Read Online House of a Thousand Screams by R.L. Stine - Free Book Online Page A

outfit. His top hat sat at a tilt on his head.
    â€œShould I start now?” he asked.
    â€œNo, let the video finish,” I decided. “They might get mad if we turn it off.”
    Freddy sat back down and watched. When the tape reached the part with the puppet in the box, the little people began peepsing like crazy and pointing to the screen. I could have sworn I saw fear on their little faces. What could that mean?
    The video finally ended. The creatures began jabbering again. I poked Freddy.
    â€œNow,” I said.
    Freddy swallowed hard. He stood in front of the TV and announced in a shaky voice, “Ladies and gentlemen, the great Frederico!”
    He bowed and waved his wand.
    The little people stopped peepsing and watched him with bright, curious eyes.
    â€œSee?” Freddy said. “Nothing in my hands. And nothing up my sleeve.” He wiped his hands together, made a fist of one, then produced a handkerchief from his fist.
    But Freddy was nervous. He fumbled it. Theplastic thumb he’d hidden the silk in fell from his hand and bounced on the floor.
    A loud chorus of peepsing followed that. The little guys rolled around, holding their bellies and chirping.
    â€œWhat are they doing?” Freddy asked.
    I grinned. “I think they’re laughing at you.”
    Freddy blushed and pulled out a deck of cards. He made a fan with the cards. But once again he fumbled it. The entire deck spilled to the floor!
    Freddy looked miserable. He was proud of his act. But he was just too nervous to get it right.
    The little people didn’t seem to mind though. They thought he was a riot!
    Then one of them jumped and landed on Freddy’s shoulder.
    â€œFreddy,” I said quietly, “one of them is sitting on you. Wave your hand at the cards on the floor and see what happens.”
    Freddy held out a shaking hand, passed it above the cards, and said, “Abracadabra!”
    The creature flicked his fingers. The cards shot up from the floor and smacked Freddy square in the nose.
    â€œOw!” He rubbed his nose, glaring at me.
    Uh-oh! “Don’t get mad,” I warned him. “Laugh like it’s a great joke.”
    â€œHa-ha,” Freddy said halfheartedly.
    â€œLouder!” I insisted. “Make it sound like you mean it.”
    To help him out, I laughed too. At first it was hard. But then the whole situation struck us just right. Suddenly, we were laughing for real.
    The little guys peepsed happily. More of them jumped on Freddy. The cards began to dance around him in the air. He waved his hands. The cards followed his movements!
    â€œWow!” he declared. I clapped my hands.
    The creatures helped Freddy with trick after trick. In no time, they lost all their shyness. They swung from our fingers. They danced up and down our arms.
    This is great! I thought. Our troubles are over. We’ll never have to be scared again!
    Boy, was I wrong.
    In the middle of Freddy’s act, a shuddering howl ripped through the air. My breath caught in my throat. Fear turned my backbone to a blade of ice.
    What was that?
    The little people froze in their tracks. We all stared in terror at the open den door.
    From the hallway something tumbled into the room.
    Something blue.
    It was no bigger than a basketball. It stood on crooked hind legs. Its long arms were covered with matted blue fur.
    The thing raised its hairy arms and shrieked. Claws glinted in the light. Red eyes smoldered from the matted hair of its face. Slime dripped from its long,greenish fangs. The slime smoked and hissed where it hit the floor.
    I gasped. I’d seen this nightmare before. Only a few minutes ago, as a matter of fact.
    It was the evil-looking puppet from the box.
    But it was no puppet.
    It was alive!

17

    â€œT he puppet. It’s real!” Freddy shrieked.
    Apparently, he didn’t need magic glasses to see the thing. At the sound of his voice, the monster scuttled toward Freddy. It moved