Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve Home. It takes hours, but we get there. And then we fall into that deep, black, dreamless sleep where it's like you could sleep forever. What finally wakes me is the sound of Quint thinking. Thinking shouldn't even be a sound—but with Quint, it is. He's hmming and ahhing. He must sense that I'm awake, because he suddenly exclaims, "Jack! Come look at the book we nabbed from Evie!" Yesterday's weirdness comes flooding back. I'm freaked out by what happened—and I'm not the only one. June and Dirk are sitting up, waking, and I see the worried looks on their faces. Did you ever have a sleepover where, like, someone revealed some crazy secret? Or you did something you shouldn't have? And the next morning you look at your

friends in the cold light of day and you're all thinking, Whoa. Last night was weird. That's what this is... Before mention of Peiigct"l in this book! And the language! Before I can process that, a monster calls from outside, "Up and at the lives, humans! It is the eve of your tree-chopping and gift-giving jubilee!" I sigh. Christmas Eve. I'm not sure we should be focusing on that. Celebrating a holiday seems nuts right now. I mean—priorities! There's currently a

bad dude on the loose who makes a habit of keeping zombies trapped in her basement! But I catch June eyeing me and shaking her head. "Jack," she says, "you promised a kick-butt Christmas. I'm not letting that crazy lunatic mess up our special non-family holiday." I nod. "OK, June—a promise is a promise." "I'm taking this book straight to Bardle— there is much to learn!" Quint says. "Call me when it's time for new traditions!" Moments later, we're dressed, and June is dragging Dirk and me into the Town Square. "Christmas Eve, Christmas Eve, Christmas Eve!" she sings happily. The monsters compliment our new winter action costumes. They now think costume changing is a part of Christmas Eve and they're bummed they don't have their own new getups. Despite my Evie anxiety—I'm immediately sucked into festivity fun! June, the mayor of Christmas, leads this jamboree. She hurls us headlong into the BEST

CHRISTMAS EVER. We eat cookies and watch movies, and Skaelka even wears an ugly sweater. Quint tradition wrapping paper lightsaber duel. June tradition wacka on Jack tradition. Swinging from lightbulb strings. Dirk says he's saving his tradition for last. Fine by me, 'cause it'll probably leave us with bruises. Most important—I manage to sneak away and find a few moments to complete June's gift! I use

some items from Evie's house to make it next-level awesome. I'm lousy at wrapping stuff—so I get help. My helper is not super pleased... Veep your eyes I connot believe you're making me wrqp my own present! Of course, I still don't have my gift: the Louisville Slicer, returned. We're T-minus, like, six hours until Christmas—not looking good... And that's what I'm thinking about when Quint calls us into Joe's Pizza.

There's something in his voice that makes me nervous. Like this Christmas Eve—it might not be anything like we hoped...