16 GET CRACKIN

CHAPTER 16 GET CRACKIN' The notebook is finally mine!" said the monster. "I'm as good a monster as I am a magician!" "Oh, please!" Nikki shouted from her teacup. "You're a terrible magician!" The crab-ra cadabra's face became stop-sign red. "Oh yeah?" he said. He tucked the notebook under his arm. Then he reached into his hat and pulled out a squirming bunny. "Watch me make this rabbit disappear!" said the monster.

He held the bunny up. Then he opened his giant claw. "NO!" shouted Dottie, popping up from her hiding spot. "Don't you dare hurt that bunny!" She ran over to the teacup controls and slid the lever from SAFE to FUN. The teacups began to spin. The notebook flew out from under the monster's arm. Alexander caught it, before falling on a pile of teacup parts. Rip and Nikki ducked down in their cup as the teacups spun faster and faster. "Yikes!" cried the monster. He dropped the bunny and quickly tucked himself into his shell.

The cups rattled on their saucers. WHOOP! The crab's shell spun like a top. It spun off the ride and down the sidewalk. Dottie smiled as she turned off the ride. Alexander, Rip, and Nikki stumbled to the sidewalk, dizzy, but happy. "That... was... awesome!" mumbled Rip, before falling over. The crab was still spinning in his shell, like a confused break-dancer. He whirled across the sidewalk, through a flowerbed, and right into the path of the Rock-a-bye Cradle.

"Good job, Dottie!" said Alexander. "There's just one thing left to do!" He dashed over to the cradle's controls and hit GO. The huge cradle rocked forward, shattering the crab's hard shell. The pale, flabby monster shivered without his shell. "Noooo!!!!" he groaned. "That shell was my armor—my home!"

"Whoa!" said Rip. "He's so... pale!" "And so squishy!" said Nikki. "And so not-at-all fluffy!" said Dottie. SPLOOSH! The creature flopped into a sewer drain. A moment later, Dr. Tallow ran into view, stepping over pieces of shattered teacups and crab shell. "Alexander!" she said. "What happened?" "Uh, we found Dottie," said Alexander. "Oh... very good," said Dr. Tallow. She took Dottie's hand. "Come along, Dottie, let's get you some lunch." Dottie looked back and waved to Alexander, Rip, and Nikki. Alexander held a finger to his lips. Shhh! Dottie gave Alexander a thumbs-up. Alexander, Rip, and Nikki stayed behind.

"There's no way the crab-ra cadabra will find a shell that big again," said Rip. "Yeah, we cracked this monster," said Nikki. "But what about the boss-monster he mentioned? Do you think there's one big monster in charge?" Alexander frowned. "I don't know," he said. "But if monsters are after the notebook, we'll need to be more careful than ever." "Speaking of careful," said Rip, "why don't we go ride the Barely-go-round?" "Without your helmet?" asked Nikki. Alexander laughed. "We'll get it back from the cow after I update the notebook."