The Northern Frights

by Derek the Ghost

  Charles jumped down and gave Marlin a hug. “I guess you were wrong about my future,” Charles said to him.

  “What are you talking about?” said Marlin, confused. “You’re Charles Nukid, the famous dragon slayer. Two hundred years from now, your statue still stands, commemorating your remarkable victory over the Ice Dragon.”

  Of course, thought Charles. That’s the future that Marlin remembers now! I really did change it!

  When Charles thought back to that terrible day when his picnic with Penny had ended in disaster, he couldn’t help but laugh. If it hadn’t been for everything going so badly, Penny might never have brought the hot peppers to Scream Academy and come to his rescue, and Charles would not have survived his battle with the Ice Dragon.

  Charles had learned a very important life lesson, and he didn’t even have to die in the process. Sometimes bad things happen, but it’s not until later that you realize it was all for the best.

  Lattie appeared in front of Charles.

  “Thanks for saving me,” he said, giving her a respectful bow. Lattie bowed back to Charles, but then he noticed that tears were dripping from her mask.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “The Ice Dragon stole my master. Now I fear I’ll never be able to find him.”

  Overhearing the conversation, Marlin popped his swordfish head in between, nearly spearing them both.

  “Excuse me,” said Marlin. “Did you say the Ice Dragon took your master? Well, now that we have her wand, it shouldn’t be much trouble to bring him back. Tell me, what’s his name?”

  “Master Three Claws.”

  Marlin waved the wand and chanted, “Zalakazam zalakazaws! Bring me Master Three Claws!”

  Master Three Claws appeared in a puff of smoke right in front of them. He opened his eyes as if waking from a deep sleep and immediately recognized Lattie.

  “Master Lattie? Where am I?” murmured Three Claws.

  “Where you are matters far less than whose heart you are in,” Lattie replied. Then she jumped into his arms and hugged him harder than she ever had before.

  The six exchange students from Scary School couldn’t have had a better time at Scream Academy the rest of the week. Actually, Jason got bruised pretty badly from playing monster hockey with Hubert, but he figured that all the bumps and scrapes just added to his good looks.

  Each Scary School student was considered a Scream Academy hero, and the monster students fought over who got to be better friends with them. Nobody ever complained about humans at the school again.

  When it was time to leave, the Scary School kids were given a big going-away party in Garzok Hall. Witches flew around on brooms, dropping candy for the kids to catch in their mouths.

  Wendy won a school-wide game of pin-the-tail-on-the-dragon. Her dragonfly potion helped out a lot, though the dragon student who got his tail pinned was a little upset.

  Petunia painted the walls with purple petunias so that the monsters could see what flowers looked like. Fred danced with all the cute zombie girls and still couldn’t believe his dreams kept getting more and more fantastic.

  Lattie took down a two-ton troll with ease during the championship sumo-wrestling match. Dumbfounded, Silence the Yeti asked, “How did you beat someone who weighs so much more than you?”

  Lattie replied, “The boulder weighs more than the rock, but which would you rather have in your hand during a fight?”

  Charles rode into the party on the back of Mr. Dullahan’s horse, holding his teacher’s head high in the air. Mr. Dullahan exclaimed, “Good-bye, students of Scary School! We are all very sad that you’re ‘heading off!’ Ha-ha-ha-ha!”

  The event culminated in Principal Meltington unveiling a brand-new statue next to the one of the great Garzok Grubshanks. It was a sculpture of Charles Nukid, made out of gleaming marble. It looked remarkably like him, with the same gray shorts, white dress shirt, and polka-dot tie, except, of course, it was thirty feet tall. He was immortalized in a heroic pose, pointing the Sword of Fire skyward with a ferocious look on his face.

  The inscription read: CHARLES “NOODLE-NECK” NUKID—SLAYER OF THE TERRIBLE ICE DRAGON. WIELDER OF THE SWORD OF FIRE. FRIEND TO ALL MONSTERS.

  Charles loved it, except for that “Noodle-neck” part. But what’s set in stone is set in stone.

  Suddenly, there was a green flash of light from outside. Charles ran back through the wolf’s mouth and saw Penny standing in the snow, looking upward.

  In the sky was the aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights. Brilliant waves of green, pink, and blue light flashed in the sky—an effect that only happens near the North Pole when charged energy particles collide with the atmosphere. It looked like a rainbow river was rolling across the stars.

  Both thought it was the most beautiful sight they had ever seen. Penny took Charles’s hand in hers, and they gazed at the sky for what seemed like hours, but may have only been minutes.

  23

  There’s No Place Like Scary School

  Every school in the Scary community had soon heard about how the Scary School students had not only survived but had also saved Scream Academy from destruction. From Bloodington to Witchbrook to Wolfsbane to Zombie Tech School for the Mostly Dead, every school was clamoring to be the next one to host Scary School exchange students.

