Chapter 1
A Night at the Fair
BEEP! BEEP!
Miss Gargoyle looked around at her class of young vampires. âOkay, everyone!â she said. âThe school bus is here. Letâs all make our way out in an orderly line!â
Lee Price stuck his hand up.
âMiss Gargoyle,â he asked eagerly. âWhy do we have to take the bus to the county fair? Why donât we just fly ?â
With a sudden POP! Lee turned into a bat and fluttered around the room.
âYes, Miss Gargoyle, flying would be much quicker than the bus,â chimed in Bella Williams.
â And better for the environment,â added Billy Pratt. âBats donât make smelly fumes.â
âExcept when theyâve had beans for dinner,â quipped Lee.
The class burst out laughing. Even Miss Gargoyle couldnât help grinning. She was looking forward to tonightâs school trip to the county fair just as much as the children. When she was a little girl, her dad had worked on the ghost train. She used to ride for free until her dad got fired for being too scary.
âWeâre taking the bus because itâs dark and I donât want anyone to get lost on the way,â she said. âBesides, I donât think itâs a great idea if twenty-five bats land in the middle of the fair and suddenly turn into a bunch of little vampires, do you? You know what Fangless folk are like. Now come along, the bus is waiting.â
Lee turned back into his normal shape and followed the rest of the class out to the school bus. The side of the bus said:
St. Orlokâs
Elementary School
It used to say for Vampires too, but the school principal, Mrs. Batty, had it painted over after several terrified Fangless drivers accidentally drove into street lights.
âCome on, Billy and Bella, letâs sit at the front!â said Lee. âUh-oh, hereâs old Gore. What does he want?â
Billy and Bella turned to see Mr. E. Gore, the school janitor, hurrying across the school yard toward them.
Mr. E. Gore was not a vampire but a zombie. He was also the gloomiest, grouchiest, grumpiest, and grinchiest ghoul in town.
âLook,â said Lee. âWhatâs that on Goreâs face?â
âIt looks like a new nose,â said Bella. âItâs a darker green than his old one.â
âAnd less warty,â said Billy. âI wonder where he got it?â
âMiss Karkoyle! Miss Karkoyle!â hollered Mr. Gore. âShtop! Vait a moment!â
âUh-oh,â said Billy nervously. âDo you think he found that stink bomb we left in his trunk?â
âMaybe,â said Lee. âBut he wouldnât dare moan about that. He was fast asleep when he should have been âMaybe,â said Lee. âBut he wouldnât dare moan about that. He was fast asleep when he should have been working.â
âMiss Karkoyle!â puffed Mr. Gore glumly. âHaff you locked ze classroom?â
âNo, Eric,â said Miss Gargoyle coolly. âWhy?â
âI must lock it at vonce!â wailed Mr. Gore. âAll zese robberies in ze town! Another von just last night at Chaney Street Elementary! All zeverevolvesâ face brushes, stolen during casketball practice!â Chaney Street was the werewolf school down the road. âAnd zen last veek, at Amenhotep High, ze spare bandages, all shtolen! Zerevere bits of mummies dropping off everyvhere!â
He stroked his new nose, which was stuck on with a bandage.
âAha,â said Lee. âSo thatâs where he got it from.â Amenhotep High was the high school for mummies.
âAll zese schools being robbed!â said Mr. Gore. âAlvays at night! Very suspicious!â He lowered his voice to a creepy whisper that was still loud enough for everyone to hear. âDâyou know sumsink, Miss Karkoyle? I know who ze robbers are!â
âReally?â said Miss Gargoyle. âWho?â
Mr. Gore
MR. PINK-WHISTLE INTERFERES