Lost in the Graveyard: Werewolf Max, #0

By N.A. Davenport

What would you do to keep from being a monster?

Nine-year-old Tim is lost and humiliated when the neighborhood bullies prank him, leaving him alone in the old town graveyard. But his real troubles start when glowing green mist rolls in and zombies start to dig out of their graves.

He's saved at the last moment by a group of werewolves, but doesn't escape without getting bit. Now he will do whatever he can to escape his future as a monster.

Learn what really happened the night Tim got bit in the prequel to Werewolf Max and the Midnight Zombies.

• Language: English
• Publisher: N.A. Davenport
• Release date: Dec 16, 2019
• ISBN: 9781733859523

Book preview

One

Trick-or-Treat

Are you ready to go? Tim’s dad asked pulling a light jacket on over his orange shirt. The big black letters that read This is my Costume were still visible beneath. His dad seemed to think it was funny, but Tim thought it was just weird.

Can’t I just go by myself? he asked for the tenth time that evening.

We’ve been over this, Tim’s mom said, walking over from the kitchen. She wore a poufy orange dress and a green hat: her idea of a pumpkin costume. If you were going out with some other kids, it might be okay. But we don’t want you wandering around the neighborhood alone in the dark.

Tim scowled. I’m nine years old. I’m not going to get lost or anything!

His dad patted him on the shoulder. I promise I’ll stay in the street. You can go from house to house all on your own. Just pretend I’m not even there.

Tim huffed and pulled on his astronaut helmet.

His mom and dad just didn’t get it. It wasn’t about pretending that he was by himself. Being by himself was the whole problem.

His family had just moved to the neighborhood that summer, and so far, Tim had made a grand total of zero friends. All the kids in school still treated him like an outsider. When he went out to play, he was still the new kid. Maybe his problem was that he wasn’t good at making friends in the first place. Or, it could be as Tim feared: maybe he just wasn’t the kind of kid anyone wanted to be friends with.

Having his dad following him around for trick-or-treating would only make him feel a hundred times worse about it.

Got your bag? his dad asked.

Tim held up his empty plastic bag with a sulky frown on his face. Fortunately, his dad couldn’t see it through Tim’s visor. Yeah, I got it.

All right then, let’s go.

Love you, sweetie, his mom said, kissing the top of his helmet. See you when you get back!

Tim shrugged and grumped out the door with his frown still hidden beneath the plastic helmet.

Under the orange light of the streetlamps, lots of kids were already walking from house to house up and down the hill. The younger ones, trailed by their parents, were all dressed as cute things like bumblebees, cats, or princesses. Most of the older kids had on cool and scary costumes like creepy clowns, grim reapers, and zombies. Tim felt like he stood out in his totally-not-scary spaceman suit. Was it too late to turn around and smear white paint and fake blood on his face?

Why don’t we make our way to the bottom of the hill first, then we can come back through this way? his dad asked, pointing toward the corner convenience store.

Yeah, sure. Tim gripped the handles of his candy bag in his fist and started walking toward the first house down the hill.

As promised, Tim’s dad stayed in the middle of the street, keeping his distance and letting Tim go from house to house at his own pace. After the first few houses, his dad pulled out his phone, aimed it at Tim, and snapped a few pictures. He would probably post it online for everyone to see. Super embarrassing.

Tim is receiving candy from someone at a house. Behind him, his father is taking a picture with his phone. Tim looks embarrassed.

Tim knocked on the doors of the houses with lights on and raided a few bowls of candy left on porches on his way down the hill. He scored a few nice treats, including a full-sized candy bar and a can of soda. His mood lifted as his treat bag grew heavier, and he started thinking of ways to convince his mom and dad to let him eat as much candy as he wanted when he got home.

They reached the houses at the bottom of the hill near the convenience store, and Tim was just about ready to head back up the hill when a group of older boys walked out of the store carrying cans of energy drinks. One was dressed as a wolf man, complete with a rubbery,