"Whoa! The soccer ball turned into a giant spider!" cried a human boy.
"It's going to attack us!" cried a girl.
"Run for your lives!" cried another kid.
The human soccer players sprinted off the field and hid.
All around Ben, human kids leaped up.
They pushed and shoved as they rushed down the bleachers' steps.
"This is terrible!" Mr. Freaky wrung his hands.
"Everything is totally out of control!"
The spider charged up the field. Ben noticed that it was growing bigger.
Ben and his friends ran down to the field.
Several teachers chased the spider.
But every time someone got close to the giant creature, it shot sticky webs.
"Aargh!" shouted Mr. Gwarg as a large web stuck to his face.
Miss Bungle hopped onto her broom and flew after the spider.
The spider spun around and flung webs at the broom flying teacher.
She lost control of her broom and slammed into the bleachers.
"This is outrageous!" shouted Mayor Hubbletree.
"Freaky! You said we were going to have a friendly game of soccer!"
Mr. Freaky didn't seem to know how to reply.
He grabbed his handkerchief and blew his noses.
"Students from People Place Middle School!" Mayor Hubbletree shouted.
"Back on the bus! We're leaving this instant!"
As Ben watched the humans leave, he noticed someone else running.
It was a large troll.
And she was wearing the same hoodie that the mystery girl and the squid had been wearing.
Ben pointed out the troll to Waldo.
"I think that troll made the ball turn into a spider."
"What?" Waldo squinted at the troll. "Why do you think that?"
"The troll is wearing the same hoodie that the mystery girl and the squid monster wore," Ben replied.
"She must be in their gang! We have to stop them!"
Ben shot after the troll, and Waldo hurried after him.
The troll ran around an equipment shed.
"I'll float through the shed and surprise the troll on the other side," thought Ben.
He floated toward the shed, passing through one wall, then through all of the equipment, and then . . .
"Oh no!" cried Ben. "I'm stuck!"
Ben was stuck halfway through the wall of the shed.
He pushed and pulled and struggled to get out, but nothing worked.
He watched helplessly as the troll ducked around a corner of the school building.
Waldo hurried over. "Don't worry, Ben. I'll help you."
But then the wizard slapped his forehead, causing his glasses to fall off.
"Ugh. I don't have my spell book with me.
I can't get you out of there without looking up the right spell."
"Waldo, just try," Ben pleaded. "The troll is going to get away!"
Waldo stooped down for his glasses. He put them back on.
"I don't know . . . I'm not very good at—"
"You can do it!" said Ben.
"Besides, what's the worst that can happen? I'm already stuck in a wall."
Waldo took a deep breath. "Okay, I'll give it a try."
The wizard thought for a moment.
Then he muttered some words under his breath.
Suddenly—pop! Ben flew out of the wall.
Waldo blinked in astonishment. "It worked!" he cried.
"I can't believe it—I did a spell without my spell book!"
He jumped up and down, causing his glasses to fall off again.
"Awesome!" said Ben. "Now let's catch that troll!"
They ran around the corner of the building and found a pink monster.
Ben gasped when he realized what she was wearing.
"The hoodie!" Ben cried.
"She must be in the gang," said Waldo. "But where's the troll?"
Ben glanced around. The troll was nowhere in sight.
"I don't understand," he said.
"Why would this monster stick around if the troll ran away?
If they were in the same gang, they'd probably run away together."
Suddenly Ben thought of something. "Maybe there isn't a gang at all."
Waldo scratched his head. "What are you talking about?
What about the other monsters and the mystery girl?"
"I think this monster is all of them," said Ben.
"I think she can change shape."
The monster gasped.
"Who are you?" Ben asked the monster.
The monster didn't answer.
Ben glanced at Waldo. "Do you know any spells that can help us?"
"Yes," said Waldo without taking his eyes off the monster.
"I know a spell that makes creatures reveal their true forms." He paused.
"But I've never tried it."
"You can do it, Waldo," said Ben. "You freed me from that wall."
Waldo nodded. "You're right. I don't need my spell book.
I am a very talented wizard!"
He muttered some words under his breath and—poof!
"Oh no!" cried Ben.
"Moo!" said a cow.