Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5 WOLFY STEPPED RIGHT UP TO the man in the tall top hat, just like the man instructed. The man was saying, "Step right up! Step right up!" And people were! All of the villagers were stepping right up and handing the man in the tall top hat their money in exchange for a ticket into the Fun House of Fun. "You look familiar," said Wolfy. "Do I know you?" "Why, um… NO," said the man in the tall top hat (who you and I know was really Baron Von Grump in disguise). "Of course you don't. Why would you? I've never been to this village before. I don't know anything

about that crooked Old Windmill, and I certainly don't live there. I'm just a simple traveler, bringing fun wherever I go. I am not up to any kind of sneaky trick, and I am certainly not wearing a disguise!" He grinned a very toothy grin. Wolfy shrugged. "Okay. In that case, let me have…" He turned to count everyone. "One, two, three… eleven tickets." "But I only see ten of you," said the baron. "That's because our friend George is invisible," said Wolfy. "Invisible?" asked the baron. "I don't believe you." "He's standing right there," said Wolfy. He pointed to an empty spot next to Vampyra. "Raise your hand, invisible boy," said Baron Von Grump. Edgar crawled out from under the top hat and peered at the spot. He didn't see

anything. "Caw!" said Edgar. "I didn't see anyone raise a hand either," said Baron Von Grump. "That's because he's invisible!" Franky said. "See?" George said. "Nobody ever notices me." "Who said that!?" asked Baron Von Grump. "George did," said Vampyra. "We told you, he's invisible." Baron Von Grump squinted one eye. He squinted the other. He peered at them very closely. He did not trust monsters, and he certainly did not trust the Junior Monster Scouts. "I'm watching you," he said. "Don't think you can pull any funny tricks on me. In you go!" Wolfy and the cubs were the first to go in.

"Wow, look at those walls!" said Wolfy. "This is fun!" "Check out this warm, fuzzy rug!" Fern said. "I like the music!" said another of the cubs. "Look at this mirror!" said another cub. As soon as Wolfy and the cubs were inside, the door shut behind them. When they came out the other side, they were acting very odd. "How was it?" asked Vampyra.

"Yeah, was it super fun?" Franky asked. "It must have been SO much fun that they can't even describe it!" said George. Wolfy and the cubs did not respond at all. It was like they were in a trance. They just stared into the clouds, and their eyes were quite strange, like swirling spirals going around and around. "Hey, look," said Vampyra. "There's Peter. Maybe he can tell us how much fun it is." "Peter, over here!" Franky said. But Peter didn't answer them either. He didn't even seem to notice them. And when Franky and Vampyra looked at his eyes, they saw the same swirling spiral going around and around and around. "I don't like this," said Vampyra. "Something's not right," Franky said. "Vampyra? Franky?" said George. "Look!"

They didn't have to see where he was pointing with his invisible hand to know what he was talking about. Everyone was standing in the center of the village… …staring at nothing with their swirling spiral eyes!