  When the students arrived back at Scary School, they were greeted with a spectacular parade. The third and fourth graders had built a gigantic float of the Ice Dragon. It traveled down the street as the Scary School band marched beneath it, playing the Scary School song, which I’m sure you’ve heard if you’ve visited the Scary School website.

  After the float, the six exchange students made their entrance. Jason and Fred were riding atop Ms. T the T. rex, waving to the adoring crowd. Wendy and Petunia followed behind them on the back of the nine-headed monitor lizard, Ms. Hydra.

  “Yay! Go Petunia!” shouted Frank, which is pronounced “Rachel.”

  A bat appeared next to the two girls and transformed into Wendy’s friend, Count Checkula Jr. He rode next to Wendy on one of Ms. Hydra’s necks.

  “Hi, Wendy,” Count Checkula Jr. said. “I transferred to Scary School because I could not stand to be away from you a moment longer.”

  Wendy couldn’t stop giggling for days.

  Finally, Charles and Lattie swooped over the crowd, riding on the back of Dr. Dragonbreath.

  Dr. Dragonbreath turned to Charles and said, “I am very pleased you survived your battle with the Ice Dragon. If any dragon is going to eat you, it’s going to be me. As soon as I catch you breaking a rule, of course.”

  “Well,” said Charles, patting Dr. Dragonbreath on his scaly back, “if any monster makes a meal of me, I hope it’s you.”

  As a gift of gratitude, Charles was allowed to keep the Sword of Fire. He held it high as he flew over the crowd, hearing the cheers of the students and teachers. Charles had no interest in keeping the sword. He planned on sticking it under a rock somewhere as soon as he could, so as not to tempt any more trouble.

  Charles searched for Penny in the crowd to see if she was cheering, but he didn’t see her. Lattie was sitting behind Charles, holding on to his waist, but he wasn’t feeling the same feeling as when Penny held him while flying to Monster Kingdom.

  Mr. Acidbath shouted from below, “Wowzy-woozy! Show us the sword!” Charles held the sword up, but he didn’t notice that the Ice Dragon float was directly above him. He punctured a hole right in the float’s belly, and it deflated on top of the crowd like melted cheese.

  The parade came to an end much sooner than expected.

  So much for his hero status.

  King Khufu pointed at him and snarled, “Death shall come upon swift wings to he who ruins a parade for a king!”

  The students crawled out from under the float, and Principal Headcrusher gathered everyone around her. She raised her hands to her mouth.

  “Everybody, listen!” Principal Headcrusher exclaimed. Sh
e was so loud they couldn’t not listen if they wanted to. “We were going to have our closing ceremonies inside the world’s largest toy store, and you were all going to get free toys, but I guess we’ll have to make do right here.”

  Everyone grumbled.

  “First off, let us all congratulate Wendy, Fred, Jason, Petunia, Lattie, and Charles for making us so proud by surviving Scream Academy and stopping the mighty Ice Dragon from reducing the school to rubble. And we mustn’t forget the bravery of Johnny, Ramon, Peter, Cy, Rory, and Penny for helping out their friends in need. They saved not only Scream Academy but also Scary School and every school in the Scary community.”

  There was tepid applause. Everyone was still thinking about the toys they weren’t going to get.

  “I think we have all learned that bravery and the bonds of friendship can overcome even the most frightening monstrosities the world can throw at us.”

  The students cheered much more loudly.

  “And lastly, I have a big surprise for you.”

  The cheering ceased immediately.

  “To celebrate our glorious victory, we will be having a dance party in Petrified Pavilion right now. I’m calling it the Dance of Destiny. That is all.”

  Charles saw Penny pop out of the crowd from behind Mr. Grump. He ran as fast as he could to her. When he reached her, he was so out of breath that he could barely speak.

  “Penny . . . would you . . . would you . . . sorry, I just need . . . a second . . . to catch . . . okay . . . would you like to go to the—”

  Charles was knocked away by the thick arm of Lebok the Troll. “Get out of here, Toothpick,” growled Lebok. “Penny, you go to Dance of Destiny with Lebok.”

  Picking himself off the ground, Charles said, “But you pushed her into the mud!”

  “Yeah. That’s how trolls show they like someone. Penny goes with me.”

  Penny was shaking her head furiously.

  “Hey, Lebok not asking. Lebok telling.” Lebok lifted Penny off the ground and carried her over his shoulder. Penny was hitting his back, trying to squirm free.

  Charles shouted, “Hey, Lebok!”

  Lebok turned to him and snarled.

  “Looks like you win again. But we should be friends. You want a piece of candy?”

  “Candy? Yes!”

  Charles handed Lebok a piece of candy, and he popped it in his mouth. But of course it wasn’t a piece of candy. It was a death pepper.

