Authors: Peter Bently
Ghoul Trip
For Theo and Tara
P.B.
For my friends
C.H.
Ghoul Trip
Written by Peter Bently
Illustrated by Chris Harrison
Albert Whitman & Company
Chicago, Illinois
Contents
Chapter 1
A Night at the Fair
BEEP! BEEP!
Miss Gargoyle looked around at her class of young vampires. “Okay, everyone!” she said. “The school bus is here. Let's all make our way out in an orderly line!”
Lee Price stuck his hand up.
“Miss Gargoyle,” he asked eagerly. “Why do we have to take the bus to the county fair? Why don't we just
fly
?”
With a sudden
POP!
Lee turned into a bat and fluttered around the room.
“Yes, Miss Gargoyle, flying would be much quicker than the bus,” chimed in Bella Williams.
“
And
better for the environment,” added Billy Pratt. “Bats don't make smelly fumes.”
“Except when they've had beans for dinner,” quipped Lee.
The class burst out laughing. Even Miss Gargoyle couldn't help grinning. She was looking forward to tonight's school trip to the county fair just as much as the children. When she was a little girl, her dad had worked on the ghost train. She used to ride for free until her dad got fired for being too scary.
“We're taking the bus because it's dark and I don't want anyone to get lost on the way,” she said. “Besides, I don't think it's a great idea if twenty-five bats land in the middle of the fair and suddenly turn into a bunch of little vampires, do you? You know what Fangless folk are like. Now come along, the bus is waiting.”
Lee turned back into his normal shape and followed the rest of the class out to the school bus. The side of the bus said:
St. Orlok's
Elementary School
It used to say
for Vampires
too, but the school principal, Mrs. Batty, had it painted over after several terrified Fangless drivers accidentally drove into street lights.
“Come on, Billy and Bella, let's sit at the front!” said Lee. “Uh-oh, here's old Gore. What does he want?”
