خیابان های پارک وحشت فصل 02

Streets of Panic Park - Chapter 02

Billy stopped and spun back to us.

I screamed. I couldn’t help it. We were all screaming and crying out in shock.

The shadow people floated back to the doorway.

And Billy stood there, breathing hard, arms out at his sides.

Billy’s face was gray, the color of ashes. His arms … his hands … all shadow. His body shimmered like smoke.

I couldn’t see his eyes, his nose, his mouth. They were all a dark smudge! A shadow. Billy was only a shadow.

“What have you done to him?” Sheena wailed, running up to Billy. “Billy — are you okay? Can you see? Are you in there?” Billy made a gulping sound. He glanced around, confused. I don’t think he understood what had happened to him.

Finally, he raised his hands and stared at them. “I … I’m a shadow,” he stammered. “So cold … Help me, Sheena. I feel so cold and strange.” “Too bad,” The Menace called from the stage. He tsk-tsked. “Too bad, guys. Hard cheese, huh? Tough bananas. Billy Boy looked so much cuter before … when you could see his pretty face.” “Change him back!” Sheena screamed. “Change my brother back!”

Luke and I screamed, too. “Change him back! Change him back!” We all started yelling.

The Menace raised both hands to silence us. “Okay. No problem,” he said. “First chance I get. I’ll make a note to remind myself.” He laughed, an icy laugh that sent chills down my neck.

Billy moaned. “But … I’m not ME! I feel so light … like smoke that could blow away.” “Very nicely said,” The Menace told him. “You should be a poet, Billy Boy. But let me give you one bit of advice. Next time you tangle with my devoted shadow people, at least make a fight of it. I need to see more fighting. I really do.” “He’s totally nuts!” Luke whispered in my ear.

“And evil,” I added. “Does he think his jokes are funny?”

“I don’t think he cares,” Luke whispered. Then he shuddered. “Poor Billy …”

Michael tried to thump Billy’s gray shoulder, but his hand went right through him. He took a deep breath. “Don’t worry,” he said. “We’ll get you back to normal.” He turned to The Menace. “Let us go!” he shouted. “You can’t keep us here against our will!” “Of course I can,” The Menace replied, leaning on his podium. “I can do whatever I want.” “We want to go home — now!” Carly Beth spoke up.

The Menace snickered. “Do you have any idea how far away from home you are? Time to catch on, people. You’re not as dim as you look — are you? I’m The Menace. I can keep you here forever.” He pulled his hat lower on his head. “I can do anything I want,” he repeated, “because this whole world is MINE!” The shadow people at the door cheered. It sounded more like moaning than cheering.

The Menace bowed his head to them. “Thank you. At least my people know their job. To cheer my every word and move!” “Why did you bring us here? What do you want?” Carly Beth demanded.

“It’s simple, guys,” The Menace said. “I need to terrify you.”

“Why?” I cried. My voice shook. “Why do you need to terrify us?”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” he replied. “I need to make you scream till your throats are on fire.” He leaned toward us. “Any problem with that?”