Werewolf of Fever Swamp
Page 8
RLS: I never listen to music when I write. But when I’m not writing I like all kinds of music. I have satellite radio so I have something like 200 stations to listen to. And I like to play my music LOUD!
Do you spend a lot of time on the Internet? What do you like about EnterHorrorLand.com?
RLS: I love the Internet. A friend of mine says the Internet is like a magic hat—you can pull anything out of it. I love checking out the new games on EnterHorrrorLand.com. Seeing the color map makes everything seem so real. I also spend a lot of time on rlstine.com. In addition to looking at the creepy stuff, I love reading messages from my readers.
Goosebumps Horrorland #11: Escape From HorrorLand is the first full-length book on HorrorLand amusement park you’ve written since One Day at HorrorLand. There must be a lot going on in HorrorLand. Can you let us in on a few secrets? Like, what is Panic Park?
RLS: Let me just say this—Panic Park is menacing. There’s a scene in Goosebumps HorrorLand #11 that may be the scariest I’ve ever written!
If R.L. Stine could travel through time, when and where would he go? Pick up the new collector’s edition of A NIGHT IN TERROR TOWER and look in the back of the book to find out!
Fright Gallery: The Werewolf
FIRST APPEARANCE
The Werewolf of Fever Swamp
OTHER APPEARANCES
Werewolf Skin
ORIGINS No one is sure where the first werewolf came from. But, in a twisted game of tag (“tag, you’re BIT”), the evil werewolf curse is passed from werewolves to regular humans, who—once they become werewolfs—pass it on again.
SPECIAL POWERS Werewolves are extremely powerful, can run superfast for long periods of time, have an amazing sense of smell, and are fantastic hunters. Combine these powers with a strong bite, and a werewolf is not something you’d want to run into during a full moon!
WEAKNESSES Silver bullets. Big dogs.
LIVING OR DEAD? Alive
FAVORITE PHRASE “AROOOOOOH!”
HOBBIES AND INTERESTS Moon gazing. Singing (OK … more like “howling”).
LAST SEEN at Werewolf Village and Wolfsbane Forest in HorrorLand.
FULL-MOON MADNESS!
Maniac, cuckoo, madman. What do these words have in common? They are all synonyms for the word “lunatic,” which comes from luna, Latin for “moon.” Does the full moon make people crazy? Not as crazy as a fictional werewolf, perhaps, but one recent study claims that 80% of doctors believe that a full moon can affect a person’s sanity … or INSANITY! Legend certainly supports the fact that a full moon can drive people nutty and make them dangerous (thanks, Mr. Werewolf), but where are the facts?
Take a look at what’s been said to happen during the full moon.
•Some doctors and nurses swear there is a larger number of EMERGENCY ROOM PATIENTS.
•Reports of ERRATIC DRIVERS increase.
•Studies have shown that VIOLENT CRIME rises during a full moon.
•Brighton, England, puts MORE POLICE ON PATROL.
•A study in Leeds, England, found incidences of PRISONERS BEHAVING BADLY.
And it’s not just crazy people—crazy things are thought to happen during a full moon as well. Some people claim a full moon can:
•increase the number of AVALANCHES
•trigger an EARTHQUAKE
•cause BLACK CATS to mysteriously DISAPPEAR
•encourage PLANTS to GROW BETTER—perhaps Jack from “Jack and the Beanstalk” planted his magic seeds during a full moon… .
Still, even with some evidence, science can’t prove that a full moon actually makes people crazy. Studies on dog bites during a full moon have shown two different results: one shows MORE dog bites during a full moon. Others have shown FEWER. Studies on insane asylums actually show there are FEWER new patients during the full moon. So if more people are going crazy, where is the proof?
Science just can’t say. One theory revolves around the moon’s effect on water. Your science teacher might have taught you that the changing position of the moon affects the ocean’s tide. Some think the moon has the same pull on humans, who are made mostly of water. But scientists say the moon’s gravity is so small it can’t affect us.
What scientists DO think is that people see full-moon madness all around them because they BELIEVE in it and go out of their way to find evidence of it.
In any case, it’s still a good idea to keep a cautious eye out during a full moon. You never know when you might run into a crazy person, dog, or werewolf put under the spell of Luna.
QUIZ! Can You Survive the Swamp?
Before you head INTO your creepy neighborhood swamp, take this simple quiz to find out if you’ll make it OUT. Keep track of your answers, and use the key at the end of the next page to tally up your points and see your chances for survival.
