They Call Me the Night Howler!

by R. L. Stine

  “Just messing with you,” he repeated. He slid the boot back onto his foot.

  “I’m not really Dr. Maniac,” he said. He pulled off his gloves and set them down on the base of the statue. “I’m an actor. I work for the museum.”

  “But—but—” I stammered.

  “I was just doing my job, Mason. Playing the part of Dr. Maniac,” he said. “It’s all improv. I make it up as I go.”

  “You’re very good at it,” Stella said. “You had us believing.”

  He grinned. “Did I give you a good scare?”

  We both nodded.

  “Here, guys. You were good sports. Let me give you this,” he said. He pulled two cards from under his armor and handed them to us. “It’s a ten percent discount at the gift shop.”

  He pushed a button and the door slid open. Stella and I waved good-bye and strode quickly into the hall. Even though I knew the guy was just an actor, I was still eager to get out of there.

  “I’ve got to tell Mom and Dad what happened to us!” Stella cried. She took off running down the long hall. I watched her till she disappeared around a corner.

  I glanced around. “Finally,” I murmured, still a little shaky from that strange guy. “Now maybe I can have some fun.”

  The next room was filled with movie posters. The movies were all based on comic book characters. As I made my way from poster to poster, I couldn’t believe how many of the films I had seen.

  There were a few other museum visitors in the room. A teenage couple who held hands as they admired the posters. And a family with three kids who didn’t seem interested at all. They kept asking if the museum had ice cream.

  I stopped in front of a poster for the movie Don’t Call Me Arthropod.

  That was one of the weirdest films I’d ever seen. It was about a family in Maine who were all slowly turning into lobsters. I thought it was funny, but I don’t think it was meant to be.

  The art on the poster was awesome. The artist showed the horror on the faces of the five family members as they held up their lobster claws. I studied the art for a long time. Then I took out my phone and took a photo of the poster.

  My plan was to try to copy it at home.

  I took a photo of the next movie poster, too. It showed an action scene with The Scolders. That’s a hugely popular team of superheroes who scold criminals until they realize they are doing wrong and surrender.

  Seeing all this awesome art made me want to go home and work on my drawings. Dad said I could take an art course at the city center next summer. But that’s a long time to wait.

  I knew I could draw this stuff. I just needed to practice and practice.

  I moved to the next room. All four walls were covered in comic book covers. I never want to leave this place! I told myself. It’s heaven! And it was even better seeing it all by myself without Stella or my parents in my face.

  I studied the comic book covers for a long time. I took some photos to study them some more when I got home. Then I walked through a narrow hallway into the next room.

  This room didn’t look like it belonged in the museum. It looked like someone’s living room, with a couch and two armchairs, and a long desk beside a dark fireplace.

  I turned and started to leave. But I stopped when I spotted a man at the side of the couch. He wore a black-and-navy-blue superhero costume.

  I watched him pull off the dark cape and drape it over the back of the couch. He slid off his tall black boots.

  It took me a while, but I recognized him. The Night Howler. One of my favorite superheroes.

  Why was he undressing in here?

  I decided I should leave and give him some privacy. But as I turned to the door, I sneezed.

  WAAAACHOOO!

  I don’t know how to sneeze quietly.

  He and I both jumped.

  “S-sorry,” I stammered.

  He shrugged his huge shoulders. “That’s okay, kid. No harm done.”

  His blue mask hung over the couch arm. He folded it and placed it on top of the cape. Then he raised his dark eyes to me. “Are you lost?” he asked.

  “N-no,” I stammered. “I’m just … exploring.”

  He nodded. Then he started to pull off his costume top.

  “Are you an actor?” I blurted out. “Do you work here?”

  He dropped his hands away from his costume. “Actor?”

  “My sister and I,” I said. “We met one of the other actors. He played Dr. Maniac.”

  The man’s face reddened. He scowled. “Don’t mention Dr. Maniac to me,” he said through gritted teeth.

