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- Herausgeber: Nosy Crow Ltd
- Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
- Serie: Kevin the Vampire
- Sprache: Englisch
- Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024
A FANG-tastically funny adventures series, perfect for 7+ readers and fans of Amelia Fang! "Full of hilarious, highly illustrated mayhem" Guardian "Loved it. Full of heart, laughs and adventure." Dermot O'Leary "Fearfully funny, and a book to get your teeth into! You'll be Kevin's biggest fang!" Danny Wallace If Kevin the Vampire was already beside himself with excitement at visiting the Festival of Fear, he's now even more so. His new best friend Susie and an extremely rare draffin called Gerald have joined his family's carnival. It's going to be better than ever! They might even win Carnival of the Year... But because they are running late, Kevin's family need to take a shortcut through the perilous Wild Woods, where no one ever goes because of the extremely wicked witch who lives there. But that should be fine as long as no one gets out and no one eats anything ... right? Kevin will be at the Festival before he knows it. After all, nothing ever goes wrong for the Carnival Monstromo... Look out for Kevin's other adventure, A Most Mysterious Monster!
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Help! Help! I've locked myself in the downstairs lo o. Send assistance and extra toilet paper immediately! M.B.
To all the stars that lit my way, especially my parents Stefania and Maurizio F.S.vi
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CHAPTER 1
A VAMPIRE CALLED KEVIN
The silent darkness of the night was split by an explosion of fire from the mouth of a galloping dragon. The magnificent creature, the colour of rubies from the Mountains of the Really Very North, thundered along a narrow rocky pass. Racing alongside her, a beautiful purple draffin – half dragon, half griffin – screeched and roared with delight. And standing on top of both, one foot on the back of each, was a nearly eleven-year-old boy.
A nearly eleven-year-old boy who was a vampire.
A vampire called Kevin.
2“WOOOOO-HOOOOOOO!” screamed Kevin into the night, the wind in his hair and his face glowing and eyebrows singed from dragonfire. He looked behind him at the enormous train of carriages that Branwen the dragon and Gerald the draffin were pulling. The carriages belonged to Carnival Monstromo, a travelling carnival of monsters, which was Kevin’s home.
Kevin and the carnival were speeding towards Monstros City to take part in the Dragon Parade at the world-famous FESTIVAL OF FEAR. The FESTIVAL OF FEAR was the most important date in the monster calendar, when carnivals from all over Grackelser Odd came together to dance, laugh, eat incredible food and watch the Dragon Parade.
This year Kevin was being allowed to ride Brannie in the parade. More than anything he wanted to help win Carnival of the Year because Carnival Monstromo had never, ever, ever, in the whole history of the FESTIVALOF FEAR, won it before. Ever.3
4That was the reason why Kevin was out that night: to practise something for the parade. Something extraordinary and exciting and dangerous. He stepped off Brannie so that both his feet were on Gerald’s back, then took a deep breath. His plan was to jump off Gerald, then twist his body in mid-air and perform a cartwheel, before landing safely on Brannie’s back. This move was incredibly difficult and was known as the DANGER DIVEOF DEATH.
OK, here we go. Three, two, one.WHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAA!!
Unfortunately, as he leapt, Kevin got his foot caught in Gerald’s reins. So rather than leaping majestically, Kevin found himself dangling upside down from the straps round Gerald’s neck.
“KEVIN AURELIUS! WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU BEFORE ABOUT ATTEMPTING THE DANGER DIVE OF DEATH AT THIS TIME OF NIGHT?”
As he dangled, Kevin saw his mother standing 5on top of a carriage.
“COME BACK HERE IMMEDIATELY!”
“OK, Mum,” Kevin muttered through gritted fangs.
In a puff of smoke Kevin turned into a bat and flapped back towards the carriages, grumbling all the way. Although, to his mum, because he was a bat, it just sounded like a lot of squeaks and clicks, which was probably for the best.
CHAPTER 2
THE DRAGON PARADE
Inside the Aurelius family carriage, Kevin’s best friend, Susie Cabbage, was sitting stroking Dog, who was fast asleep on her lap. Dog opened his eyes and yawned, then coughed up something green and slimy, which looked around for a moment, tutted and slithered away under the seats.
