they have to deal with James.” “But they have to know—” Kody started. Cally shook her head. “Wait a while. Poor Dad. He’s been so nervous and strange. Totally freaked by everything. I think we should give him a break and not trouble him.” Kody glared at her sister. “You still don’t believe the house is haunted, do you?” she said accusingly. “You still don’t believe there’s something evil—” “I don’t know what I believe,” Cally told her. “But I do know we shouldn’t upset Dad anymore.” She stopped talking when she saw her parents walking toward the house, their arms filled with packages. She and Kody rushed out to help them. “What’s wrong with James?” Mrs. Frasier demanded, handing her packages to Cally. “Why is he crying?” “We still can’t find Cubby,” Kody explained, glancing at Cally. “We can hear him barking, but we can’t find him.” “Huh?” Behind his glasses, Mr. Frasier’s eyes went wide with surprise. “I don’t understand.” “We don’t either,” Kody replied, sighing. “We don’t either.”
Late the next night Cally finished writing in her diary. Yawning, she closed her diary and replaced it in her desk drawer. Usually, writing in the diary helped relax her and get her ready to go to sleep. But that night because she had written about the search for James’s puppy and about Anthony and his strange, frightening story, Cally felt far from relaxed. As she lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, she tried to force all unpleasant thoughts from her mind. She tried to think only about Anthony, about how cute he was, how he seemed to be such a great guy. But she couldn’t concentrate. Her mind kept leaping to other matters, to the troubling things that had been happening to her family since moving to 99 Fear Street. Were Kody and Anthony right? Was there some sort of evil curse on the house? Was it really haunted? Cally didn’t want to believe it. Feeling tense and jittery, Cally sat up. An idea flashed into her mind. She stared across the dark room at the closed bedroom door. Every night, someone—or something—had knocked on the door. The same soft, frightening taps. Every night. And every night Cally had crept to the door, pulled it open—and found no one there. Tonight, I’ll be ready, she decided, tiptoeing to the door. Tonight I’m going to solve the mystery. I’m wide awake anyway, she told herself. There’s no point just lying in bed, thinking scary thoughts. She wheeled her desk chair over to the door and lowered herself into it. Perched tensely in the chair, she stared at the door and waited. When the knocking starts, I’ll be ready, she told herself, nervously tapping the padded arms of the chair. As soon as I hear the first knock, I’ll pull the door open instantly. And what will I find? she asked herself.
A ghost? An evil creature? An invisible spirit? Nothing but air? What will I find? She heard creaking sounds, the banging of a shutter, the soft flap of the curtains at her bedroom window. The usual sounds of the house at night. Tapping her fingers on the chair arm, she waited. Listening to the night house sounds, listening to the rush of wind through the trees outside, listening to her own shallow breathing. She didn’t have long to wait. Tap tap tap. The gentle knocking on the other side of the door. Just inches from her, Tap tap tap. Cally sucked in a deep breath and rose to her feet. Then she jerked the door open and stared out. “You!” she shrieked.
Chapter 12
The ghostly figure tried to move away. Her long white nightdress sweeping over the floor as she turned to run. But Cally grabbed her arm and held on. “Kody!” she screamed. “It’s you!” “Let go!” Kody demanded. But Cally tightened her grip and pulled her sister into the bedroom. “Why, Kody?” she cried. “Why have you been doing this to me?” “You wouldn’t believe me!” Kody replied, breaking free of Cally’s grasp. Her long nightdress
Late the next night Cally finished writing in her diary. Yawning, she closed her diary and replaced it in her desk drawer. Usually, writing in the diary helped relax her and get her ready to go to sleep. But that night because she had written about the search for James’s puppy and about Anthony and his strange, frightening story, Cally felt far from relaxed. As she lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, she tried to force all unpleasant thoughts from her mind. She tried to think only about Anthony, about how cute he was, how he seemed to be such a great guy. But she couldn’t concentrate. Her mind kept leaping to other matters, to the troubling things that had been happening to her family since moving to 99 Fear Street. Were Kody and Anthony right? Was there some sort of evil curse on the house? Was it really haunted? Cally didn’t want to believe it. Feeling tense and jittery, Cally sat up. An idea flashed into her mind. She stared across the dark room at the closed bedroom door. Every night, someone—or something—had knocked on the door. The same soft, frightening taps. Every night. And every night Cally had crept to the door, pulled it open—and found no one there. Tonight, I’ll be ready, she decided, tiptoeing to the door. Tonight I’m going to solve the mystery. I’m wide awake anyway, she told herself. There’s no point just lying in bed, thinking scary thoughts. She wheeled her desk chair over to the door and lowered herself into it. Perched tensely in the chair, she stared at the door and waited. When the knocking starts, I’ll be ready, she told herself, nervously tapping the padded arms of the chair. As soon as I hear the first knock, I’ll pull the door open instantly. And what will I find? she asked herself.
A ghost? An evil creature? An invisible spirit? Nothing but air? What will I find? She heard creaking sounds, the banging of a shutter, the soft flap of the curtains at her bedroom window. The usual sounds of the house at night. Tapping her fingers on the chair arm, she waited. Listening to the night house sounds, listening to the rush of wind through the trees outside, listening to her own shallow breathing. She didn’t have long to wait. Tap tap tap. The gentle knocking on the other side of the door. Just inches from her, Tap tap tap. Cally sucked in a deep breath and rose to her feet. Then she jerked the door open and stared out. “You!” she shrieked.
Chapter 12
The ghostly figure tried to move away. Her long white nightdress sweeping over the floor as she turned to run. But Cally grabbed her arm and held on. “Kody!” she screamed. “It’s you!” “Let go!” Kody demanded. But Cally tightened her grip and pulled her sister into the bedroom. “Why, Kody?” she cried. “Why have you been doing this to me?” “You wouldn’t believe me!” Kody replied, breaking free of Cally’s grasp. Her long nightdress
Similar Books
