Louis tiptoed past his bedroom door. The storm was louder than ever.
He crept down the basement stairs. THUMP! Something knocked behind the locked door.
He pried up a loose floorboard. A brass key! The lock clicked open.
Louis pushed the door open. His family stood around a glowing circle, holding strange tools. 'Louis! What are you doing down here?' His dad turned. Louis backed away. 'I just wanted to find my teddy!' The door slammed shut behind him.
Back in his room, Louis found a book. 'How to Keep Your Brother Safe.' He read every word.
His family catches monsters. They turn them into something safe. Louis didn't understand — not yet.
A scratch at the window. Louis looked up. Something was out there.
The thing tapped the glass. One claw. Then another. It wanted in.
The window shattered! The creature lunged — but nets and blankets flew through the doorway.
The blankets wrapped tight. The monster shrank… and shrank… until a kitten sat where it had been.
'We catch the scary monsters,' his dad said. 'So you don't have to be scared.' The kitten purred against Louis's palm.
That night, the kitten slept at Louis's feet. A plate of cookies sat on his desk. He broke one in half — one piece for Mom. 'Thanks, Mom.'