Chapter 42

“Gruff, wait!” cried Mr. Grunter, the words mushy in his half-human mouth. One leg ended in a human foot, the other was sprouting horny claws.

RIIIIP!

Mr. Grunter’s human clothes popped at the seams and fell to the ground as the change became complete. Now both eyes blazed red and I heard his words only inside my head.

“We won’t hurt the children,” he insisted, reaching toward me with his clawed hand. “We’re only going to help the children become like us, Gruff. Then the town will be ours! We’ll be free! You can’t stop us so you might as well help.”

I stepped back from him. The kids! Mr. Grunter had lured me away from the bus! I spun in the air and set off running back to the clearing.

Mr. Grunter sprang after me.

“You know how good it feels to be one of us, Gruff,” his werewolf voice cried inside my head. “Humans are weak and puny. They can’t smell the creatures in the woods. They can’t hear the pulse of life in the wind. Let the children be bitten so they can feel our strength. Let them be like us,” Grunter pleaded, flaring his werewolf nostrils. “Think how wonderful it will be when we can all run together. All hunt together!”

“All kill together,” I snarled, kicking him away from me. Finally the clearing was in sight. I could hear kids moaning in fear. Some were crying.

All around me I began to hear the hissing and snapping of werewolves gathering.

“Please Gruff,” whispered Grunter. “You can’t stop them. Don’t go against Ripper. Save yourself!”

He reached for me and I spun away, sprinting across the clearing. Werewolves were beginning to howl with excitement.

I bolted for the bus. Catching sight of me, the kids inside began to scream. I leaped on top of the bus and crouched, ready for battle.

Hot red eyes advanced through the night toward the bus. They looked like bobbing coals, staining the night red. As the creatures emerged from the swamp into the clearing, moonlight fell on them.

I sucked in my breath, frozen at the awful sight of so many of them. It was an army of monsters. Their yellow fangs dripped with anticipation as they advanced. Their glowing eyes were focused completely on the children in the bus.

Leaping over their heads from out of the darkness, Ripper landed in front of his followers. He threw back his huge head and howled.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

It was the signal for the attack to begin!