“What is your hurry, young man?” she snapped at Todd.
“Uh … sorry,” Todd murmured. It was the only reply he could think of.
Miss Grant bent to examine her brown shoes, which were now orange, covered with wet clumps of spaghetti.
“It was an accident,” Todd said impatiently, fiddling with his Raiders cap.
“It sure was,” the teacher replied coldly. “Perhaps I should speak to you after school about why we don’t run in the lunchroom?”
“Perhaps,” Todd agreed. Then he bolted past her, running out the door faster than he had ever run.
“Cool move, ace!” Danny exclaimed, running beside him.
“It wasn’t my fault,” Todd told him. “She stepped in front of me.”
“The bell is going to ring,” Danny warned as they made their way out the back door.
“I don’t care,” Todd replied breathlessly. “I’ve got to find out what that copycat is doing with worms!”
Patrick was still bent over the mud behind second base. He was scooping up worms with a silvery trowel that looked brand-new, then dropping them into a metal bait can.
He was a slim, good-looking boy with wavy blond hair and blue eyes. He had started school in September. His family had moved to Ohio from Pasadena. He was always telling everyone how California was so much better.
He didn’t brag about how rich he was. But he wore designer jeans, and his mother brought him to school every morning in a long, white Lincoln. So Todd and the others at William Tecumseh Sherman Middle School figured it out.
Patrick was in Regina’s class. A few weeks after school started, he’d had a big birthday party and invited everyone in his class. Including Regina.
She reported that Patrick had a whole carnival, with rides and everything, in his backyard. Todd pretended he didn’t care that he wasn’t invited.
The sky grew even darker as Danny and Todd stood over Patrick on the playground. “What are you doing, Patrick?” Todd demanded.
“Digging,” Patrick replied, glancing up from his work.
“Digging up worms?” Todd asked, his hands pressed against the waist of his jeans.
Patrick nodded. He started digging again. He pulled up a long dark brown one that Todd would have loved to own.
“I’m doing a worm project,” Todd told him.
“I know,” Patrick replied, concentrating on his work. “Me, too.”
“What is it?” Danny chimed in. “What’s your project, Patrick?”
Patrick didn’t reply. He dug up a tiny pale worm, examined it, and tossed it back.
“What’s your project? Tell us,” Todd demanded.
“You really want to know?” Patrick asked, raising his blue eyes to them. The wind ruffled his blond hair, but the hair immediately fell back into place.
Todd felt a raindrop on his shoulder. Then one on the top of his head.
“What’s your project?” Todd repeated.
“Okay, okay,” Patrick said, wiping dirt off his hands. “I’ll tell you. My project is …”
The class bell rang. The sharp clang cut through the rising wind. The rain started to patter loudly against the ground.
“We’ve got to go in,” Danny urged, tugging at Todd’s sleeve.
“Wait,” Todd said, his eyes on Patrick. “Tell me now!” he insisted.
“But we’ll be late!” Danny insisted, tugging at Todd again. “And we’re getting soaked.”
Patrick climbed to his feet. “I think I’ve got all the worms I need.” He shook wet dirt off the silvery trowel.
“So what is your worm project?” Todd repeated, ignoring the pattering rain and Danny’s urgent requests to get back inside the school.
Patrick grinned at him, revealing about three hundred perfect white teeth. “I’m teaching them to fly,” he said.
“Huh?”
“I’m putting cardboard wings on them and teaching them to fly. Wait till you see it! It’s a riot!” He burst out laughing.
Danny leaned close to Todd. “Is he for real?” he whispered.
“Of course not!” Todd shot back. “Don’t be a jerk, Danny. He’s goofing on us.”
“Hey — you’re not funny,” Danny told Patrick angrily.
“We’re late, guys. Let’s get going,” Patrick said, his grin fading. He started toward the school building.
But Todd moved quickly to block his path. “Tell me the truth, Patrick. What are you planning to do?”
Patrick started to reply.