  I swallowed. I just stood there. I didn’t know what to say next.

  “I’m not an actor,” he said finally. “I’m the real Night Howler.”

  My hands suddenly felt ice-cold. My heart was fluttering in my chest. “You’re real? Seriously real? I … I never met a real superhero,” I stammered.

  “Well, you have now,” he replied. “Congrats, kid.”

  He said it sarcastically.

  I mean, he sounded kind of bitter. Definitely unhappy.

  “I’m really into superheroes,” I said. Awkward. But I was totally nervous. Can you blame me?

  “Good for you.”

  He pulled his costume top over his head. He had a black T-shirt underneath.

  “Are you changing into your other identity?” I asked.

  “No. I’m quitting,” he mumbled. He tossed the shirt onto the couch.

  I gasped. “Excuse me?”

  “I’m calling it quits, kid. I’m donating my costume to the museum.”

  “I … don’t understand,” I said. “You can’t quit. You’re one of the most popular superheroes in the world.”

  “You think being a superhero is so great?” he demanded. “How would you like to only work the night shift? Never a night off. Think those are great hours?”

  He didn’t give me a chance to answer.

  “And who do I spend all my time with? The worst bad guys on earth. Do I have any friends? No. Do I have any time for friends? No. And what would I talk about if I did have friends? The bad guys I’d defeated?”

  “But … you get to be a hero!” I blurted out.

  He frowned at me. “What do you know about it, kid? Do you know anything about me?”

  “Well …” My mind was spinning. “I know you travel in the dark of night so that you’re nearly invisible. And I know you can cast shadows over people that trap them inside. And I know you always let out a howl of attack when you go after an enemy.”

  He muttered something under his breath.

  “And I know you’ve defeated a lot of supervillains,” I said.

  His eyes flashed. “A lot!” he repeated. “Did you know I defeated The Amazing Water-Bug? I drowned him in his own water. And I captured Gazelle Boy, the fastest villain on earth.

  “And then there was Captain Mud Pie, also known as The World’s Dirtiest Fighter. And The Shiver. Remember him? He always made his victims cold as ice before he robbed them. Know how I defeated him? Easy. I melted his head off!”

  I couldn’t believe all those supervillains were really real. “You’ve done a lot of good things,” I said. “You made everyone a lot safer. So why do you want to quit?”

  “Because I have one major failure,” he said, lowering his eyes. “One villain I have tried to capture my entire career. One evil character I dream about … have nightmares about. And no matter how many times I try, he always gets away.”

  He bent and started to pull off his long black socks. “That’s why I’m giving it up. Tossing in the towel. Because I’m a failure. I couldn’t defeat the foe I was desperate to put away.”

  He tossed the socks on top of the rest of the costume. He stood there shaking his head.

  I gathered my courage. “Who is it?” I managed to choke out. “Who is the supervillain?”

  He gritted his teeth. “Dr. Maniac,” he said in a harsh whisper.

  I gasped. “I told you. My sister and
I just ran into him here in the museum.”

  He shook his head. “That was Carlos, the actor who plays him. He does a pretty good job. But trust me, kid, he doesn’t capture the pure insane evil of the real Dr. Maniac.”

  “Well … that’s why you can’t give up,” I said. “How can you quit when you know his evil is still out in the world?”

  “Easy,” he said.

  “But … but …” I sputtered. “You’re a great hero. You can catch Dr. Maniac. You have to keep trying.”

  He hesitated for a moment. Then he gathered up his costume—and shoved it into my arms.

  “You think it’s so important? You think it’s so exciting? So much fun? YOU try it. Congrats, kid. You’re the new Night Howler.”

  “No, wait!” I cried.

  I tried to shove the costume back to him, but he ducked away.

  “I can’t do it!” I shouted. “I’m just a kid. I’m twelve years old!”

  “So what?” he snapped back. “You have the desire. I can see it in your eyes.”

  “No. No way,” I pleaded.

