What had I done?

I dropped the shovel in a panic. "Daniel!" I shrieked. "Where are you?"

Had I made my brother disappear? Did burying the Grool somehow make Daniel vanish into thin air?

"Daniel? Daniel?" I called in a trembling voice.

I heard a soft rustling sound coming from behind the garage. I crept quietly toward it. "Daniel," I whispered. "Is that you?" No reply.

I peeked behind the garage.

Daniel sat with his arms locked around his knees. Safe and sound. "Daniel!" I cried. I felt so relieved that I pinched him.

"Cut it out," he snapped. He leaped to his feet.

"What are you doing back here? I was so worried—I thought the Grool got you!" Daniel didn't reply. He lowered his eyes to the ground.

"Why did you hide?" I demanded.

"I was scared," he murmured. "I thought the Grool might explode or fight back or something."

"You were scared?" I asked. "Why didn't you at least answer me when I called you?"

"I thought maybe the Grool was chasing you," he confessed, his face turning red. "Daniel, don't worry," I said. The poor guy was really frightened. And

embarrassed that he had hid.

I put both hands on his shoulders. "The Grool is gone. It's buried deep in the ground."

He swallowed hard. "But what if it comes back? What if what the book said comes true?"

"We'll never see the Grool again," I said quietly. "And don't forget—the book said Grools don't really exist. It's all made up. Just a myth, a fairy tale."

Daniel sighed. "I hate to admit it, but you're right, Kat," he said. "At least this time."

"This time?" I shot back. "How about all the time?" I slugged Daniel on the arm. "Oh, that hurts so much I think I'm going to pass out!" Daniel cried sarcastically.

He fell on to the wet lawn and pretended to faint.

"Come on, let's go in," I urged. "You're getting soaked. And I'm covered with dirt."

Daniel scrambled up and elbowed me aside.

"Race you!" he cried, running toward the house.

I leaped up the steps and beat him into the house by about a second. I slammed the screen door and held it closed, so Daniel couldn't open it.

"I won!" I shouted.

"Only because I let you," Daniel cried. He banged on the door. "Do you want to get in here?" I asked.

Daniel nodded.

"Then say, 'Kat beat me fair and square'," I commanded. "No way!" he replied.

"Stay out there all night, then—with the Groooooooool!" I told him. I let out a ghostly howl.

"Okay, okay. Kat beat me fair and square," Daniel grumbled. "But I'll win next time!"

Actually, I didn't really care about the race. I felt so glad that I buried the Grool, I would have let Daniel win ten races.

As we burst into the living room, Mom and Dad raised their eyes from their newspapers. The house smelled of fresh paint.

"Where were you?" Dad asked.

"Oh, just fooling around in the yard," I replied.

"Is everything all right?" Mom asked with concern. "You're filthy!" "Everything is fine," I answered. "Now."

"Okay, go and wash up," Mom ordered. "Then come into the kitchen."

Daniel and I crowded into the bathroom, leaned over the sink, pushing and bumping each other, and cleaned ourselves up.

"Do you know what time it is?" Mom asked as I raced back into the kitchen. "Yes!" I shouted happily. "It's time for my birthday cake."

Mom beamed. "Well, sit right down here."

I dropped excitedly into the chair she offered. Finally, I thought, things are going right again.

Daniel perched on the chair next to mine. He grabbed my arm. "Something bad is going to happen," he whispered. "I know it. I just know it."

I'm not going to let anything wreck tonight, I thought. "Don't be such a wimp," I whispered. "Everything's fine."

At the kitchen counter, Mom hovered over the cake. She touched a match to each of the thirteen candles—one for each year and an extra one for luck.

What an awesome cake! Mom had ordered it from the bakery down the street. It had all my favorites: pink frosting roses, chocolate icing, and a layer of strawberries. A tiny chocolate Ferris wheel sat on top.

"Ready, Kat?" Mom asked. She carried the cake to the table. Her faced glowed happily in the candlelight. Dad flashed me a big grin.

They all began to sing "Happy Birthday".

I saw Daniel watching me closely as he sang.

They finished the song. I shut my eyes and made my wishes.

"I wish Killer would come home," I said to myself. "And I wish the Grool would never return. And that Daniel is wrong—that nothing bad will happen."

I leaned forward, closer to the candles, and blew hard. Pop!

The loud noise from the kitchen nearly made me fall into my cake!