Dog was not a dog. In fact, no one was very sure what creature Dog was. Kevin’s dad thought he must have some Slobbering Hounds of Hell in him on account of his enormous sharp teeth and slobber. Although that did NOT explain the wings.
Kevin the bat flapped through the open window, then fluttered around the carriage before landing 7gently on one of the seats. In another puff of smoke Kevin the boy appeared, his dark hair sticking up at strange and unusual angles and his face peppered with smudges of soot.
“What happened to you?” asked Susie.
“Oh, I was just trying out something for the Dragon Parade,” he said, pulling a bag of sherbet lemons from his pocket and offering them to Susie before popping one in his mouth. “Something we should both do – me on Brannie, you on Gerald. It will be incredible.”
Kevin sighed and looked at a poster next to the window. A skeleton with eyes like balls of fire was standing on the back of a golden dragon. In one hand the skeleton held a floating orb of shining white light, and in the other it held a burning flag that read: THE FESTIVAL OF FEAR. Underneath the picture it said: WHO WILLWIN CARNIVAL OF THE YEAR? COME TOMONSTROS CITY TO SEE THE THRILLS!THE SPILLS! THE CHILLS!8
“I can’t wait until we get to Monstros City, Susie. I’m so glad you’re coming. It’s the most amazing place in the whole world. You’ll love it.”
Susie smiled. She couldn’t wait either.
“So what were you trying out for the Dragon Parade?” she asked, still smiling.
“A little move called the Danger Dive of Death,” said Kevin.
“The danger dive of what?” Susie stopped smiling.
9Kevin looked at her. “You don’t know what the Danger Dive of Death is? I thought everyone knew what the Danger Dive of Death is. I mean, it’s the Danger Dive of Death.”
“Well, every monster might know what it is,” said Susie. “But I’m not a monster, am I?”
Susie most definitely was not a monster. Susie was a human who, until less than a week ago, had lived in a boring town where nothing interesting ever happened.10
11Let’s just say it had been quite a weekend.
Kevin grabbed a large book from a table next to the window; it was called FANGS FOR THEMEMORIES: VAMPIRES FROM HISTORY. It was one of his favourites because it was full of interesting stories about amazing vampires. He flicked through until he came to an entry about a vampire called Carmilla Le Fanu.
“Carmilla was one of the greatest performing vampires ever,” he said. “She invented the Danger Dive of Death.”
“It sounds quite dangerous,” said Susie, before adding, “and deadly.”
“Oh no,” said Kevin. “It isn’t dangerous because vampires are immortal. Just imagine us doing it at the Dragon Parade. We’ll win Carnival of the Year for sure.”
Susie tugged on the puffy sleeves of her dress. “Kevin?” she said. “The danger-deathy-dive thing sounds super, super exciting, but I’m a human, remember, so I’m not very immortal.” She thought 12for a moment. “Actually I don’t think I’m at all immortal.”
But Kevin didn’t hear her. He was imagining himself holding the Carnival of the Year trophy high above his head and everyone at the Festival of Fear chanting his name.
“You’re right,” he mumbled. “It is super, super exciting.”
Susie frowned. Vampires might be immortal but they were not very good at listening. Not very good at all.13
CHAPTER 3
THE LEGEND OF GRAYVON FURY
Grackelser Odd rushed past the Carnival Monstromo carriage windows as they hurtled towards Monstros City. The full moon bathed the Old Country, the land of the vampires, with beautiful silvery light. Kevin could hear the night calls of the Natty Whippersnappers, jabbering and jawing in their nests, while silhouettes of Gallivanting Skew-Whiffs flittered and fluttered in the trees. Kevin gazed out of the window as enormous vampire houses rolled past.
“That’s where Uncle Grando lives,” he said, pointing out a particularly gigantic house in the distance. “He’s the official Deputy Bringer of All Darkness. He’ll probably become the actual Bringer 15of All Darkness in the next two or three thousand years.”
Two bats flapped through the open window. They fluttered around before landing on the carriage floor and, in a puff of smoke, Silus and Sylvia, Kevin’s older brother and sister, appeared. They were acrobats in Carnival Monstromo, and Sylvia immediately sprang up and caught hold of the curtain rail, flinging herself across the carriage and landing, perfectly, on a small reading table. Silus did a handstand, then fell into a ball and tumbled around the floor before flicking himself over Kevin’s and Susie’s heads and on to a luggage rack above them.