  Lebok dropped Penny and ran in circles screaming, “Waahhhh!” before diving face-first into the town fountain. Which only made it worse.

  “So,” said Charles, helping Penny up. “Would you like to go to the dance with me?”

  Penny said yes as softly as she could, but the force still knocked Charles backward onto his bottom. Penny lifted him up and gave him a big hug.

  He had been through an awful lot to finally get that hug, but it was totally worth it.

  As soon as Penny let go, Charles suddenly found himself being lifted up again and suspended hundreds of feet in the air. He looked up and saw he was clutched in the grasp of some hideous flying monster.

  When he felt the furry paw and smelled the putrid smell, he knew exactly what had snatched him—a bearodactyl. The half-bear, half-pterodactyl monster that had it in for him since last semester.

  “Are you going to eat me?” Charles asked the bearodactyl.

  The bearodactyl answered in a voice that sounded like a parrot’s. “Eat you? Not today. I’m taking you to Monster Kingdom.”

  “Monster Kingdom? But why?”

  “Because, young human, you defeated the Monster King in battle. That means you’re the new Monster King!”

  “Me? The Monster King?”

  As the bearodactyl soared into the distance, Charles couldn’t believe he was about to be taken on yet another horrifying adventure.

  Final Note from Derek the Ghost

  Do you want to know what happens at the Dance of Destiny? You’ll need to go to the website—www.ScarySchool.com—to find the bonus chapter and read all about it. Hopefully the bookeaters haven’t gotten to it first! Search carefully, and you will find it hidden safely near one of the students of Scream Academy!

  And so you’ve managed to survive to the end, my loyal readers. That means you’ve finished reading three Scary School books. You have accomplished something rather significant. There’s a word for accomplishing three major achievements in a row: a trifecta. And when you complete a trifecta, that automatically makes you . . . awesome.

  In fact, whenever another kid is making fun of you or calling you names in the school yard, you will now have the right to come back with: “That’s not true. I’m awesome!”

  Then the other kid will say: “Oh yeah? What makes you awesome?”

  Then you say: “I completed a trifecta. How many trifectas have you completed?”

  They will say: “Uhhhhhh . . .”

  Before they have a chance to think of one, you butt in and say: “That’s right. Zero! Now why don’t you go hang on the monkey bars?”

  Point, set, and match. You’re welcome.

  Hope to see you again soon! And if you have a chance, come visit me at ScarySchool.com! Maybe we can find the bonus chapter together! Either way, may all your school days be happy and scare-free.

  Your friend,

  Derek the Ghost

  About the Author and Illustrator

  DEREK THE GHOST is an eleven-year-old ghost who haunts the classrooms and hallways of Scary School writing down all the spine-tingling, often hilarious things that go on there. He is the author of Scary School and Scary School #2: Monsters on the March. Despite his ghostly state, Derek still enjoys reading comic books and hopes to one day become a master ninja. If that doesn’t work out, he will continue to share the fun of this very special, very secret school, so all kids can experience the scariest school on earth. You can visit him online at www.scaryschool.com.

  SCOTT M. FISCHER has illustrated many books, including the New York Times bestselling Peter Pan in Scarlet, Jump!, Animals Anonymous, and the Secrets of Dripping Fang series. Scott graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design. He lives in western Massachusetts with his wife, daughter, dog, cat, goldfish, and a cockatoo named Fred. You can visit him online at www.fischart.com.

  Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors and artists.

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  Also by Derek the Ghost

  SCARY SCHOOL

  SCARY SCHOOL#2: MONSTERS ON THE MARCH

  Credits

  Cover art © 2013 by Scott M. Fischer

  Copyright

  SCARY SCHOOL #3: THE NORTHERN FRIGHTS.

  Text copyright © 2013 by Derek Taylor Kent.

  Illustrations copyright © 2013 by Scott M. Fischer.

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  www.harpercollinschildrens.com

  * * *

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Kent, Derek Taylor.

  The northern frights / by Derek the Ghost ; scary pictures by Scott M. Fischer. — 1st ed.

  p. cm. — (Scary School ; #3)

  Summary: Charles Nukid and his friends are chosen to be exchange students at Scary School’s terrifying counterpart, Scream Academy, where they encounter polter-bears, abominable snowmen, trolls, and the dreaded Ice Dragon.

  ISBN 978-0-06-196098-7 (hardcover bdg.)

  EPub Edition April 2013 ISBN 9780062208514

  [1. Supernatu
ral—Fiction. 2. Schools—Fiction. 3. Prophecies—Fiction. 4. Humorous stories.] I. Fischer, Scott M., ill. II. Title.

  PZ7.K4132Nor 2013 2012022160

  [Fic]—dc23 CIP

  AC

  * * *

  13 14 15 16 17 LP/RRDH 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  FIRST EDITION

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