CHAPTER 1

The beast stepped from the narrow alley and paused in a patch of fading moonlight. Triangular ears twitched at a distant sound, far beyond the range of human hearing. Raising its muzzle, it sniffed the ocean breeze. Mingled with the salt water and restaurant scraps was another scent, one that brought a rumbling growl from the monster's broad chest.

It broke into a trot, slipping through the shadows like a ghost. Loping down another alley, the beast leaped and sank its claws into the wood siding on the back of a rambling two-story structure. It scaled the wall like a spider and dropped onto the flat roof. Padding soundlessly to the front of the building, the monster peered into the street below, keen eyes piercing the darkness.

A young girl with a canvas bag slung over her shoulder rode a bike through pools of light cast by old-fashioned streetlamps. Pulling out a folded newspaper, she tossed it against one of the many doors that lined the wooden boardwalk. As she approached the building that concealed her watcher, the monster tensed, muscles quivering as it prepared to pounce.

The light shifted as the ebony night gave way to an orange-and-purple glow. The beast's eyes snapped up and locked on the ocean's distant horizon. Its black lips curled into a snarl. With surprising lightness for its massive frame, the monster darted across the roof and over the side of the building. Noiselessly, it raised a window with its claws and slipped inside.

With a wide yawn, the girl continued tossing her papers as she biked into the rising sun.


CHAPTER 2

"I can't wait to see the museum again!" Simon said, looking up from his book, Escape from Grimstone Manor. "And Grandpa."

His mother, Isabelle, glanced in the rearview mirror with a smile. "He and Mom love it when you two visit."

"I can't believe Grandma won't be there," Jade said as she gazed out the window at the passing trees. With her ivory skin and long dark hair, she was a twelve-year-old miniature of Isabelle. 

"I'm really sorry, honey," Isabelle said. "When Aunt Geneviève got sick so suddenly, Grandma needed to go back to France to help out."

"It won't be the same," Jade said. "Who's going to do magic with me?"

"You can practice your tricks on me," Simon said. Unlike his twin sister, he'd inherited his father's darker complexion and wore his black hair short.

Jade smirked. "Well, you are easy to fool."

"I take back my offer," Simon said.

"You'll be busy enough without practicing magic tricks," Isabelle said. "Grandpa can't run the museum alone during tourist season, even if he thinks he can. And they can't afford to hire anyone right now." When her father called a few days ago with news of her mother's departure, he'd tried to convince her to reschedule the twins' visit. She'd insisted--not only did he need the help, she needed him to watch the twins during her upcoming anniversary trip to Greece.

"Don't worry, Mom, we've got this," said Simon. "The museum is awesome! I can't wait to see what creepy new displays Grandpa has put up."

"Almost there," Jade said as they passed a sign that read WELCOME TO SKULL ROCK, MAINE, POPULATION 7,432.

They entered a quaint downtown. Oceanside Lane was lined with charming historic buildings painted in bright colors. Well-maintained flower beds bordered the sidewalks between old-fashioned streetlamps. Art galleries, restaurants, antiques shops, coffeehouses, and clothing stores lined the redbrick street. The boardwalks were crowded with people window-shopping or sitting on sun-drenched benches eating ice cream. A grassy park with a white gazebo offered beautiful views of the nearby ocean. Rising above it all stood the town's namesake, a large rocky cliff roughly shaped like a skull.

"There it is!" Simon exclaimed, pointing to a shop.

Isabelle parked in front of a sprawling two-story building. Above the front door hung a sign in swirling script--Le Fantastique: A Cabinet of Curiosities Museum. In the doorway stood a tall older man with wispy white hair and glasses that hung from a silver chain around his neck. The smile that creased his ivory skin couldn't banish a weary, anxious expression that clung to him like a stubborn vine.

"Grandpa!" the twins shouted as they threw open their doors. They wrapped Henri in a tight hug as the man chuckled.

"Do you have any new displays?" Simon asked excitedly. 

"I guess you'll have to search the museum to find out," Henri said, a twinkle returning briefly to his eyes. Simon and Henri shared a love of unusual objects from around the world.

"Get your bags first," Isabelle said, opening the car's trunk. She walked over and hugged her father while the kids grabbed their bags and ran inside the museum.

"I call first pick of the beds," Jade said. She moved a PRIVATE--NO ADMITTANCE sign from the bottom of the stairwell and headed up the creaking steps to the second floor. At the top, she noticed the old wooden door to her grandparents' apartment had been replaced by a metal security one. Four parallel scratches marred the fresh gray paint. Jade paused, puzzling over the unusual marks. With a shrug, she continued to the guest room.

Ignoring his sister, Simon dumped his bags by the door and moved quickly through the gift shop into the museum. He paused and took in the huge room with a delighted smile.

The dimly lit space was filled with an amazing variety of strange, spooky artifacts. A two-headed taxidermy grizzly with twin gaping jaws stood menacingly on its hind legs. An eighteen-foot Nile crocodile hung suspended from the high ceiling. In a glass display case, a variety of stone knives were arranged on red velvet. On a long shelf sat an array of animal skulls, each in a miniature spotlight. The long, spiraling tusk of a narwhal lay on a table near glass jars filled with small creatures suspended in clear liquid. A cabinet contained a collection of jagged crystals with green, purple, and blue shards. Wooden chests and tall ornate vases decorated with paintings of monstrous creatures lined the aisles. Archways led to other tantalizing rooms, bursting with fascinating objects.

Simon stepped forward to explore as the front door opened. "Not yet," his mother called. "You'll have all summer to do that. Put your things in your room, and we'll grab lunch before I have to leave."

Sighing, he took a last lingering look and turned away.

Unbeknownst to Simon, something in the museum looked back.

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Excerpted from The Beast of Skull Rock (Monsterious, Book 4) by Matt McMann
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.