Free The Face by R.L. Stine, Bill Schmidt

of us started down the aisle of the bleachers. Outside the gym, food stands were set up with popcorn and hot dogs and stuff.
    We were nearly down to the floor when a Hawksplayer scored on a slam dunk. The crowd grumbled as the Hawks took the lead.
    I saw our players turn to take the ball down the floor. Saw their faces set, their hard expressions. Eager not to be down at the half.
    A pass. Then another pass.
    The player started to dribble. Lost the ball. I saw the angry scowl on his face.
    Saw his face.
    His face.
    No!
    He had the face—the face in my drawing!
    â€œIt’s
him!”
I shrieked, grabbing for Adriana. “It’s him! It’s him!”
    I missed her shoulder. Started to fall down the bleacher aisle.
    Caught my balance. Raised my eyes to the floor.
    Another Shadyside player turned. He had the face too!
    I stared at two more players.
    Stared at their wavy, brown hair. Their turned-up noses. Their serious, dark eyes.
    The face!
    They all had the face! The face I’d been drawing.
    The face of the dead boy.
    And as they turned to stare back at me, their smiles faded. Their mouths twisted. Eyes bulged in horror.
    They all started to scream.
    And I screamed with them.

chapter 15
    â€œI
t’s him! It’s the dead boy! It’s him!” Was that
me
shouting those words over and over?
    I could feel everyone’s eyes on me as Adriana and Laura pulled me from the bleachers.
    â€œIt’s him! Let me go! The dead boy! The dead boy! I have to see him!”
    The buzzer went off right over our heads. It shocked me into silence.
    My friends dragged me to the gym doors. I struggled free. I had to see him. Had to talk to him.
    But the players had all turned away. They were running off the floor to the locker room.
    â€œMartha—come on!” Adriana pulled me outinto the hall. She and Laura led me away from the food stands. Down the long hallway.
    We stopped at the stairs beside the darkened cafeteria.
    â€œI’ll get her something to drink,” Laura told Adriana. I watched her run back toward the gym.
    I sat down on the bottom step. Adriana dropped down beside me. “Martha—are you okay now?”
    â€œI—I don’t know,” I replied honestly.
    I shut my eyes and saw the players again. The players with the same face. His face.
    â€œAm I okay? I really don’t know, Adriana.”
    When I opened my eyes, she had a large silvery coin in her hand. “Let me show you a relaxation exercise I learned from Dr. Corben. It always calms me down when I’m stressed.”
    She held the coin up close to my face. “Watch the coin,” she whispered. “Follow it with your eyes.”
    She moved the coin slowly, left and right, close to my face. It glimmered dully in the dim light. Adriana whispered softly as I followed the coin. “Concentrate on the coin. Calm. Calm. Just watch the coin.”
    Eager for the faces to disappear, I obeyed.
    I wanted to be calm. I wanted to be okay.
    The coin floated slowly in front of me. Back and forth. Back and forth.
    I grabbed Adriana’s hand. “Whoa. What are you doing?”
    â€œIt’s okay, Martha,” she replied softly. She gentlyremoved my hand from her wrist. “I’m giving you a hypnotic suggestion. To calm you down.”
    I narrowed my eyes at her. Her face disappeared into shadow, then came back into view as she leaned close. “You’re … hypnotizing me?” I demanded.
    She nodded. Her black hair fell over her eyes. “Relax. I do it to myself all the time. It’s easy.”
    She raised the coin again, but I brushed her hand aside. “I’m feeling better,” I told her.
    Laura hurried up to us. She handed me a paper cup of cold water. She studied me as I took the cup from her, her face filled with concern. “You okay?”
    I nodded. Took a long sip of the cold water. “Yeah. I’m fine. Really. I—I don’t know what happened