by David Bowles
Chapter
8
Freeze the Furious Fire
The zombies ran ahead. The darkness didn’t bother them at all. Malia kept shining her light for the living.
Then the ferrets burst into the tunnel behind them! Flames lit up the air like the sun!
“Faster!” Dante shouted. He noticed that Big Brother and Cousin had backpacks on. Sister and Little Brother were carrying bags with metal parts sticking out of them.
“Do y’all have fire extinguishers?” Dante asked.
Sister looked back at him. “To fight the Cozamah?”
“That means the Furious Fire,” Big Brother said, pointing behind them. “And no. We’ve searched everywhere. No fire extinguishers.”
The yowling, hissing, and hot flames of the Furious Fire kept everyone scrambling for cover.
Just as it seemed the wicked weasels would catch them, the group reached another ladder. Climbing up, they entered a huge, gloomy warehouse. There were big shelving units that divided part of the space into separate areas. Dante thought this must be where the zombie family lived.
Father slammed the trapdoor shut. “Big Brother, flood the tunnel!”
Against the wall was a huge pipe with a red valve wheel attached. Big Brother grabbed the wheel and spun it hard. There was a loud groan and then:
WHOOSH!
The sound of rushing water came from beneath their feet.
“You sure this will work?” asked Dante.
“We flood the tunnels all the time,” Cousin explained. “Makes it easier to catch the rats.”
“Gross! Why are you catching rats?” Dante stared at the zombie boy.
“To eat them, obviously,” Cousin replied.
Dante felt sick to his stomach.
“Hey,” said Big Brother, laying his leathery hand on Dante’s head. “Could be worse. We could eat brains.”
The Undead Folk laughed.
“That,” Susana announced, “was not funny.”
Chapter
9
Cold Storage
Dante looked around. “Where’s the portal? Didn’t we defeat them?”
Mother shook her head. “No, the water just swept them away for now.”
Malia sighed. “There’s got to be something else we can try. What do we know about weasels?”
“Before Suse was born,” Robby said, “when I was a little younger than you all, our family used to travel up north to work in the fields. I would go to school there a few months each year. Once I had this great teacher, a Native American man. His family had been weasel trappers for generations.”
Everyone moved closer, paying careful attention to Robby’s story.
“He told us things about the animals. Tribes had different ideas about them, but most agreed that they were bad luck. Dangerous. Except in their ermine stage.”
“What’s that?” Dante asked.
Ivan jumped in. “Weasels’ bodies know when winter comes. They shed their darker fur and turn white. You call them ermine then.”
“Right,” Robby agreed. “Stories say they are gentler when they’re white. They’re good luck, too.”
“So,” Dante said, “when is winter around here?”
Father shook his head. “There’s no winter on 13th Street.”
Susana was upset. “You’re a big help, Robby.”
“Susana, we don’t need winter,” Ivan explained. “We just need to create a cold and dark environment.”
Father gestured around him. “That’s what this used to be. We woke up here five years ago, when the Quiet Prince arrived. It’s not much, but it’s the only home we remember.”
Dante wondered who the Quiet Prince was, but before he could ask, Robby spoke up. His question would have to wait.
“If this is a refrigerated warehouse, why is it so warm?” he asked.
“The generator stopped working,” Big Brother told him, holding up his backpack. “That’s why we were in the tunnels. We’ve been scavenging for fuel and metal parts.”
Sister pulled a quart of motor oil from her bag. “We need the cold so we don’t rot to pieces.”
“Ah, that explains the stink,” Dante whispered.
“Dante, not cool.” Malia elbowed her cousin.
Ivan took the plastic container from Sister’s hand. “Robby? You’ve fixed generators before, right?”
“Yup,” Robby said. “They’re just motors, like in the bus. But I’d need help.”
“Lucky you,” Ivan told him. “Last year I did my science fair project on the combustion engine.”
Susana laughed. “You’re such a nerd.”
Dante shook his head. “I don’t get it. How does the generator help us?”
“If me and Ivan can get it working,” Robby explained, “this warehouse will cool down quick. Then all we’ve got to do is lure the Furious Fire inside. They should shift into their white winter coats.”
“Brilliant plan, Robby,” said Father.
Dante noticed Susana glancing at her big brother. She was trying not to show how she felt. But her eyes glittered with pride.
Robby nodded at Father. “Thanks. Come on, Ivan. Let’s help the Undead Folk.”
Malia raised her right index finger. “And tame the fire-breathing ferrets. Don’t forget that part.”
“I just had a thought,” Ivan said. “What if those sneaky stoats melted the bus?”
“Only one way to find out,” Malia said. “While you and Robby get this place cold, the Cutie Twins and I will go check things out. Besides, we need to know where the weird weasels are if we’re going to herd them back here.”
Dante gulped. “Oh, snap.”
