Read Online The Curse of the Campfire Weenies by David Lubar - Free Book Online Page A

feet.
    â€œBathing suit,” she said, and Izma caused her to be dressed in clothing more suited to the beach.
    â€œChair.” Karen stretched, drank in the sun, and thought about all the marvelous things she could do from this day forward. And she thought how her friends would be rewarded and how her enemies would finally suffer.
    Life was certainly on its way to becoming fabulous.
    â€œWhat can you do to my enemies?” Karen asked.
    Izma told her.
    Karen shuddered. Then she smiled.
    That evening, tanned from the sun and filled with the peace of the ocean, Karen slept well.
    The next day, she began reshaping the world. She sent her parents away. They weren’t needed anymore. She took her name off the school roster. But that didn’t seem like a good enough way to leave her old world behind. So she went to school, stood outside the teachers’ lounge, and commanded, “Turn the teachers into frogs.”
    The frogs weren’t very interesting or exciting. “Turn the boys into snakes,” Karen said.

    That seemed to get the attention of the frogs and of the girls.
    After Karen returned to the beach, she decided that none of her friends really deserved anything. What had they ever done for her?
    She got a mansion, a castle, a palace, and a penthouse suite. She got a hundred cats. Then she tired of them and got a dozen tigers.
    But always, each day, as she made her wishes, she could see one thing in Izma’s eyes. He was waiting for her to make a mistake. He was waiting for her to remove the gem that protected her. One slip, and the dream would become a nightmare. She’d seen Izma chase down small animals and do horrible things to them.
    Karen knew she was too smart to become his victim.
    A month passed, and Karen was sure that, unlike others who might grow bored with luxury and a perfect life, she would be happy forever. There was so much to do, so much to try. So many people who deserved to suffer. The world was hers.
    She stood in the bedroom of her palace, admiring herself in the mirror. Maybe she would go to see the pyramids today or perhaps the rain forest. Then one flaw caught her eye, and all thoughts of travel fell from her mind like dead leaves.
    At first, she didn’t understand. Or didn’t want to understand. She stared at a small patch of untanned skin just below her neck. The spot was the same shape as her gem. But it wasn’t where it should have been.

    The patch was lower than the gem. Which meant the gem had moved higher. There was only one way that could happen.
    Karen’s right hand flew to her neck, clutching the gem, almost ripping it off.
    She froze as she heard a hiss of anticipation from the corner of the room, where Izma stood awaiting her wishes.
    â€œNo,” Karen said aloud. This isn’t happening. It’s just my imagination.
    But that night, as she lay in bed, she counted the tiny links. She counted them again the next night. She counted twice to make sure.
    And she counted them again the night after that.
    There was no mistake. A link had vanished from her chain each day.
    A tiny piece of silver.
    The words came back to her. He’d asked for gold, but she’d cleverly forced him to accept less than he’d wanted. Karen sat up in bed and turned on the light. Across the room, Izma stood, watching her.
    â€œTake the silver from elsewhere,” she said.
    Izma shook his head. “We have a bargain.”
    â€œForget the bargain,” Karen said. “I don’t want anything else.”
    â€œIt is too late to change our bargain.”
    Karen held her hand on the chain that was slowly growing shorter, one tiny bit of silver at a time, slowly closing around her neck. Already, even though the necklace was
not yet tight, she found herself struggling to breathe. Karen fingered the clasp.
    â€œTell me what will happen if I remove this,” she said.
    His eyes gleaming in anticipation, Izma told her.
    Karen shuddered.