Spooky Buddies Junior Novel (5 page)

B
illy found his friends outside the town hall.

“Dude,” Pete said. “Did you give Sheriff Dan the staff?”

“Sort of…” Billy replied.

Just then, Sheriff Dan the monkey raced out of the building. Bartleby stared at him.

“That monkey is dressed like Sheriff Dan,” he commented.

“Run, kids!” the monkey cried. “He's coming!”

Warwick floated out, standing on his staff. “There you are!” he snarled, spotting Billy. “Now where's the book? Or do you all want to end up as monkeys, too?”

“Really, mister,” Billy said, frightened. “We don't know where it is.”

“Wrong answer, boy.” Warwick pointed his staff.
“Transformus prim—”

Before he could finish, a shovel conked him on the head. He tumbled to the ground, stunned.

The kids gasped when they saw who was holding the shovel. It was Mr. Johnson from the cemetery!

“Come with me,” Mr. Johnson told them.

The kids weren't sure what to do. Mr. Johnson was pretty spooky. But Warwick was even spookier. And he was already getting up.

The gang ran after Mr. Johnson. He led them to a hearse parked nearby.

The kids all jumped in. Mr. Johnson got in the driver's seat and hit the gas.

A few minutes later, the hearse pulled up in front of a church.

“We'll be safe here. Evil like Warwick cannot enter the house of God.

“Quickly, everyone inside,” Mr. Johnson directed. He spotted Warwick flying toward them on his staff. “It's our only chance.”

“How come you have a key?” Alice asked.

“I'm the organist here every Sunday,” Mr. Johnson said. “Don't worry, kids. We beat Warwick before. We can do it again.”

Once everyone was in the church, Billy pulled out the photograph from the police files. “This is you, isn't it?” he asked. “You're the boy from the legend.”

Mr. Johnson looked at the photo. “That sure was a long time ago….”

Outside, Warwick landed and swiftly walked up to the church. “I need that book,” he said to himself. He pointed his staff at the door.
“Openus sesamus!”

The jewel glowed and fired a magical beam. But the beam hit the church door and bounced back at Warwick.

Mr. Johnson had been right, the church really did protect against black magic.

Inside, Mr. Johnson pulled a package out of a hiding place in the church organ. He removed the dusty wrappings to reveal a spell book.

“For seventy-five years I've held on to this book, dreading a full moon on Halloween night,” he told the kids.

“He will need to complete the spell tonight for the evil spirits of the netherworld to remain here.”

“The nether what, now?” Billy asked, confused.

“It's another name for the place where ghosts live,” Mr. Johnson told him. “Usually bad ones. Halloween is the one night these spirits can roam free in our world. Only the Howlloween Hound can call them out. Warwick will use the spirits to control the townsfolk of Fernfield.”

The kids were scared. “He needs to complete the spell?” Alice asked.

“That's right,” Mr. Johnson said. “Warwick must have his staff, the spell book, and one other thing.”

“What is it?” Billy asked.

Mr. Johnson looked grim. “The souls of five puppies who share the same blood.”

“Like brothers and sisters?” Alice asked.

She and her friends looked at one another. “The Buddies!” they all said.

At that moment, the Buddies, Pip, and Zelda were at the cemetery searching for Pip's earthly body.

“Could this night get any creepier?” Mudbud asked, glancing around the dark cemetery.

“Everyone look for Pip,” Zelda instructed.

“There I am!” Pip cried, pointing his paw at a statue.

They all approached the stone puppy. Beside it was a metal sign.

“‘Here stands Pip,'” Buddha read aloud. “‘Most loyal friend of Joseph. The best pup a boy could ever have. One day, we'll be together again.'”

Rosebud glanced at Zelda. “What do we do now?”

Zelda looked uncertain. “I've never returned a spirit to a body, but I'll give it a whirl. All of you make a circle around Pip's body. I'll need all your energies.”

As the wind rustled the leaves on the trees, the Buddies gathered around. They didn't see the Howlloween Hound as he entered the cemetery and sniffed the air.

Hoot had been flying over the town, spying on everyone. He saw the Howlloween Hound sneaking up on the Buddies. So he flew back into town and told Warwick.

“Perfect!” Warwick was still peering in the church window. He had been listening to the kids' conversation. He hadn't known that both he
and
the Hound needed the Buddies. “I think those puppies are going to come in handy in more ways than one.”

T
he Buddies and Zelda gathered around the stone statue of Pip. Pip himself floated overhead.

