A Dangerous Game
Part 4: Tagged
The Beast threw the werewolf to a car and beat it up until ink splattered all over the parking lot. His anger was so intense that he stopped until the car was crushed and stained by the black ink. He did not like what happened. The kid manage to tag him. The Beast tried to find his mistake there.
After several punches, he realized what went wrong. He forgot to say time-out. If he did that before, he will be safe by that kid's sneaky slap. "Those humans are clever after all."
Then a strange black car arrived and stopped a few meters away from the Beast. The window opened and a haunted dummy stick out his head. He saw what the Beast did to his fellow werewolf. "Fleg, what are you doing?"
"I'm playing a game." The Beast answered. "Leave me alone, nutcracker. You have no right to disturb my game. You know that, Slappy?"
"You dumb beast!" The living dummy frowned. "Remember that I'm the one who released you from that cursed book! I gave you freedom! Now you must help me get rid of Stine!"
The Beast talked back to the dummy. "Yes. I'm free. ... But alone. My friends did not make it out of the book."
Slappy made an offer. "Then join me, Beast! Join me and you will never be alone."
Ink began to swirl behind the Beast and reformed the werewolf that he beat up. The wolf growled at the blue creature like a rabid dog waiting to attack.
The Beast turned to the dummy with a glare. "No. I'll continue my game and finish it."
"You will regret this, Beast! If you don't help us get rid of Stine, we will-." Then Slappy stopped in mid-sentence when the Beast grabbed his tiny wooden body out from the car. The werewolf and the haunted car reacted but they paused when Slappy stopped them. "Stand down! Remember, we cannot be destroyed."
"Remember this, dummy. If you and your pathetic monster minions ever interrupt my game, I will bathe the town with your black blood."
"You mean Ink." Slappy responded with a smile. "Fine! If you don't want to join us, so be it! No monster will ever come near you! No monster will ever help you! Mention you! See you! No one will ever remember you and your blue runts ever again!"
The Beast released the dummy and head off without saying a word. He went back to the direction where the three was last seen together.
Slappy fixed his red bow tie and his little black jacket. "Let's go." The Haunted Car drove off towards the school and the werewolf followed.
The three teenagers managed to meet up. After what Heath told Gregory what he did, they immediately went back to Caitlyn's place. But then they heard the radio in an abandoned police car calling all the cops to go to Madison High. The voice mentioned the name of R.L. Stine, the creator of Goosebumps and the writer has a plan to stop the madness going on in town. The three were surprised that the writer is here in Madison.
Heath asked the others. "Should we go there?"
Caitlyn disagreed. She doesn't like the idea. "I don't want anyone to get involve in this game... and I'm wearing my dad's robe."
Gregory asked for suggestions. "What else do you have in mind? We head back to your place? The Beast knows where you house is. And also, we can't go to our place because it is West of Madison. We should always be at the-."
"East until dawn." Caitlyn understands. "Okay. I get it."
"So we are going to Madison High?" Heath wanted to know their next destination.
"Yes." Gregory answered.
Then suddenly, "THERE YOU ARE!" It's the Beast! He has come to tag one of the teenagers! The blue creature made a big leap towards them, raising its hand and swinging it towards Caitlyn. Quickly, Gregory moved right in front of her and used his body as a shield. The Beast's paw slapped his back and yelled, "TAG! You're It!"
Gregory saved her. Caitlyn was surprised. She asked him why. "But why? Why did you let-?"
"You are sick, remember." Gregory said. "I don't want you to be It. And also I don't want your brother to see you hurt."
Caitlyn was speechless. She has no words to express her gratitude.
And then the Beast grunted. "Alright! Time to hide." The creature ran away back to the woods.
"You two must go." Gregory said. "Go to the school and help the others there."
"But... I can't leave you here." Caitlyn was worried. "Can you catch the Beast in time?"
Gregory went close to her and whispered to her ear. What he said made her quiet. She tried to make a straight face and turned to Heath.
"What did he say?" Heath asked.
"We must go." Caitlyn grabbed his hand and ran towards Madison High. She turned to see Gregory for the last time.
He just waved at her and smiled.
Once the two left, Gregory faced the woods and walked towards the Beast's direction. However, he's badly injured. The blue creature slapped him hard that its claws scratched his back. His wounds were deep and slowly bleeding out. With all the pain on his back, Gregory stayed focus. He has a plan in mind. He's going to lure the Beast in to a trap.