Free The Howling Ghost by Christopher Pike

driving us crazy with suspense.”
    â€œI want to come up there,” Cindy said.
    â€œHow much do you weigh?” Watch asked, rubbing his shoulders.
    â€œI don’t know if you want to bother, Cindy,” Adam said. “There’s a pretty ugly skeleton up here.”
    â€œLike we have a good-looking one down here,” Sally said.
    â€œI have to go up there,” Cindy insisted.
    Watch sighed. “Just don’t pull on any of my parts if you lose your balance.”
    Watch and Cindy climbed up on the chair, and then Watch boosted her up to the ceiling. Because Adam was able to reach down and help her, Cindy didn’t have nearly as much trouble getting into the attic as he had. A moment later she was sitting on the dusty floor beside him. Adam pointed the flashlight at Mrs. Maey. Cindy gasped.
    â€œShe’s ugly,” she whispered.
    â€œDying can do that to you,” Adam remarked as he stood up.
    Just then several terrifying things happened at once.
    The wooden door that led into the attic fell shut.
    Cindy tried to pull it back open.
    But it was locked tight.
    Down below, beside Sally and Watch, the huge searchlight began to move until it was pointed straight up, toward the ceiling.
    â€œWhat’s happening?” Sally screamed.
    The searchlight came on.
    The light was blinding. Sally and Watch staggered back, covering their eyes. The light was so powerful it pierced through the fine space between the attic boards. As a result, Adam and Cindy—now cut offfrom their friends—were also blinded. It was as if a sun had just been born under their feet. He grabbed Cindy and pulled her close.
    â€œThe trapdoor won’t open!” she cried.
    â€œDid you knock it shut?” Adam yelled back.
    Because he had to yell to be heard.
    Because suddenly there was a loud howling.
    As if the ocean wind were breaking in.
    Or a ghost was coming to life.
    â€œNo!” Cindy cried. “It shut by itself.”
    â€œWatch!” Adam called, dropping once more to his knees, trying to pull up the trapdoor. It was more than stuck. It didn’t budge; it could have been nailed shut. “Sally!”
    They didn’t answer. Or if they did their voices were drowned out by the howling. Yet, as he stood and shielded his eyes to look around, Adam knew it was no wind that was making that sound. The attic dust continued to remain undisturbed. No breeze could come in from the outside. The sound was supernatural in origin. They had found their ghost, and it was probably a mistake that Cindy had said how ugly the skeleton was.
    Because the ghost was coming back to life.
    Where the blinding rays of the searchlight swept the skeleton, Adam saw a strange form begin to takeshape. It appeared to be made of both light and dust, as if it drew to it whatever was handy to make its form. As the noise reached a deafening pitch and the walls of the attic began to shake, both Adam and Cindy saw the ghost of an old lady materialize where the skeleton sat.
    The skeleton did not vanish. They could still see it, but through the haze of the old lady ghost. And all of a sudden the skeleton didn’t look so scary. Because the ghost that stirred in its place was a thousand times worse. It glared at them with strange violet eyes that flashed cold fire. It raised both its arms, and its wrinkled hands were like claws. The razor-sharp nails that bent from the twisted fingertips made Cindy squeal. She had obviously seen those hands before.
    â€œThat’s the ghost that stole my brother!” she yelled.
    â€œI’m not surprised.” Adam gulped. He put an arm around Cindy and carefully pulled her back, away from the ghost, which had climbed to its feet. For a moment the thing searched the attic. But then its angry eyes settled back on them, and it took a step in their direction. Cindy shook in Adam’s arms, and he was not feeling exactly strong himself.
    â€œWhat do you think it