“Help us, spirits,” Zelda chanted. “Take this soul and place it back into the body the Hound once stole!”

She opened her eyes and looked up. Pip was glowing.

“It's working!” the ghost puppy said.

Zelda repeated the spell, faster this time. Then even faster.

As she did, Pip floated down toward his stone body. The Buddies watched in awe.

“It's really working!” Rosebud said.

Pip's spirit touched the statue, then sank into it. The stone softened and started to move.

“Whoa, guys,” Pip said. “My legs…”

He shook his legs.

“My tail…”

He wagged his tail.

“I'm back!” he cried.

He spun in circles. He was so excited he couldn't stand still! Letting out a yip of joy, he dashed off into the graveyard.

A second later, the Hound came out from his hiding place. “This time there's nowhere to run, Buddies!” he snarled.

Pip raced back just in time to hear him. But the Hound didn't see him, so he hid behind a tree.

Zelda stepped forward, trying to block the Hound from getting to the Buddies. “No!” she said as fiercely as she could.

The Hound opened his mouth and howled. The Buddies watched in horror as Zelda turned to stone!

“We're doomed!” B-Dawg moaned.

The Hound took a deep breath, ready to howl again. But just then, Warwick and Hoot arrived.

“Not now, Hound. We need these puppies,” Warwick told him. He trapped the Buddies with a freezing spell so they couldn't run away. Then he laughed wickedly. “Now all I need is the book.”

And he had a plan to get it.

“These puppies belong to those pesky kids. They will try to rescue them. Hound, take the puppies to the manor and wait for me.” And with that, Warwick sped back to the church on his staff.

“You in there!” he called from outside the church. “I have something of yours.” He waited a moment, and then the doors opened. Mr. Johnson and the kids peered out.

“If you want to see your puppies again, you'd better bring that book to my manor,” Warwick told them. Then he flew off.

“Oh, no, they've got the Buddies!” Alice cried.

Billy turned to Mr. Johnson. “What should we do?”

“I can't let what happened to Pip happen to your pups,” Mr. Johnson said. “We must save them and put an end to Warwick once and for all.”

Pip had followed the Hound and the Buddies back to the manor. Now he sneaked in through the front door of the house.

Upstairs in the turret room, the Buddies were locked in a cage. The Hound was guarding them while Hoot looked on.

“Soon I will swallow all of your souls,” the Hound told the Buddies, licking his lips. “I can't wait.”

Budderball looked nervous. “Is it just me, or does this guy talk about eating more than I do?”

Just then, Warwick swooped in through the window. “Master, where have you been?” Hoot asked anxiously.

“I told those wretched children to bring me the spell book,” Warwick replied.

“What if they don't?” Hoot asked.

“Quiet, you moronic birdbrain!” Warwick yelled. “They'll want to save their darling puppies, won't they?”

Pip made his way upstairs and peeked in through the doorway.

“Psst…Buddies!” he whispered.

“Pip!” Rosebud shot a nervous look at Warwick, but the warlock wasn't looking at them.

“We need a distraction to get you out of here,” Pip whispered. “I'll be right back!”

He backed away from the door, trying to figure out how to distract Warwick. Just then a pair of rats raced by, followed by a black cat.
Aha!
That gave Pip an idea. He took off after them.

The rats ducked into a hole in the wall. The cat crouched outside, waiting to pounce.

Pip peered into the hole. “I need your help,” he told the rats. He believed they were humans who had been turned into rodents by Warwick. And he was right. The rats were Rodney and Skip!

“What's in it for us?” Rodney the rat replied.

“First of all, I won't let that cat eat you as a Halloween treat,” Pip said.

“Eat
him
!” Skip the rat said quickly. “He's plumper.”

“You are such a rat!” Rodney told him.

“More importantly,” Pip said, “if we don't break the warlock's spell tonight, you'll be rats forever.”

Rodney and Skip didn't like the sound of that. Being rats wasn't much fun.

“Okay,” Rodney said. “We'll help.”

“Wise decision,” Pip said.

He convinced the cat to leave the rats alone. Then he led Rodney and Skip to the turret. They scurried in, staying close to the walls.

Warwick didn't see the rats coming. He was staring intently out the window. Mr. Johnson's hearse had just pulled up outside.

“Perfect,” Warwick told the Hound. “Soon I'll have my spell book, and then you can devour those delicious puppy souls.”

Suddenly he felt something crawling up the inside of his pant leg. He let out a yelp.

“What is it?” the Hound asked, startled.

