Then Warwick and Hoot followed Frankendude out of the yard.
Meanwhile, the Buddies wandered down Main Street. “I think we lost him,” Rosebud said, looking behind her.
“Why is that ghost dude after us?” Mudbud wondered.
B-Dawg shrugged. “Maybe he wants to drink our blood.”
“That’s vampires,” Rosebud told him. “Maybe he wants to eat our brains,” B-Dawg suggested.
Rosebud sighed. “That’s zombies.”
“Maybe he wants to devour everything he sees,” B-Dawg said.
“That’s Budderball,” Rosebud replied.
Mudbud was still thinking about his question. “It’s probably because B-Dawg released it from the mirror,” he said.
“Oh, sure, dawg, blame me!” B-Dawg exclaimed.
The puppies continued down the street thinking they had gotten rid of Pip. But little did they know that they hadn’t lost the ghost at all! He was still floating behind them, dressed in his sheet costume.
Finally the Buddies arrived at a darkened store. The sign over the door identified it as the Fernfield Shop of Curiosities.
The puppies looked up nervously, and Buddha led the way inside through a doggy door. The place was filled with all sorts of mystical stuff—beads, incense, tarot cards, and other oddities.
“Hello?” Buddha called out. “Is anyone home?”
“Check out this crystal ball,” Budder-ball said, spotting a large glass orb on a table.
Buddha was still looking for his friend. “Zelda?” he called out.
Suddenly the image of a dog appeared in the crystal ball. “Who wants to know?” a voice asked.
“Aaaah!” B-Dawg cried. “The gumball is talking to us!”
“It’s me, Buddha,” Buddha said to the dog in the crystal ball, “and my brothers and sister. The Buddies.”
Suddenly, a head popped out from behind the crystal ball. It was Buddha’s friend Zelda, a Chinese crested dog dressed as a gypsy. She hadn’t been inside the crystal, merely behind it!
“Welcome,” she said to the puppies. “I am Zelda. I am all-knowing and all-seeing. I specialize in the mystic and otherworldly.”
“We need your help,” Buddha told her urgently. “This ghost has been chasing us.”
Zelda nodded. “This is Halloween, the only night spirits are free to roam,” she replied. “We must make contact with this ghost of yours.”
Just then, Pip floated in through the wall. Budderball’s eyes widened. “There’s the ghost!” he said, pointing at Pip.
Zelda looked at Pip. “Ghost?!” she cried. Then she fainted.
The Buddies all froze in terror as Pip floated toward them.
“Please,” Pip begged them. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
“That’s what ghosts always say before they eat you,” B-Dawg said.
“Ghosts don’t eat,” Pip told him.
Budderball’s eyes went wide. “That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard!”
Suddenly, Zelda stirred. Then she woke up. When she saw Pip, she shrieked again. But this time she didn’t pass out.
“I know I look strange,” Pip told everyone. “But I was once a pup just like you all. My name is Pip.”
Buddha gasped. He remembered the kids’ class trip. “You’re the pup from the story?” he asked in disbelief.
“Yes. I’ve been like this ever since that night. The Hound did this to me.”
“The spell must have been interrupted,” Zelda said in amazement. “You were left in limbo.”
“I’m sorry I scared you guys at the manor,” Pip told the Buddies. “I was trying to stop you from releasing the Hound.”
“We’re sorry, too, Pip,” Rosebud said.
“The Hound and Warwick are free,” Pip told everyone. “They’re still trying to finish their spell, and they need five puppies of the same blood to do it. They have their sights set on you five.”
“We must stop them!” Zelda declared. “And Pip, now that you have left the manor, if you do not return to your body before sunrise, you will be lost forever. We must find your corporeal self.”
“My what?” Pip asked.
“The body you once inhabited. We shall ask my crystal ball.” Zelda turned to the crystal ball. “Please show us this young pup’s body. Does it still exist on the earthly plane?”
The crystal ball started to glow. Then an image formed within it. It was the stone statue of Pip.
“That’s me!” Pip cried. “I turned to stone the night it all happened.”
“And where does this body now reside?” Zelda asked the crystal ball.
It formed another image. “Oh, snap! The cemetery!” B-Dawg exclaimed. Then he let out a small whimper. “Do we really have to go back there, dawgs?”
Suddenly, the doggy door to the shop flapped open, and the Howlloween Hound stuck his huge head in!
“Come out, puppies!” He growled. “I’ll have all your souls for dinner!”
“Aaah! It’s the real Howlloween Hound!” B-Dawg cried.
The Hound growled evilly and tried to push himself through the doggy door.
“The back door!” Zelda cried. “Quickly!”
Pip flew through the wall, while the Buddies and Zelda ducked through another doggy door. The Buddies didn’t dare look behind them as they ran away. Phew! They’d escaped from the Hound. For now.…
The Halloween Brew-Ha-Ha party was in full swing at the town hall. Music, voices, and laughter drifted out into the moonlit night as Billy and his friends raced down the street.
When they finally stopped and looked back, they were relieved to find that the scary warlock was nowhere in sight. The only one behind them was Frankendude.
“Hey, Mr. Carroll,” Billy called to him, “maybe you can help us find—”
But Frankendude didn’t let him finish. “Give me staaaaafffff!” he cried in a chilling voice.
Billy gulped. He’d just noticed Frankendude’s glowing green eyes. He ducked as Frankendude grabbed for the staff. The monster tripped over the pumpkin on his foot and crashed into some Halloween decorations.
“Frankendude sure is taking his role seriously,” Pete commented.
