Free Spell of the Screaming Jokers by R.L. Stine Page B

hurried on, “Jeff asked her about her telescope. Know what? Before they retired, she and her husband both worked as astronomers! There’s a cluster of stars somewhere about a billion miles away that’s named after them. It’s called the Marder Formation!”
    â€œReally?” I said. “But wait a second. Why was her telescope aimed at Max’s window?”
    â€œYou saw how her cats jumped up on everything,” Frankie reminded me. “They must have knocked it out of line. And did you know she rescued all those cats?” he went on. “None of them had homes. They would have been put to sleep if she hadn’t adopted them. She goes out at night sometimes, looking for strays.”
    That must have been what she was doing in the woods outside Louisa’s house! I groaned. “Now I feel terrible for believing those awful stories about her,” I said.
    There was a loud knock at my door.
    â€œIt’s me!” Jimmy called. “I’ve got a great card trick to show you, Brit!”
    â€œDid you hear that?” I asked Frankie. “Well, Jimmy did show me how to stack a deck. So I guess I owe it to him to let him show me his latest card trick.”
    Frankie laughed. “Have fun, Brit!”
    We hung up. “Come in!” I called to Jimmy. I patted the place next to me on my bed. I was in a great mood that night. If Jimmy had ten new card tricks, I promised myself, I’d watch them all.
    â€œOkay,” Jimmy said, plopping down on my bed. “Pick a card! Any card!”
    He fanned a deck for me.
    I slid a card out of the middle. “Should I look at it?” I asked him.
    â€œDefinitely,” Jimmy said.
    I turned the card over.
    I stared at it. My mouth suddenly went dry.
    I didn’t want to believe what I was seeing.
    It was a joker!
    The most awful joker I’d ever seen!
    It had bulging green eyes.
    And a piggish, turned-up nose.
    And wild, wiry hair.
    Its big, evil smile spread from ear to ear. A smile formed by red, lipsticked lips.
    It was Mrs. Davidson!
    A golden crown rested on her hideous head.
    Mrs. Davidson—the Queen of the Jokers.
    I watched in horror as the queen opened her wide red mouth and let out a horrible scream.
    My mouth opened too.
    And I screamed and screamed.

Are you ready for another walk down Fear Street?
    Turn the page for a terrifying sneak preview.

M y eyes popped open the next morning. A pair of eyes stared back at me.
    Fish eyes.
    I sat straight up in bed. I glanced around the room.
    Of course. My first full day at Club Lagoona.
    I gazed at the fish painted on the walls. The bedspread covered with seashells. The fishing net hanging from the ceiling. Even my pillow was shaped like a clam.
    I shook my head. “There’s definitely something fishy about this room,” I joked.
    I crack myself up.
    â€œSo, you’re finally awake,” Polly called from the bathroom we shared. “Mom and Dad will be hereany minute. We’re heading over to the Atlantis pool together.”
    I flopped back down on the bed. The Atlantis pool. The Swim or Sink trial with Barry. It was this morning!
    I had to find a way out of this. And it was going to take some pretty fast thinking!
    Polly bounced into my room. She wore a bright black and purple bathing suit. “Mom unpacked your stuff,” she informed me. “Your new bathing suit is in the top drawer. And hurry up!” She yanked the covers off me.
    â€œOkay. Okay,” I grumbled. I stumbled over to the dresser and yanked open the top drawer.
    Oh man. I reached in and pulled out the most hideous bathing suit I had ever seen.
    I twirled the suit between my fingers. Green volcanoes spewed bright orange lava. In between the volcanoes were awful purple and red flowers.
    Well, at least I would never have to wear the terrible thing. Since there was no way I was getting into the pool! I buried the suit under a pile of T-shirts.
    No bathing suit, no