How to Be a Vampire Read Online Free PDF Page A

But they easily ducked away.
    â€œGet, dogs!” T.J. cried. “Go attack somebody else!”
    The dogs circled more closely around Andrew. They drove him back. Away from T.J. and Emily.
    â€œT.J.?” Andrew cried again. “Why are they doing this?”
    T.J. yelled something.
    But the dogs were barking. Barking was all Andrew could hear.
    Dogs ran at him from every direction now. They kept coming. Dozens of them, all barking like mad.
    Andrew broke out in a sweat. He’d never been so scared.
    The dogs barked crazily, their faces twisted with hate.
    Their angry eyes glared up at him.
    Their white teeth glistened. They snapped at him.
    He was beyond scared now. Way beyond. He was numb with fear.
    The yellow dog leapt toward Andrew. Reared up on its hind legs, slamming into Andrew’s chest. Knocked him to the ground.
    Andrew put an arm up to protect his face.
    â€œHelp!” he cried as the dogs closed in over him. “Help!”

7

    A ndrew could hardly breathe. Not with the dogs
     churning over him. So many of them! Barking and yapping. Drooling and licking him. And
     the smell. The overpowering odor of dog breath. Andrew squeezed his eyes shut. He was
     about to be torn limb from limb!
    Then the barking stopped. The yellow dog gave a piercing howl. As if it
     were a signal, the other dogs backed off. They ran in every direction, back where they
     had come from.
    Emily and T.J. rushed over to Andrew. They knelt down beside him.
    â€œAre you okay?” Emily asked.
    Andrew nodded from where he lay on the ground.
    â€œDid they bite you?” she asked.
    â€œOf course they didn’t,” T.J. said knowingly.
    Andrew got to his feet. He brushed himself off. “They just sniffed
     around mostly,” he said. “And licked me.”
    Emily shook her head. “The dogs around here are usually so
     friendly,” she said. “I’ve never seen them act like that.”
    T.J. folded his arms across his chest. “This is more proof,”
     he told Emily. “Andrew is turning into a
     vampire.”
    Emily glared at T.J. “This had nothing to do with vampires!”
     she shouted. “But something’s going on. Something strange.” She turned
     to her brother. “I mean, why did the dogs go after only you, Andrew? Why not me or
     T.J.?”
    Andrew shrugged.
    â€œBecause dogs know vampires are their masters,” T.J. told her.
     “Count Dracula called wolves and dogs Children of the Night.”
    â€œT.J.!” Emily shouted. “Stop! I mean it. If you say one
     more word about vampires,
     I’ll . . . I’ll . . .”
    â€œTake it easy, Emily,” T.J. advised.
    Emily sniffed. “Anyway,” she said, “it’s only
     three-thirty in the afternoon. It’s a little early for Children of the
     Night.”
    â€œGood point.” T.J. grinned.
    â€œCan we get going?” Andrew broke in, his voiceshaky. “I am not having the greatest day of my life. I’d like to get
     home.”
    The three of them headed toward their development. Nobody said much on the
     way.
    * * *
    When they got to the Griffins’ house, Emily went inside. She ran
     straight up to her room.
    â€œSee you, T.J.,” Andrew said. He started to go inside.
    â€œWait,” T.J. whispered. “I have to see that book
     again.”
    Andrew nodded. T.J. followed him up to his room. Andrew hung up his Do Not
     Disturb sign. Then he locked the door.
    T.J. sat down on the bed while Andrew pulled the book out of his backpack.
     The black leather cover was blank, the way it had been that morning on the bus. But as
     Andrew held it, the spidery writing began to show up.
    â€œThere!” Andrew exclaimed. “See?”
    â€œWhat?” T.J. said.
    â€œIt’s writing the title.” Andrew glanced at T.J.
     “Don’t you see it?”
    T.J. frowned and shook his head. “I don’t