Camp Fear Ghouls by R.L. Stine Page B

campfire story is true,” she rasped. “ We are the Camp Fear Ghouls. One hundred years ago today, our troop went into these woods on a camping trip. We never went home again.
    â€œWe set up camp in this very clearing. Then we collected wood for a fire. But in the dark, no one noticed that the sticks we picked up weren’t wood. They were bones. The bones of an evil man who died here!”
    I sucked in my breath, horrified.
    â€œThe fire from those bones sent us all into a deep sleep,” Amy continued. “When we woke up, we were . . . as you see us now. Ghouls. Camp FearGhouls! Since that day we have roamed these woods. Thirteen girls—bound together forever by evil.”
    â€œBut—but there were only twelve of you when I met you,” I stammered. “You said I was the thirteenth. And now Pearl’s gone. There are only eleven of you!”
    â€œYou’re smart, Lizzy.” Amy let out a horrifying laugh. “You’ll be a good replacement for Rose.”
    â€œR-Rose?” I choked out.
    â€œYes. Rose tried to escape the Camp Fear Ghouls. We had to destroy her. We chose you to take her place.”
    Priscilla moved close to Caroline. She grinned. Her single tooth was covered with fuzzy green moss.
    Caroline put a hand over her mouth and gagged. “Lizzy . . . ” she whimpered.
    It was my fault that Caroline was here. I was doomed—but maybe I could get her out of this. I took a deep breath.
    â€œYou chose me,” I told the Camp Fear Ghouls. “But you didn’t choose Caroline. Please let her go.”
    â€œI’m afraid we can’t,” Priscilla whispered.
    â€œYou see, we had to have you in our troop, Lizzy,” Amy explained. “But you tried to quit when we told you your friend couldn’t join. So—” She paused. “We made room for her.”
    Made room?
    â€œPearl,” I whispered. “You destroyed her too.”
    â€œRight. Pearl.” Amy grinned. “She was getting too bossy anyway.”
    â€œEnough talking. It is time for the initiation,” Trudy announced.
    My knees began to tremble.
    â€œYou must each earn three badges. One badge will test your courage,” Amy said, counting on her rotting fingers. “Another will test your strength. And another, your wits.”
    Amy turned to the troop. “If either Lizzy or Caroline fails to survive the badge tests, they will both become Camp Fear Ghouls . . . forever!”
    A chill raced up my spine. If we failed to survive?
    â€œWhat if we do earn all our badges?” I asked.
    Priscilla stepped up. A strip of torn, oozing flesh dangled from her cheek. “You won’t,” she told us. “But if you do—you can go.”
    Caroline and I squeezed each other’s arms. There was hope! All we had to do was earn those badges.
    Amy held up her sash. “Choose the badge you want to earn first.”
    Caroline and I examined the sash.
    My voice shook as I explained the badges to Caroline. “The swimming badge. The rock-collecting badge. The arts and crafts badge.”
    â€œLizzy, I’m scared. I don’t want to take any of these tests. We have to go home,” Caroline moaned. “Time to go home now.”
    â€œStop it, Caroline!” I shook her by the shoulders. “We have to try to earn the badges. If we don’t, we’ll end up like the Camp Fear Ghouls.”
    Caroline’s face twisted. I could see she was trying not to cry. But she nodded at me.
    I studied the badges on Amy’s sash.
    What should we pick? Swimming, arts and crafts, or rock collecting?
    Swimming could be really scary. What if they tried to drown us or something? I decided to avoid that badge for now.
    That left arts and crafts and rock collecting. “I’m not the best at arts and crafts,” I whispered to Caroline. “How about rock collecting? You pick up some rocks. You put them