35 - A Shocker on Shock Street (7 page)

“Come dowwwwurwwnnnnnnn. Come dowwwwwnnnn,”
a dozen other soft voices
called from beneath the ground.

Marty and I froze. The soft, sad voices seemed to hypnotize me. My legs
suddenly felt as if they were made of stone.

“Come dowwwwurwwnnnnnnn. Come dowwwwwnnnn.”

And then I saw a green head pop up from the dirt. And then another head.
Another. Bald green heads with empty eye sockets and open, toothless mouths.

I saw shoulders, then arms. More heads poking up. Bright-green bodies pulling
up from beneath the ground.

“M-Marty—” I choked out. “They’re coming up after us!”

The cemetery rang out with grunts and groans as the ugly green figures pulled
themselves up from the ground.

I took one last glance at their tattered, shredded clothing, at their
blackened eye sockets, their toothless, grinning mouths.

And then I started to run.

Marty and I both ran without saying a word. Side by side, we darted across
the tall grass between the rows of crooked tombstones.

My heart thudded in my chest. My head throbbed. My bare feet sank into the
cold dirt, slipped on the tall, damp grass.

Marty reached the wooden gate first. He was running so hard, he banged into
the fence. He let out a cry—then slipped through the gate onto Shock Street.

I could hear moans and groans and eerie calls of the disgusting green people
behind me. But I didn’t look back. I dove for the gate. Squeezed through. Then I shoved it
shut behind me.

Running into the street, I stopped to catch my breath. I bent over and
pressed my hands against my knees. My side ached. I sucked in breath after
breath.

“Don’t stop!” Marty cried frantically. “Erin—keep going!”

I took a deep breath and followed him down the street. Our bare feet slapped
the pavement.

I could still hear the moans and calls behind us. But I was too scared to
glance back.

“Marty—where
is
everybody?” I called breathlessly.

Shock Street was empty, the houses and shops all dark.

Shouldn’t there be people around? I wondered. This is a big movie studio.
Where are the people who work for Shocker Studios? Where are the people who work
on the studio tour?

Why isn’t anyone around to help us?

“Something is wrong!” Marty choked out, running at full speed. We passed The
Horror Hardware Store and Shock City Electronics. “The robots are out of control
or something!”

At last! Marty agreed with me. He finally agreed that something was terribly
wrong.

“We’ve got to find your dad,” Marty said, running across the street to the
next block of dark houses. “We’ve got to tell him there’s a problem.”

“We have to find the tram,” I called, struggling to keep up with him. “Ow!”

My bare foot came down on something hard. A rock or something. Pain shot up
my leg. But I hobbled on.

“If we can get back on the tram, it will take us back to Dad,” I called.

“There
has
to be a way out of Shock Street,” Marty said. “It’s only a
movie set.”

We ran past a tall mansion with two turrets. It looked like an evil castle. I
didn’t remember it from any of the
Shocker
movies.

Beyond the mansion stretched a big, empty dirt lot. At the back of the lot
stood a low brick wall, just a foot or two taller than Marty and me.

“Cut through here!” I told Marty. “If we can climb up on that wall, we can
probably see the studio road.”

I was just guessing. But it was worth a try.

We both turned into the empty lot.

My bare feet thudded over the soft dirt.

The dirt felt cold and wet. As we crossed the field, our feet tossed up big
clumps of mud.

I pumped my legs harder as the mud grew softer. My bare feet were sinking
into it. As I ran, the cold mud rose up over my ankles.

Marty and I were nearly to the brick wall when we ran into the sinkhole.

“Yaaaaaiiii!” We both uttered hoarse cries as the ground gave way beneath us.

The mud made a sick
splussssh
as we sank.

I tossed up both hands. Tried to grab onto something.

But there was nothing to grab.

The mud oozed around me. Over my ankles. My legs. Up over my knees.

It’s sucking me down, I thought. I tried to cry out again—but panic choked
my throat.

I glimpsed Marty beside me. His arms were waving wildly. His whole body
twisted and squirmed as he sank. The mud was up over his waist—and he was
still sinking fast.

I kicked hard. Tried to raise my knees.

But I was trapped. Trapped and dropping down, down into the dark, wet ooze.

