R. L. Stine_Mostly Ghostly 07 by Freaks, Shrieks Page A

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    What a day I had planned. First I'd switch brains with a chimpanzee. Then I'd perform magic in front of one of the world's greatest magicians. Then I'd go to a party with Traci Wayne.
    With a day like that, it's no wonder I was talking to myself!
    A few hours later, Dr. Smollet met Nicky, Tara, and me at the place where we'd first met and drove us to his lab. He seemed very cheerful. He kept talking about what a great day this would be for Nicky and Tara.
    I slumped in the backseat and hardly said a word. I wanted to shove open the car door and run as far as I could.
    But I'd made a promise to my friends. And I was going to grit my teeth and keep my promise.
    This will all be over soon, I told myself. I forced myself to think about Ballantine and the magic tricks I had planned to show him.
    As we walked through the long white halls of the lab, I heard the distant shrieks and wails of animals again. Their cages were hidden away.
    Dr. Smollet led us to the same room as before. On the long table, a row of computer monitors blinked and glowed. Machines hummed against the wall.
    Two tall stools had been set near the computer table. Dr. Smollet motioned for me to sit on one of them.
    My legs were trembling so hard, I had trouble climbing onto the stool.
    Dr. Smollet put his hand on my shoulder. “Don't worry, Max,” he said softly. “You'll be fine. You'll see.”
    He typed for a few moments on the nearest keyboard. Then he hurried away to bring in Mr. Harvey.
    Nicky and Tara had been admiring all the computers. When Dr. Smollet left the room, they rushed over to me.
    “This is so awesome of you,” Tara said. “I can't believe you're doing this for us.”
    “I can't either,” I muttered.
    “We're gonna owe you—big-time,” Nicky said.
    “Tell you the
first
thing we're gonna do foryou,” Tara said. “We're gonna stay away from the magic store. Nicky and I are not going to help you with your act.”
    “Oh, thank you!” I cried. “That's the best news I've heard all day. And what
else
are you going to do for me?”
    They didn't have a chance to answer. Dr. Smollet returned, leading the chimpanzee. “Mr. Harvey is ready to go,” he said. He gave the chimp a gentle head rub.
    A big, toothy grin spread over Mr. Harvey's face.
    Dr. Smollet sat Mr. Harvey on the stool next to me. The chimp started to chatter and hop up and down. He reached out a big hand and mussed my hair.
    “Settle down, Mr. Harvey,” Dr. Smollet scolded. “I mean it. Settle down.”
    The chimp seemed to understand. He stopped chattering and dropped limply onto the stool.
    “Mr. Harvey was here the day Phears did his dirty work,” Dr. Smollet said to Nicky and Tara. “Once the chimp's brain waves are inside Max, he'll be able to tell us everything he saw.”
    He turned to me. “It won't take long,” he said. “As soon as we learn what Mr. Harvey knows, I'll switch the brain waves back. And you'll be back to normal, Max.”
    I shoved my hands in my pockets to stop themfrom shaking. I don't think I'd ever been this terrified in my life.
    The chimp grinned at me, stuck out his tongue, and made a spitting noise.
    “Uh … I'm sorry,” I said. “I can't do this. I just remembered something I forgot to do.”
    “Max, what did you forget?” Tara asked.
    “I forgot to leave!”
    Dr. Smollet smiled. “Funny,” he muttered. He slipped a pair of headphones over my head. I saw that they were attached to a maze of wires that ran into the computers.
    “Max, don't be so nervous,” he said. “I'm a doctor, remember?”
    He turned and put another pair of headphones on the chimp's head. Mr. Harvey made a spitting noise at Dr. Smollet.
    “If I start spitting like that, just smack me!” I said.
    I was trying to make a joke. But everyone was too tense to laugh.
    “Ready for the brain waves transfer,” Dr. Smollet said.
    He patted me on the shoulder. “Don't look so worried, Max,” he said. “You won't feel a thing….”

M Y MOUTH