Read Online Vampire Breath by R. L. Stine - Free Book Online Page B

outstretched, his cape flying.
    Cara tossed off-balance. I stretched for the bottle. But it sailed past my
open hand.
    And crashed into a shelf.
    Bottles toppled and broke.
    Count Nightwing flew to the shelf. He grabbed blindly at the bottles.
    But I got there first. I picked up the bottle and tossed it to Cara.
    “No—!” Count Nightwing rasped. “Enough!”
    He hurtled toward Cara.
    She tossed the bottle to me, a high throw over the old vampire’s head.
    I raised my hands to catch it.
    But to my surprise, Count Nightwing flew straight up—and caught the bottle
in both hands.
    As he sailed slowly back to the floor, a pleased smile spread over his face. “I win,” he said softly, his eyes flashing. “I
win. It helps to be able to fly.”
    He raised the bottle in front of him.
    “No—don’t!” I begged.
    His smile grew even wider. He reached out—and pulled the top off the
bottle.

 
 
26
     
     
    All three of us froze. And stared at the open bottle in Count Nightwing’s
hand.
    “No,” Cara murmured. “No—please.”
    A few seconds passed. A few more seconds.
    “Nothing is happening,” Count Nightwing whispered. His smile faded. He raised
the bottle to his face and tilted it to see inside.
    Beneath the purple cape, his slender shoulders slumped. He sighed, a long,
dry sigh. “Empty,” he said. “This bottle is empty, too.”
    Cara and I exchanged glances. I suddenly knew what had happened. In my wild
scramble to pick up the bottle, I had grabbed the wrong one off the shelf.
    Sure enough. I turned to the shelf—and spotted the full bottle right in
front of me.
    “I have it!” I cried. I picked it up carefully from the shelf. “I have it!”
    The old vampire let out a furious growl. He leaped at me.
    “Cara—catch!” I screamed.
    I heaved the bottle to her.
    But Count Nightwing swung his arm. His hand slapped the bottle in midair.
    “Oh—!” I gasped as the bottle sailed into the wall.
    It bounced off. Crashed to the floor. Cracked open.
    And the sour, dark mist poured up into the room.
    “We’ve lost,” I murmured. “We’re doomed.”

 
 
27
     
     
    I tried to hold my breath, but it didn’t help. The foul odor of the rising
fog seemed to seep into my skin.
    Across the room, I saw Cara cup a hand tightly over her nose and mouth. Her
dark eyes grew wide in fright. She waved her other hand frantically, trying to
fan the smelly fog away from her.
    I choked on it. My eyes started to burn. I closed them. Felt hot tears seep
down my cheeks.
    When I opened my eyes, I couldn’t see Cara anymore. The fog had grown too
thick.
    I could see Count Nightwing’s purple cape, dark inside the mist. Then it
disappeared, too.
    And I was alone. Alone inside a thick, billowing cloud.
    I dropped to my knees. Covered my face with both hands. I tried not to breathe. I could taste the foul mist on my tongue!
    How long did I kneel there? I’m not sure.
    But when I finally opened my burning eyes, the fog was fading.
    Count Nightwing’s purple cape came back into view as the mist lowered itself
to the floor. And I saw Cara across the room, shielding her face with one arm.
    The fog continued to melt away.
    The room came back into focus.
    And I realized I was staring at an air hockey game.
    I blinked several times. A pool table stood in the center of the room.
    Pool table? Air hockey?
    Cara came running over to me, her dark eyes flashing with excitement. “We’re
back, Freddy!” she cried happily. “We’re back in your basement!”
    “Yesssss!” I cheered. I pumped both fists in the air. “Yessss!”
    I staggered across the room and hugged the air hockey game. Then I kissed the
wall. I actually kissed the wall!
    “We’re back! We’re back!” Cara chanted, jumping up and down. “The Vampire
Breath— it brought us back to your house, Freddy!”
    “Noooooo!”
    I turned to see Count Nightwing toss back his head in a long, angry wail. He
swirled his cape behind him, then clasped his hands