Read Online Goosebumps: The Curse of Camp Cold Lake by R. L. Stine - Free Book Online
Authors: R. L. Stine
Tags: Children's Books
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say. “I guess I’ll go
to lunch now.”
I trudged out of the tiny office. And took a deep breath. The air was much
cooler out in the main lodge.
I turned the corner and headed toward the mess hall in the front of the
building. As I turned another corner, I heard Della’s frail voice behind me.
“You can’t get away, Sarah. You’re my buddy. There’s no need to run. You’ll always be my buddy.”
The soft words—so close to my ear—sent shivers down my back.
Something inside me snapped.
I couldn’t hold in my fury.
“SHUT UP!” I shrieked. “SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP—AND LEAVE ME ALONE!”
I spun around to see if she had heard me.
And gasped in horror.
25
Briana stood behind me.
Her mouth dropped open in shock. “Okay, okay. I’ll go away,” she said,
backing up. “You don’t have to be so nasty, Sarah. I was just coming to see how
you were doing.”
Wow. I felt so bad.
Briana thought I was talking to her.
“I—I—” I stammered.
“I thought you wanted to be friends,” Briana snapped. “I didn’t even say a
word to you. And you bit my head off!”
“I wasn’t talking to you!” I finally choked out. “I was talking to her !”
I pointed to Della, who leaned against the wall behind us. Della waved to me
and giggled.
Sun from the open lodge window lit up Della’s blond hair from behind. I could
see the window right through her body.
“I was talking to her!” I repeated.
Briana raised her eyes to the window.
And the strangest expression spread over her face.
The next morning, I gulped down some gooey scrambled eggs for breakfast. Then
I made my way to the boat dock.
Don’t ask why I decided to try water-skiing.
I really don’t have an answer.
I suppose I did it for Aaron. The night before, he begged me once again not
to call Mom and Dad.
Aaron really didn’t want to go home. He said he was having the best summer of
his life.
Sure, I thought. It’s easy for you to have a good summer. You don’t
have a ghost following you around.
“Please try to stay a while longer,” Aaron begged.
I won’t go to the lake, I decided. I’ll hang around the cabin and read or
something.
But in the morning, I realized that was a bad plan.
I’d be too scared to stay by myself in the cabin while everyone else was at
the lake. I would have no way to protect myself against Della.
Yes, I know I wasn’t thinking clearly.
I was so stressed out, I could barely think at all!
I should have stayed as far away from the water as possible.
But I really didn’t want to be alone. So I followed Richard’s advice. And went to the boat dock. And told Liz I wanted to try
water-skiing.
“That’s great, Sarah!” Liz cried, flashing me a pleased smile. “Have you ever
done it before? It’s easier than it looks.”
I told her I’d never tried it.
She pulled a yellow inflated life vest and a pair of skis from the equipment
shed.
Then she gave me a short lesson. Showed me how to lean back and how to bend
my knees.
A short while later, I was in the water waiting for the motorboat to come
around. Meg was using the boat now, skiing behind it, sliding over the water.
Her orange bathing suit glowed in the morning sunlight.
The hum of the boat echoed over the water. The lake bobbed and rippled in the
boat’s wake.
Meg let out a cry and let go of the towrope as the boat sped near the dock.
She splashed into the water, then quickly pulled off her skis. Then she came
walking to shore.
“My turn next,” I said softly. I felt a knot in my stomach.
Meg flashed me a thumbs-up.
I struggled with the skis, but finally got them in place. Then I pulled up
the towrope, gripping it tightly in both hands.
The boat motor sputtered and coughed. The boat rocked up ahead of me in the
rippling blue water.
I steadied myself. Lowered myself the way Liz had shown me. And took a deep
breath.
“Ready!” I called.
The motor sputtered—and then roared.
The boat pulled
to lunch now.”
I trudged out of the tiny office. And took a deep breath. The air was much
cooler out in the main lodge.
I turned the corner and headed toward the mess hall in the front of the
building. As I turned another corner, I heard Della’s frail voice behind me.
“You can’t get away, Sarah. You’re my buddy. There’s no need to run. You’ll always be my buddy.”
The soft words—so close to my ear—sent shivers down my back.
Something inside me snapped.
I couldn’t hold in my fury.
“SHUT UP!” I shrieked. “SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP—AND LEAVE ME ALONE!”
I spun around to see if she had heard me.
And gasped in horror.
25
Briana stood behind me.
Her mouth dropped open in shock. “Okay, okay. I’ll go away,” she said,
backing up. “You don’t have to be so nasty, Sarah. I was just coming to see how
you were doing.”
Wow. I felt so bad.
Briana thought I was talking to her.
“I—I—” I stammered.
“I thought you wanted to be friends,” Briana snapped. “I didn’t even say a
word to you. And you bit my head off!”
“I wasn’t talking to you!” I finally choked out. “I was talking to her !”
I pointed to Della, who leaned against the wall behind us. Della waved to me
and giggled.
Sun from the open lodge window lit up Della’s blond hair from behind. I could
see the window right through her body.
“I was talking to her!” I repeated.
Briana raised her eyes to the window.
And the strangest expression spread over her face.
The next morning, I gulped down some gooey scrambled eggs for breakfast. Then
I made my way to the boat dock.
Don’t ask why I decided to try water-skiing.
I really don’t have an answer.
I suppose I did it for Aaron. The night before, he begged me once again not
to call Mom and Dad.
Aaron really didn’t want to go home. He said he was having the best summer of
his life.
Sure, I thought. It’s easy for you to have a good summer. You don’t
have a ghost following you around.
“Please try to stay a while longer,” Aaron begged.
I won’t go to the lake, I decided. I’ll hang around the cabin and read or
something.
But in the morning, I realized that was a bad plan.
I’d be too scared to stay by myself in the cabin while everyone else was at
the lake. I would have no way to protect myself against Della.
Yes, I know I wasn’t thinking clearly.
I was so stressed out, I could barely think at all!
I should have stayed as far away from the water as possible.
But I really didn’t want to be alone. So I followed Richard’s advice. And went to the boat dock. And told Liz I wanted to try
water-skiing.
“That’s great, Sarah!” Liz cried, flashing me a pleased smile. “Have you ever
done it before? It’s easier than it looks.”
I told her I’d never tried it.
She pulled a yellow inflated life vest and a pair of skis from the equipment
shed.
Then she gave me a short lesson. Showed me how to lean back and how to bend
my knees.
A short while later, I was in the water waiting for the motorboat to come
around. Meg was using the boat now, skiing behind it, sliding over the water.
Her orange bathing suit glowed in the morning sunlight.
The hum of the boat echoed over the water. The lake bobbed and rippled in the
boat’s wake.
Meg let out a cry and let go of the towrope as the boat sped near the dock.
She splashed into the water, then quickly pulled off her skis. Then she came
walking to shore.
“My turn next,” I said softly. I felt a knot in my stomach.
Meg flashed me a thumbs-up.
I struggled with the skis, but finally got them in place. Then I pulled up
the towrope, gripping it tightly in both hands.
The boat motor sputtered and coughed. The boat rocked up ahead of me in the
rippling blue water.
I steadied myself. Lowered myself the way Liz had shown me. And took a deep
breath.
“Ready!” I called.
The motor sputtered—and then roared.
The boat pulled
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