Free Who Let the Ghosts Out? by R.L. Stine Page B

magician's ring,” I said. “Can I wear it on Halloween when I do my magic act?”
    “No problem,” Nicky said. “But aren't you grounded for Halloween?”
    “Mom will probably let me go,” I said. “Especially when she sees how neat my room is. Good job, guys.”
    Nicky scratched his head and stared down at all the stuff. “I hid this box away for a reason,” he said. “But I can't remember why. And how did it end up in that tunnel?”
    Tara picked up the framed photograph, and her eyes grew wide. “Oh, wow. Look, Nicky. It's Mom and Dad.”
    They gazed at the photo with sad smiles. “They look so young in this picture,” Nicky said.
    He turned the frame so I could see it. I saw a young couple, both with wavy dark hair, standing on an ocean beach. The man was very tanned and had bright blue eyes. He had his arm around his wife, who was thin and much shorter than him, and had an awesome smile.
    “They look really nice,” I said. I could see that Nicky and Tara were near tears.
    “We've got to find them,” Tara whispered. “What if they're in trouble?”
    Nicky gripped the photo tightly in his hands and studied it. “I'm starting to remember things,” he said. “It's like the photo is giving off clues.”
    “What do you remember?” Tara asked.
    “Mom and Dad were scientists. Yes. I can see them wearing white lab coats. They were scientists …and they studied …they studied … ghosts! Yes. I remember. Ghosts!”
    “Ghosts?” I said. “For real?”
    He nodded. “Paranormal activities. The supernatural.”
    “Cool,” I said. “That's amazing.”
    “I remember now …, ” Nicky said, gripping the photo tightly. “They thought they could capture ghosts. No, wait. Maybe they
did
capture ghosts.”
    “Did they capture them in that tunnel?” I asked.
    Nicky shut his eyes and squeezed the photoframe in his hands. “That's all the photo is telling me. I can't get any more from it.”
    “Let me hold it,” Tara said. She grabbed the photo from Nicky and raised it close to her face.
    I heard thudding footsteps. “Hey, Maxie— what's up?” Colin burst into the room. He took a few steps, then froze. His mouth dropped open. “Hey—that picture! It's floating in mid-air!”
    I grabbed it away from Tara. “Oh …uh… yeah,” I said, thinking quickly. “Someone sent it to me airmail.”
    Colin stared at it in my hands. “Weird.”
    “What do you want, Colin?” I asked.
    He pointed to the Halloween costume I had draped over my desk chair. The big furry bear costume I planned to wear for trick-or-treating.
    “Maxie, remember I said you could come trick-or-treating with my friends?”
    “Yeah, I remember,” I said. “Mom said I couldn't go trick-or-treating with just Aaron. I had to go with some bigger kids.”
    “Well, you can't come with me and my friends,” Colin said. “Because that stupid bear costume is too dorky. We'd be embarrassed to be seen with you.”
    “But … but …, ” I sputtered. “
You
picked it out for me!”
    Colin shrugged. “Too bad. Your costume sucks big-time.”
    “But that means I can't go trick-or-treating!” I cried.
    Colin laughed his nastiest laugh. “Tough cheese.”
    Behind him, I glimpsed Nicky and Tara floating across the room to the bear costume. “Let's give Colin a little Halloween thrill,” Nicky said.
    “We don't want to scare him
too
badly,” Tara said.
    “Of
course
we do,” Nicky replied.
    I watched Nicky slide into the costume and pull on the mask. Slowly, the bear began to rise from the chair.
    I pointed, and Colin spun around.
    The bear stood up tall and stretched his big furry forelegs over his head.
    “N-no—!” Colin stammered. His eyes nearly bulged out of his head. “It—it's walking! But that's impossible! No!”
    The bear stretched its forelegs straight out and came staggering toward Colin.
    Colin let out a frightened shriek and tore out of the room. “Mom! Help! Mom! Help me!”
    Tara and I laughed as the bear chased