My mud-covered arms slapped against the surface.

I couldn’t stop myself.

The mud bubbled up over my neck. And I was sinking fast.

I held my breath. The mud rose up to my chin.

In a second, it will be over my head, I thought.

A sob escaped my throat.

The mud crept higher, up over my chin. I started to spit as it reached my
mouth.

And then I felt something grab my arm. Strong hands slipped under my arms. I
felt the hands slide in the mud.

They gripped me harder.

I felt myself being tugged up, tugged by someone very strong.

The mud made a loud
plop
as I rose up. I felt the mud roll down my
chest, my legs, my knees.

And then I was standing on the surface, still held by the two powerful hands.

“Marty—!” I called, tasting the sour mud on my lips. “Are you—?”

“I’m up!” I heard his hoarse reply. “Erin, I’m okay!”

The strong hands finally let go. My legs trembled. I wobbled but remained
standing.

I turned to see who had rescued me.

And stared into the glowing red eyes of a wolf.

A human with the face of a wolf. Clawed hands covered in black fur. A long,
brown snout curved in an open, toothy grin. Sharp, pointed ears above a thick
tuft of black wolf fur.

A female. She wore a silvery catsuit. Sleek and tight-fitting. As I stared in
shock, she opened her mouth in a throaty growl.

I recognized her at once. Wolf Girl!

I turned to see her companion—Wolf Boy. He had pulled Marty out of the mud
hole. Marty’s whole body was caked in mud. He tried to wipe his face, but only
managed to smear more mud over his cheeks.

“You—saved us! Thank you!” I cried, finally finding my voice.

The two werewolves uttered low growls in reply.

“We—we lost the tram,” I explained to Wolf Girl. “We need to get back. You
know. Back to where the ride began.”

She let out a sharp growl. Then she snapped her toothy jaw hard.

“Please—” I begged. “Can you help us get back to the tram? Or can you take
us to the main building? My dad is waiting for me there.”

Wolf Girl’s red eyes flashed. She growled again.

“We know you’re just actors!” Marty blurted out shrilly. “But we don’t want
to be scared anymore. We’ve had enough scares for today. Okay?”

The two werewolves growled. A long white string of saliva drooled over Wolf
Boy’s black lips.

Something inside me snapped. I totally lost it. “Stop it!” I screamed. “Just
stop it! Marty is right! We don’t want to be scared now. So stop the werewolf
act—and help us!”

The werewolves growled again. Wolf Girl snapped her jaws. A long pink tongue
slid out, and she licked her jagged teeth hungrily.

“That’s
enough
!” I shrieked. “Stop the act! Stop it! Stop it!”

I was so angry, so
furious
—I reached up with both hands. I grabbed
the fur on the sides of Wolf Girl’s mask.

And I tugged the mask with all my strength.

Tugged. Tugged with both hands as hard as I could.

And felt real fur. And warm skin.

It wasn’t a mask.

“Ohh.” I let out a gasp, and jerked my hands away.

The werewolf’s red eyes glowed. Her black lips parted. Once again, her tongue
flicked hungrily over her yellow, pointed teeth.

My whole body trembled as I backed up against the brick wall. “M-Marty—” I
stammered. “It’s not an act.”

“Huh?” Marty stood stiffly in front of Wolf Boy, his dark eyes wide in his
mud-caked face.

“They’re not actors,” I whispered. “Something is wrong here. Something is
terribly wrong.”

Marty’s mouth dropped open. He took a step back.

Both werewolves uttered low growls. They lowered their heads as if preparing
to attack.

“Do you believe me?” I cried. “Do you finally believe me?”

Marty nodded. He didn’t say a word. I think he was too terrified to talk.

Saliva poured from the werewolves’ mouths. Their eyes glowed like fire in the
darkness. Their furry chests began to heave in and out. Their breaths came loud
and hoarse.

I jumped back against the wall as both werewolves raised their heads and let
out long, frightening howls.

What were they going to do to us?

I grabbed Marty and tugged him to the wall. “Up!” I cried. “Get up! Maybe
they can’t reach us up there!”

Marty leaped high, stretching up his arms. His hands slapped the top of the
wall, then slid back down. He tried again. He bent his knees. Jumped. Grabbed
for the top of the wall. Slipped back down.

