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

into view.
    I opened my mouth to greet her, but only coughed. I cleared my throat.
    “You’re finally awake, Keith,” Mom said. “I’ve been waiting for so long.”
    I shook my head hard, trying to shake away my confusion. I glanced around, struggling to focus my eyes.
    Yes. Here I was. Safe and sound in the basement, where Mom and I live.
    But what had happened to me? Why had I been asleep for so long?
    Strange pictures floated through my mind.
    “Mom—” I choked out. “Mom, I had such terrible nightmares.”
    She tenderly brushed my hair off my forehead. Her hand felt warm and smooth.
“What did you dream?” she asked softly.
    “I—I dreamed that Marco was hit in the head with a baseball bat,” I
stammered.
    Mom bit her bottom lip. “You dreamed about Marco?” she asked, staring hard at
me.
    I nodded. “Yes. Marco was hit by a bat, and I—”
    “But you were hit by a bat, Keith,” Mom interrupted. “Not Marco.”
    “Everything was turned around in the dream,” I told Mom. “I dreamed that I
went up to Marco’s room. And I told him who I was. I told him I live in his
basement.”
    Mom sat down on the edge of my cot. “Then what happened?” she asked.
    “He started fighting me,” I told her. “Marco was horrible to me. He started
wrestling me. And he pulled me down the stairs. I was so frightened !”
    Mom narrowed her eyes at me sternly. “Keith, I warned you—didn’t I? I warned you never to play with humans.”
    “Yes, but—” I started.
    She raised a hand to silence me.
    “Never play with humans, Keith,” Mom scolded. “You’re a monster. You should
never forget it.” She sighed. “Just because you look exactly like a human
doesn’t mean you can be friends with the humans.”
    “I know. I know,” I grumbled.
    How many times had I heard this boring lecture before? At least a hundred!
    “I warned you never to play ball with Marco and the other humans,” Mom
continued. “But you didn’t listen to me. And look—look what happened.”
    I raised my hand and felt the bandage on the side of my head.
    “You were hit in the head with a bat, Keith,” Mom said, her voice trembling.
“You were badly hurt. It’s no wonder you had terrible nightmares.”
    “Mom, please—” I tried to sit up.
    But she gently forced me back onto my back. “You can’t go up and play with
the humans,” she continued her lecture. Once Mom starts, it’s impossible to stop
her. “We have to be so careful, Keith. So careful.”
    “I know! I know!” I cried. “I know the whole lecture, Mom. We’re monsters,
and we live in Marco and Gwynnie’s basement. And if they ever find out we’re down here, they’ll get frightened and chase us away.”
    Mom frowned at me. “I know it’s tempting to go up there and play with them,”
she said. “But I hope you’ve learned your lesson. You had me so worried this
time, Keith.”
    “I’m sorry, Mom. I’ll be careful from now on,” I promised.
    That seemed to make her happy. She smiled at me.
    “Okay,” she said. “You need your rest. Turn inside out and get some sleep.”
    “Okay,” I agreed.
    I said good-night to her and watched her disappear to the other side of the
basement.
    Then I opened my mouth and began to turn inside out. It felt so good to let
my insides pour out. So clean and refreshing.
    My heart and arteries slid from between my teeth. My stomach was halfway out
my mouth—when I heard a sound.
    No!
    A sound on the basement stairs!
    I glanced up—and saw Marco standing there.
    Did he see me?

 
 
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    Staring hard at the figure on the basement stairs, I quickly sucked up my
insides. My heart and veins slid back into my body. Then I swallowed my lungs.
    Did Marco see me?
    Yes.
    His eyes bulged with shock. His mouth hung open.
    A wave of panic swept over me. A chill ran down my back.
    This is our worst nightmare, I thought. I’ve been caught. I’ve been seen by a
human.
    Now what?
    I stared back at Marco and waited for