R. L. Stine_Mostly Ghostly 04 by Little Camp of Horrors Page A
Authors: Little Camp of Horrors
Tags: Fiction, Horror, Juvenile Fiction, supernatural, Horror Tales, Ghost Stories, Horror & Ghost Stories, Ghosts, Body; Mind & Spirit, Horror stories, Camps
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said.
“But it's pouring!” he cried.
“I love swimming in the rain. It's my favorite,” I lied. “Totally refreshing.”
Jakey stared at me, frowning.
“Whenever it rains back home, I run out as fast as I can and go swimming,” I said.
“Cool,” he muttered. But I could see he didn't believe me.
I straightened the swim trunks. Pulled the goggles onto my forehead. And grabbed a waterproof flashlight off the shelf by the door.
“See ya,” I called to Jakey.
He said something, but I was already out the door, back in the roar of the rain.
“Oh, wow!” I cried out as the cold water swept over my bare shoulders. I ran barefoot down the muddy path, splashing as I went.
Nicky and Tara were waiting at the shore. “Out there,” Tara said, pointing. “Swim straight out, Max. Keep in a straight line from here, and you'll find it.”
“Good luck,” Nicky said, his voice a whisper in the roar of rain.
And then they both disappeared, leaving me alone on the shore. Shivering, I gripped the flashlight tightly as if hanging on to a life preserver.
With a trembling hand, I pulled the goggles down over my eyes. I clicked on the flashlight and sent a yellow beam of light out over the dark, tumbling water.
I thought about snakes. I couldn't help it.
I pictured them crawling along the muddy lake bottom. Fat, long snakes, their triangular heads raised as they slithered, tangling and untangling together. Tiny black eyes moving rapidly back and forth.
Waiting … watching for someone to swim by. Their jaws clamped tight … waiting … waiting for a chance to
snap
.
No. No way. Max, you saw the junior counselorsswimming here. There are no dangerous snakes in Snake Lake.
I knew that was true. But I couldn't help thinking about them. I couldn't stop picturing them as I stepped into the lake.
My feet sank into the muddy bottom. The cold water washed over my ankles.
“Here goes,” I muttered, and walked deeper into the dark water.
26
A FEW STEPS IN , the soft bottom dropped away. The water rose to my waist.
I stopped for a moment to catch my balance. The air was so cold, the lake water actually felt warm. The waves were gentle. They tickled my skin as they rolled past.
I bent my knees and dropped underwater. Something else tickled my skin.
Whoa. Wait.
Only lake grass. Remember the lake grass, Max. Don't panic.
I kept the flashlight close and beamed it straight down. Staring through the goggles, I could see the mud of the lake bottom and tiny plants rippling with the current.
I straightened up. Pushed off with both feet. And started to float.
It was hard to move forward with the flashlight gripped in one hand. I kicked hard and tried to float in a straight line.
Something tickled my leg. I turned and duckedmy head under the water. The flashlight beam fell on a cluster of snakelike weeds bobbing near the surface.
Stop thinking about snakes, Max, I told myself again.
The wind gusted hard. Rain washed into my face. I dove underwater, where it was calmer and warmer.
Floating facedown, I swept the light ahead of me. No sign of the pendant. The muddy bottom rippled and swirled beneath me.
I bobbed up and turned to shore. My eyes widened when I saw how far out I had swum.
Colin couldn't have thrown the pendant this far out. Should I swim back?
I gasped as something tickled my waist. I sank into the water, shining the light around frantically. A school of minnows fluttered past, shimmering like silver in the pale light.
Shimmering like little silver pods.
I kicked hard to move away from them. The water churned all around me. And when it settled once again, something else caught my beam of light—something that sparkled like silver!
My heart started to pound. Was that it? Had I found the pendant? The flashlight trembled in my hand, making the light shimmer wildly over the lake bottom.
I rose to the surface, took a deep breath, andmade a strong dive. Where was it? Where was that sparkly object? I moved the
“But it's pouring!” he cried.
“I love swimming in the rain. It's my favorite,” I lied. “Totally refreshing.”
Jakey stared at me, frowning.
“Whenever it rains back home, I run out as fast as I can and go swimming,” I said.
“Cool,” he muttered. But I could see he didn't believe me.
I straightened the swim trunks. Pulled the goggles onto my forehead. And grabbed a waterproof flashlight off the shelf by the door.
“See ya,” I called to Jakey.
He said something, but I was already out the door, back in the roar of the rain.
“Oh, wow!” I cried out as the cold water swept over my bare shoulders. I ran barefoot down the muddy path, splashing as I went.
Nicky and Tara were waiting at the shore. “Out there,” Tara said, pointing. “Swim straight out, Max. Keep in a straight line from here, and you'll find it.”
“Good luck,” Nicky said, his voice a whisper in the roar of rain.
And then they both disappeared, leaving me alone on the shore. Shivering, I gripped the flashlight tightly as if hanging on to a life preserver.
With a trembling hand, I pulled the goggles down over my eyes. I clicked on the flashlight and sent a yellow beam of light out over the dark, tumbling water.
I thought about snakes. I couldn't help it.
I pictured them crawling along the muddy lake bottom. Fat, long snakes, their triangular heads raised as they slithered, tangling and untangling together. Tiny black eyes moving rapidly back and forth.
Waiting … watching for someone to swim by. Their jaws clamped tight … waiting … waiting for a chance to
snap
.
No. No way. Max, you saw the junior counselorsswimming here. There are no dangerous snakes in Snake Lake.
I knew that was true. But I couldn't help thinking about them. I couldn't stop picturing them as I stepped into the lake.
My feet sank into the muddy bottom. The cold water washed over my ankles.
“Here goes,” I muttered, and walked deeper into the dark water.
26
A FEW STEPS IN , the soft bottom dropped away. The water rose to my waist.
I stopped for a moment to catch my balance. The air was so cold, the lake water actually felt warm. The waves were gentle. They tickled my skin as they rolled past.
I bent my knees and dropped underwater. Something else tickled my skin.
Whoa. Wait.
Only lake grass. Remember the lake grass, Max. Don't panic.
I kept the flashlight close and beamed it straight down. Staring through the goggles, I could see the mud of the lake bottom and tiny plants rippling with the current.
I straightened up. Pushed off with both feet. And started to float.
It was hard to move forward with the flashlight gripped in one hand. I kicked hard and tried to float in a straight line.
Something tickled my leg. I turned and duckedmy head under the water. The flashlight beam fell on a cluster of snakelike weeds bobbing near the surface.
Stop thinking about snakes, Max, I told myself again.
The wind gusted hard. Rain washed into my face. I dove underwater, where it was calmer and warmer.
Floating facedown, I swept the light ahead of me. No sign of the pendant. The muddy bottom rippled and swirled beneath me.
I bobbed up and turned to shore. My eyes widened when I saw how far out I had swum.
Colin couldn't have thrown the pendant this far out. Should I swim back?
I gasped as something tickled my waist. I sank into the water, shining the light around frantically. A school of minnows fluttered past, shimmering like silver in the pale light.
Shimmering like little silver pods.
I kicked hard to move away from them. The water churned all around me. And when it settled once again, something else caught my beam of light—something that sparkled like silver!
My heart started to pound. Was that it? Had I found the pendant? The flashlight trembled in my hand, making the light shimmer wildly over the lake bottom.
I rose to the surface, took a deep breath, andmade a strong dive. Where was it? Where was that sparkly object? I moved the
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