1.You find yourself knee-deep in quicksand! You …
a.struggle as much as possible
b.slowly reach out and grab a vine that’s fallen from a tree
c.wait patiently while screaming your head off
2.You see an alligator ahead! You …
a.grab a stick and poke the gator in the eye
b.play dead
c.run away from the alligator in a straight line as fast as you can
3.You’ve found a hut in the middle of a dry field in the swamp. You …
a.move on and hope whoever owns the hut is not around
b.head inside without knocking and make yourself at home
c.knock and wait to introduce yourself
4.You’re STARVING and need to find some food fast. You …
a.trap a poisonous water snake, kill it, skin it, and eat it
b.chow down a handful of peat from a peat bog
c.scarf a handful of every bright berry you come across
5.P-U! You smell swamp gas. You …
a.find another way around the stinky area
b.light a match to get rid of that terrible smell
c.cover your face with your T-shirt and keep moving
Use the key below to add up the points for each answer. Your total will let you know if you’re ready to brave the swamp.
15–11 Points: You’ll definitely make it out of this swamp alive—jump in and have a great time!
10–6 Points: Hmmm … you might want to brush up on your swamp skills before you start a swamp adventure.
5–1 Points: Don’t even think about heading into the swamp— you don’t stand a chance!!!
You Might Be a Werewolf if You …
… shave ten times a day.
… buy a whole bunch of flea collars— for YOURSELF!
… howl at a full moon. Half howl at a half moon. Crescent howl at a—oh, you get the picture!
… leave so much hair on seats people won’t let you ride in their cars.
… can scratch behind your ears— with your FOOT!
… pack doggie biscuits with your lunch.
… get hissed at by cats for no reason.
… like your steak really, REALLY rare.
… eat a foot-long sandwich in ONE bite.
… visit www.EnterHorrorLand.com and head straight to Wolfsbane Forest.
Want to know everything about HorrorLand? Then check out
GOOSEBUMPS
HorrorLand
WELCOME TO HORRORLAND: A SURVIVAL GUIDE
Read on for a sneak peak.
About the Author
R.L. Stine’s books are read all over the world. So far, his books have sold more than 300 million copies, making him one of the most popular children’s authors in history. Besides Goosebumps, R.L. Stine has written the teen series Fear Street, the funny series Rotten School, as well as the Mostly Ghostly series, The Nightmare Room series, and the two-book thriller Dangerous Girls. R.L. Stine lives in New York with his wife, Jane, and Minnie, his King Charles spaniel. You can learn more about him at www.RLStine.com.
GOOSEBUMPS HorrorLand™
ALL-NE
W! ALL-TERRIFYING!
Also Available on Audiobook from Scholastic Audiobooks
#1 REVENGE OF THE LIVING DUMMY
#2 CREEP FROM THE DEEP
#3 MONSTER BLOOD FOR BREAKFAST!
#4 THE SCREAM OF THE HAUNTED MASK
#5 Dr. MANIAC VS. ROBBY SCHWARTZ
#6 WHO’S YOUR MUMMY?
#7 MY FRIENDS CALL ME MONSTER
#8 SAY CHEESE — AND DIE SCREAMING!
#9 WELCOME TO CAMP SLITHER
#10 HELP! WE HAVE STINGE POWERS!
#11 ESCAPE FROM HORRORLAND
#12 THE STREETS OF PANIC PARK
GOOSEBUMPS HORRORLAND BOXED SET #1-4
WELCOME TO HORRORLAND: A SURVIVAL GUIDE
RIDE FOR YOUR LIFE!
GOOSEBUMPS
HorrorLand™
THE VIDEO GAME
FROM SCHOLASTIC INTERACTIVE
GOOSEBUMPS®
NOW WITH BONUS FEATURES!
LOOK IN THE BACK OF THE BOOK
FOR EXCLUSIVE AUTHOR INTERVIEWS AND MORE.
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DUMMY
DEEP TROUBLE
MONSTER BLOOD
THE HAUNTED MASK
ONE DAY AT HORRORLAND
THE CURSE OF THE MUMMY’S TOMB
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR
SAY CHEESE AND DIE!
THE HORROR AT CAMP JELLYJAM
HOW I GOT MY SHRUNKEN HEAD
THE WEREWOLF OF FEVER SWAMP
A NIGHT IN TERROR TOWER
GET MORE GOOSEBUMPS ON DVD!
NEW FROM FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT
MONSTER BLOOD
A NIGHT IN TERROR TOWER
ONE DAY AT HORRORLAND
RETURN OF THE MUMMY
THE SCARECROW WALKS AT MIDNIGHT
Copyright
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Goosebumps book series created by Parachute Press, Inc.
Copyright © 1993 by Scholastic Inc.
Cover design by Steve Scott
Cover art by Brandon Dorman
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc., Publishers since 1920. SCHOLASTIC, GOOSEBUMPS, GOOSEBUMPS HORRORLAND, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.
First printing, October 2009
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eISBN: 978-0-545-29461-4
“Behind the Screams” bonus materials by Matthew D. Payne