Trevor popped two Frost Bites into his mouth. It was his first time sampling the candy. They tasted like vanilla yogurt. For a moment he felt an intense chill sweep over him, and then his body went numb.

The translucent gelatin now totally surrounded Nate. Trevor saw his encased friend move one hand to his mouth, followed instantly by a bright flash. The electrical burst liquefied the jelly, which slopped all around him to form a dull orange pool.

Placing his palm to his mouth again, Nate arose, sparks crackling between his fingers. The pool of liquefied jelly began to flow toward the big man, who stayed on the far side of the table from Nate.

“Run to the kitchen!” Trevor called, charging the big man. Nate retreated to the kitchen, dodging around the counter. The big man backpedaled into the front room. As Trevor neared the liquefied pool, it froze solid, taking on a frosted sheen.

The big man opened his mouth and coughed a jellyball at Trevor. The sphere struck him in the chest and sent him spinning to the ground. His numbness prevented him from feeling the pain, but he heard ribs snap. It took Trevor a moment to realize that the coldness had frozen the jellyball, causing it to bash him instead of splatter.

As the big man inhaled to launch another jellyball, Trevor spit out his Frost Bites. Instantly the numbness vanished and a sharp pain blossomed in the left side of his chest. The next jellyball splashed against his forehead, soaking his hair. “Nate!” Trevor called, crawling away as the big man advanced, another jellyball slapping wetly against his back, the gelatin on his head squirming against his scalp.

Nate raced out of the kitchen, arms raised threateningly, electricity sparking from his fingertips. The big man faced Nate and spit out a glob of jelly the size of a golf ball. There was a flash as the glob struck Nate, and the tiny ball turned to liquid.

“He’s shorting out my charge,” Nate yelled, slapping more Shock Bits into his mouth just in time for another undersized jellyball to waste his electricity. “I don’t have many Shock Bits left!”

Trevor was now crawling on slick, frozen ooze. It vibrated beneath his hands and knees. Having spit out the Frost Bites, he could feel that the temperature in the apartment had lowered significantly. His breath visibly condensed in front of his face. What were his weapons? He had Moon Rocks, a couple of Mirror Mints, some Shock Bits, and his Frost Bites. “I can’t do Frost Bites!” Trevor warned, reaching for his Shock Bits. “Those balls of goo turn hard as a rock!”

“I dropped the scope,” Nate said. “Snag it.”

Glancing under the table, Trevor could see the teleidoscope lying on the far side, where the jelly had enveloped Nate. Trevor lunged under the table, sprawling on frozen ooze, ribs aching, and grabbed it.

“Surrender now and we may show you leniency,” the big man said, cheeks drooping, baggy skin sagging from his bare arms and legs. He was considerably less rotund.

Nate stood with a handful of Shock Bits ready. “I’ll eat these the second before I touch him,” Nate said. “Follow me.”

Trevor was back on his feet, teleidoscope in hand. Nate rushed the big guy, who ran right at him vomiting a blinding stream of orange jelly. Before Nate could get the Shock Bits into his mouth, the big guy caught hold of his wrists, continuing to expel ooze from his mouth. Pulsating gelatin cocooned Nate for the second time.

Trevor ran at them, teleidoscope in one hand, Shock Bits in the other. The instant before he reached them, Trevor slapped the Shock Bits into his mouth and sprang. His outstretched hand touched the gelatin, and with a flash like lightning, the ooze liquefied, the big man went tumbling, and Nate was hurled into the wall.

Ribs smarting, Trevor got another dose of Shock Bits ready and approached the big man, who was shakily rising, his body grotesquely deflated, a skeleton wearing skin ten sizes too big. Orange liquid ran toward the freakish man across the floor, as if the apartment were tilting in his direction. Just before reaching him, Trevor ate more Shock Bits, a larger dose than he had ever tried, and swatted the man on the shoulder. A blazing flash and a crack like a gunshot sent the man soaring into the entertainment unit, scattering DVDs and overturning the television.

Nate was on his feet and running for the front door. Trevor followed him, his last dose of Shock Bits ready in his palm. “Hold it!” ordered a voice that sounded like it had inhaled helium.

Trevor turned and saw the blond dwarf with the flat top crouched in the middle of the hall that led away from the front room, hands balled into fists. He wore a dark blue tank top and gray sweatpants. A white glimmer flickered about him, gradually intensifying. He had a look on his face like he was trying to lay an egg. Since the dwarf was not moving, and Trevor was almost to the door, he refrained from eating his final dose of Shock Bits.

The dwarf sprang, streaking toward Trevor as if he had been shot from a cannon, slamming into him with stunning force. Searing pain erupted in Trevor’s ribs. The teleidoscope flew out of Trevor’s hand, as did the Shock Bits, and he crashed to the ground with the dwarf’s strong arms wrapped around his torso.

The teleidoscope rolled forward across the carpeting. Standing in the doorway, Nate picked it up. “Run!” Trevor gasped.

Nate shoved a handful of Shock Bits into his mouth, and a glob of orange jelly splashed into him, accompanied by a flash. “That’s all I have!” Nate cried.

“Run!” Trevor repeated, clinging to the dwarf, trying to give Nate a chance.

Nate disappeared from the doorway. Trevor heard his feet thumping down the stairs. The feisty dwarf wrenched himself free and chased after him. The big man shambled over and collapsed onto Trevor, blanketing him with mushy loose skin. The man seized Trevor’s wrists, pinning them to the ground at either side of his head.

“Your luck just ran out,” the big man said. His breath reminded Trevor of a rotten jack-o-lantern his family had once kept on the porch too long.

Trevor bucked and struggled but, even deflated, the big man was too strong. Orange liquid began to slither over Trevor, warm and syrupy. The liquid streamed up the big man’s arms and flowed into his gaping mouth. Trevor closed his eyes.

“Trevor, Trevor, Trevor,” said a familiar, grandmotherly voice tinged with regret. “I could not be more disappointed.” Trevor opened his eyes. Mrs. White stood above him wearing a lavender robe with lace embellishing the neck. She shook her head sadly. “I had so hoped to spare you from the horrors of my dark side.”

Chapter Twelve

Costly Clues

Nate knew that without any more Shock Bits, he would get caught along with Trevor. Which would mean the teleidoscope would remain in the hands of Mrs. White and her sideshow henchmen. But if he managed to get away with the teleidoscope, he might be able to enlist help from Mr. Stott in defeating Mrs. White. Maybe they could even use the teleidoscope as leverage to bargain for Trevor’s release.