  He began circling the room, watching me. I hurried after him, trying to return the costume.

  “I can’t be the Night Howler! I have homework!” I shouted.

  We both broke up laughing at the same time. We both realized how ridiculous that sounded.

  “Stop backing away,” I said. “Listen to me. Seriously, how can I be the Night Howler? Sure, I’m into superheroes. But I’m a normal kid. I don’t have any powers.”

  “The powers are all in the costume,” he replied. “Look at me. What’s your name, kid?”

  “Mason Brady,” I said.

  “Mason, my name is Cory. I don’t have any powers, either. The powers of the Night Howler are all inside the costume.”

  “You mean—”

  “When you put on the costume, you’re a superhero. You can hide in the night shadows. You can throw shadows over people and capture them. All that good stuff.”

  “And when you take off the costume—?”

  “You’re you again,” Cory answered. “No powers. No nothing. Just your normal self.”

  I gazed down at the costume balled up in my hands. And felt a surge of excitement rise up over my body.

  The blue-and-black cape and tights felt heavy, as if they were made for winter. It was serious clothing, not lightweight. And way too big for me. The boots were way bigger than my feet!

  “I can’t wear it,” I said. “It’s your size, not mine.”

  “When you put it on, it will fit perfectly,” Cory said. “I told you, the costume is magic.”

  I gazed at it. I had this funny thought: Where will I hide it in my room?

  Yes. I was actually thinking of taking it.

  Something in the back of my brain was saying: Mason, you can do this. Mason, this is something you’ve always dreamed of. A superhero. Maybe you were BORN to be a superhero.

  Insane thoughts. Of course, I should have tossed the whole thing to the floor and run out of there as fast as I could.

  But something held me back. A force that became stronger and stronger as I stared at the cape and tights and mask.

  “Well … maybe …” I started.

  Cory’s eyes locked on mine. He took a few steps toward me. “You’re seriously thinking of doing it, aren’t you?” he said.

  “Uh … yes,” I murmured.

  Cory rubbed his chin. “Well … there’s one major catch,” he said.

  The costume fell from my arms and hit the floor. It spread out in front of me, as if it were alive. “Catch?” I said.

  Cory nodded. “Yes. It’s an important one. You see, you can’t let anyone know that you, Mason Brady, are the Night Howler. Aside from me. Only former Night Howlers can know the secret.”

  “You mean—”

  “No one can know. Not your parents. Not anyone else in your family. Not your friends. If you have a dog or a cat, don’t even tell it to them.”

  My brain started to spin again. “What happens if someone finds out my secret identity?” I asked.

  “Mason, if someone finds out that you are the Night Howler, the costume will lose all its powers. It will be just like any ordinary Halloween costume. You will be helpless.”

  “But now I know you’re the Night Howler. Does that mean you don’t have powers anymore?”

  “Inviting a new Night Howler doesn’t count. If you don’t accept, I’ll just fog your memory. You’ll forget this ever happened.”

  I bent and started to gather the costume up off the floor. “I know I can keep the secret,” I said. “My only problem is my sister, Stella. She’s a serious snoop. She’s always in my room, snooping around.”

  “Think you can find a place to hide the costume from Stella?” he asked. He scooped up the mask and handed it to me.

  Under my bed?

  In my underwear drawer?

  Behind the sled at the back of my closet?

  “I’ll think of something,” I said.

  “Then you’re going to do it? You’re going to take over as the Night Howler?”

  I nodded.

  Why did I suddenly feel sick to my stomach?

  “Wait. One thing,” I said. “How will I know when I’m needed? How will I learn about my missions?”

  “You have a phone, right?” Cory said.

  I nodded.

  “Well, listen for a long, low buzz. That’s the signal. Check your phone and a text will tell you where to go.”

  “But … who is sending the text message?” I asked.

  He shrugged. “Beats me. It’s a secret. Nobody knows.”

