خون هیولا فصل دوازدهم

Monster Blood Chapter 12

“Huh? Did the top break or something?” Evan asked.

He took the can from her and examined it. Sure enough, the lid had popped off. The gooey green substance was pushing up out of the can.

Evan pulled out a handful of the green gunk. “Weird,” he exclaimed. “It’s expanding,” he said, squeezing it in his hand. “It’s definitely growing.”

“I guess so!” Andy exclaimed. “It grew right out of the can!”

“Hey—it’s not cold anymore,” Evan said. He balled it up and tossed it to Andy.

“It’s really warm,” she agreed. “Weird!”

She tried to toss it back to him, but it stuck to her palm. “It’s getting sticky,” she reported. “Are you sure this is the same stuff?”

“Of course,” Evan replied.

“But it wasn’t sticky before, remember?” she said.

He pulled another warm hunk of it from the can. “I guess it just changes after the can has been opened.”

He squeezed the stuff into a ball shape and tossed it to the floor. “Look—it stuck to the floor. It didn’t bounce.”

“Weird!” Andy repeated.

“Maybe I should throw it in the trash,” Evan said, prying the sticky glob from the floor. “I mean, what good is it if it doesn’t bounce?”

“Hey—no way,” Andy said. “We’ve got to see what it does next.”

A soft mewing sound made them both turn toward the door.

Evan was surprised to see Sarabeth standing there, her head cocked, her yellow eyes staring at him.

Or was she staring at the glob of Monster Blood in his hand?

“That cat looks so intelligent,” Andy said.

“It’s as stupid as every other cat,” Evan muttered. “Look. She wants to play ball with the Monster Blood.”

“Sorry, cat,” Andy said. “It doesn’t bounce.”

As if she understood, Sarabeth mewed unhappily, turned, and padded silently from the room.

“Now where am I going to keep this stuff?” Evan asked. “It’s too big for its can.”

“Here. How about this?” Andy asked. She reached down to a low shelf and came up with an empty coffee can.

“Yeah. Okay.” Evan tossed his hunk into the coffee can.

Andy squeezed hers into a flat pancake. “Look. It isn’t glowing the way it used to, either,” she said, holding the pancake up for Evan to see. “But it sure is warm. Almost hot.”

“It’s alive !” Evan screamed playfully. “Run for your life! It’s alive !”

Andy laughed and began to chase Evan, menacing him with the flat, green pancake. “Come get your Monster Blood! Come and get it!”

He dodged away, then grabbed it from her hand. He squeezed it together, balling it up in one hand, then tossed it into the coffee can.

They both peered into the can. The green substance filled it up a little more than halfway.

“Go ahead. Taste it,” Andy urged, poking the can in his face. “I dare you.”

“Huh? No way. I double-dare you,” Evan said, pushing the coffee can back to her.

“Double-darers have to go first,” Andy insisted, grinning. “Go ahead. Taste it.”

Evan made a disgusted face and shook his head. Then he grabbed a big hunk of it and heaved it at Andy. Laughing, she picked it up off the carpet and tossed it at his face. She threw high, and the green glob stuck to the wall.

Evan reached for another hunk.

They had a messy, hilarious Monster Blood battle till dinnertime. Then, as they tried to clean up, they both heard Trigger through the open window. He was barking loudly out in his pen.

Evan reached the window first. The sky was still gray and overcast. Trigger was leaning on the wooden fence, standing on his hind legs, barking his head off.

“Whoa, Trigger,” Evan called, “chill out!”

“Hey—what’s with Trigger?” Andy asked. “Is your dog still growing? He looks so big!”

Evan’s mouth dropped open and he uttered a silent gasp, realizing that Andy was right.

Trigger had nearly doubled in size.