Full Moon Halloween by R. L. Stine Read Free Book Online

as four little brown creatures jumped out.
    They were round. About the size of a softball. Their long, pointed quills brushed the carpet as they ran.
    “Are they porcupines?” Tristan asked.
    The Moons chased after them. Angela dove to the floor and made a wild grab.
    But the creature darted out of her grasp and disappeared into the hall.
    She stood up, holding a handful of brown quills. “They’re all getting away!” she screamed.
    Mr. Moon spun in a circle, ready to capture them. But the four round creatures had scooted out of theroom in different directions.
    Tristan could hear their squeaks as they vanished down the back hallways.
    Mr. Moon lumbered to the carton, leaned over it, and peered inside. “Ah-ha! One little guy didn’t get away,” he said.
    The teacher reached into the carton. He lifted out the small round animal and held it tightly between his hands. “You wanted to stay and play, didn’t you!” Mr. Moon declared.
    Tristan stared hard at the creature. It reminded him of a Koosh Ball, round and covered with long, prickly fur. Its face was completely hidden behind its quills.
    Holding it carefully in front of him, Mr. Moon carried it over to Tristan and his friends. “Cute little guy, huh?” The teacher smiled, his eyes flashing with excitement.
    “It’s called a plog,” he explained. “It comes from the island of Borneo, many thousands of miles from here.”
    Bella eyed it suspiciously. “What are we going to do with it?” she asked in a tiny, frightened voice.
    Mr. Moon’s smile grew wider. “Plogs are very gentle, very sweet-natured,” he replied. He stroked the creature’s quills with one finger. “See how much he likes to be petted?”
    He lifted the plog close to Bella’s face. She jumped back with a short cry.
    “The plogs have only one natural enemy,” Mr. Moon continued. “The werewolf. They are quiet and tame most of the time. But if a werewolf is near, they attack. And so the people of Borneo use these little guys as werewolf hunters.”
    “Enough talk,” Angela said, crossing the room. “Let’s pass the plog around. Let’s see who our werewolf is.”
    “Pass it around?” Tristan asked, taking a step back.
    “It will attack only if you are a werewolf,” Mr. Moon replied, staring hard at Tristan. “So you have nothing to fear—right?”
    “None of us has anything to fear!” Tristan cried. “We’re not werewolves.”
    He lowered his gaze to the round, quilled animal between the teacher’s hands: “You really think we’ll believe that this little thing is a werewolf hunter? It’s just a porcupine or a hedgehog or something.”
    “Then you won’t be afraid to take him,” Mr. Moon said, his smile fading. He shoved the plog into Tristan’s hand. “Go ahead. Hold him.”
    Tristan had no choice. He took the plog into his hands. It felt warm and prickly. The quills were hard. The points scratched his hands.
    He could feel the plog’s rapid heartbeat. Through the thick carpet of quills he could see tiny, round black eyes staring out at him.
    “The plog isn’t interested in you,” Mr. Moon said, frowning as if disappointed. “Pass it to Ray.”
    Tristan hesitated. “Do you want it?”
    Ray held out his hands. “Sure. No problem. Hand it over.”
    Ray held the plog for a full minute. “It’s kind of tickly,” he said. “It makes my hands itch.”
    “Pass it to Bella,” Mr. Moon instructed.
    Bella let out a sharp gasp. “No way,” she said, shaking her head.
    “Pass it to Bella,” the teacher repeated softly.
    Ray held the plog up to her. Bella stepped back and raised both hands in the air.
    “No. I won’t take it! I won’t! You can’t make me. I won’t take it!”

16
    Mr. Moon took the plog from Ray. Holding it in front of him, he stepped up close to Bella. “And why won’t you take it?” he asked softly.
    Bella had her arms crossed in front of her. “Because it’s dumb,” she answered. “This whole thing is dumb. I want to go