Read Online I Live in Your Basement by R. L. Stine - Free Book Online Page A

say?”
    “I’m not dreaming,” I repeated, feeling dazed.
    “At least you are standing up,” Mom replied. She studied me. “Does your head
hurt, Marco?”
    Yes. It hurt because I slammed it into a cabinet.
    But I said, “No. I’m fine, Mom.”
    And then I ran out of the kitchen. I had to get out of there. I had to think.
I had to be alone and figure this out.
    “Marco—?” Mom called after me.
    But I didn’t turn back. I ran up the stairs and into my room. And I slammed
the bedroom door behind me.
    “Marco, take it easy,” a voice said.
    I gasped and raised my eyes to the bed. Keith sat cross-legged on the
blanket, the pillow between his hands.
    “Sit down,” he said, motioning to my desk chair. “Take a deep breath. Relax.
We’re going to spend a long time together. The rest of your life.”

 
 
29
     
     
    “Am I dreaming?” I asked in a tiny voice.
    Keith didn’t reply. He pointed to the chair. “Sit down,” he ordered.
    I glanced at the door. I thought about escaping.
    But I suddenly felt so tired, so totally weak and weary.
    My legs started to give way. My whole body trembled.
    “I’m sooooo tired,” I moaned. I turned back to Keith. “You win,” I murmured.
“You’ve beaten me.”
    He smiled and pointed again to the chair.
    I slumped into it with a long sigh. “I can’t fight you,” I told him wearily.
“I don’t know if I’m dreaming or awake. And I don’t have the strength to find
out.”
    His smile grew wider. A victory smile, I guess. His dark eyes flashed.
    “You win,” I repeated sadly. “I’ll do whatever you want.”
    He jumped to his feet and crossed the room. Then he patted me on the
shoulder, as if I were his puppy dog. “Smart boy,” he said.
    He stood in front of me and crossed his arms. His grin was frozen on his
face. “I knew you’d see it my way,” he said. “Because you are a very smart boy,
Marco.”
    I lowered my head. I couldn’t stand seeing that sick grin on his face.
    “I know you will take very good care of me,” Keith continued. “I know you
will do whatever I tell you to. For as long as you live.”
    He suddenly spun away and started to the door.
    “Where are you going?” I demanded weakly.
    “I’m going down to the basement,” he replied. “Where I live. And do you know
what I’m going to do?”
    “No,” I choked out.
    “Guess,” he demanded.
    “I can’t guess,” I snapped. “Give me a break.”
    “I’m going down to the basement and make a list of all the things you can do
for me right away,” Keith said. “You wait here, Marco. When I finish my list, I
will come back and we can go over it together.”
    “Right,” I muttered under my breath. I rolled my eyes.
    Was he serious about this? Did he really expect me to be his slave—forever?
    He stopped at the door and turned back to me.
    “Before I go, there’s just one thing I want to show you,” he said.
    He took a few steps back into the room. Then he opened his mouth wide.
    Shiny pink stuff poured out of his mouth. For a second, I thought he was
blowing a bubblegum bubble.
    But I quickly realized what was happening.
    His glistening, wet insides poured out of his mouth. Yellow organs clung to
the pink flesh. His purple heart plopped out from between his teeth, pulsing
inside a thick web of blue ropelike veins.
    I stared in horror, watching him turn inside out.
    Then I started to scream.
    And Keith opened his mouth—teeth on the outside—and he screamed too.

 
 
30
     
     
    I opened my eyes and blinked. My eyes were dry and caked. My mouth felt as
dry as cotton.
    I must have been sleeping a long time, I told myself.
    Still lying fiat, I stretched my arms out. The muscles ached.
    My head ached.
    With a groan, I lifted my head off the pillow. Then I raised myself up onto
both elbows.
    “Whoa…” I murmured. The basement slowly came into focus. I felt so dizzy… dizzy and weak.
    “Keith—you’re awake!”
    I heard Mom’s voice. And then she popped