But a low rumbling sound made him stop.
They all heard it. A muffled roar that made the ground shake.
The worm can fell out of Patrick’s hand. His blue eyes opened wide in surprise — and fear.
The rumbling gave way to a loud, cracking noise. It sounded as if the whole playground were splitting apart.
“Wh-what’s happening?” Patrick stammered.
“Run!” Todd screamed as the ground trembled and shook. “Run for your life!”
“Why are you so late? Where’ve you been? In another earthquake?” Regina teased.
“Ha-ha,” Todd said bitterly. “Danny and I weren’t making it up. It happened again! And Patrick was there, too.”
“How come no one else felt it?” Regina demanded. “I had the radio on after school. And there was nothing about an earthquake on the news.”
It was nearly five o’clock. Todd had found his sister in the garage, up on an aluminum ladder, working hard on her giant robin. Somehow she had managed to get clumps of papier-mâché in her hair and down the front of her T-shirt.
“I don’t want to talk about the earthquake,” Todd muttered, stepping into the garage. “I know I’m right.”
The rain had ended just before school let out. But the driveway was still puddled with water. His wet sneakers squeaked as he made his way to Regina’s ladder.
“Where’s Beth?” he asked.
“She had to go get her braces tightened,” Regina told him, concentrating on smoothing out the papier-mâché beak. She let out a loud groan. “I can’t get this beak smooth.”
Todd kicked dejectedly at an old tire that leaned against the garage wall.
“Look out!” Regina called.
A wet clump of papier-mâché landed at Todd’s feet with a plop. “You missed me!” he cried, ducking away.
“So? Where’ve you been?” Regina asked.
“Miss Grant kept me after school. She gave me a long lecture.”
“About what?” Regina stopped to examine her work.
“I don’t know. Something about running in school,” Todd replied. “How are you going to get this dumb bird to the science fair?”
“Carry it,” Regina answered without hesitating. “It’s big, but it’s really light. I don’t suppose you would help Beth and me?”
“I don’t suppose,” Todd told her, wrapping his hand around the broomstick that formed one bird leg.
“Hey — get your paws off!” Regina cried. “Leave it alone!”
Todd obediently backed away.
“You’re just jealous because Christopher Robin is going to win the computer,” Regina said.
“Listen, Reggie — you’ve got to tell me what Patrick MacKay is doing for his worm project,” Todd pleaded. “You’ve got to.”
She climbed down off the ladder. She saw the big worm in Todd’s hand. “What’s that for?” she demanded.
“Nothing.” Todd’s cheeks turned pink.
“You planned to drop that down my back, didn’t you?” Regina accused him.
“No. I was just taking it for a walk,” Todd told her. He laughed.
“You’re a creep,” Regina said, shaking her head. “Don’t you ever get tired of those dumb worms?”
“No,” Todd replied. “So tell me. What’s Patrick’s project?”
“You want to hear the truth?” Regina asked.
“Yeah.”
“The truth is, I don’t know,” his sister confessed. “I really don’t know
what he’s doing.”
Todd stared hard at her for a long moment. “You really don’t?”
She crossed her heart. “I really don’t know.”
Todd suddenly had an idea. “Where does he live?” he asked eagerly.
The question caught Regina by surprise. “Why?”
“Danny and I can go over there tonight,” Todd said. “And I’ll ask him what he’s doing.”
“You’re going to go to his house?” Regina asked.
“I’ve got to find out!” Todd exclaimed. “I’ve worked so hard on my worm house, Reggie. I don’t want Patrick the Copycat to do something better.”
Regina eyed her brother thoughtfully. “And what will you do for me if I tell you where he lives?”
A grin spread over Todd’s face. He held up the worm. “If you tell me, I won’t put this down your back.”
“Ha-ha,” Regina replied, rolling her eyes. “You’re a real pal, Todd.”
“Tell me!” he insisted eagerly, grabbing her by the shoulders.