“I can’t believe Mum and Dad are letting you ride in the Dragon Parade,” sneered Silus. “You’ll just show us all up.”
16“No, I won’t,” said Kevin.
“What were you doing outside then?” said Sylvia.
Kevin gritted his fangs and tried to ignore his sister.
“He was practising a new move for the Dragon Parade,” said Susie, trying to stick up for her friend, who was the best dragon-rider she had ever seen, although admittedly, he was also the only dragon-rider she had ever seen. “The Danger Dive of Death, if you must know.”
Susie immediately realised she shouldn’t have said anything, as Silus and Sylvia hooted with laughter.
“More like the Rubbish Dive of Being Stupid,” said Sylvia.
“You’ll never be able to do that.” Silus laughed, reaching over and messing up Kevin’s hair.
“Get off!” yelled Kevin, then whispered to Susie, “Thanks a lot.”
Sylvia glanced over at Susie as the carriage began to slow down.
17“Hey, is that my acrobat outfit?” she said. “I haven’t seen that in years. It looks so old.”
Susie huffed. She never normally wore a dress. In fact, she didn’t even own a dress. This one had been given to her by Kevin’s mum, and she hated it. It was red and frilly and ruffly and stiff and scratchy and made Susie feel all itchy and uncomfortable. But the dress was all there was. 18Four days ago, Susie had joined Carnival Monstromo in such a hurry that she only had one set of clothes, which was currently being washed.
Two more bats fluttered through the open window before landing on the seats opposite Kevin and Susie. In a puff of smoke Kevin’s mum and dad appeared.
“Are we nearly there?” asked Kevin.
“Not quite,” said Kevin’s dad. “In fact, if we want to get to Monstros City in time for the Dragon Parade, we’re going to need to take a bit of a short cut.” He nodded towards the window.
Kevin and Susie looked out and saw a large wooden sign by the side of the road. It read:19
20“Why are we going through the Wild Woods?” asked Sylvia.
“No one ever goes through the Wild Woods,” added Silus.
Susie looked at Kevin. “Why doesn’t anyone ever go through the Wild Woods?”
Silence filled every corner of the carriage like steam from a bath.
“Because,” said Kevin eventually, his voice barely a whisper, “the Wild Woods is where Grayvon Fury lives.”
“Oh, right, of course. Grayvon Fury,” said Susie. “Er, who’s Grayvon Fury?”
“Grayvon Fury is the most evil witch in the whole of Grackelser Odd,” said Kevin’s dad. “More evil than Erby Foulridge or Catlowe Popplewell—”
“Or Beverley Danvers,” added Kevin’s mum.
Twisted branches tapped and scraped against the outside of the carriage window, like bony fingers trying to claw their way inside. Kevin could see tiny wisps of blue caught in the branches that looked 21like faint puffs of smoke.
“Grayvon Fury uses the darkest of magic,” said Kevin’s dad. “She can transform herself into any shape she chooses—”
“Like a triangle?” interrupted Susie.
“Well, I suppose so, yes, like a triangle.”
“Or a piece of toast?” asked Susie.
Kevin’s dad looked at her. “I guess so,” he said. “And it is said that anyone who takes anything from the woods will belong to Grayvon Fury and will have to spend the rest of their life here.”
Kevin turned and looked out of the window. The trees had become so thick that the light from the moon had gone, and outside was now as dark as a yawning grave.
“Which is why it’s important we get through the woods as quickly as possible,” said Kevin’s mum. “And that no one gets out.”
No sooner had the words left her lips than the carriage shuddered and bumped and stopped dead in its tracks. For a moment, no one said anything. 22Then a pair of eyes as large as dinner plates appeared outside the window. It was Gogmagog the ogre, Carnival Monstromo’s Creature Keeper and driver.
“EVERYONE OK?”
“What’s going on, Gog?” asked Kevin’s mum.
“Is Brannie all right?” said Kevin.
“Is Gerald?” added Susie.
Gogmagog sniffed and wiped his gigantic nose with the back of his colossal hand. “THEY FINE,” he said. “BUT SUMFING WRONG WIV VERBACK WHEEL.”
And, with that, the enormous eyes disappeared.
