“Cut it out, Conan!” a girl pleaded.
“Yeah. Leave us alone, Conan!” Evan heard a boy shout.
Evan lumbered over to the fence and peered into Conan’s yard. He saw Conan Barber furiously swinging a baseball bat, swinging it hard, forcing a little boy and girl to back up against the fence.
“Let us go!” the little girl screamed. “Why are you so mean?”
Conan swung the bat, bringing it close to the boy and girl, making them cry out.
Evan leaned over the fence. His broad shadow fell over Conan. “Want to play ball with me, Conan?” Evan thundered.
The two little kids spun around. They stared up at the enormous Evan. It took them a long time to realize they were staring at a real, giant human.
Then they began to scream.
Conan’s mouth dropped open and a strangled gurgling sound escaped his throat.
“Hey, Conan, how about a little batting practice?” Evan asked, his voice booming over the backyard. Evan reached over the fence and plucked the bat from Conan’s hand.
The little boy and girl ran away screaming. They darted through the hedge at the side of Conan’s yard and kept running until they vanished from view.
Evan took the bat and snapped it in two between his hands. It cracked apart like a toothpick.
Conan froze in place, staring up at Evan in disbelief. He pointed a trembling finger. “Evan—you—you—you—” he stammered.
Evan tossed the two pieces of the cracked bat at Conan’s feet, forcing Conan to hop out of the way.
“You ate Monster Blood!” Conan accused. “That sticky green stuff. The stuff that Cuddles the hamster ate last year! You ate some—didn’t you!”
Evan didn’t want to be reminded of Cuddles the hamster. The little creature had turned into a huge, vicious beast after eating Monster Blood. Cuddles had returned to hamster size only because the Monster Blood was old and stale.
But the Monster Blood Evan had swallowed was new and fresh.
Now I’m a huge, vicious beast, Evan thought sadly.
“Are you crazy? Are you totally messed up? Why did you eat Monster Blood?” Conan demanded.
“It was an accident,” Evan told him.
Conan continued to stare up at Evan, but his fearful expression faded. Conan suddenly started to laugh. “I’m glad it happened to you and not me!” he exclaimed.
“Huh? Why?” Evan demanded.
“Because I’m afraid of heights!” Conan replied. He laughed again. “I always thought you were a nerd, Evan!” Conan declared. “But now you’re a BIG nerd!”
Evan let out an angry growl and lurched forward. He tried to climb over the fence. But he didn’t step high enough. Conan’s fence splintered beneath Evan’s heavy sneaker.
“Hey—!” Conan cried in alarm.
He tried to turn and run, but Evan was too fast for him.
Evan grabbed Conan under the shoulders and lifted him off the ground as if he weighed nothing.
“Let go! Let go of me!” Conan screamed. He kicked his arms and legs like a baby.
“I never knew you were afraid of heights,” Evan said. Holding Conan in both hands, he raised him high in the air.
“Let me go! Let me go!” Conan cried. “What are you going to do?”
“Let’s see if you know how to fly!” Evan exclaimed.
“Noooooo!” Conan’s shrill cry rose up over the yard. He kicked and thrashed as Evan raised him even higher. “Put me down! Put me down!”
“Okay,” Evan agreed. “I’ll put you down.” He set Conan down on a high tree branch.
Conan clung to the trunk for dear life, trembling and crying. “Evan—don’t leave me up here! Please! I told you, I’m afraid of heights! Evan—come back! Evan!”
A huge grin on his huge face, Evan turned away from Conan. “That was a lot of fun!” he called down to his friends.
Conan continued to weep and wail up in the tree. Evan took a few steps toward the front yard. “That was excellent!” Evan said, still grinning. “Excellent!”
“Where are you going?” he heard Andy call up to him.
“Yeah! What are you going to do now?” Kermit asked eagerly.
“This is kind of cool!” Evan declared. Having his revenge on Conan had put him in a better mood. “Let’s go see if we can have some more fun!”
“Yaaaay!” Kermit cried, racing to keep up with Evan.