“Okay, okay. Don’t have a cow. Patrick lives on Glen Cove,” Regina replied. “I think the number is 100. It’s a huge, old mansion. Behind a tall fence.”
“Thanks!” Todd said. “Thanks a lot!”
Then, as Regina bent down to pick up the globs of papier-mâché from the garage floor, he dropped the worm down the back of her T-shirt.
“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Danny complained. “My parents said I couldn’t come over. As soon as they went grocery shopping, I ducked out. But if they catch me …” His voice trailed off.
“We’ll be back home in fifteen minutes,” Todd said. He shifted gears and pedaled the bike harder. Danny’s old bike splashed through a deep puddle at the curb.
The rain clouds had rolled away. But the wind still gusted, cool and damp. The sun had set about an hour before. Now a thin sliver of moon hung low in the evening sky.
“Where is the house? On Glen Cove?” Danny asked, out of breath.
Todd nodded. He shifted gears again. He liked shifting back and forth. It was a new bike, and he still hadn’t gotten used to so many gears.
A car rolled toward them rapidly, the glare of its white headlights forcing them to shield their eyes. Danny’s bike rolled up onto the curb, and he nearly toppled over. “Why’d they have their brights on?” he griped.
“Beats me,” Todd replied.
They turned sharply onto Glen Cove. It was a wide street of old houses set back on broad, sloping lawns. The houses were set far apart, separated by dark wooded areas.
“No streetlights,” Danny commented. “You’d think rich people could afford streetlights.”
“Maybe they like it dark,” Todd replied thoughtfully. “You know. It helps keep people away.”
“It’s kind of creepy here,” Danny said softly, leaning over his handlebars.
“Don’t be a wimp. Look for 100,” Todd said sharply. “That’s Patrick’s address.”
“Wow. Check out that house!” Danny said, slowing down and pointing. “It looks like a castle!”
“I think 100 must be on the next block,” Todd called, eagerly pedaling ahead.
“What are we going to say to Patrick?” Danny asked, breathing hard, struggling to catch up.
“I’m just going to ask him if we can see his worm project,” Todd replied, his eyes searching the darkness for address signs. “Maybe I’ll act like I want to help him out. You know. Give him a few tips on how to take care of the worms.”
“Nice guy,” Danny teased. He chuckled to himself. “What if Patrick says no?”
Todd didn’t reply. He hadn’t thought of that.
He squeezed the hand brake. “Look.” He pointed to an enormous house behind a tall iron fence. “That’s his house.”
Danny’s brakes squealed as he brought his bike to a stop. He lowered his feet to the wet pavement. “Wow.”
The house rose up over the broad, tree-filled lawn, black against the purple night sky. It was completely dark. Not a light on anywhere.
“No one home,” Danny said, whispering.
“Good,” Todd replied. “This is even better. Maybe we can look down in the basement window or find the window to Patrick’s room, and see what he’s working on.”
“Maybe,” Danny replied reluctantly.
Todd glanced around. Patrick’s house was the only one on the block. And it was surrounded by woods.
Both boys climbed off their bikes and started to walk them to the driveway.
“I can’t believe Patrick would live in such a wreck of a place,” Todd said, pulling off his cap and scratching his hair. “I mean, this house is a real dump.”
“Maybe his parents are weird or something,” Danny suggested as they parked their bikes.
“Maybe,” Todd replied thoughtfully.
“Sometimes rich people get a little weird,” Danny said, climbing onto the porch and ringing the doorbell.
“How would you know?” Todd said, snickering. He pulled his cap back down over his dark hair and rang the bell again. “No answer. Let’s check out the back,” he said, hopping off the porch.
“What for?” Danny demanded.
“Let’s just look in the windows,” Todd urged, moving along to the side of the house. “Let’s see if we can see anything at all.”
As they turned the corner, it grew even darker. The pale sliver of moonlight was reflected in one of the upstairs windows. The only light.