“I can’t!” he wailed. “It’s too high.”

“We’ve got to!” I shrieked.

I turned back and saw the two werewolves lean back on their hind legs and
then spring up. They were snarling and growling now, thick gobs of saliva
running over their snapping teeth.

“Up!” I cried.

As Marty leaped for the wall again, I reached down and grabbed his muddy
foot. “Up!” I gave him a hard boost.

His hands thrashed the air. Caught the top of the brick wall. Held on.

His bare feet kicked the air. But he held on and tugged himself up.

On his knees on top of the wall, he turned and grabbed my hands. He pulled
and I jumped. I struggled to scramble up beside him.

But I couldn’t get my knees up. Couldn’t get them onto the wall.

My bare feet thrashed wildly. My knees scraped against the wall as Marty
tugged.

“I can’t do it! I can’t!” I gasped.

The werewolves howled again.

“Keep trying!” Marty choked out. He tugged my arms. Tugged with all his
strength.

I was still struggling as the two werewolves leaped.

I heard the snap of jaws.

I felt hot breath on the bottom of my foot.

The two werewolves thudded against the wall.

With a desperate cry, I sprang to the top. Gasping for air, I pressed myself
flat against the bricks.

I raised my head in time to see the two snarling werewolves leap again. Jaws
snapped in front of my face. Red eyes gleamed hungrily at me.

“No!” With a cry, I scrambled to my feet.

The werewolves raised their heads in angry howls and prepared to attack
again.

Marty and I stood pressed close together, staring down at them.

They jumped.

Their claws scraped against the bricks. The shrill screech sent chills down
my back. Their teeth snapped.

They dropped down. Prepared another leap, snarling excitedly.

“We can’t stay up here forever!” Marty cried. “What do we do?”

I squinted into the darkness. Was that the studio road on the other side of
the wall?

Too dark to tell.

The werewolves leaped again. Jagged teeth scraped against my ankle.

I jumped back. Nearly toppled off the wall.

Marty and I bumped into each other, our eyes on the two growling creatures
preparing another leap.

The gun! The plastic stun gun!

Mine had fallen from my hand. It was probably buried in that mud hole. But my
eyes fell on Marty’s gun. Its handle poked out from his jeans pocket.

Without saying a word, I grabbed the handle and tugged the plastic pistol
from Marty’s jeans.

“Hey—!” he cried. “Erin—what are you doing?”

“They gave us the guns for a reason,” I explained, shouting over the
frightening howls of the two werewolves. “Maybe this will stop them.”

“It—it’s only a
toy
!” Marty stammered.

I didn’t care. It was worth a try.

Maybe it would frighten them. Maybe it would hurt them. Maybe it would chase
them away.

I raised the plastic gun. Aimed it as the two werewolves made another leap of
attack. “One—two—three—FIRE!” I squeezed the trigger. Again. Again. Again!

The gun made a loud buzzing sound. It shot out a beam of yellow light.

Yes! I thought. Yes! I prayed.

The light will stop them.

It’s a stun gun—right? The buzzing sound and the bright light will stun
them. It will freeze them in place so Marty and I can make our escape.

I squeezed the trigger hard. Again. Again.

It didn’t stop the werewolves. It didn’t even seem to surprise them.

They leaped higher. I felt sharp claws scrape my leg. I cried out in pain.

And the plastic gun flew out of my hand.

It clattered against the top of the wall, then slid to the ground.

Just a toy. Marty was right. It wasn’t a real weapon. It was just a stupid
toy.

“Look out!” Marty opened his mouth in a shrill shriek as the snarling
creatures made another high leap at the wall.

Claws scraped the brick—and held on. Red eyes glared up at me. Hot wolf
breath tingled my skin.

“Ohhh.” My arms flew up as I lost my balance. I struggled to stay up. But my
knees bent. My feet slipped.

I grabbed for Marty. Missed.

And toppled off. Landed hard on my back on the other side of the wall.

Gazing up in horror, I saw Marty leap down beside me.

The two werewolves were on the top of the wall now. They glared down at us,
red eyes glowing, tongues out, breathing hard.