Read Online Three Evil Wishes by R.L. Stine - Free Book Online Page B

stopped.
    The purple clouds vanished.
    I gaped at him in shock. “What’s wrong?” I whispered.
    He turned to me. Even in the darkness of the garage I could see the anger on his twisted features.
    â€œMy eyesight is pretty bad, Hannah,” he rasped. “But not that bad.”
    â€œWh-what do you mean?” I stammered hoarsely.
    â€œThat’s not Jesse,” the genie cried angrily. “That’s your clay sculpture.”
    He raised both hands toward me. His eyes glowed so brightly, they lit up the garage.
    â€œYour little trick didn’t work, Hannah,” the genie whispered. “Now you will have to pay.”

25

    â€œN ow you’re going in the bottle! Have a pleasant journey, Hannah,” the genie cried.
    He raised his hands toward me and began to chant.
    He swayed his whole body and chanted louder.
    I could see the purple clouds rising all around.
    My eyes lowered to the brown bottle. I saw wisps of purple float around it.
    I suddenly felt drawn to it. I could feel myself being pulled . . . pulled to the bottle.
    I raised my eyes and saw the purple mist shooting toward me. Shooting from the genie’s outstretched hands.
    Like purple lightning. Aimed at me.
    Pulling me. Pulling me to the bottle . . .
    The genie’s chant became a scream. He waved both hands hard.
    Shot a final purple bolt of electricity at me.
    I took a deep breath—
    And ducked.
    I hit the garage floor and rolled away.
    And turned in time to see the bolt of purple lightning hit the full-length mirror that was behind me.
    The lightning bounced off the mirror—and shot back to the genie.
    Surrounded him. Swirled over him.
    The genie blazed in purple light. A light so bright, I had to shield my eyes.
    â€œNooooooo!” I heard his scream of horror.
    I opened my eyes in time to see the genie shrink inside the purple electricity. Shrink . . . shrink . . . into the brown bottle.
    With a desperate leap, I dove to the floor—and shoved the cork deep into the bottle opening.
    The bottle shook hard in my hand.
    And then lay still.
    Jesse crawled out from behind the cartons. “Wow!” he murmured. “Wow! How did you do that, Hannah?”
    I struggled to catch my breath as I climbed to my feet. “I ducked,” I told Jesse. “That’s all. I ducked—and the genie cast his spell on himself.”
    Jesse stared down at the brown bottle. So still. So silent.
    So harmless now.
    â€œWhew!” He sighed. “My legs are still trembling.” He slapped me a high-five. “You did it! You did it!”
    I picked up the bottle. “I won’t feel safe until this is back in Fear Lake,” I said with a shudder.
    â€œYou mean—” Jesse started to say.
    I nodded. “Yes. We have to take it there—right now. I have to know that it’s gone forever.”
    We were both weary and shaken. But we headed back through the Fear Street woods anyway.
    I carried the bottle tightly in two hands. I wanted to run to the lake and toss the bottle away as fast as I could. But I walked slowly and carefully.
    I didn’t want to accidentally break the bottle and let the genie escape.
    â€œDo you believe the Burger brothers actually helped us?” Jesse said as we made our way to the lakeshore.
    â€œYes. We kind of got our wish after all!” Iexclaimed. “I mean, they are our friends now. We don’t have to be afraid of them anymore.”
    â€œWeird,” Jesse replied, shaking his head. “I guess the genie came through for us in a way.”
    I didn’t care. When we reached the edge of the lake, sparkling like silver under the pale moonlight, I pulled back my arm—and heaved the bottle as high and as far as I could.
    It sailed out far. And hit the water with a solid plunk.
    Water splashed up around it.
    The bottle sunk below the surface. Then I saw it bob back up to the top.
    Jesse and