Free Full Moon Halloween by R. L. Stine Page A

to his feet and helped pull Tristan up. Beside him, Angela pulled off her wolf mask. Her face was pink and sweaty. Her blond hair was matted to her forehead.
    “Surprise!” she cried breathlessly.
    Mr. Moon tossed back his head and laughed. “You all look so terrified!” he exclaimed gleefully.
    “You can relax now,” Angela said. “Really.”
    Mr. Moon began to tug off the wolf skin. “This is a joke Angela and I play every Halloween,” he said. “I picked you four kids to come to my party this yearbecause you are my favorite students.”
    Tristan was still trembling from his wrestling match with Mr. Moon. He turned to Rosa.
    She had her hands balled into fists. Her face was tight with anger. “You…you mean it’s all a big joke?” she cried. “All of It?”
    Mr. Moon and his wife nodded.
    “It’s all a big joke, except for one little thing,” the teacher said. “Angela and I really are werewolves!”

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    Tristan’s breath caught in his throat. He stared hard at the smiling teacher and his wife.
    Mr. Moon and Angela burst out laughing.
    “Only kidding,” Mr. Moon said. “It’s all a big joke. Really.”
    “We like to give kids a Halloween they won’t forget,” Angela said.
    “And you won’t forget this Halloween—will you, everyone?” Mr. Moon asked.
    No one answered.
    Tristan still felt too shocked to speak.
    Finally, Ray broke the silence. “So…there are no werewolves? You don’t really think that one of us is a werewolf?”
    “No, we don’t,” Angela replied.
    “It was all a joke,” Mr. Moon said. “You don’t really believe in werewolves—do you?”
    “Does this mean we can leave?” Rosa asked.
    Mr. Moon nodded. “Yes. Our party is over. You can all leave now.”
    “And don’t worry. It isn’t as late as we said it was,” Angela said, straightening her hair with both hands. “It isn’t midnight yet.”
    “I set all the clocks forward a bit,” Mr. Moon explained. “So you could get home earlier. See?” He held up his watch. “It isn’t midnight for another couple of minutes.”
    He walked over to the grandfather clock and reset it to the correct time.
    “Oh, wow,” Rosa sighed. “I don’t believe it. I was so scared, but it was all a joke.”
    “I’ve never been so terrified in my life,” Bella said, shaking her head.
    “I hope you’ll all forgive me,” Mr. Moon said. “Angela and I throw these parties every year for my very special students. We just wanted to give you a few Halloween thrills.”
    Tristan started to the door. His legs still felt shaky, and his heart raced in his chest.
    “So we can go now?” he asked.
    Mr. Moon nodded. “Yes. Our party is over.”
    Angela hurried to block their way. “Stay and havea glass of apple cider before you go,” she said.
    “No thanks,” Rosa replied. “It’s really late.”
    “My parents are going to be so angry that I wasn’t home by eleven o’clock,” Tristan said.
    “Please tell them it was all my fault,” Mr. Moon said.
    They walked past the wolf skins piled on the floor as they made their way to the front door. Mr. Moon stepped up to the door and began to tug at the metal bolt.
    He slapped his forehead. “Oh, wait. I forgot,” he said. He turned to his wife. “Angela, push the button on the bookshelf. I forgot the doors are all bolted shut electronically.”
    Angela hurried to the bookshelf. She shoved aside some books.
    Tristan could see the black control panel with its three red buttons.
    Angela raised her hand and pressed the top button.
    “Oh—no!” She let out a cry. Then she turned to them with the red button in her hand. “It…came off!”
    Mr. Moon tugged at the heavy metal bolt. “Well, just put it back on,” he said. “Put it back on and push it so these kids can go home.”
    Angela turned and struggled with the button. “It won’t go,” she said finally. “It won’t go back on.”
    “Let me try it.” Mr. Moon lumbered heavily across the room. He took the button