Sam nodded. “He’s not normal, even for Mr. Carroll.”
“Let’s go to the party,” Alice suggested. “Sheriff Dan is in there.”
The group hurried into the town hall. Frankendude clambered to his feet and lumbered after them.
Hoot was flying overhead. When Warwick caught up, the owl glided down.
“They went in there, Master,” he said, nodding toward the town hall.
Warwick stared at the building. Strange lights and sounds were coming from inside.
“This must be that young warlock’s lair,” Warwick said. “It’s swarming with those creatures.”
Just then a group of kids came by. One of them, dressed in a devil costume, tugged on Warwick’s robe.
“Trick or treat!” the boy said. “Hand over your loot.”
“Aah!” Warwick cried in fear. “Back away, demon! You’ll not trick-or-treat me!”
He grabbed one of the creature’s horns in self-defense. But both horns were attached to a headband, which came off in his hand. Warwick stared at it in confusion.
“You are no demon!” he exclaimed.
He reached over and grabbed the mask off another kid’s face.
“And you’re no goblin!” he added. “What is this trickery? They’re just kids in disguise!”
“Halloween is not like it used to be,” Hoot explained to the warlock. “It’s all about candy and costumes.”
“Costumes?!” Warwick cried. “So that boy warlock is just a boy? Why didn’t you tell me that, you birdbrain? Let’s get him!” And with that, he headed straight into the town hall.
Moments after Warwick disappeared into the party, the Buddies arrived at the town hall. They hurried around the building until they found Deputy Sniffer standing guard.
“Deputy Sniffer, wake up!”
Rosebud yelped. “We need your help!”
“What’s the problem?” Sniffer asked with a yawn. “Did someone steal Budderball’s candy bag?”
“No,” Zelda said. “This is more serious than trick-or-treating.”
B-Dawg nodded. “The Howlloween Hound has been released!”
Deputy Sniffer rolled his eyes. He assumed the puppies were playing a prank on him. Then Pip floated in front of him.
“Wow, great ghost costume!” Sniffer said, impressed.
“It’s not a costume, Deputy Sniffer,” Zelda said. “He’s a ghost.”
Deputy Sniffer raised his eyebrows. He clearly didn’t believe Zelda. So, to prove it, Pip flew through the wall of the town hall and then came back.
Deputy Sniffer’s ears stood on end. “Well, I’ll be a doggone dog!” he exclaimed in surprise.
“I knew your great grand-pappy, Deputy Tracker,” Pip told him. “He did his best to save us. Now, we could really use your help.”
Just then, Sniffer looked up in alarm. “Would this Hound happen to be large and brown and racing toward us?” he asked.
The puppies turned around to look. The Hound was running right for them!
“Oh, no!” Zelda yelped. “He’s found us!”
“What do we do?” B-Dawg cried.
“The long paw of the law will handle this intruder,” Sniffer said. “You guys go.”
The Buddies, Zelda, and Pip took off. Deputy Sniffer bravely faced down the Howlloween Hound.
“Stop, in the name of the law!” he ordered as the Hound reached him. “Those pups are under my protection.”
But the Hound just laughed evilly.
Then he began to howl. A green glow poured out of his mouth. It surrounded Sniffer—and then turned him to stone!
At the party, Sheriff Dan was judging the costume contest.
When the kids arrived, Billy ran up to the sheriff. The boy still held the staff in his hand. “Sheriff Dan,” he cried, “I’ve got to talk to you!”
“With you in a jiffy, Billy,” Sheriff Dan said. “Got to announce our winner.” He turned to the crowd. “And the first prize goes to…Frank Carroll for Frankendude!”
The audience cheered loudly. But Frankendude looked confused.
Then he spotted Billy standing in front of the stage. Aha! Now he remembered why he was here.
Frankendude lunged toward Billy, trying to grab the staff. But Mrs. Carroll stepped in front of him with a camera.
“Say cheese!” she said.
The flash of the camera momentarily blinded Frankendude’s green eyes. He tripped over his pumpkin foot and fell off the stage, landing on Warwick.
“Get off me, you buffoon!” Warwick cried.
“Sheriff,” Billy said through the commotion. “It’s important!”
But Warwick had managed to pick himself up. “Give that staff to me, boy!” Warwick yelled. “It belongs to me—Warwick, the greatest warlock of all time!” He grabbed the staff.
“Hey!” Billy yelled. “I have to return that to Sheriff Dan!”
“Now, what have you done with my book?” Warwick demanded, seizing Billy by the robe.
“Hey, now,” Sheriff Dan said. “That isn’t proper party etiquette, sir. I’ll need you to put the boy down. No more of this monkey business.”
Warwick smirked. “Monkey business, eh?” He pointed his staff at the sheriff. “Transformus primatus!”
The jewel on the staff glowed. Then a flash of light shot out, and Sheriff Dan was transformed into a monkey! He was even wearing a tiny police uniform.
“What in tarnation?” Sheriff Dan the monkey said. “You’re under arrest for insulting an officer of the law! No one makes a monkey out of Sheriff Dan!”
The partygoers watched in awe. They clearly all thought this was an act. “Great trick!” exclaimed Billy’s mom. “Just fabulous!”
Billy decided it was time to run. Warwick saw him, and with a quick spell, he burst out of the crowd by floating into the air on his staff. The partygoers cheered even louder at that.
“Thank you, thank you! It’s great to be loved,” Warwick said. Then he smiled an evil smile. “But better to be feared.”
And with that, he took off after Billy.
Billy 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 d
ark 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.”
The 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.
Spooky Buddies Junior Novel Page 3