Read Online The Second Evil by R.L. Stine - Free Book Online

“Don’t come in, don’t come in, don’t come in …”
    She heard him hesitate.
    She heard him kick a locker door.
    Would he notice the open lab door? Would he look inside? Would he see her standing there, hiding from him?
    If he came in, she’d have no way out, Corky realized.
    She’d be trapped. Trapped like one of the mice Mr. Adams kept in the cages on the windowsill.
    â€œDon’t come in, don’t come in, don’t come in …”
    And then she heard him begin to run again. She heard his heavy boots heading on down the hall.
    Corky moved away from the wall, allowing the breath she had held so long to escape her body in a loud sigh.
    He’s leaving.
    He’s heading down the hall.
    I fooled him.
    Leaning against a lab table, lowering her head, she took a slow, deep breath. Then another.
    She raised her head and listened.
    Silence.
    She waited.
    Silence.
    She waited to hear him return. But the hall remained silent. “I’m okay,” she said aloud. “I’m okay.” Except that her knees trembled and her head still throbbed.
    She took a reluctant step toward the door—and a bell went off in the hallway right outside the door. Like a metallic siren, it clanged out four-thirty.
    Corky jumped, startled. She backed into a lab table with a hard jolt. “Ow!”
    When the bell finally stopped, the silence seemed deep and heavy.
    â€œI needed that,” she said sarcastically. “Stupid bell.”
    Her heart still pounding, she made her way to the lab door, then stepped cautiously out into the silent hallway.
    A hand grabbed her shoulder roughly from behind.
    The young man spun her around. His almost blank eyes burned into hers.
    â€œLet
go
of me!” Corky cried in a tight, high voice she didn’t recognize.
    â€œWe have to talk,” he said. “Don’t you know who I am?”
    Corky shook her head. “No. Who are you?”
    His eyes narrowed. He tightened his grip on her shoulder.
    â€œI’m the evil spirit,” he told her.

Chapter 10
“I’m Your Evil Spirit”

    â€œH uh?” Corky’s mouth dropped open. She could feel her knees start to buckle.
    He was gripping her with both hands now, staring into her eyes, studying her face—studying her
fear.
    â€œI’m the evil spirit,” he repeated, smiling for the first time.
    â€œNo,” Corky whispered. “Let me go. Please.”
    To her surprise, he let her go. She toppled backward into the wall. She rubbed her arms, uttering a soft cry.
    â€œYou really looked scared,” he said, the lower half of his face covered in shadow. His eyes continued to stare at her like two car headlights coming out of the darkness. “I think you really believed me for a moment”
    â€œWhy—” Corky waited for her heart to stop thudding. “Why did you say that? Who are you, really?”She pressed her back against the wall, her eyes darting down the hall as she thought about an escape route.
    â€œYou ran away from me as if I
were
the evil spirit,” he said. “You were scared of me. You were terrified, weren’t you? And you had good reason to be!”
    â€œWho are you?” Corky repeated impatiently.
    â€œI’m Jon Daly,” he told her. “Jennifer’s brother.”
    Corky uttered a cry of surprise. “Her brother? I didn’t know she had a brother.”
    â€œNow you do, and now you know why I followed you,” Jon said, enjoying her shock.
    â€œNo,” Corky told him, her voice trembling. “No, I don’t. Why did you follow me? Why did you chase me?”
    â€œBecause I don’t believe all the garbage I heard,” Jon said bitterly.
    â€œGarbage? What garbage?” Corky cried, genuinely confused.
    â€œAll the garbage about how my sister was invaded by an evil spirit. I don’t believe in evil spirits.”
    â€œI do,” Corky said softly. “I was