15. All Eyes on Orson

ALL EYES ON ORSON 15 The Orson Eerie mist swirled. Sam clutched Mr. Nekobi's old sash. It felt as powerful as a sword. "We were always the ones who stopped you, Orson!" Sam hollered. "And we always will be because that's our job. We're hall monitors!"

Memories rushed through Sam's mind. He recalled the many ways he and his friends had used the sash before... The sash was the symbol of their strength and friendship. It was a symbol of GOOD. "You'll never stop us, Orson! Not with the powers of the sash on our side!" Sam said.

Just then, Mr. Nekobi himself stepped to the front of the crowd. "Everyone! RAISE YOUR SASHES!" Sam spun around. He saw the townspeople. They looked confused and scared. No one seemed sure what was real and what was not, but they did what Mr. Nekobi said... One parent took a step forward. And then a teacher. And then a student. They all held their sashes high.

A growl came from the thick, gray mist. Orson Eerie darted and swirled, but more townspeople stepped forward. More sashes closed in. They formed a semicircle around the mist. Eerie Elementary stood like a wall behind it. "To beat us, you need a sash of your own," Sam said. "Here I'll even let you have this one. Go on. Just try and take it. I dare you!" He dangled Mr. Nekobi's sash in front of the swirling Orson Eerie mist.

Orson's voice boomed: "Your sash has stopped me before, Sam Graves. But never again! I WILL DESTROY ALL THE SASHES! And I will start with Nekobi's..." The mist spun closer and closer. Then WHOOMP! The sash turned ice-cold as Orson Eerie entered it. It jerked in Sam's hand! The sash whipped about like a kite in a storm.

"I will destroy this sash. Then I will take another form! I will finally FEED! At last my power will spread!" "I don't think so, Orson," Sam said. Antonio said, "The sash is a symbol of the hall monitors' responsibility to protect the students!" "And hall monitors could never hurt the school or its students!" Lucy shouted.