“BOO!”
Eugene McGillicudy pedaled his bike next to his best friend, Charlie Thomas Jones.
Could Halloween be any more awesome? Eugene thought.
There were the jack-o’-lanterns, the falling leaves, the chill of the autumn air. And best of all . . .
TRICK OR TREAT!
There was the dressing up in costumes and running from house to house to collect as much candy and chocolate as your hands—or backs—could carry!
You didn’t get that amount of awesomeness on Presidents’ Day or even on a snow day.
And Halloween was getting closer.
Eugene and Charlie took the long way home from school. They pedaled slowly, their eyes darting from side to side. The dry fall leaves swirled across the street and crunched under the wheels of their bikes.
The town of Sunnyview went all out for Halloween. Houses were covered in fake spider-webs and pumpkins were on every porch. One yard had a mummy in a coffin, and another had Frankenstein sitting in a rocking chair. But Eugene and Charlie weren’t just enjoying the spooky scenes.
They were out on patrol.
MONSTER PATROL!
For real monsters, Halloween was like their birthday. It was a chance for them to run freely around Sunnyview without anyone thinking twice about it. In the dark no one could tell the difference between the real Count Fangula and Kieran Phillips in a vampire costume.
“You see any evil yet, Charlie?” Eugene asked.
“Just a torn paper skeleton,” Charlie responded.
The boys were determined to stop Halloween evil. No monsters would ruin the greatest day in the history of free candy! Eugene and Charlie would stop them because that’s what their favorite superhero, Super Dude, would do.
What’s that you say?
You’ve never heard of Super Dude? WHAT?! Do you not have all of his comic books, movies, video games, and action figures?
Super Dude is the super superhero who once washed the evil Liquid Fury down the drain in Super Dude and the Clean Car Wash of Cleanliness.
Super Dude was a true hero and Eugene’s favorite. He was, after all, the main reason Eugene became Sunnyview’s first and most awesome superhero. Eugene was the one, the only . . . CAPTAIN AWESOME!
MI-TEE!
With his best friend, Charlie Thomas Jones (also known as the superhero Nacho Cheese Man), and their class pet hamster, Turbo, Eugene formed the Sunnyview Superhero Squad to stop the eviling of bad guys.
Eugene skidded to a stop at the edge of Mr. Muckleberry’s driveway. A tingle ran up his arm and zipped through his whole body.
“What is it, Eugene?” Charlie asked. He could tell Eugene was sensing something bad.
“Shhh. Over there.” Eugene pointed across the lawn. . . .
