Free Have You Met My Ghoulfriend? by R.L. Stine Page B

like the swirling smoke. Lowering my eyes, I saw pieces of mouse fur and bones all over the carpet.
    “This was easier than I thought,” Phears boomed in a deep, vibrating voice. Each word made the black mist shiver.
    I saw his hands reach out. Something slid from his fingers. It took me a moment to realize that his fingernails were stretching—sliding toward us, coiling around us like long snakes.
    Tara let out a scream.
    I opened my mouth to protest. Too late. The fingernails curled around our waists, taut as wire. Then they tightened, pulling us toward him, holding us prisoner.
    “Too tight,” I gasped. “Please—I can't breathe.”
    But the hard nails coiled tighter around my waist, cutting off my air. I couldn't move. I tried desperately to back away, to squirm free.
    In the billowing black mist, Phears tossed back his head. And for a moment I saw his white eyes, solid white, no pupils at all. And I heard his soft laughter.
    “Too easy,” he whispered. “This was too easy, kids, wasn't it? I didn't even need my friend Max after all.”
    “Phears—” I choked out, struggling with both hands to loosen the sharp coils that stretched from his fingers. I turned and glimpsed Tara struggling too.
    “Why do you want us?” I gasped. “What are you going to do to us?”

26
    T HE LONG, SNAKELIKE FINGERNAILS from Phears' left hand were wrapped tightly around Tara. The nails from his right hand circled me tightly, cutting through my clothes into my skin.
    I tried backing up hard. Could I break the nails?
    I twisted around and shot forward, leaning with all my weight. Then I dropped to my knees, trying to crack them. But no. The slender fingernails held as if made of steel.
    “Stand still, Nicky,” Phears boomed. “I'm in such a good mood because I've finally caught you. You don't want to spoil it for me, do you?”
    The nails cut sharply into my waist. I turned to my sister. “Tara—we're ghosts. Why can't we disappear? Go invisible?”
    “I … I've been trying,” Tara whispered.
    Phears snickered. “You won't escape that way. Try all you want. I'm holding you here.”
    “Well, what do you want?” I asked again. “Why have you been chasing us?”
    “It's simple,” Phears replied. And again I saw his glowing white eyes through the mist that covered his face. “I want you to take me to your parents.”
    “But we don't know where they are!” Tara cried.
    “Liar!” Phears screamed. His snakelike fingernails lifted from Tara—then smacked her hard, like slender whips.
“Don't ever lie to me!”
Phears boomed.
    “We … we're not lying,” I stammered. “We thought
you
knew where they are.”
    “Liars! Liars!” Phears shouted. The five sharp fingernails slapped me hard. I staggered back, but the nails caught me, curled around me, and held me up.
    The fog darkened around Phears. I could barely see him now. “It's so easy,” he said softly. “Take me to your parents, and I'll let you go. I'll never bother you again.”
    Was he telling the truth?
    It didn't matter. Tara and I didn't have a clue where our parents were.
    “Take me to them,” Phears repeated. “Take me there—now.” And again the wiry nails pulled back like whips and slapped Tara and me hard.
    “Please—stop!” Tara cried.
    We're ghosts, I thought. Why does it hurt so much?
    “Where are they hiding?” Phears growled. “I'm not going to wait much longer. Just tell me where your parents are hiding. Are they here? Here in this room?”
    The nails tightened around my waist. “I … I can't breathe,” I gasped.
    I heard footsteps behind me. A cough. I turned to see Max step into the room.
    “Hey, what's up?” he asked.

27
    A FEW MINUTES EARLIER, I had no idea what was waiting for me in my room. I was hurrying home through the rain after the soccer match. I was drenched. My hair was soaked and raindrops poured down my face. But I didn't care. I needed to find Nicky and Tara and find out why they didn't keep their promise to