“This is dumb,” Danny complained. “It’s too dark to see anything inside the house. And, besides —”
He stopped.
“Now what’s wrong?” Todd demanded impatiently.
“Didn’t you hear it? I heard it again,” Danny said. “Like a growl. Some kind of animal growl.”
Todd didn’t hear the growl.
But he saw something enormous running toward them.
He saw the evil red glow of its eyes — unblinking eyes trained on him.
And he knew it was too late to escape.
“Run!” Danny screamed.
But Todd couldn’t move.
As the enormous red-eyed monster bounded toward them, Todd pressed his back against a side door.
He nearly fell as the door swung in.
The creature uttered an ugly, threatening growl. Its huge paws thundered over the ground.
“Inside!” Todd screamed. “Danny — get in the house!”
His heart pounding as loudly as the monster’s paws, Todd scrambled into the dark house. Danny lurched in behind him, uttering low gasps.
Todd slammed the door shut as the creature attacked.
Its paws struck the windowpane in the door, making the entire door rattle.
“It’s a dog!” Todd cried in a choked whisper. “A huge, angry dog!”
The dog let out another ferocious growl and leaped at the door. Its paws scraped over the window.
“A dog?” Danny exclaimed shrilly. “I thought it was a gorilla!”
The two boys pressed their shoulders against the door, holding it shut. They peered out warily at the big creature.
The dog had sat back on its haunches. It stared in at them, its red eyes glowing. It was panting loudly, its enormous tongue hanging out of its mouth.
“Someone should put that guy on a diet!” Danny exclaimed.
“We could ride that dog to school!” Todd added.
“How do we get out of here?” Danny asked, turning away from the dog. His eyes searched the dark room.
“He’ll go away,” Todd said. He swallowed hard. “Probably.”
“This place is a dump,” Danny said, stepping into the room.
Todd turned to follow Danny. They were in the kitchen, he saw. Pale moonlight floated in through the window. Even in this dim light, Todd could see that something was terribly wrong.
The kitchen counters were bare and covered in dust. There were no appliances — no toaster, no microwave, no refrigerator. There were no dishes or pots and pans in view. Glancing
down, Todd saw that the sink was caked with thick dirt.
“Weird,” Danny muttered.
The two boys made their way through a short hallway to the dining room.
“Where’s the furniture?” Danny asked, gazing in all directions.
The room was empty.
“Maybe they’re redecorating or something,” Todd guessed.
“This doesn’t make sense. Patrick’s family is rich,” Danny said, shaking his head. “You know how neat Patrick is. He gets upset if his shirt comes untucked.”
“I don’t get it,” Todd replied. “Where do you think he has his worm project?”
The two boys made their way toward the living room. Their sneakers scraped over the dusty, bare floor.
“Something is weird here,” Danny murmured. “Something is very weird.”
They both gasped as they stepped into the living room — and saw the figure hunched at the window.
Saw the decayed green flesh of his face.
Saw the bones of his jaw, open in a hideous, toothless grin.
Saw his evil, sunken eyes staring across the room at them.
The heavy silence was broken by the shrill screams of the two boys.
“Go! Go!” Todd cried. He shoved Danny toward the door and stumbled along behind him, keeping his hands on Danny’s shoulders.
“Go! Go! Go!”
Through the bare dining room. Across the dust-covered kitchen.
“Go! Go!”
Todd grabbed the doorknob, pulled open the door, and they both burst out of the house.
Had the dog left?
Yes!
“Let’s move!” Todd cried.
But Danny needed no encouragement. He was already halfway down the driveway, his chubby legs pumping hard, his hands stretched out in front of him as if trying to pull himself to safety.
Out the gate. Onto their bikes.
They pedaled furiously. Faster. Faster. Until their legs ached and they could barely breathe.
And they never looked back.
* * *
Who was that hideous, decayed figure in Patrick’s house?
And why was the house so dusty, so totally bare?
Todd spent most of the night lying awake in his bed, thinking about it.