Chester’s eyes went wild. “It isn’t Max this time,” he said. “It must be …”
Then we heard the sound of someone laughing.
We turned and saw Howie standing several feet behind us, a grin plastered on his face from ear to ear.
“Boy, Pop. Boy, Uncle Harold. You really fell for it. Heh, heh, heh.”
Chester and I looked at each other.
“Harold, can’t you do a better job of keeping the kid in line?” Chester asked me as we resumed walking.
“I don’t know, Chester,” I replied, “he’s your son.”
And Howie kept chuckling all the way into town.
Chapter 6
The Transformation
of Toby and Pete
BY THE TIME we reached the sign that said, “Welcome to Centerville … The Place That People Who Live Here Call Home,” I was feeling better. There’s something about a leisurely walk in the country, regardless of the circumstances, that invigorates the soul and reminds one that the simple pleasures are the best. After all, what could be more gratifying than a stroll down a country lane with your two best friends, even when the country lane is in reality a four-lane super highway complete with speeding cars and bleating horns, and one of your two best friends is getting a migraine trying to read the writing on the spinning hubcaps, while the other is ranting and raving about killer vegetables, and all three of you reek of eau de garbage? One must learn to overlook such minor drawbacks and take one’s enjoyment where one can. Which is exactly what I was doing late that Saturday morning when Chester suddenly went into his stalking position.
He scampered behind a rock, wiggled his rear end, and flattened his head so that no one on the other side could see him.
“What’s up?” I asked innocently, sauntering up to his side. Howie joined us a second or two later. “Let me guess. You’ve just seen a suspicious-looking string bean hanging out in the cabbage patch.”
“And you’re waiting to see if the rice squad shows up,” Howie chimed in.
Chester was not amused.
“Ssh,” he admonished us.
“But what …”
“Over there,” Chester said, “across the road. You want suspicious-looking, Harold, I’ll give you suspicious-looking. What’s wrong with that picture?”
My gaze drifted to the house across the road. I saw that in its front yard was gathered a small group of kids. One of them was standing apart from the others. Though I looked them over carefully, I was unable to discern anything peculiar going on.
When I said nothing, Chester went on. “Their clothes, Harold,” he said. “Look at what they’re wearing. I ask you—is that normal?”
I saw then that two of the kids were wearing long black capes—the one standing alone and another who seemed to be pushing several others forward. When I looked more closely, I was in for an even greater surprise.
“That’s Toby and Pete!” I cried.
“Not so loud,” Chester replied. “I know that’s Toby and Pete. But I don’t want them to hear us.”
“Why don’t you want them to hear us?” I asked.
“Yeah, Pop, why don’t you want them—”
“I have my reasons,” Chester said. “Come on, we’ve got to get closer and listen in. Follow me.”
I must admit it did seem a little strange for Toby and Pete to be wearing capes, but having lived in a house with two normal, active boys for many years, I had come to expect the unexpected. Heck, I’d lived with Chester for many years. And if that hadn’t taught me to expect the unexpected, nothing ever would.
Stealthily, we crept along the edge of the road, and when we saw that no cars were coming, hurried across to find a good hiding place behind a rhododendron bush.
I could see clearly then that it was Pete who was standing off to one side and Toby who was pushing the others toward him. What we overheard was curious. Very curious indeed.
“Here they are, Master,” Toby said, shoving several of the boys and girls forward. “I caught them snooping around.”
Pete said, “You did, eh? Good work. Now, what shall we do with them, hmm?”
One of the kids in the group spoke up angrily. “We didn’t mean anything, honest. We just wanted to know what was going on. We didn’t think—”
“You didn’t think is right,” Pete shot back, swirling his cape over his arm. “You don’t know who I am, do you? Well, you’ll find out. You’ll find out. Take them away!”
Toby started to push the kids toward the back of the house as they cried, “No, no, no!”
“What do you think is going on?” I whispered to Chester. “It’s not like Peter and Toby to be so rough.”
“Maybe they’re just playing,” Howie suggested.
“I don’t think so,” Chester replied softly. “There’s something too serious in their manner.” We noticed then that Pete was telling Toby to wait a moment. “Hello, what’s this?” Chester asked as his ears lifted.
Pete was pointing at one of the girls in the group. “Don’t take that one,” he instructed Toby. “Leave her with me.”
“Me?” the girl cried out in alarm. “No, please, I beg you.”
Toby pushed the girl forward and she fell on her knees. He left with the other kids, disappearing around the corner of the house. Pete stared at the girl for a long, tense moment.
“What is your name?” he asked at last.
“Hilda,” the girl replied, her voice shaking slightly.
“Hilda,” Pete repeated. “What a charming name. You are new to our little town, are you not?”
“Yes, I just moved here.”
“I thought I’d never seen you before. Get up. Come closer.”
Slowly, the girl stood. But she didn’t move any nearer to Pete. She seemed scared of him.
“Come, come,” Pete said, “there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
That’s what I was thinking, I thought. That’s just old Pete. Why would anybody be afraid of him? He’s a creep sometimes, it’s true. I remembered the time he painted a white stripe down Chester’s back because he wanted a pet skunk. But still …
“I’m not afraid,” the girl said. “It’s just—”
“Just what?” Pete tilted his head to one side.
“I’ve heard about you. I’ve heard … things …”
Pete chuckled. “What sort of things?” he asked.
“About what goes on here.”
Slowly, Pete moved toward the girl. She didn’t move. When he was just inches away from her, he said, “How lovely your neck is.”
Well, I was surprised at that one, I can tell you. As far as I knew, Pete didn’t like girls. He’d certainly never noticed their necks before. Or said mushy things like that.
“So white,” he went on, “so pure, so …”
He didn’t finish. Instead, much to my amazement, he lunged for her neck and appeared to be biting it. Chester, Howie and I gasped. The girl fell to the ground. And Pete, wiping his mouth with his arm, laughed like a maniac.
“I can’t believe it,” Chester muttered. “It’s happened. It’s really happened.”
“What’s happened, Pop?”
“Yeah, what?” I asked. “Pete finally likes girls?”
“No, you dimwit. He … shh … listen!”
Toby came around from back of the house.
“Did you take care of the others?” Pete asked him.
“Yes, Master, just as you told me to.”
Just then, another kid came running up the street and into the yard. He too was wearing a black cape.
“Come on, let’s go,” he called out. “It’s time. The others are waiting.”
Pete and Toby jumped up and down, laughing. “It’s our time at last,” Toby cried out gleefully. “Time for the vampires!”
“On to Castle Bunnicula!” Peter shouted, and they all broke out in demonic giggles.
“We’ve got to stop them!” Chester said, his voice shaking with excitement. “It’s happened, don’t you see? Bunnicula and his zombie vegetables have finally gotten to real human beings. I’m not surprised that it’s our own Toby and Pete who are the ringleaders. I always knew they were too susceptible. All that television had to take its toll one day. And now … and now … oh, I can’t believe it. Vampires! Come on, you two, we’ve got to get there and warn the others.”