Spooky Buddies Junior Novel (4 page)

M
eanwhile, the Buddies wandered down Main Street. “I think we lost him,” Rosebud said, looking behind her.

“Why is that ghost dude after us?” Mudbud wondered.

B-Dawg shrugged. “Maybe he wants to drink our blood.”

“That's vampires,” Rosebud told him. “Maybe he wants to eat our brains,” B-Dawg suggested.

Rosebud sighed. “That's zombies.”

“Maybe he wants to devour everything he sees,” B-Dawg said.

“That's Budderball,” Rosebud replied.

Mudbud was still thinking about his question. “It's probably because B-Dawg released it from the mirror,” he said.

“Oh, sure, dawg, blame me!” B-Dawg exclaimed.

The puppies continued down the street thinking they had gotten rid of Pip. But little did they know that they hadn't lost the ghost at all! He was still floating behind them, dressed in his sheet costume.

Finally the Buddies arrived at a darkened store. The sign over the door identified it as the Fernfield Shop of Curiosities.

The puppies looked up nervously, and Buddha led the way inside through a doggy door. The place was filled with all sorts of mystical stuff—beads, incense, tarot cards, and other oddities.

“Hello?” Buddha called out. “Is anyone home?”

“Check out this crystal ball,” Budder-ball said, spotting a large glass orb on a table.

Buddha was still looking for his friend. “Zelda?” he called out.

Suddenly the image of a dog appeared in the crystal ball. “Who wants to know?” a voice asked.

“Aaaah!”
B-Dawg cried. “The gumball is talking to us!”

“It's me, Buddha,” Buddha said to the dog in the crystal ball, “and my brothers and sister. The Buddies.”

Suddenly, a head popped out from behind the crystal ball. It was Buddha's friend Zelda, a Chinese crested dog dressed as a gypsy. She hadn't been
inside
the crystal, merely
behind
it!

“Welcome,” she said to the puppies. “I am Zelda. I am all-knowing and all-seeing. I specialize in the mystic and otherworldly.”

“We need your help,” Buddha told her urgently. “This ghost has been chasing us.”

Zelda nodded. “This is Halloween, the only night spirits are free to roam,” she replied. “We must make contact with this ghost of yours.”

Just then, Pip floated in through the wall. Budderball's eyes widened. “There's the ghost!” he said, pointing at Pip.

Zelda looked at Pip.
“Ghost?!”
she cried. Then she fainted.

The Buddies all froze in terror as Pip floated toward them.

“Please,” Pip begged them. “I'm not going to hurt you.”

“That's what ghosts always say before they eat you,” B-Dawg said.

“Ghosts don't eat,” Pip told him.

Budderball's eyes went wide. “That's the saddest thing I've ever heard!”

Suddenly, Zelda stirred. Then she woke up. When she saw Pip, she shrieked again. But this time she didn't pass out.

“I know I look strange,” Pip told everyone. “But I was once a pup just like you all. My name is Pip.”

Buddha gasped. He remembered the kids' class trip. “You're the pup from the story?” he asked in disbelief.

“Yes. I've been like this ever since that night. The Hound did this to me.”

“The spell must have been interrupted,” Zelda said in amazement. “You were left in limbo.”

“I'm sorry I scared you guys at the manor,” Pip told the Buddies. “I was trying to stop you from releasing the Hound.”

“We're sorry, too, Pip,” Rosebud said.

“The Hound and Warwick are free,” Pip told everyone. “They're still trying to finish their spell, and they need five puppies of the same blood to do it. They have their sights set on you five.”

“We must stop them!” Zelda declared. “And Pip, now that you have left the manor, if you do not return to your body before sunrise, you will be lost forever. We must find your corporeal self.”

“My
what
?” Pip asked.

“The body you once inhabited. We shall ask my crystal ball.” Zelda turned to the crystal ball. “Please show us this young pup's body. Does it still exist on the earthly plane?”

The crystal ball started to glow. Then an image formed within it. It was the stone statue of Pip.

“That's me!” Pip cried. “I turned to stone the night it all happened.”

“And where does this body now reside?” Zelda asked the crystal ball.

It formed another image. “Oh, snap! The cemetery!” B-Dawg exclaimed. Then he let out a small whimper. “Do we really have to go back there, dawgs?”

Suddenly, the doggy door to the shop flapped open, and the Howlloween Hound stuck his huge head in!

“Come out, puppies!” He growled. “I'll have all your souls for dinner!”

“
Aaah!
It's the real Howlloween Hound!” B-Dawg cried.

The Hound growled evilly and tried to push himself through the doggy door.

“The back door!” Zelda cried. “Quickly!”

Pip flew through the wall, while the Buddies and Zelda ducked through another doggy door. The Buddies didn't dare look behind them as they ran away. Phew! They'd escaped from the Hound. For now.…

T
he Halloween Brew-Ha-Ha party was in full swing at the town hall. Music, voices, and laughter drifted out into the moonlit night as Billy and his friends raced down the street.

When they finally stopped and looked back, they were relieved to find that the scary warlock was nowhere in sight. The only one behind them was Frankendude.

“Hey, Mr. Carroll,” Billy called to him, “maybe you can help us find—”

But Frankendude didn't let him finish. “Give me staaaaafffff!” he cried in a chilling voice.

Billy gulped. He'd just noticed Frankendude's glowing green eyes. He ducked as Frankendude grabbed for the staff. The monster tripped over the pumpkin on his foot and crashed into some Halloween decorations.

