Camp Fear Ghouls by R.L. Stine Page A

Caroline with the rubber monster mask, I realized.
    Amy’s voice sank almost to a whisper. “If one of them ever approaches you,” she warned, “ beware! Because they are now the Camp Fear Ghouls!”
    The shadowy figure placed her hand on Caroline’s shoulder.
    Caroline turned and screamed.
    I burst out laughing.
    Then Trudy put her hand on my right shoulder.
    I turned to laugh with her.
    And gasped.
    Trudy’s face! It was horrible!
    Her flesh was rotting. A jagged bone poked through a hole in her cheek. Green pus oozed from the hole and dripped down her face.
    It’s just a mask, I reminded myself.
    I reached out to pull the mask off Trudy’s face. But my fingers sank deep into soft, putrid flesh.
    It wasn’t a mask.
    Trudy was really a monster!

16

    â€œH elp!” I screamed frantically.
    I searched the faces around the campfire.
    And then I screamed again.
    They were all monsters!
    All the Camp Fear Girls had changed into hideous, rotting creatures!
    Their eyeballs bulged out of their sockets. Pus dripped from their pores. I began to choke on the smell of their decaying flesh.
    Caroline dug her nails into my arm, shrieking.
    Amy stood in front of us. She continued with the story.
    What was the matter with her? Couldn’t she see what was happening?
    I jumped up and pulled Caroline to her feet. “Amy!” I cried. “Come on! We have to get away!”
    Amy turned and gazed at me. Her dark eyes gleamed.
    â€œAmy,” I yelled again. “Let’s get out of here! Now!”
    But Amy didn’t answer.
    And then, as I stared at her, she began to change.
    Her skin turned the color of pea soup. Her cheeks swelled. Larger and larger. They started to pulse.
    Then the left one burst open. And something crawled out!
    A worm! A fat, purple worm! It slithered across her face.
    Her eyes bulged.
    Her nose caved in, leaving a black hole in her face.
    Caroline and I jumped to our feet.
    The Camp Fear Ghouls slowly formed a circle around us. They moved closer. Tightening the circle. Closing in on us.
    â€œWh-what are they going to do to us?” Caroline choked out.
    â€œI don’t know!” I cried. “Let’s not stick around to find out!”
    I lunged at the Trudy-monster and knocked her over. Breaking the circle.
    â€œRun, Caroline!” I cried. “Run!”
    Caroline grabbed my hand. We took off for the trees.
    I glanced over my shoulder. The Camp Fear Ghouls groaned. Then they began to shuffle after us.
    They moved so slowly. We can outrun them! I thought.
    It was almost as if I had spoken out loud. “You will never get away!” Amy growled.
    â€œDon’t listen to her!” I panted to Caroline.
    We reached the edge of the light cast by the campfire. The woods were only a foot away. One more step and we’d be in the trees—hidden. Then we could escape.
    I was in the lead. We leaped for the woods—and slammed into something solid. It felt as though I had run into a wall, headfirst.
    But there was nothing there.
    I rubbed my head, dazed. “What was that?”
    â€œLizzy, they’re coming!” Caroline cried.
    I threw myself toward the trees again.
    Again I rammed into something hard. Everything swam before my eyes. Dizzy, I stumbled backward.
    â€œWhat is it?” Caroline whimpered. “Why can’t we get out?”
    â€œI don’t know,” I croaked. “It’s like there’s something there—blocking our way. Only it’s invisible!”
    The monsters lumbered closer. They gathered around us.
    â€œWhat do you want?” Caroline cried.
    â€œLet us go!” I yelled. “Please, let us go!”
    My heart thudded hard against my rib cage.
    Amy raised one green, oozing finger and pointed at us. “You will never get away. You will remain with us . . . forever!”

17

    A my shoved her hideous face close to mine. I cringed and drew away from her.
    â€œThe