Free First Destroy All Giant Monsters (The World Wide Witches Research Association) by D.L. Carter

whispered, holding her aching head in her hands.
    Smoke nodded then turned to Lightning.
    “Go round the house. Check the back door. Something’s wrong here.”
    “Righto.”
    Lightning bounced off, running down the side of the house. Amber sank back against the cushions and closed her eyes. She was exhausted and so hungry she was nauseated, but the thought of eating anything churned her stomach painfully.
    Manny and Rust appeared on the other side of the glass door.
    “Hey, guys, what’s happening?”
    “The house won’t let us in!” said Smoke.
    “That’s ridiculous.” Rust seized the inside doorknob and started tugging. Smoke grabbed the outside knob and added his strength. Lightning appeared in the corridor behind his brothers.
    “The back door opened for me, no problem,” he said.
    “Okay,” said Smoke. “Amber is a little weak to walk around the house. And this door should open.” He stared at the door for a moment, holding his chin in his hand. “Let’s test something. Lightning, Rust, come on out here and help Amber back to the car. I want her away from the house.”
    The brothers disappeared deeper into the house.
    “This is stupid,” said Amber, but didn’t fight when her cousins appeared and helped her back down the veranda steps.
    As soon as her feet reached the gravel path the door behind her snicked open; but when she turned to face the house the door slammed shut, despite Smoke and Manny’s efforts to hold it open.
    “That settles it,” Smoke stated calmly. “The house wants Amber to stay out for some reason.”
    “Well, damn the house,” whispered Amber. “I want in!”
    “Take it easy,” Smoke replied, his voice firm yet soothing. “The wards don’t mean it personally. It’s just something has happened and you have to stay outside until you fix it.”
    “Personally? It’s not as if I’m on fire. Why would the house want me to stay outside?”
    “The only change is you coming in contact with the monster. It must have done something to you the house doesn’t like. I could bring out a sleeping bag and tent if you want. We could set it up near the lake.”
    Smoke’s calm acceptance of the situation infuriated Amber and she considered various revenges. All of which required, first, that she have access to the house.
    “Look at me, Smoke. Do you think I’m well enough to go camping?”
    He actually took the time to look. If she’d been feeling stronger she would have punched him for taking so long to think about it.
    “No,” he said eventually, and as far as Amber could tell, reluctantly.
    “Then get me in. I do not want to camp out when I have a perfectly acceptable bed waiting for me,” she gasped for breath then stabbed her finger at the door. “Inside.”
    “Before you go in we have to find out what the problem is.”
    “I haven’t the strength to deal with it now.”
    “Apparently the house doesn’t care about that.”
    “Well, bugger the house.”
    Lightning and Rust grinned and shook their fingers at her.
    “There’s no reason to be swearing, cousin,” said Lightning.
    “Not to mention physically impossible,” added Rust.
    “And uncomfortable to try …” added Manny, thoughtfully.
    “Enough,” Smoke waved an impatient hand over his shoulder at his brothers.
    Amber was too tired to scream so she settled for being reasonable.
    “I have no idea what’s wrong. I don’t know how to fix what I know nothing about and if I can’t get to the library I have no way of finding out.”
    The door lock snicked again. Smoke put one finger onto the door handle and pushed the door smoothly open. It stayed open as Amber cautiously approached. As she crossed the threshold a series of loud slams came from deep within the house making everyone jump. Amber stumbled over her own feet; the quick action of her cousins spared her another embarrassing collapse to the floor. By the time she was steady only one of the hallway doors was standing open. Rust ran upstairs