“Frankendude sure is taking his role seriously,” Pete commented.

Sam nodded. “He's not normal, even for Mr. Carroll.”

“Let's go to the party,” Alice suggested. “Sheriff Dan is in there.”

The group hurried into the town hall. Frankendude clambered to his feet and lumbered after them.

Hoot was flying overhead. When Warwick caught up, the owl glided down.

“They went in there, Master,” he said, nodding toward the town hall.

Warwick stared at the building. Strange lights and sounds were coming from inside.

“This must be that young warlock's lair,” Warwick said. “It's swarming with those creatures.”

Just then a group of kids came by. One of them, dressed in a devil costume, tugged on Warwick's robe.

“Trick or treat!” the boy said. “Hand over your loot.”

“Aah!”
Warwick cried in fear. “Back away, demon! You'll not trick-or-treat me!”

He grabbed one of the creature's horns in self-defense. But both horns were attached to a headband, which came off in his hand. Warwick stared at it in confusion.

“You are no demon!” he exclaimed.

He reached over and grabbed the mask off another kid's face.

“And you're no goblin!” he added. “What is this trickery? They're just kids in disguise!”

“Halloween is not like it used to be,” Hoot explained to the warlock. “It's all about candy and costumes.”

“Costumes?!”
Warwick cried. “So that boy warlock is just a boy? Why didn't you tell me that, you birdbrain? Let's get him!” And with that, he headed straight into the town hall.

Moments after Warwick disappeared into the party, the Buddies arrived at the town hall. They hurried around the building until they found Deputy Sniffer standing guard.

“Deputy Sniffer, wake up!” Rosebud yelped. “We need your help!”

“What's the problem?” Sniffer asked with a yawn. “Did someone steal Budderball's candy bag?”

“No,” Zelda said. “This is more serious than trick-or-treating.”

B-Dawg nodded. “The Howlloween Hound has been released!”

Deputy Sniffer rolled his eyes. He assumed the puppies were playing a prank on him. Then Pip floated in front of him.

“Wow, great ghost costume!” Sniffer said, impressed.

“It's not a costume, Deputy Sniffer,” Zelda said. “He's a ghost.”

Deputy Sniffer raised his eyebrows. He clearly didn't believe Zelda. So, to prove it, Pip flew through the wall of the town hall and then came back.

Deputy Sniffer's ears stood on end. “Well, I'll be a doggone dog!” he exclaimed in surprise.

“I knew your great grand-pappy, Deputy Tracker,” Pip told him. “He did his best to save us. Now, we could really use your help.”

Just then, Sniffer looked up in alarm. “Would this Hound happen to be large and brown and racing toward us?” he asked.

The puppies turned around to look. The Hound was running right for them!

“Oh, no!” Zelda yelped. “He's found us!”

“What do we do?” B-Dawg cried.

“The long paw of the law will handle this intruder,” Sniffer said. “You guys go.”

The Buddies, Zelda, and Pip took off. Deputy Sniffer bravely faced down the Howlloween Hound.

“Stop, in the name of the law!” he ordered as the Hound reached him. “Those pups are under my protection.”

But the Hound just laughed evilly.

Then he began to howl. A green glow poured out of his mouth. It surrounded Sniffer—and then turned him to stone!

At the party, Sheriff Dan was judging the costume contest.

When the kids arrived, Billy ran up to the sheriff. The boy still held the staff in his hand. “Sheriff Dan,” he cried, “I've got to talk to you!”

“With you in a jiffy, Billy,” Sheriff Dan said. “Got to announce our winner.” He turned to the crowd. “And the first prize goes to…Frank Carroll for Frankendude!”

The audience cheered loudly. But Frankendude looked confused.

Then he spotted Billy standing in front of the stage.
Aha!
Now he remembered why he was here.

Frankendude lunged toward Billy, trying to grab the staff. But Mrs. Carroll stepped in front of him with a camera.

“Say cheese!” she said.

The flash of the camera momentarily blinded Frankendude's green eyes. He tripped over his pumpkin foot and fell off the stage, landing on Warwick.

“Get off me, you buffoon!” Warwick cried.

“Sheriff,” Billy said through the commotion. “It's important!”

But Warwick had managed to pick himself up. “Give that staff to me, boy!” Warwick yelled. “It belongs to me—Warwick, the greatest warlock of all time!” He grabbed the staff.

“Hey!” Billy yelled. “I have to return that to Sheriff Dan!”

“Now, what have you done with my book?” Warwick demanded, seizing Billy by the robe.

“Hey, now,” Sheriff Dan said. “That isn't proper party etiquette, sir. I'll need you to put the boy down. No more of this monkey business.”

Warwick smirked. “Monkey business, eh?” He pointed his staff at the sheriff.
“Transformus primatus!”

The jewel on the staff glowed. Then a flash of light shot out, and Sheriff Dan was transformed into a monkey! He was even wearing a tiny police uniform.

“What in tarnation?” Sheriff Dan the monkey said. “You're under arrest for insulting an officer of the law! No one makes a monkey out of Sheriff Dan!”

The partygoers watched in awe. They clearly all thought this was an act. “Great trick!” exclaimed Billy's mom. “Just fabulous!”

Billy decided it was time to run. Warwick saw him, and with a quick spell, he burst out of the crowd by floating into the air on his staff. The partygoers cheered even louder at that.

“Thank you, thank you! It's great to be loved,” Warwick said. Then he smiled an evil smile. “But better to be feared.”

And with that, he took off after Billy.