Read Online R. L. Stine_Mostly Ghostly 04 by Little Camp of Horrors - Free Book Online
Authors: Little Camp of Horrors
Tags: Fiction, Horror, Juvenile Fiction, supernatural, Horror Tales, Ghost Stories, Horror & Ghost Stories, Ghosts, Body; Mind & Spirit, Horror stories, Camps
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into my skin, holding me underwater.
Something jerked my leg out from under me. I felt something grab my arm.
I had my eyes shut. I didn't see Nicky and Tara at first.
When I realized they were underwater with me—frantically trying to pry the snakes off—I nearly opened my mouth to shout for joy!
Nicky pulled a snake off my ankle, heaved it, and sent it floating away. Tara tore at the two snakes around my waist.
The ghosts looked solid, but the water seemed to flow right through them.
My chest throbbed with pain. My lungs felt about to explode.
My throat ached. I felt dizzy. The water churned around me. Around and around … till I closed my eyes again.
Please—I have to breathe!
Nicky tugged another snake off my leg. Then my two ghost friends grabbed my feet—and pushed. They gave me a hard shove to the surface.
My head popped out of the water. I opened my mouth and, choking and sputtering, let out a long whoosh of air and sucked in a fresh one.
Treading water, I waited for my heart to stop pounding. I waited for the ache in my chest to fade. Then I began half swimming, half floating to shore.
I felt totally drained. My arms and legs seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. The shore seemed a million miles away, but I pushed myself toward it.
I turned to float on my back for a while—and saw something shiny bobbing on the surface of the water. My heart skipped a beat. I turned and floated to the tiny object.
Just a leaf? A dead fish floating on its side?
No. The pendant … floating on a clump of weeds.
I wrapped my hand around it. This time, I wouldn't let go.
The rain had stopped. But the wind blew hard, cold against my face.
Gripping the pendant tightly, I made it to shore and pulled myself out of the water. Shivering in the cold air, I raised the pendant close to my face and rubbed the water off it with my finger.
Behind me, I could hear voices from the lodge. The other campers were still inside. The aroma of roasting chicken floated out from the mess hall kitchen.
Hugging myself to stop my shivers, I turned to the water and searched for Nicky and Tara.
Where were they? They should be on the shore by now.
The lake water stretched like an enormous black hole under the dark sky. I shuddered, thinking about the snakes again. My legs itched and tingled.
Deadly snakes. The camp story wasn't a joke. Snake Lake was filled with powerful snakes that could pull a camper down to the bottom and hold him there.
Then why were Colin and his friends swimming here?
I shook my head hard, sending a spray of water all around me. I didn't want to think about the snakes. Every time I pictured them wrapped around me, swimming up the legs of my swim trunks, my whole body started to tremble.
“Nicky? Tara? Where are you?” I called.
The dark water lapped quietly against theshore. Somewhere in the trees, a bird uttered a hoarse caw.
“Nicky? Tara?”
Were they still underwater searching for the pendant?
I cupped both hands around my mouth. “I have it!” I screamed. “I have the pendant! Hey—I have it!”
No reply.
No sign of them. I squinted into the gray light and searched for them.
What's taking them so long? Why don't they come up from the lake?
28
I TRIED AGAIN . “I have the pendant!” I shouted. “Come out! I have the pendant!”
I watched the black water, low waves rolling to shore. All I could hear was the splash of the water and the rush of wind.
Finally, two pale shadows rose from the surface. All gray at first. Standing side by side, they floated toward me, a foot above the water.
A few seconds later, Nicky and Tara stood next to me. The water drained off them. In seconds, they were totally dry.
“Where were you?” I cried. “You scared me to death!”
Tara brushed back her dark hair. She straightened the dangling red earrings she wore. “Sorry, Max,” she said.
“We were searching for the snakes,” Nicky said. He pulled a clump of lake grass out of his jeans pocket and tossed
Something jerked my leg out from under me. I felt something grab my arm.
I had my eyes shut. I didn't see Nicky and Tara at first.
When I realized they were underwater with me—frantically trying to pry the snakes off—I nearly opened my mouth to shout for joy!
Nicky pulled a snake off my ankle, heaved it, and sent it floating away. Tara tore at the two snakes around my waist.
The ghosts looked solid, but the water seemed to flow right through them.
My chest throbbed with pain. My lungs felt about to explode.
My throat ached. I felt dizzy. The water churned around me. Around and around … till I closed my eyes again.
Please—I have to breathe!
Nicky tugged another snake off my leg. Then my two ghost friends grabbed my feet—and pushed. They gave me a hard shove to the surface.
My head popped out of the water. I opened my mouth and, choking and sputtering, let out a long whoosh of air and sucked in a fresh one.
Treading water, I waited for my heart to stop pounding. I waited for the ache in my chest to fade. Then I began half swimming, half floating to shore.
I felt totally drained. My arms and legs seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. The shore seemed a million miles away, but I pushed myself toward it.
I turned to float on my back for a while—and saw something shiny bobbing on the surface of the water. My heart skipped a beat. I turned and floated to the tiny object.
Just a leaf? A dead fish floating on its side?
No. The pendant … floating on a clump of weeds.
I wrapped my hand around it. This time, I wouldn't let go.
The rain had stopped. But the wind blew hard, cold against my face.
Gripping the pendant tightly, I made it to shore and pulled myself out of the water. Shivering in the cold air, I raised the pendant close to my face and rubbed the water off it with my finger.
Behind me, I could hear voices from the lodge. The other campers were still inside. The aroma of roasting chicken floated out from the mess hall kitchen.
Hugging myself to stop my shivers, I turned to the water and searched for Nicky and Tara.
Where were they? They should be on the shore by now.
The lake water stretched like an enormous black hole under the dark sky. I shuddered, thinking about the snakes again. My legs itched and tingled.
Deadly snakes. The camp story wasn't a joke. Snake Lake was filled with powerful snakes that could pull a camper down to the bottom and hold him there.
Then why were Colin and his friends swimming here?
I shook my head hard, sending a spray of water all around me. I didn't want to think about the snakes. Every time I pictured them wrapped around me, swimming up the legs of my swim trunks, my whole body started to tremble.
“Nicky? Tara? Where are you?” I called.
The dark water lapped quietly against theshore. Somewhere in the trees, a bird uttered a hoarse caw.
“Nicky? Tara?”
Were they still underwater searching for the pendant?
I cupped both hands around my mouth. “I have it!” I screamed. “I have the pendant! Hey—I have it!”
No reply.
No sign of them. I squinted into the gray light and searched for them.
What's taking them so long? Why don't they come up from the lake?
28
I TRIED AGAIN . “I have the pendant!” I shouted. “Come out! I have the pendant!”
I watched the black water, low waves rolling to shore. All I could hear was the splash of the water and the rush of wind.
Finally, two pale shadows rose from the surface. All gray at first. Standing side by side, they floated toward me, a foot above the water.
A few seconds later, Nicky and Tara stood next to me. The water drained off them. In seconds, they were totally dry.
“Where were you?” I cried. “You scared me to death!”
Tara brushed back her dark hair. She straightened the dangling red earrings she wore. “Sorry, Max,” she said.
“We were searching for the snakes,” Nicky said. He pulled a clump of lake grass out of his jeans pocket and tossed
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