R. L. Stine_Mostly Ghostly 07 by Freaks, Shrieks
Tags: Fiction, Medical, Juvenile Fiction, Magic, Fantasy & Magic, supernatural, Animals, Children's stories, Ghost Stories, Horror & Ghost Stories, Haunted Houses, Ghosts, Brain, Neuroscience, Body; Mind & Spirit, Apes; Monkeys; Etc, Chimpanzees
Ads: Link
monster. Holding my friends tightly in front of itself. Tilting its head back, howling into the rush of wind.
Well, I'm going to give you something to howl about! I thought.
I raised the flashlight. Aimed it at the creature's broad back.
And clicked it on. Clicked it hard.
Nothing happened.
Nothing.
No light. No light at all.
I SHOOK THE FLASHLIGHT .
I clicked it again.
No. The light didn't flash on.
I clicked it again. Again. My heart pounding each time.
It was dead. The flashlight was dead.
The creature was escaping with my friends.
Their screams had stopped. Had he strangled them with those long, curved talons?
The wind swirled around me as I chased the monster, squeezing the flashlight in both hands. Clicking it helplessly again and again.
I didn't see the rock at the side of a driveway. With a loud cry, I stumbled over it and went sprawling onto my stomach on the ground.
The flashlight hit the pavement. Bounced hard.
And a beam of bright white light shot out of it.
Yes! It was working now!
I dove for it. Grabbed it up. Struggled to my feet.
Gasping for breath, I ran after the howling creature. I raised the flashlight. Aimed the beam of light into the creature's black, furry back.
The monster stopped. It raised its head—and opened its mouth in an angry roar.
I gasped as it whirled around to face me.
Holding the flashlight in both hands, I raised the beam of light to the panther creature's face.
It howled in pain. Raised its front paws to shield its eyes from the light.
Nicky and Tara dropped free. Toppled to the ground.
The light beam trembled. But I kept it on the monster's face.
It let out another roar, softer this time. The creature tossed its head back and shook its paws as if trying to wave the light beam away.
I expected it to turn and run. But instead, it dropped to its knees, uttering low whimpers as it sank to the ground.
I lowered the light beam. Kept it focused on the creature's head.
And watched the monster sink into the grass and start to dissolve.
As I stared in shock, it melted into a lumpy black puddle. A round black stain on the grass.
Finally, my whole body shaking, I lowered the light beam. I clicked off the flashlight and ran to Nicky and Tara.
They had climbed to their feet and were gazing around as if in a daze.
“It… it's gone!” Nicky cried.
Tara pulled off her red hat and shook out her dark hair. “Whoa … Max … you … you did it!”
Nicky and Tara were fading in and out of view. I knew that their fright had drained a lot of their energy. I could see right through them!
The darkness lifted as suddenly as it had come. And the wind stopped howling and swirling. I could see stars in the evening sky and a bright full moon.
I breathed a long sigh of relief.
Nicky tapped knuckles with me. “Way to go, dude,” he said.
Tara was still shaking her head. She brushed tears off her cheeks. “See, Max?” she said in a whisper. “There are so many ghosts and evil creatures out there. So many evil creatures who are our enemies because of the work Mom and Dad did.”
She grabbed my arm. She was so faint, I could barely feel it. “Nicky and I aren't safe,” she said. “We're never safe. And we won't be safe until we know the truth—until we know what happened to us and how we can return to life.”
She faded even more. I could barely see the two of them now. They weren't even shadows. They were wisps of faint color.
“You saw what happened just now. You've got to help us, Max,” Nicky whispered. “You've
got
to!”
I pictured the evil panther creature. I pictured Nicky and Tara trapped in its long claws. My friends … my
best
friends being carried away …
I swallowed. “Okay,” I said. “I'll do it. I'll switch brains with the monkey.”
S ATURDAY MORNING I WOKE up early. I stared at myself in the dresser mirror. “Max, this could be the best or worst day of your life,” I told my reflection.
The reflection stared back at me and didn't
Well, I'm going to give you something to howl about! I thought.
I raised the flashlight. Aimed it at the creature's broad back.
And clicked it on. Clicked it hard.
Nothing happened.
Nothing.
No light. No light at all.
I SHOOK THE FLASHLIGHT .
I clicked it again.
No. The light didn't flash on.
I clicked it again. Again. My heart pounding each time.
It was dead. The flashlight was dead.
The creature was escaping with my friends.
Their screams had stopped. Had he strangled them with those long, curved talons?
The wind swirled around me as I chased the monster, squeezing the flashlight in both hands. Clicking it helplessly again and again.
I didn't see the rock at the side of a driveway. With a loud cry, I stumbled over it and went sprawling onto my stomach on the ground.
The flashlight hit the pavement. Bounced hard.
And a beam of bright white light shot out of it.
Yes! It was working now!
I dove for it. Grabbed it up. Struggled to my feet.
Gasping for breath, I ran after the howling creature. I raised the flashlight. Aimed the beam of light into the creature's black, furry back.
The monster stopped. It raised its head—and opened its mouth in an angry roar.
I gasped as it whirled around to face me.
Holding the flashlight in both hands, I raised the beam of light to the panther creature's face.
It howled in pain. Raised its front paws to shield its eyes from the light.
Nicky and Tara dropped free. Toppled to the ground.
The light beam trembled. But I kept it on the monster's face.
It let out another roar, softer this time. The creature tossed its head back and shook its paws as if trying to wave the light beam away.
I expected it to turn and run. But instead, it dropped to its knees, uttering low whimpers as it sank to the ground.
I lowered the light beam. Kept it focused on the creature's head.
And watched the monster sink into the grass and start to dissolve.
As I stared in shock, it melted into a lumpy black puddle. A round black stain on the grass.
Finally, my whole body shaking, I lowered the light beam. I clicked off the flashlight and ran to Nicky and Tara.
They had climbed to their feet and were gazing around as if in a daze.
“It… it's gone!” Nicky cried.
Tara pulled off her red hat and shook out her dark hair. “Whoa … Max … you … you did it!”
Nicky and Tara were fading in and out of view. I knew that their fright had drained a lot of their energy. I could see right through them!
The darkness lifted as suddenly as it had come. And the wind stopped howling and swirling. I could see stars in the evening sky and a bright full moon.
I breathed a long sigh of relief.
Nicky tapped knuckles with me. “Way to go, dude,” he said.
Tara was still shaking her head. She brushed tears off her cheeks. “See, Max?” she said in a whisper. “There are so many ghosts and evil creatures out there. So many evil creatures who are our enemies because of the work Mom and Dad did.”
She grabbed my arm. She was so faint, I could barely feel it. “Nicky and I aren't safe,” she said. “We're never safe. And we won't be safe until we know the truth—until we know what happened to us and how we can return to life.”
She faded even more. I could barely see the two of them now. They weren't even shadows. They were wisps of faint color.
“You saw what happened just now. You've got to help us, Max,” Nicky whispered. “You've
got
to!”
I pictured the evil panther creature. I pictured Nicky and Tara trapped in its long claws. My friends … my
best
friends being carried away …
I swallowed. “Okay,” I said. “I'll do it. I'll switch brains with the monkey.”
S ATURDAY MORNING I WOKE up early. I stared at myself in the dresser mirror. “Max, this could be the best or worst day of your life,” I told my reflection.
The reflection stared back at me and didn't
Similar Books
