Free Shadow Girl by R. L. Stine

mouth and glanced around frantically, searching for a policeman. For anyone who could help.
    But the street was empty.
    “Hey—stop!” I called out. “Leave him alone!”
    I didn’t think. I didn’t plan to shout at them. The words burst from my throat.
    Two of the boys turned away from their victim. Pointing at me, they started to run.
    “Get her!” one of them yelled.
    And then all four of them were tearing after me, running hard, leather jackets flying behind them, shoes stomping the pavement.
    Why did I do that? I asked myself.
    Did I really think I was some kind of superhero?
    My panic froze me in place. I was going to get pounded like that boy.
    “You’re in trouble now!” a hoarse voice cried.
    I sucked in a deep breath. Wheeled around. Forced my legs to move.
    “Ohh!” I cried out as I ran straight into a metal trash can.
    The can clattered onto its side with me on top of it.
    I hit the pavement hard. Tried to roll away so that I could climb back to my feet.
    Too late. Too late.
    Running hard, swinging their arms, the grinning boys closed in on me.

27
    On my stomach, scrambling to stand up, I slid in the disgusting garbage.
    I turned when I heard the squeal of tires. A black SUV came wheeling around the corner.
    The driver must not have seen me down on the ground. The big car roared by, inches from my out-stretched arms.
    Gasping in fright, I struggled to my feet.
    And stared at the empty street.
    The four boys had vanished. The squealing SUV must have scared them off.
    Were they still nearby? Were they watching me? I wasn’t going to take that chance.
    I pulled my hood back over my head and started to run home. With every step I took, I grew angrier.
    Those creeps. Did they think they could beat up anyone they wanted?
    Well, I’m not going to let them get away with it, I decided.
    Aunt Janet’s words echoed in my head: “ Use your powers well, Shadow Girl .”
    The costume. I needed the costume.
    I didn’t know what powers it held. I knew only that without it, I was helpless.
    The freezing rain started to come down harder. I ran back to Jada’s house, my shoes splashing up puddles on the slick pavement.
    Uncle Will’s car was in the driveway. I crept silently into the house and upstairs to the bedroom. Jada was asleep with the lights on, lying on her side, her mouth open slightly.
    I made my way silently down the hall. Into the secret room. A few seconds later, I was pulling the cloak around me, sliding the pendant around my neck, tugging the mask over my face.
    I stopped on my way out the secret door. Am I really doing this? I asked myself. Am I really going out as Shadow Girl?
    I felt excited and terrified at the same time.
    I hurried back outside. The cold rain had stopped, but a thick mist hung over the streets.
    I turned and began to trot toward Stan’s neighborhood. As I moved through the dark, silent streets, I realized I didn’t know anything about my powers.
    I knew I could fly. But I didn’t exactly know how.
    Am I super strong? I wondered. Does the cloak make me invulnerable?
    I stopped in the middle of the street. My breathpuffed up in front of me in little clouds. Beneath the cloak, my whole body was trembling. I’ve never been this terrified in my whole life, I thought.
    Too late to turn back. Too late…
    The gas station stood just ahead of me. Pushing the cape behind me, I leaned into the wind and ran up to it.
    I saw the striped ski cap lying beside a gas pump. I picked it up. And then I saw the boy, still on his back, on the pavement beside the side wall.
    As I knelt beside him, he groaned and opened his eyes.
    His dark hair was wet and matted to his forehead. He had a deep cut in one cheek, and dark blood had caked under his nose.
    He groaned again, holding his side. He blinked several times. When he finally focused his eyes on me, he gasped in fright.
    I leaned over him. I brushed back his hair with my glove. “Don’t be afraid,” I said softly. “I’m your friend.