16 COMMON SCENTS

CHAPTER 16 COMMON SCENTS Monster-Rip leaped to the deck of the skeleton ship. "Whoa!" said Alexander. WHAM! Monster-Rip threw a monster-punch, knocking the octo-schnozz into the ship's mast. The schnozz aimed its nostrils, and fired twin booger-blasts. BLOOMP-BLOOMP! Monster-Rip batted the boogers away with his massive fists. The monsters circled each other, growling.

"There are two monsters?!" shouted a voice. Nikki was standing on a boulder, holding a rope connected to the ship's mast. She swung onto the ship's railing. "Hey, where's Rip?" she asked. "That blue monster is Rip!" Alexander yelled. "Now help me up!" Nikki tossed down her rope, and Alexander climbed aboard. The monsters let out a battle roar. Actually, one roared. GRAAAWWRRR!!! The other honked. HOO-RONNNNNK!!! Then they lowered their horns and charged.

The pirate ship rocked from the monster- collision, sending waves across the lagoon. The octo-schnozz staggered backward DING! It hit its head against a bell, and fell to the deck. Monster-Rip was dizzy, too. He stumbled sideways and slipped on a snot puddle. Nikki and Alexander ran over. "Are you okay?" asked Nikki.

Rip shook his head a few times. He was back to normal. "What... happened?" Rip said. "Did I just transform into a monster and knock out the octo-schnozz?" said Alexander. "Yup!" "What the heck was in Dottie's cupcakes?!" Rip asked. SNARF! The octo-schnozz hopped to its feet and staggered toward Rip. "You leave Rip alone, schnozzy!" said Nikki, pulling a small bottle from her pocket. "Or I'll give you a whiff of Jasmine Rosebud Surprise!" The monster stomped forward.

Nikki ran to the octo-schnozz, and aimed the bottle straight up its largest nostril. PSSSHT-PSSSHT! She sprayed a double pump of Dottie's birthday present. The monster sniffled. Its eyes watered. It took a few loopy steps backward. "The octo-schnozz's weakness is flowers!" said Nikki. "When it smelled the viney flowers on our caboose, and the field of tropical flowers "And last night!" added Alexander. "It ran off when it smelled my flower-scented bathrobe!"

"Right!" said Nikki. "Flowery smells make the octo-schnozz have a big, fat—" The monster inhaled, long and deep. "Sneeze!" said Rip. "Abandon ship!" shouted Alexander. The S.S.M.P. dove overboard. The octo-schnozz blasted a hurricane sneeze that filled the sails on the pirate ship.