The Howling Ghost by Christopher Pike Page A

searchlight or no searchlight. IfCaptain Pillar’s ghost had swiped Neil, it had no right to do it.
    But Adam was almost positive there was no Neil down here. And he had a feeling that there never had been. Sally had jumped to her conclusion too fast. Adam doubted that Captain Pillar had anything to do with the disappearance of the boy. At least not directly.
    Adam just hoped he lived to tell his friends about his important observations.
    Time went by, and Adam began to get cold. He had on a wet suit, of course, but it didn’t keep him nearly so warm now that he’d stopped swimming. But he couldn’t move around too much because he’d use up the air quicker.
    He had another problem. The battery in his flashlight was dying. Every minute or so, the light would briefly flicker out. Each time it came back on, it was slightly dimmer. The underwater boat was spooky enough with light. In the dark, Adam didn’t know if he’d be able to stand it. The cold would seep into his heart and lungs, and he wouldn’t even be able to shout for help. He reconsidered. Maybe he should try to make one last dash for the surface. If his lungs exploded, at least it would be over for him soon.
    But Adam stayed where he was.
    He didn’t want his lungs to explode.
    He was sure it would hurt real bad.
    More time passed. His light flickered.
    But this time it didn’t come back on.
    â€œOh no,” Adam whispered as he shook the flashlight. He played with the switch, turning it on and off. But it remained off.
    He was alone, in the dark. Underwater with a dead sailor.
    â€œThis is worse than the Secret Path,” Adam whispered as he began to shiver. He’d never been in such a cold black place. He tried to think back to how it had all got started. Really, he’d just wanted his big excitement that day to be doughnuts and milk.
    â€œYeah, but you wanted to be the big hero, too,” he told himself. That was the trouble with most movies and books, he decided. They didn’t tell the stories of all the heroes who didn’t live to tell their tales. He doubted there would even be an article in The Daily Disaster to describe his brave attempt to save Neil.
    â€œIt’s a stupid name for a paper anyway,” Adam said between trembling teeth.
    More time went by. Adam began to lose the feeling in his hands, his feet. His constant shivering was slowly being replaced by a strange drowsy warmfeeling. He knew that was a bad sign. He was getting hypothermia—he had read about it in one of his mother’s magazines. He would pass out soon, and drown, and the fish would eat him. It was a cruel world. It was a weird town.
    Then he saw a strange yellow light. He wondered if that meant he was dead, that an angel was coming to take him to heaven. He thought he deserved to go there since he had died so bravely. The light was coming up beneath him and it was getting so very bright. He wondered if his guardian angel would be fat and naked like the ones in the old paintings. He sort of hoped he had a nicer-looking angel, not that he was picky.
    But it wasn’t an angel.
    A human head popped up out of the water.
    â€œWatch,” Adam said softly. “What are you doing here?”
    Watch took out his regulator and pulled off his face mask. “I’ve come to rescue you.”
    â€œYou took long enough,” Adam said, although he was happy to see his friend.
    â€œSorry. I sent the girls for another air tank but they brought back a huge bottle of laughing gas instead. The dive shop in Spooksville also supplies the local dentists. They often get their inventory mixed up. Ihad to go back to the shop myself.” Watch searched around with his flashlight and nodded in the direction of Captain Pillar’s skeleton, which was still holding on to its whiskey bottle. “Is that the guy whose ghost stole Neil?” Watch asked.
    â€œI don’t think so,” Adam replied. “I really