Free Dangerous Girls by R.L. Stine Page B

hugged herself. “It’s nice and warm in here.” She made a disgusted face. “Yuck. Smells like fish.”
    â€œYes, it does,” Destiny whispered. Then she called out, “Anyone home? Coach Bauer? Are you home?”
    Silence. Destiny heard the clink of the ice maker inside the refrigerator.
    She held the fat notebook in both hands.“I’ll leave it on the table,” she whispered. “We’ll have to come back, Liv. If he knows anything about vampires…”
    She set the playbook down—and froze when she heard a groan nearby. “Did you hear that?” she whispered.
    â€œYes.”
    A creaking floorboard. Another groan.
    Destiny gazed around the dark kitchen. Where’s the light switch?
    â€œCoach Bauer?” Her voice came out tight and shrill. “Coach? Is that you?”
    A scraping sound. Loud breathing.
    Someone is here. Someone is very close.
    It has to be Coach Bauer. Why doesn’t he answer?
    â€œCoach? It’s us—Destiny and Livvy.”
    Another muffled groan. From behind the door to the basement?
    Destiny jumped as a hand grabbed her shoulder from behind. She cried out.
    â€œSorry,” Livvy whispered. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I…I don’t like this. Let’s get out of here.”
    â€œOkay.”
    But before she could move, Destiny heardthe creak of a door. She turned and watched with growing panic as the basement door slowly, slowly swung open.
    â€œCoach? Is that you?”
    Livvy tugged her arm. “Let’s go!”
    Destiny moved to the wall. She found the light switch and flicked on the kitchen lights.
    â€œNo! Oh, no!” She uttered a moan of horror as the pale, hollow-eyed figure stepped out from the basement. Clamping her hands to the sides of her face, Livvy opened her mouth in a high scream of terror.
    Clinging to each other, the girls stared wide-eyed as the ghastly figure loomed closer.
    â€œMrs. Bauer!” Destiny shrieked. “It can’t be. You’re dead!”
    â€œI’m not dead,” Mrs. Bauer said in a hoarse whisper. “I am undead .”

Chapter Seventeen
“He Won’t Let Me Die”
    L ivvy gripped Destiny’s arm so hard it hurt. Destiny gasped in horror as the woman moved toward them. Her bloodless face, the gray skin sagging over her jaw, the eyes sunken deep into the dark, round sockets, her skin peeling off, a patch of yellow bone visible beneath a hole in one cheek.
    She used to be so beautiful. Mom always talked about how she wished she could look like Marjory Bauer.
    â€œHe…won’t…let…me…die.” The hoarse rasp rattled from deep in her throat. Every word seemed a struggle.
    â€œMrs. Bauer? Is it really you?” Livvy, hiding behind Destiny, finally found her voice.
    â€œThe poor man—he won’t…let me die. He…can’t…bear…to…part with me.” Deep in their sockets, the gray eyes rolled up till only white was showing.
    â€œHe doesn’t know how…selfish…he’s being. I…want…to… die !”
    â€œMrs. Bauer—please—” Destiny staggered back, stumbling over Livvy.
    â€œI…want…to…die, but he won’t…let me!”
    â€œDee, look—look what she has in her hand,” Livvy whispered.
    Destiny lowered her gaze. Mrs. Bauer gripped a wooden stake in her hand, shaved to a point at one end.
    â€œThe poor man,” Marjory Bauer continued. When she shook her hair, Destiny could see the skin tear at the back of her neck, a wide hole revealing gray tendons and yellow bone. “He keeps me here. But I want to die. Please? Please?” She raised the stake. She held it out to Destiny.
    Destiny took another step back, into the kitchen counter. “Mrs. Bauer, what are you saying? How did this happen to you?”
    â€œHe keeps me in…the…basement,” she continued, ignoring