Chapter
10
Risky Recon
A few minutes later, Susana, Dante, and Malia climbed to the top of the warehouse. They leaped from rooftop to rooftop, back to the abandoned bus.
“This is a lot easier without Snatch Bats attacking,” Dante said.
“They must have been after your award-winning face,” Susana teased.
Malia turned and stopped them. “Ugh. I’m so sick of you two. Dante, Susana is my best friend. She’s awesome and smart. Stop being a competitive jerk.”
Susana smiled and raised an eyebrow at Dante.
“And you,” Malia said, turning to her friend, “knock off your jealous insults. My cousin isn’t some empty-headed pretty boy. He’s good and brave and clever.”
Dante didn’t know what to say. There was this strange lump in his throat.
“Thanks, Boss.” He looked at Susana. “Sorry. Can we try to be friends, too?”
Susana nodded. “Sure. We can try, Dante.”
They shook hands, then walked in silence until they reached the warehouse where they’d left the bus. Malia went down the stairway first, carefully opening the door and peering inside.
“What do you see, Boss?” Dante asked.
“The coast is clear,” Malia said.
The warehouse was a disaster. The door had been completely melted away. Shelves had been knocked down. Office doors were torn off their hinges.
The bus was fine except for the burn marks from the first attack.
“Whew!” sighed Dante. Then he saw it, out of the corner of his eye.
A fire extinguisher.
“Yes!” he shouted, running to pick it up.
Malia put a finger to her lips. She walked toward the entrance. Susana and Dante followed. They poked their heads outside. Down the street toward the zombies’ warehouse, there was no sign of the ferrets.
Then the kids turned to look the other way and saw them. A group of giant weasels, curled up together beside a rusted garbage truck. Some were grooming themselves like dogs or cats. One stood up and shook itself, spraying water everywhere.
The kids slipped back inside.
“Good,” Malia said. “When Robby starts the bus, they’ll come running. Then someone can just herd them to the Undead Folk.”
“Easier said than done,” S
usana replied.
Just then, a noise came from inside one of the warehouse offices.
The kids spun around.
One of the ferrets jumped out, its mouth open and glowing orange!
“Run!” Malia hurried toward the stairs.
Dante was frozen in place. The monster moved toward him.
“Dante!” Susana grabbed Dante’s arm.
Then Dante looked down at the fire extinguisher. He pulled the metal pin. Lifted the nozzle. And when the angry weasel got close enough, he pulled the trigger.
WHOOSH!!!
The foam hit the creature’s mouth! Its fire went out, and the ferret dropped to the ground, knocked out cold.
Dante sighed in relief.
Chapter
11
Time Travel
A couple hours later, the Undead Folk’s warehouse was freezing. Susana, Malia, and Dante were guarding the rooftop while final adjustments were made to the generator.
The air seemed even gloomier when Ivan and Robby joined them, along with the zombie dad.
“Someone has to lead the Furious Fire into our building,” Father explained. “I volunteer.”
“You sure?” Dante asked.
“It’s the least I can do to repay you,” the zombie replied.
After they crossed to the next roof, Robby cleared his throat. “I’m worried, little dudes. We’ve been here a long time. What do I tell your parents? The school?”
“Easily solved,” Father said. “Portals can open into the past, just never before the moment you entered this world. Reset your watches and clocks to an earlier hour. Then pass through the portal.”
“Oh, wow,” said Ivan. “So the flow of time between worlds is impacted by its measurement?”
“Hush, nerd,” Malia said. “We’re here.”
They descended into the wrecked warehouse. The weasel Dante had fought was still unconscious on the floor.
The zombie dad reached out his hand. Robby shook it.
“Thanks, friends,” Father said. “We wish you well.”
“Stay frosty!” Dante said. Everyone groaned.
“On the bus, guys,” Malia ordered. “No time to waste!”
“Well, actually,” Ivan said, “now that we know about time-shifting, we could . . .”
“Don’t ‘well, actually’ me, Ivan Eisenberg. We’re not staying here a second longer than we have to.” Malia gave him a little push toward the open doors of the bus.
Once on board, Malia and Susana set their phone and tablet clocks back to the time they had arrived. Robby did the same with the bus radio.
The zombie dad walked to the warehouse entrance. He waved at them.
Robby started the bus. He backed it out slowly.
Dante looked to his right. The ferrets jumped up and started rushing down the street toward them.
“Here they come!” Dante shouted.
The zombie dad began to run.
But his run was more of a slow, unsteady stagger.
They’re going to catch him! Dante realized.
Chapter
12
Bait for the Beasties!
Doña Chabela’s voice echoed in Dante’s head: Face your fears, boy!
He had already stood up to one monster. Why not another half dozen?
Dante took a deep breath and clutched the fire extinguisher to his chest. Then he slammed his shoulder against the emergency exit lever at the back of the bus.
The alarm went off. His cousins started shouting at him to stop!
