Scared Silly

Chapter One: Spooky Halloween Halloween is always spooky at our house.There are grinning pumpkins and scary costumes and tricky tricks and yummy treats.Of course the treats are my favorite part.Especially the chocolate ones.I live with the Monroes -- Toby, Pete, and Mr. and Mrs. Monroe. They are human, but I don't hold that against them.Chester lives here too. He's a cat. Enough said.Howie is a puppy, and Bunnicula is a rabbit.Rabbits don't usually do much.Hop around. Wiggle their whiskers. Look cute.The thing is, Bunnicula is no ordinary rabbit, but more about him later.As I was saying, Halloween can be spooky around here.But this year things were even spookier than usual.It all started when the Monroes left us alone."Where have they gone this time?" Howie whimpered.He hates to be left alone."I think they said something about a costume party," I said with a yawn."I guess they have better things to do than sleep," Chester said.I yawned again. "What could be better than sleep? Except eating, of course.""Harold, you should really try to stay awake," Chester said."Why?" I asked."Because it's a dark and stormy night!" Chester cried."So?""So, don't you remember what happened on that other dark and stormy night?" Chester demanded.I thought about it for a minute."Lightning?"Chester nodded."Thunder?"Chester nodded again."In that case, I was definitely under the covers -- asleep!""No, you weren't," Chester said. "You were standing right beside me when they brought that monster home.""M-m-m-monster?" Howie asked."He means Bunnicula." I sighed.Chester blames Bunnicula for all the strange things that go on around here. And believe me, a lot of strange things go on around here."That rabbit is up to something, I just know it," Chester said.We all turned to look at Bunnicula.He was sitting in his cage, wide awake.Bunnicula is awake only at night.Chester says it's because he's a vampire bunny.I don't argue with Chester. It's bad for my health."I have a plan," Chester said."No! No plans!" I cried.Chester's plans are really bad for my health."This plan is simple. Nothing to it," Chester said. "All you have to do is sit here and keep an eye on Bunnicula.""Why?" I groaned."Because it's Halloween!" Chester cried. "Who knows what vampire bunnies get up to on Halloween?" Text copyright 1989, 2005 by James HoweHowe, James is the author of 'Scared Silly ', published 2005 under ISBN 9780689857263 and ISBN 0689857268.