Read Online The Five Masks of Dr. Screem by R. L. Stine - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: R. L. Stine
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heart skipped a beat. I dove forward and grabbed his arm.
He laughed. “Gotcha.” He backed off the rock. “Just wanted to give you a thrill.”
I let out a groan. “Peter, you are
so
not funny.” My heart was still pounding.
That dumb joke made me angry. But in a way I was glad to see the old Peter back.
I gave him a push. “Keep climbing. We have to get to the very top.”
His eyes peered out at me from beneath the mummy mask. “Do you really think the snow wolf mask is up there?”
I shrugged. “Who knows? I just think if I was Screem, that’s where I’d hide it.”
I moved past him and, leaning forward, continued to climb. The path curved sharply and grew steeper as we followed it up.
Rocks slid under my shoes and went tumbling over the cliff side. I nearly fell into a shallow rut. I twisted my ankle. Stopped for the pain to fade. Then continued up.
We climbed for another ten minutes or so.
“Peter?” I turned back to see how he was doing.
And felt the ground move.
It took me a second or two to realize my shoes were sliding on loose stones. I lurched back, struggling to catch my balance.
But my feet slid off the path. My legs went out from under me.
And I dropped over the cliff side.
And fell, screaming all the way down.
28
My scream cut off as I hit a rock ledge below. I landed on my stomach.
My hands slapped the stone surface and kept my head from bouncing on the rock. I felt my breath rush out in a whoosh.
I started to choke. Gasping, I struggled to pull air into my lungs.
I crouched on my hands and knees, finally breathing normally. I shut my eyes to stop the world from spinning.
I heard Peter calling to me from the path above. His head peeked over the cliff edge. I waved to him.
“I’m okay!” I shouted.
I gazed around. I hadn’t fallen very far. I had landed on a wide rock ledge. Smooth stone, white in the moonlight.
Squinting hard, I could see the path at the far end of the ledge. No problem getting back up to Peter.
I pulled myself to my feet. I took a step away from the cliff edge, toward the path.
Then I stopped. And stared at the face peering at me from the path.
At first I thought it was Peter. I thought he had come down to help me.
Then I saw that it wasn’t human. It was an animal.
It didn’t move. It kept its head low, as if ready to attack.
I gasped when I realized I was staring at an angry snow wolf.
Whoa. Wait. Not a wolf.
I squinted hard. It took a few seconds to realize what I was seeing. A dark animal wearing the snow wolf mask.
I lurched forward. Stretched out both hands — and grabbed at the mask. The creature uttered a low growl.
The mask snapped off. I snatched it away and stared in surprise at the snarling animal.
A dog.
A giant black dog. Its eyes glowed red. It bared its teeth and snapped at me.
Gripping the mask in both hands, I jumped back.
The dog lowered its head again and growled. Its red eyes glared up at me angrily.
I took another step back.
The dog moved onto the rock ledge. It had metrapped. It was too big for me to edge past it. And if I took another step or two back, I’d step off the cliff.
“Nice doggy. Nice doggy,” I said.
It growled and bared its teeth in reply.
The big dog arched its back. It was getting ready to attack.
I struggled to think. Could I do a forward roll over the dog, onto the safety of solid ground?
Maybe a simple cartwheel?
No time. The big creature roared as it leaped at me.
It lowered its heavy paws onto my shoulders — and sank its teeth into my neck.
29
“
Owwwwww
.”
With a shrill cry of pain, I shrugged my shoulder and shoved the dog off. I raised the snow wolf mask in both hands. I knew it would take me somewhere weird and frightening. But I had no choice. I had to get away from the vicious dog.
I took a deep breath — and jammed the wolf mask down over the insect mask.
And then a blinding flash of light made me shut my eyes.
The light seemed to swirl around me. Cover me like a
He laughed. “Gotcha.” He backed off the rock. “Just wanted to give you a thrill.”
I let out a groan. “Peter, you are
so
not funny.” My heart was still pounding.
That dumb joke made me angry. But in a way I was glad to see the old Peter back.
I gave him a push. “Keep climbing. We have to get to the very top.”
His eyes peered out at me from beneath the mummy mask. “Do you really think the snow wolf mask is up there?”
I shrugged. “Who knows? I just think if I was Screem, that’s where I’d hide it.”
I moved past him and, leaning forward, continued to climb. The path curved sharply and grew steeper as we followed it up.
Rocks slid under my shoes and went tumbling over the cliff side. I nearly fell into a shallow rut. I twisted my ankle. Stopped for the pain to fade. Then continued up.
We climbed for another ten minutes or so.
“Peter?” I turned back to see how he was doing.
And felt the ground move.
It took me a second or two to realize my shoes were sliding on loose stones. I lurched back, struggling to catch my balance.
But my feet slid off the path. My legs went out from under me.
And I dropped over the cliff side.
And fell, screaming all the way down.
28
My scream cut off as I hit a rock ledge below. I landed on my stomach.
My hands slapped the stone surface and kept my head from bouncing on the rock. I felt my breath rush out in a whoosh.
I started to choke. Gasping, I struggled to pull air into my lungs.
I crouched on my hands and knees, finally breathing normally. I shut my eyes to stop the world from spinning.
I heard Peter calling to me from the path above. His head peeked over the cliff edge. I waved to him.
“I’m okay!” I shouted.
I gazed around. I hadn’t fallen very far. I had landed on a wide rock ledge. Smooth stone, white in the moonlight.
Squinting hard, I could see the path at the far end of the ledge. No problem getting back up to Peter.
I pulled myself to my feet. I took a step away from the cliff edge, toward the path.
Then I stopped. And stared at the face peering at me from the path.
At first I thought it was Peter. I thought he had come down to help me.
Then I saw that it wasn’t human. It was an animal.
It didn’t move. It kept its head low, as if ready to attack.
I gasped when I realized I was staring at an angry snow wolf.
Whoa. Wait. Not a wolf.
I squinted hard. It took a few seconds to realize what I was seeing. A dark animal wearing the snow wolf mask.
I lurched forward. Stretched out both hands — and grabbed at the mask. The creature uttered a low growl.
The mask snapped off. I snatched it away and stared in surprise at the snarling animal.
A dog.
A giant black dog. Its eyes glowed red. It bared its teeth and snapped at me.
Gripping the mask in both hands, I jumped back.
The dog lowered its head again and growled. Its red eyes glared up at me angrily.
I took another step back.
The dog moved onto the rock ledge. It had metrapped. It was too big for me to edge past it. And if I took another step or two back, I’d step off the cliff.
“Nice doggy. Nice doggy,” I said.
It growled and bared its teeth in reply.
The big dog arched its back. It was getting ready to attack.
I struggled to think. Could I do a forward roll over the dog, onto the safety of solid ground?
Maybe a simple cartwheel?
No time. The big creature roared as it leaped at me.
It lowered its heavy paws onto my shoulders — and sank its teeth into my neck.
29
“
Owwwwww
.”
With a shrill cry of pain, I shrugged my shoulder and shoved the dog off. I raised the snow wolf mask in both hands. I knew it would take me somewhere weird and frightening. But I had no choice. I had to get away from the vicious dog.
I took a deep breath — and jammed the wolf mask down over the insect mask.
And then a blinding flash of light made me shut my eyes.
The light seemed to swirl around me. Cover me like a
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