downstairs hall.
I sprinted for the kitchen, careful to run on the balls ofmy feet. That way, I wouldn’t make any noise. I crouched behind the kitchen table. All the chairs were pushed in. Even if Mom and Dad looked into the kitchen, they wouldn’t be able to see me at all.
But they didn’t look. Mom and Dad went upstairs. They turned off the lights. Now I was all alone in the dark.
Where those things hide.
Why did Mom say that? I wondered. What did she mean by “those things”?
I’m not just some kid who’s scared of the dark. Though I am. Kind of. Don’t tell anyone.
I filled up the water bottle and headed back upstairs. I was halfway up when I felt the cold.
Most people think cold is just cold. You put on a sweater and it’s no big deal. But this cold was something more. You know what I mean, right? You’re Ghost Hunters, after all.
The cold came from nowhere. That was the first thing. Sure, it was January. But I was in the middle of the house. Not near a window or a door. One minute it was normal temperature. The next minute I can see my breath, like when I’m outside in the snow.
I spun around.
Nothing.
Of course it’s nothing, Bill, I thought. Dave is right. You are a wimp.
Then why was my heart pounding so fast? So hard? My breath was making big white clouds as I breathed in and out. I kept on going toward my bedroom. Up the stairs. One by one. My teeth were chattering when I got to the top. I don’t know what made me do it, but I turned around.
There was a man behind me at the bottom of the stairs. He was staring straight ahead. I don’t think he saw me. I wanted to scream my head off. To yell for Mom and Dad.
Something stopped me. I can’t explain. It’s like there was this big fist in the middle of my throat. Choking me. Choking off even the possibility of sound.
I backed up.
Step. Step. Step.
The man began to climb the stairs. Coming toward me.
Step. Step. Step.
I was in my bedroom now.
Step. Step. Step.
The back of my knees bumped against my bed. I climbed up on it. But I didn’t turn around. There was no way I was turning my back. I scooted all the way to the head of my bed.
There’s nowhere else to go! I’m trapped!
I could see the man’s head. Then his shoulders. And his chest. He kept on coming up the stairs! Coming straight toward me. He was in the hall now. Almost to my bedroom door. I could see his waist. But his legs…
His legs!
I did scream then. I couldn’t stop myself.
All the way up the stairs he came. Along the hall to the door of my room.
Except he couldn’t have. There was no way he could do that.
He didn’t have any legs.
“Wow!” Jen Shorewood said. “That is so creepy.” She shivered. “Just hearing about it makes
me
cold. So, we’re going to help this kid, right?”
“This could be tricky,” Grant said. “Officially, the family hasn’t asked for any help. By which I mean the parents. We can’t just show up.”
“But there must be something we can do,” Mark said. “We can’t ignore what’s going on.”
“Bill’s letter said he kept a case file,” Jason said.
Mark nodded. “It’s right here.” He spread the papers out and looked them over quickly. “In addition to a stair-climbing guy, there’s also a woman who walks around in the kitchen and a kid about Bill’s little sister’s age who runs back and forth—maybe she’s playing or something—in the downstairs hall.”
“Do any of the others have legs?” Mike asked. “And for the record, I can’t believe I just asked that question.”
“No,” Mark said. “None of them. And here’s something else. They do the same thing, over and over.”
“That’s interesting,” Grant commented.
“At least let me do some research,” Mark said. “Maybe if I can figure out who these ghosts are, I can solve the puzzle of what’s going on. Then we could get in touch with the parents. When we have something solid to tell them.”
“Sounds like a good approach,” Jason said. “Keep us
I sprinted for the kitchen, careful to run on the balls ofmy feet. That way, I wouldn’t make any noise. I crouched behind the kitchen table. All the chairs were pushed in. Even if Mom and Dad looked into the kitchen, they wouldn’t be able to see me at all.
But they didn’t look. Mom and Dad went upstairs. They turned off the lights. Now I was all alone in the dark.
Where those things hide.
Why did Mom say that? I wondered. What did she mean by “those things”?
I’m not just some kid who’s scared of the dark. Though I am. Kind of. Don’t tell anyone.
I filled up the water bottle and headed back upstairs. I was halfway up when I felt the cold.
Most people think cold is just cold. You put on a sweater and it’s no big deal. But this cold was something more. You know what I mean, right? You’re Ghost Hunters, after all.
The cold came from nowhere. That was the first thing. Sure, it was January. But I was in the middle of the house. Not near a window or a door. One minute it was normal temperature. The next minute I can see my breath, like when I’m outside in the snow.
I spun around.
Nothing.
Of course it’s nothing, Bill, I thought. Dave is right. You are a wimp.
Then why was my heart pounding so fast? So hard? My breath was making big white clouds as I breathed in and out. I kept on going toward my bedroom. Up the stairs. One by one. My teeth were chattering when I got to the top. I don’t know what made me do it, but I turned around.
There was a man behind me at the bottom of the stairs. He was staring straight ahead. I don’t think he saw me. I wanted to scream my head off. To yell for Mom and Dad.
Something stopped me. I can’t explain. It’s like there was this big fist in the middle of my throat. Choking me. Choking off even the possibility of sound.
I backed up.
Step. Step. Step.
The man began to climb the stairs. Coming toward me.
Step. Step. Step.
I was in my bedroom now.
Step. Step. Step.
The back of my knees bumped against my bed. I climbed up on it. But I didn’t turn around. There was no way I was turning my back. I scooted all the way to the head of my bed.
There’s nowhere else to go! I’m trapped!
I could see the man’s head. Then his shoulders. And his chest. He kept on coming up the stairs! Coming straight toward me. He was in the hall now. Almost to my bedroom door. I could see his waist. But his legs…
His legs!
I did scream then. I couldn’t stop myself.
All the way up the stairs he came. Along the hall to the door of my room.
Except he couldn’t have. There was no way he could do that.
He didn’t have any legs.
“Wow!” Jen Shorewood said. “That is so creepy.” She shivered. “Just hearing about it makes
me
cold. So, we’re going to help this kid, right?”
“This could be tricky,” Grant said. “Officially, the family hasn’t asked for any help. By which I mean the parents. We can’t just show up.”
“But there must be something we can do,” Mark said. “We can’t ignore what’s going on.”
“Bill’s letter said he kept a case file,” Jason said.
Mark nodded. “It’s right here.” He spread the papers out and looked them over quickly. “In addition to a stair-climbing guy, there’s also a woman who walks around in the kitchen and a kid about Bill’s little sister’s age who runs back and forth—maybe she’s playing or something—in the downstairs hall.”
“Do any of the others have legs?” Mike asked. “And for the record, I can’t believe I just asked that question.”
“No,” Mark said. “None of them. And here’s something else. They do the same thing, over and over.”
“That’s interesting,” Grant commented.
“At least let me do some research,” Mark said. “Maybe if I can figure out who these ghosts are, I can solve the puzzle of what’s going on. Then we could get in touch with the parents. When we have something solid to tell them.”
“Sounds like a good approach,” Jason said. “Keep us
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