Read Online Vampire Brat by Angie Sage - Free Book Online Page B

room in it for Wanda because I had once locked her in there by mistake—it really was a mistake, even though Aunt Tabby would not believe me, but the day before I had checked thatthere was enough room for me, which there was. There was not space for us both but that was okay since Wanda was not going to be inside the cupboard. She had a very important job to do outside. She was going to be the bait.
    I beckoned Wanda out of the larder, then I switched off my flashlight because I did not want the werewolf to see us. It was really scary, as we tiptoed along the creepy basement corridor, past all the dark kitchens and the deserted larders and pantries. Even the boiler room was scary with its dull red glow seeping out from underneath the door, and the funny breathing sounds the boiler made, like it was a sleeping monster.
    Soon we were really close to Creepy Corner, where I had seen the werewolf eyes.
    We tiptoed past the bat poo hatch and stopped outside Uncle Drac’s old shovel cupboard. I wanted to get into that cupboard fast. I hadn’t told Wanda about being the bait yet, because I thought it would probably lead to trouble. So I just gave her the bag of dog biscuits, then opened the cupboard door and got inside.

    I was about to shut the door when I noticed Wanda looking at the dog biscuits in a puzzled way. “Ugh,” she said, “these biscuits smell funny. You can have them, Araminta.”
    â€œThey’re supposed to smell funny. They’re dog biscuits,” I explained. “They’re going to help us catch the werewolf.”
    Wanda looked puzzled. “So whyam I holding them?” she asked.
    I sighed. It is hard having to explain stuff all the time, especially when a werewolf might pounce at any moment. “Because you are the bait,” I told her.
    â€œBait?” Wanda’s eyes almost popped out. “No way ,” she said. “Let me into the cupboard.”
    â€œDon’t be silly, Wanda,” I told her. “There isn’t enough room for two of us.”
    Wanda seemed to take this in. She looked at the cupboard and said, “No, there isn’t, is there?” The next moment she had pulled me out of the cupboard, pushed the dog biscuits into my hands, jumped in herself, and slammed the door shut.
    I pulled on the cupboard door but it would not open. I could tell that Wanda was holdingit closed from the inside. So there I was, in a deserted corridor in the middle of the night, holding a bag of dog biscuits and waiting for the nearest werewolf to pounce at any moment. It was not a good feeling.
    I felt like banging on the door, and yelling “ Let me in ,” but I dared not make any noise in case the werewolf heard. There was nothing else to do—it was time to use the Combined Werewolf and Vampire Trapping Kit.
    I got the fishing net out fast, just in case the werewolf came zooming around the corner right then, and I practiced a few swoops with it. It worked fine. Then I took out both of the sacks and the rope.
    And then I pulled out the best part of the kit—the hologram sticker eyeglasses. I put them on. Pooh. I couldn’t see—the stickerswere in the way. I hadn’t thought of that. But then I realized that the hologram werewolf eyes did not have to be over my eyes, they could be anywhere . So I pushed the glasses up onto my forehead and they were fine. Now I was ready for anything: vampires, werewolves, even Aunt Tabby.
    But I wasn’t quite ready for the scuffling. I do not like scuffling, especially when it is after midnight in the basement of Spookie House and my so-called best friend has locked herself in a cupboard and left me outside as werewolf bait. At first I hoped it might be one of Uncle Drac’s bats. When Barry shovels up the bat poo some of the bats get out and he does not notice. But bats do not scuffle along the ground. The scuffling was getting closer…and closer. I shrank backagainst the wall and I