Contents

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About the Author

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Copyright

Evan Ross backed into the corner of the den as he stared at his dog Trigger.

The tan cocker spaniel lowered his head and stared back at Evan with wet, brown eyes. The old dog’s tail began to wag excitedly.

“Trigger—” Evan cried angrily. “Did you eat Monster Blood again?”

The dog’s tail began wagging faster. Trigger let out a low bark that rumbled like thunder.

Evan’s back pressed against the dark-paneled den wall.

Trigger took a few heavy steps toward him, panting hard. His huge pink tongue, as big as a salami, hung out of his enormous mouth.

“Did you?” Evan demanded. “Did you eat more Monster Blood?”

The answer to Evan’s question was obvious.

Trigger had been normal cocker spaniel size that morning. Now the dog stared down at Evan, as big as a pony.

Trigger’s furry paws, the size of elephant hooves, thudded on the den carpet. His enormous tail pounded louder than a bass drum against the side of a leather couch.

Evan covered his ears as Trigger let out an excited, high-pitched bark that shook the den walls. “Stay! Stay!” Evan shouted.

The enormous dog panted hard, his tail wagging furiously.

Oh, no! Evan thought in horror. He wants to play!

“Sit!” Evan screamed. “Sit!”

But Trigger didn’t know how to sit. For ten years—seventy dog years!—Evan had tried to teach Trigger to sit on command.

But Trigger just didn’t get it.

“Where did you find the Monster Blood?” Evan demanded. “We all saw it disappear into thin air. Gone. It was just gone. You know that stuff makes you grow. And grow and grow and grow. Where did you find it?”