14 PLAYTIME!

CHAPTER 14 PLAYTIME! Alexander peeked over the bike rack. The school bus had been smashed into the ground. But the monster was nowhere to be seen. "Where did it go?" asked Rip. "The monster took one look at you and ran!" said Nikki. I'm sure that enormous candy-saurus wants to smash bigger things than us," said Alexander. "Things like KARRRROOOOOMM!!! The ground shook hard enough to rattle Alexander's bones.

"The candy-saurus must be behind the building!" yelled Nikki. KARRRROOOOOMM!!! The crack in Stermont Elementary grew a little larger. "Come on!" said Alexander. "We can't let this monster flatten our school!" They rushed around to the back of the building. The candy-saurus was near the playground. It bared its teeth as it pounded the school with its jawbreaker tail.

"Look at those claws! And that smashy tail!" said Nikki. "It is scary looking," said Rip. "But it's kind of slow." Alexander turned to his friends. "We can bring this thing down. Follow my lead!" He sprinted across the playground and raced up the slide. "Hey, fossil face!" he shouted. "Quit smashing our school!" GRAAAAARRRRR!!! The candy-saurus stomped toward the slide. It lunged at Alexander. SNAP! Alexander dodged its bite. He zipped down the slide, kicking the monster in the knee.

CRONK! A hunk of hard candy flew off its kneecap. The monster took a step back. Rip pumped his fist. "Take that, toffee brain!" he yelled. Then Rip jumped down onto the seesaw. The opposite end flew up and POW!— socked the monster in the jaw. The candy-saurus's fireball eyes rolled in their sockets. But the monster picked Rip up and pinned him against the tetherball pole.

It smacked the tetherball with its tail. WHAP! The ball twirled on its cord, binding Rip in place. "Leave him alone!" yelled Nikki. She sailed high on the swing set, kicking the candy-saurus right in its peanut-brittle teeth. GOOORRRRAARRR-RAAARRR!!!! The monster turned to Nikki, took a deep breath, and BLAAAPPP!! shot a stream of purple taffy from its nose.

Nikki tried to run, but the goo hardened around her legs, fixing her to the four square court. Alexander looked to Nikki, then to Rip. Both of his friends were trapped. The candy-saurus leaped onto the merry- go-round. It slowly spun around, keeping its glowing red eyes locked on Alexander.