
“Yep,” said Resus. “But I don’t know how Kian is connected to him.”
“Perhaps I may be of assistance h
ere,” offered a muffled voice. Luke pulled The G.H.O.U.L. Guide from his pocket and propped it up on a chair. Samuel Skipstone smiled out from its cover.
“Count Negatov had two sons,” explained the author. “However, one left the family home at a young age and never returned. This was before the count helped to found Scream Street, of course.”
“His son never joined him here?” said Alston. “Why not?”
“A feud over the inheritance of the family castle, I believe,” replied Skipstone. “But that is all Count Negatov would ever tell me. I presume that this child and his grandfather are descended from the missing son.”
“Which means that the grandfather has been living here under our very noses,” added Alston.
Resus sat back in his chair. “So I guess that makes Kian a sort of cousin of mine,” he said.
“A distant cousin,” said Skipstone, “but a relation all the same. He and his mother appear to have settled in another part of the world, and had they not been discovered by the locals, they might never have come to our attention.”
Kian turned over in his sleep and began to snore softly, his breath whistling between his tiny fangs.
“I don’t get that part,” said Luke. “Why would the locals take Kian’s mum away like that?”
“Vampires are feared all over the world,” replied Alston Negative. “If you live outside of a G.H.O.U.L. community, as Kian and his mother seem to have done, you try to keep your identity under wraps for fear of attack.”
“If they were keeping it secret, then how did people find out they were vampires?” asked Cleo.
Resus shrugged. “You’ve seen the kid in action and heard him announce that he’s a vampire. I guess the wrong person must have overheard him and spread the word.”
“Is there any chance his mum will come and find him?” said Luke.
“If he’s telling the truth about her attackers carrying wooden stakes, I don’t think that’s going to happen…” answered Bella.
There was a soft knock on the door and Mr Watson entered. “There’s still a handful of people from our world out there,” he said. “I keep thinking I should be apologizing for their behaviour.”
Invasion of the Normals Page 5