“Something is biting me!” Warwick cried. “Hound, Hoot, do something!”

He danced around the room shaking and wiggling, trying to get the rats off him.

“That dawg has some serious moves,” B-Dawg commented. He could definitely appreciate dance skills.

Finally Warwick shook the rats out of his robes.

“Change us back!” Skip demanded.

“I'm going to get you filthy vermin!” Warwick cried as the rats scurried away. “No one bites me! Hound, catch them and they're yours to eat. I'll go get that book from those stupid kids.”

“Our kids are here?” Rosebud perked up her ears. “Oh, no!”

“Hoot, guard the puppies,” Warwick ordered. “Fail me, and I'll make you into a feather duster.”

“Yes, Master,” Hoot said as Warwick and the Hound rushed out of the room.

P
ip waited until the coast was clear and then sneaked over to the Buddies. He tried to unlock the cage, but Hoot spotted him.

“
Hoo! Hoo!
Stop!” he hooted. “What do you think you're doing?”

“Saving my friends,” Pip said.

Hoot shook his head. “I can't let them escape.”

“Hoot, why are you so loyal to Warwick?” Rosebud asked.

“Seriously, dude,” Mudbud said. “It's totally obvious he plans to get rid of you.”

“Master sometimes gets angry,” Hoot said. “But he would never get rid of me. He needs me!”

“He's got that Howlloween Hound to do his dirty work now,” B-Dawg told the owl. “He calls you names like ‘moronic birdbrain.'”

Hoot nodded. “That does sound like something he'd say.”

“I know that you never meant to hurt me, Hoot,” Pip said. “I'm Pip, the ghost dog. Haven't the last seventy years without evil been a lot nicer than your time under Warwick's wing?”

Hoot looked thoughtful. “It
was
kind of nice not having to look over my shoulder all the time,” he said. “Even though that's quite easy for me.”

To demonstrate, he turned his head all the way around. Warwick and the Hound were still nowhere in sight. So Hoot hopped down and used one of his claws to pick the lock on the cage.

Pip smiled. “You won't regret it, Hoot. I promise.”

Rodney and Skip raced through the manor with the Hound on their tails. They made it to their hiding hole just in time.

The Hound skidded to a stop. “I've had enough of chasing you measly morsels anyway,” he growled. He was ready for the puppies.

The Hound headed back to the turret room. When he walked in, he saw that the Buddies were out of their cage.

“How did you get out?” he demanded.

“Hound! Over here!” Pip called. “It's me—Pip. You stole my sister's and all my brothers' souls, and you only needed mine. The spell was broken before you got my soul.”

“I remember you,” the Hound said.

“Then take me and let the Buddies go,” Pip said bravely. “Take me, and you'll have five souls of the same blood.”

The Buddies watched in horror as the Hound nodded. “You make a sound proposal,” he told Pip. “I agree.”

He opened his mouth and howled. “No, dude!” Mudbud cried. “Don't!”

“Good-bye, Buddies,” Pip said.

A second later, he was stone again.

“The final soul is mine!” the Hound growled in delight. He stepped over to the mirror. “Open the portal! Release the evil spirits!”

He howled at the mirror. The dark glass glowed. Strange, ghostly spirits started to fly out of it. They headed straight for the town to put curses on all the townspeople.

The Hound watched for a moment, then turned to the Buddies. “Now,” he said, “to take five more puppy souls.”

“You promised to let them go!” Hoot reminded him.

“I lied,” the Hound said.

Hoot couldn't believe it. And he couldn't let this happen! He flew at the Hound to stop him. The Hound howled, and Hoot turned to stone and fell to the floor with a thud.

But he'd distracted the Hound just long enough for the Buddies to run out of the room.

The Buddies raced down the stairs, heading for the front door. Suddenly Warwick stepped into view!

Mudbud looked back. The Hound was at the top of the stairs behind them.

“Dudes, we're trapped!” he cried.

But Rosebud didn't panic. “This way,” she said, leading them through a door off the stair landing.

“Hound!” Warwick yelled. “Get those puppies, now!”

The Buddies found themselves in a parlor with dusty furniture and a fireplace. There were no other doors.

“Great, dawg,” B-Dawg said. “A dead end!”

The Hound bounded into the room. “I have you now!” he growled.

Suddenly, the rats Rodney and Skip appeared by the fireplace. “This way, puppies!” Rodney called.

The Buddies hurried over. The rats pushed a button, and the fireplace spun around, taking the Buddies with it!