Read Online Why I'm Not Afraid of Ghosts by R.L. Stine - Free Book Online Page B

cheeks.
    Oozing eyeballs! Robbie bet he could figure that one out. It looked great!
    Shawn cackled, but now his voice was as dry as dust.
    Then he pulled his head back into the TV and vanished.
    A second later he jumped up, back to looking normal. Normal for Shawn, at least. “Get the picture?” he asked Oliver.
    â€œUh . . .” Oliver still looked confused.
    â€œAdmit it. Say it. Now do you believe in ghosts?” Shawn demanded.
    Oliver groaned. “I hit my head pretty hard.”
    â€œThat explains why I can do this?” Shawn sank into the floor up to his waist.
    Oliver stared.
    â€œHuh? Does it?” Shawn asked.
    He sank into the floor up to his neck, then stayed there, a head staring up from the rug at Oliver. “Does it?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œGo on. Say it. Say you believe in ghosts.”
    â€œOkay. Fine. I do believe in ghosts,” Oliver said. He looked stunned.
    Finally! thought Robbie.
    Finally Oliver caved!
    â€œGood,” Shawn said, popping up into the room again.
    Oliver bit his lip. “But—how did you—I mean, uh, how did you . . . die?”
    â€œIt’s a long, horrible story. I don’t have time to talk about it right now,” Shawn replied. He sat down across from Oliver. “I have something more important to tell you. There are evil ghosts in this house, Oliver. I’ve seen them.”
    â€œWhaaat?” Dora cried from somewhere in the wall.
    He thinks we’re evil? Robbie wondered. Us?
    â€œYou’re my friend. I wanted to warn you,” Shawn went on. “They’re trying to get you, Oliver. That’s why they made you fly around the room just now.”
    â€œWhat? What are you talking about?” Oliver asked.
    â€œWhat do you mean, what am I talking about?” Shawn looked exasperated. He waved his hands around his head. “Flying! You, me, the table, the checkers. Flying around the room! These ghosts are lunatics!”
    â€œUh,” Oliver began to say, feeling the bump on his head. “I don’t remember anything about flying.”
    â€œWhat?” Robbie yelled before he could stop himself.
    â€œWhat?” Shawn squeaked.
    Oliver frowned. “I remember coming home from school. You coming to the door. Us setting up checkers. Then I woke up with a bump on my head, and you tell me you’re a ghost.” Oliver shook his head, then moaned, grabbing the bump. “Ouch! I still don’t know why the coffee table’s upside down.”
    Robbie clutched his head with both heads. All that work, all that trouble—for nothing!
    Robbie slid through the wall until he could grab Dora’s arm. “Come on,” he whispered. “Let’s go up to the attic.”
    She nodded.
    They floated upstairs.
    â€œI can’t believe it!” Robbie cried as soon as he was sure Shawn hadn’t followed them. “You majorly messed up! Again!”
    â€œJust shut up!” Dora snapped.
    â€œNo! No! I never get to say this! You failed! You went to all that trouble, flew stuff around the room, almost killed Oliver, and he can’t even remember any of it! Oh, man!” Robbie paced back and forth, clenching and unclenching his fists.
    â€œThis is the worst day of my entire afterlife,” Dora wailed.
    â€œThat Oliver is the worst kid I’ve ever seen!” Robbie declared. He pounded his fist on the desk. Fury raced through him like fire.
    He paced to the window and then whirled.
    Dora stared at him.
    Well, maybe she should. Robbie couldn’t remember ever feeling so mad!
    â€œWe’ve wasted one great scare after another on that kid!” he yelled. “Okay. That’s it. Now he knows about us. He’s been warned. No more games! Tonight we are going to work together. And we are going to scare Oliver Bowen to DEATH!”

19

    R obbie perched on his old desk. He was still boiling inside. Dora slouched on the armchair,