دوستام منو هیولا صدا می زنند فصل 18

My Friends Call Me Monster - Chapter 18

No. Wait.

My stomach started to churn. The room tilted and swayed. My skin heated up. I felt as if my whole body was melting … melting to the floor.

I looked down. I still had claws. My lizard arms were green and bumpy.

But my legs were back. My feet. I stomped hard on the floor. Yes, my feet were there!

I hurried to the corner and pulled on my clothes. Then I trotted to the hall mirror — and gasped.

“Michael!” Daisy cried. “You’re … back!”

“Kinda,” DeWayne added.

I stared in the mirror.

My face … my head — they were back.

But my neck and chest were green. I still had monster arms and claws!

“Not enough eggs!” The words burst from my throat in a growl. “I need more eggs!” I dove back to the stove. I scraped the bottom of the pan with my claws. I pulled the pan off the stove and flipped it upside down.

No. None left.

I turned and saw my two friends staring at me in horror.

“Michael, how did this happen to you?” Daisy cried.

“No time to explain,” I said. “Mrs. Hardesty will be back any second.”

“But … but you … you’re still half monster!” DeWayne exclaimed.

I rolled my eyes. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

“But I don’t understand,” Daisy said, shaking her head. “Are you —”

“We’ll talk later. We’ve got to get help — right away,” I said. “Mrs. Hardesty is a monster, too. She and her commander have a terrible plan. She’s going to make a big batch of her eggs for the whole class. They … they plan to turn everyone in town into monsters!” They both squinted at me. “Everyone in town?” DeWayne asked.

I headed to the back door. “Who can help us?” I asked. “Who?”

“How about Mr. Wong?” Daisy said. “He lives down the street, remember?”

“Yeah,” DeWayne said. “Wong said to come see him if we have a problem. And we definitely have a problem!” “Okay. It’s a plan,” I said. “Let’s do it.”

I grabbed the doorknob with one claw and pulled open the kitchen door. Bright sunlight greeted us as we ran out into the backyard. I saw someone’s big golden Lab sprawled on its back in the driveway. Squirrels darted for the trees when they saw us.

We ran to the back of the yard. The big garbage Dumpster was still in the lot. Someone had leaned a bike with no tires against it.

We crossed the lot and made our way to Mr. Wong’s yard. My legs felt trembly and strange. I think they were still part monster legs.

Suddenly, I heard low grunts and growls behind us. And the thunder of heavy feet against the ground.

“Look!” DeWayne spun around and pointed. “Oh, no!”

I turned and saw the big green monsters lumbering after us. They moved in two’s and three’s, stumbling forward on their hind legs, eyes half shut in the bright sunlight.

Had they ever seen the sun before?

“We left the basement door open!” Daisy said. “They’re following us.”

The monsters began to growl. They bared their teeth as they lumbered after us. Some of them chewed up big clumps of dirt and grass and spit them at us.

“We … can’t outrun them,” DeWayne murmured.

A wet clump of dirt smacked me in the back. I shook it off.

“Not a problem!” I cried. “We’re almost at Mr. Wong’s house. When Mr. Wong sees them, he’ll have to believe our story. He’ll have to help us!” Mr. Wong had a small square house with red brick walls and white shutters on all the windows. A small satellite dish stood behind the garage. A vegetable garden stretched across the back. I almost stumbled over a rake half hidden by the tall grass as I ran around to the front.

He had a big screened porch facing the street. It was empty. I climbed the front stoop and rang the bell with one claw.

As we waited, the monsters lined up behind us in the grass. They snapped their jaws, preparing to attack. Thick drool ran down their jagged teeth. They pawed the ground impatiently.

Then they came at us a step at a time. Closer … closer …

I kept glancing behind me as I rang the bell again and again. The principal didn’t answer.

“He’s GOT to be home!” I boomed. “This is an emergency. Those monsters are HUNGRY!” The monster part of me suddenly took over.

I lowered my big shoulder to the door — and rammed it with my monster strength. The door cracked open. I led the way inside.

Mr. Wong’s living room was dark and silent. The curtains were pulled, and the lights were off. I saw a pile of schoolbooks on the coffee table.

I started to call his name, then stopped.

I saw a light in the next room. And heard voices.

I moved toward it. The room had a big flatscreen TV on the wall. An old black-and-white movie was on.

I stepped closer. I saw a dark couch and a big armchair.

And then …

In the doorway to the TV room, I turned to my friends. “I don’t think Mr. Wong is going to be any help to us,” I whispered.

Their faces filled with surprise. “Why not?” Daisy asked.

I moved back so they could see into the corner. And there sat Mr. Wong — right on top of a giant egg.