working. He said he didn’t care about a bunch of old bones. “So the house was finished,” Anthony continued. “And the guy brought his family to see it. They were going to move in in a few weeks, and he wanted to show it to them. “When they arrived, he heard workers finishing up one of the upstairs rooms. He went up to see what they were doing. He told his wife and two kids to wait downstairs. He didn’t want them to see the upstairs until it was finished. So they sat down on the floor and waited for him. “The guy was upstairs for only a few minutes. But when he got back down, he—he found …” Anthony’s voice trailed off. “What?” Kody demanded impatiently. “What did he find?” Cally took a deep breath and held it, trying to slow her racing heart. “His family was still sitting in the living room,” Anthony continued slowly. “But—they were dead. Their heads—their heads were missing,” “What?” Cally shrieked. She saw Kody’s eyes bulge open wide. Her mouth dropped open, but no sound came out. “All their guts were pouring out,” Anthony continued, his face half hidden in the deep shade of the old tree. “It looked like their heads had been torn off their necks.” “Where were their heads?” Cally demanded in a hushed whisper. Anthony shrugged. “The town historian said the heads were gone. They weren’t in the house. They were never found.” “So—what happened?” Kody asked, shuddering. “What happened then?” “What happened to the guy?” Anthony asked. He shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t know what happened to him. But the house—the house just sat there. No one ever moved in. No one wanted to move in. The whole town knew the story about what happened to the wife and the two kids, and about the hundred-year-old graves. And
so the house stayed empty. No one ever lived here.” “Until us!” Kody declared with a shiver. Cally chewed her bottom lip as she studied Anthony’s face. “Why are you staring at me like that?” he demanded edgily. “I keep waiting for you to smile,” she told him. “I keep waiting for you to break up, to tell us it’s all a joke.” “It’s no joke,” Anthony murmured, his dark eyes glowing as he returned Cally’s stare. “I knew there was something evil about this house!” Kody declared. “I knew it from the moment we arrived!” All three of them stared at the back of the house. The windows all reflected the dark trees, “But I don’t believe in ghosts!” Cally cried defiantly, as if directing the words to the ghosts themselves. “I don’t believe in ghosts and evil spirits.” “I don’t either,” Anthony replied quietly. “But—” He stopped short when he heard the screams. They all heard them. James’s shrill screams, coming from the house.
Chapter 11
“James! What’s wrong?” Cally shrieked. She leapt to her feet and frantically started running toward the house. She had a hideous picture in her mind—a picture of James’s head being ripped off his body by a dark, ghoulish monster. “James! Are you all right? James?” Kody and Anthony were right behind her. The shrill cries continued. And then James burst out of the kitchen door. The screen door slammed behind him. “Where is he?” James called. “Where is he?” Cally watched her brother run desperately around the backyard, peering behind trees, under shrubs. “James—what are you doing?” she cried as she caught up to him. She grabbed his shoulders and forced him to stand still. “Where is he? Where is he?” James repeated, almost a chant. “Where is who?” Cally demanded. “Cubby! I heard him!” James told her, jerking out of her grasp, continuing his wild search. “James!” “I heard him barking!” James insisted. “I was in the kitchen. I heard Cubby barking!” Cally turned to Kody and Anthony. “Did you hear a dog?” They both shook their heads, their eyes revealing surprise and confusion. “We didn’t hear any barking,”
so the house stayed empty. No one ever lived here.” “Until us!” Kody declared with a shiver. Cally chewed her bottom lip as she studied Anthony’s face. “Why are you staring at me like that?” he demanded edgily. “I keep waiting for you to smile,” she told him. “I keep waiting for you to break up, to tell us it’s all a joke.” “It’s no joke,” Anthony murmured, his dark eyes glowing as he returned Cally’s stare. “I knew there was something evil about this house!” Kody declared. “I knew it from the moment we arrived!” All three of them stared at the back of the house. The windows all reflected the dark trees, “But I don’t believe in ghosts!” Cally cried defiantly, as if directing the words to the ghosts themselves. “I don’t believe in ghosts and evil spirits.” “I don’t either,” Anthony replied quietly. “But—” He stopped short when he heard the screams. They all heard them. James’s shrill screams, coming from the house.
Chapter 11
“James! What’s wrong?” Cally shrieked. She leapt to her feet and frantically started running toward the house. She had a hideous picture in her mind—a picture of James’s head being ripped off his body by a dark, ghoulish monster. “James! Are you all right? James?” Kody and Anthony were right behind her. The shrill cries continued. And then James burst out of the kitchen door. The screen door slammed behind him. “Where is he?” James called. “Where is he?” Cally watched her brother run desperately around the backyard, peering behind trees, under shrubs. “James—what are you doing?” she cried as she caught up to him. She grabbed his shoulders and forced him to stand still. “Where is he? Where is he?” James repeated, almost a chant. “Where is who?” Cally demanded. “Cubby! I heard him!” James told her, jerking out of her grasp, continuing his wild search. “James!” “I heard him barking!” James insisted. “I was in the kitchen. I heard Cubby barking!” Cally turned to Kody and Anthony. “Did you hear a dog?” They both shook their heads, their eyes revealing surprise and confusion. “We didn’t hear any barking,”
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