  Cory handed me a large museum shopping bag. “Tuck the costume in here,” he said. “Tell your family it’s gifts you bought at the gift shop.”

  He helped me shove the long cape into the bag.

  “Now here’s what we’ll do,” he said. “I’ll come by your house tonight and take you out for your first try. You know. Show you the superhero ropes.”

  “Awesome,” I said.

  Tonight? So soon?

  Cory walked me to the door. He was still in his black T-shirt. “One thing you should do, Mason,” he said.

  “What’s that?”

  “Practice your howl. It’s very important. It’s your trademark, remember.”

  * * *

  A short while later, I was walking down the hall, searching for my family.

  Did that really happen? I asked myself.

  Of course it happened. I had the shopping bag in my hand.

  I made a stop in the souvenir shop, then I found Mom and Dad at the entrance to the movie poster room. They came hurrying up to greet me. “I thought we were going to stick together,” Dad said.

  “Sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to wander away. But then I lost track of time. I just kept moving from room to room. It was awesome.” I was dying to tell them the truth. But, of course, I couldn’t.

  “What’s in the shopping bag?” Mom demanded.

  “This superhero actor gave me ten percent off. So I bought some gifts for my friends,” I said.

  “Did you enjoy the museum?” Dad asked. “Was it everything you thought it would be?”

  I didn’t get a chance to answer.

  Mom suddenly let out a cry. “Hey—where’s Stella?” She glanced around.

  We all spun in a circle, our eyes searching the long halls.

  “She was right here,” Mom said. “Where is she? Where did she go?”

  Haha. Maybe Mason should slip on the Night Howler costume and go search for Stella in the shadows. This could be his first adventure as a superhero.

  Or … perhaps as a superZERO!

  Mason may think he’s brave enough to go out prowling at night. But my guess is, he’ll be hiding under the covers when Cory comes to call. Hahaha!

  I’M the one with amazing powers! Don’t believe me?

  I have the power to make you turn the page!

  Watch …

  “I told Ste
lla to stay close by,” Dad said, peering down the long empty hall. He turned to me. “This is your fault, Mason. If you hadn’t wandered off without her …”

  Everything has to be my fault.

  “She’s probably in the Captain Teddy Bear room,” I said. “Stella goes gaga for that stupid bear.”

  “Don’t try to be funny,” Dad said. “Your sister has disappeared.”

  “Maybe we should split up and search,” I said. “One of us will find her.”

  “Then we’ll never find each other,” Mom said. Her chin was quivering. That always happens when she’s really tense or upset.

  “Why don’t you two wait here?” I said. “I’ll run down the hall. I’m sure I’ll find her. Wait here, and I’ll bring her right back.”

  Mom and Dad exchanged worried glances. “Okay,” Dad said finally. “We’ll have a seat on that bench and wait for you. But find her fast, Mason.”

  I left my shopping bag with them and trotted down the long hall. Mom and Dad had no business getting so terrified instantly. But … that’s just how they are. They’re always in a panic.

  If they had any idea that I was about to become the Night Howler and go out after villains at night, they’d lock me in my room forever, and that’s how I’d spend the rest of my life.

  I peeked into the room with the Captain Teddy Bear costume display. I had been wrong. No sign of Stella. The next room was also for little kids. It was filled with posters and comic art of Raptor Junior.

  No sign of Stella in there, either.

  I turned the corner and stepped into the next hall. And that’s when I heard a scream. Stella’s scream.

  And a second later, she came into view. Screaming her head off. In horrible trouble.

  “HEY—!”

  My shout rang off the stone walls.

  Stella shrieked and flung both arms in the air as a tall, ugly creature carried her across the hall.

  Whoa. It was half man, half garden slug, and Stella seemed stuck to its back.

  She bumped up and down, her hair flying, as it ran full speed, its pale boots thudding the floor.

  “Help! Helllllp!” Stella’s cries froze me in place.

  I finally recognized the creature. It was The Living Larva.