Al Normal ducked, and the hairy creature zoomed past his head. "Look out!" he cried.
Startled, some of the monsters ducked too.
"What is that thing?" thought Ben.
It looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he'd seen it before.
"I'll stop it!" Waldo cried.
He reached into his backpack for a wand as the creature leaped around the lobby.
"Waldo, it's really fast!" Gaby said. "Be careful!"
Waldo frowned and put away his wand as the creature raced toward the construction area.
Al Normal's eyes were wide with alarm.
"It's heading for the main part of the museum!"
"I'll get it!" Mog said.
He dived at the thing but missed. "Oof!"
Mr. Freaky looked panicked.
"Now it's running upstairs!" he wailed.
"Oh, this is a disaster!"
"Uh-oh." Al Normal gulped.
"The museum director's office is up there."
"Students!" commanded Miss Bungle. "Catch it!"
Ben darted after the creature.
"This isn't good," he thought.
If the creature caused trouble, the monsters would get blamed.
Mayor Hubbletree would be furious!
The thing raced toward an office.
Then—zoom!
Something whooshed right over Ben's head. "Winnie!"
Winnie was riding her broom.
She scooped up the hairy creature just before it reached the office door.
"Got it!" she called, bringing it back to the group.
Al Normal shuddered. "What is that thing?"
Jen flushed. "It's mine.
I opened my lunchbox, and my dinner got away!"
Mr. Freaky blew his three noses. "Put it away, Jen, now!"
Al Normal looked sick. "You monsters eat things like that?"
Cleo laughed softly.
"Al Normal looks better green," she whispered to Waldo.
Gaby frowned. "That's rude, Cleo. He's our host."
A woman dressed in a business suit stood in the doorway of the office.
A construction worker stood nearby, holding a screwdriver.
"D-Dr. Bones!" Al Normal stammered.
"I'm sorry about the commotion! It won't happen again."
"Hmpf!" snapped Dr. Bones. She didn't look happy.
Neither did the construction worker standing near Dr. Bones.
Ben saw him scowl. "Monsters," muttered the construction worker.
"You can't trust them."
"That's not true," Ben burst out.
"We're just like people!" Winnie chimed in.
"With a different diet," Jen said.
Al Normal stepped between the monsters and Dr. Bones to make introductions.
Mr. Freaky and Miss Bungle shook hands with Dr. Bones.
"I'm pleased to meet all of you," Dr. Bones said.
She looked very serious.
"We'll have to hurry around to the front entrance for the rest of your official greeting," she said.
"The mayor has probably arrived by now.
I'm sorry we can't walk through the museum, but there's still construction in that hallway."
"If you paid us more, we might be done," the construction worker muttered.
Dr. Bones shot him a stern look.
"We've discussed this already," she said.
"You've been paid the amount in your contract.
Now you need to finish the work."
"This job has been harder than we thought," complained the worker.
"It's taking longer too. If you paid us more, we could hire more workers and finish faster."
Dr. Bones pursed her lips.
"The museum doesn't have any more money for construction right now.
Now please get back to work."
The workman grumbled as he stomped over to the construction area.
Al Normal checked his watch.
"I'll tell the mayor you're coming," he said to Dr. Bones, hurrying off.
Dr. Bones pointed to several nearby rooms.
"You can leave your sleeping bags and other things in those two classrooms," she told the monsters.
"Be sure to lock your lunchboxes," Miss Bungle added, giving Jen a look.
The monsters put down their things and then followed Dr. Bones toward the rear entrance.
"I could probably float through all that stuff," Ben thought.
"But Mr. Freaky would get mad if I didn't stay with the group."
Near the main entrance, Dr. Bones scratched her head.
"Where are the TV cameras? I invited a crew from People Place News."
Ben looked up. The only person waiting to greet them was Mayor Hubbletree.
He hurried up to Dr. Bones.
"I sent the news crew home," the mayor explained.
"After all, some people are unhappy about this field trip.
They don't like the idea of monsters staying overnight in People Place."
"Ridiculous," Dr. Bones muttered.
Mr. Freaky pulled out his handkerchief and blew his noses a few times.
"Monsters!" he said to the students.
"What do we say to Mayor Hubbletree?"
"Good afternoon, Mayor," the monsters chanted.
"Thank you for inviting us to People Place."
Mayor Hubbletree flashed a quick smile.
"Welcome to the People Place Museum," he said.
"We're all . . . um, delighted to have you here."
Then he leaned close to Mr. Freaky's ear.
"This field trip better not cause any problems, Freaky, or I'll knock down Monster Academy with my own bare hands!"