But Dante didn’t listen. He jumped out of the bus and ran toward the zombie dad!
“Here!” he cried, shoving the extinguisher into Father’s hands. “Protect yourself. I’ve got this.”
He dashed off, looking over his shoulder. The ferrets looked angry—and hungry.
“Hey!” he yelled at them. “Y’all don’t want him! Come get some fresh meat!”
Sniffing the air, the fire-breathing ferrets ran right past the zombie dad and continued hard on Dante’s heels.
Dante felt heat on the back of his neck!
A couple hundred feet up the street, the big double doors of the zombies’ warehouse swung open.
Almost there, Dante thought. Just gotta stay ahead of the flames for another minute or two. Wait. How far can they spit their fire?
As panic hit, something strange caught Dante’s eye.
On the side of the warehouse, someone had painted a message.
“I’m trying to help the zombies, Your Royal Highness,” Dante shouted. “If you can hear me, whoever you are, I could use some help!”
Chapter
13
White Weasels!
Dante could feel the heat getting stronger. It was like standing too close to his dad’s barbecue pit!
But the flames never touched him.
The zombie mom stepped through the open doors of the warehouse, waving him over. Dante pumped his arms and forced his legs to make one last push.
ZOOM!!!
He reached the warehouse and zipped inside. BRRR!!! It was super cold!
The zombie kids were waiting for him. He skidded to a stop, and they pulled him behind a towering shelving unit.
ROAR!!!
The ferrets came pounding into the building.
“Close up, Kalaan!” Mother shouted.
The doors slammed shut!
The fire-breathing ferrets turned this way and that, sniffing the air and growling.
Then they started calming down. They closed their mouths and sat on their haunches.
It was dark and very cold. Dante shivered. Big Brother put a blanket around his shoulders.
The giant weasels began to yawn. They lay down on the concrete floor, stretching lazily. Then something amazing happened.
Their gray fur started to change to snowy white!
“We did it!” Dante said, giving the zombie kids careful fist bumps.
Coming out from behind the barrier, he walked past the Furious Fire. They looked at him for a second, then closed their eyes and went to sleep.
“Thanks for everything,” Dante told Mother, who opened the door a crack for him. Father slipped in, unharmed.
“No, thank you, dear friend,” said Father.
“Have a safe journey home,” Mother added, pulling Dante into a hug.
Their arms were cold, but Dante felt warm inside.
Chapter
14
Portal to the Past
The bus was right outside, its door flung open.
“Hurry!” Robby called. “Something’s up!”
Dante ran up the steps.
“That was pretty reckless,” Ivan said. “But also super cool.”
A hundred yards in front of the bus, a strange glow was filling the street. It expanded into a big circle. Through it, they could see the street in Nopalitos that had been blocked by a tree.
Except there was no tree now.
“What the heck?” Susana said.
Her brother shrugged and stepped on the gas, driving toward the portal.
Then they saw a woman dragging a tree into the street.
Doña Chabela! She ran off across someone’s lawn.
“Whoa!” Dante gasped. “She made us take the detour!”
“What?” Malia said.
“It’s the past,” Ivan explained. “What time did you set your clocks to?”
“I told them 7:55 a.m.,” Robby said.
Ivan shook his head. “That’s three minutes before we arrived!”
The portal began to close! The circle was getting smaller!
“Never mind! Go!” Malia shouted.
Robby stomped on the gas. The bus plunged through the portal!
Chapter
15
Nopalitos, for Now
The bus seemed to float on a stream of blue light. Dante could still see the street ahead. A bus pulled into view.
It was them! In the past!
After a few seconds, the bus turned o
nto the side street.
BLOOP!
It disappeared!
Dante felt the bus shake a little.
They were through the portal and back in Nopalitos. Dante, Ivan, and Malia hugged each other, cheering.
Then they noticed that Susana and Robby had gone limp. They were asleep!
The bus was headed right for the fallen tree!
“Robby!” shouted Malia. “Wake up!”
The bus driver shook his head and opened his eyes. “What? Oh no!”
He slammed on the brakes. The jolt woke Susana up.
Robby rubbed his face. “Looks like we have to take a quick detour.”
He spun the steering wheel. The bus began to turn.
“No!” Dante shouted. “What are you doing?”
Robby entered the side street. The cousins held each other tight.
Nothing happened. The bus just bumped its way along the very normal road.
“What’s wrong with you three?” Susana demanded.
“Susana, we just escaped,” Dante reminded her. “Do you really want to go back to 13th Street?”
Susana blinked in confusion. “Thirteenth Street? Where’s that?”
The cousins looked at each other. Ivan pulled the other two toward the back of the bus.
“They don’t remember anything,” he whispered.
Dante blinked. “Then how come we do?”
Malia put her hands on their shoulders. “Who knows and who cares? We’re free!”
Dante looked out the window at the colorful houses of his town. “For now, at least.”