Free Lisa by Bonnie Bryant Page A

that. But there didn’t seem to be any way for us to know the truth for sure one way or the—
    Oops, I just realized Mom’s calling me from down-stairs. I guess I’d better sign off for now—she probably wants me to set the table for dinner. I’ll have to finish this later!
LOCAL HALLOWEEN FUND-RAISER A SPOOKY SUCCESS
    HALLOWEEN, TWO MILE CREEK. All Hallows’ Eve is a time for ghosts and goblins and ghouls, for spooky sounds and horrifying howls, for vampire bats and black cats, for … pony rides?
    That’s right, pony rides were an important part of the Halloween spirit this year, as any of the hundreds of youngsters who enjoyed the Halloween Fair at Two Mile Creek High School could tell you. The fair, headed by local ranch owner Phyllis Devine, was planned as a fund-raiser to help sponsor an after-school youth program. Held last Saturday afternoon and evening, it featured a pumpkin-carving table, a candy corn counting contest, a haunted house, and numerous other activities along with the aforementioned pony rides. In the end, the event raised plenty of money for its cause and provided lots of fun for its young attendees.
    We can only hope that Mrs. Devine and her gang of ghoulish helpers will be back for more spooky fun next Halloween!
    Dear Diary
,
    When I reread the article I just pasted in, which Kate sent us from her local newspaper, I realized what my writing teacher, Ms. Shields, means when she says you can say a lot with a few words or a little with a lot of words. The article has quite a few words, but itdoesn’t even scratch the surface of what really happened at the fair. That’s why I’ve decided to write my own “newspaper article” that tells the whole story. (I’m sure Peter would be impressed after all his newspaper reporting this summer!)
PHONE FAILS; SPOOKY STALLION SAVES STEVIE
    HALLOWEEN, BAR NONE RANCH. Little did Stevie Lake know what a long, strange ride she would have last Halloween night!
    Miss Lake was one of the co-planners of the fabulously successful Halloween Fund-raising Fair at Two Mile Creek High School. As such, she was responsible for arranging transportation for the amazing door prize, a beautiful handmade adobe dollhouse. Miss Lake, a resident of Willow Creek, Virginia, is a very intelligent young lady with many fine personal qualities. However, in this instance her memory failed her and she was left at the eleventh hour with the prized dollhouse several miles across the desert from where it was supposed to be. She had to find a way to move it from its creator’s home to the high school-pronto.
    Miss Lake first attempted to telephone the house in question, but she quickly deduced that the local phone service had been disrupted and was out of service. Not wanting to wasteany more time, Miss Lake hurried outside, mounted her trusty steed, Stewball, and prepared to ride to the rescue. She alerted her friend, Miss Christine Lonetree, of her intentions. Miss Lonetree loaned Miss Lake the white cloak from her costume as protection against the chilly desert evening, and Miss Lake set off.
    Among Miss Lake’s other fine qualities is a vivid and sometimes overactive imagination. As she rode across the moonlit desert, she found her mind overrun with thoughts of all the spooky ghoulies that were supposed to roam on Halloween night.
    Then, breaking into her thoughts of imaginary dangers, a real threat appeared. A coyote howled nearby. Miss Lake’s horse, spooked by the sound, took off. Unfortunately, Miss Lake was left behind, flat on her—well—behind.
    Obviously, the situation was already rather grim for poor Miss Lake. She was stranded, on foot, all alone at night, miles from where she was supposed to be.
    Then things got worse. Somewhere nearby—way too close, in fact—Miss Lake heard a familiar, menacing sound. The sound of a rattlesnake.
    She froze immediately, aware that the slightest movement could attract the deadly snake’s attention. She tried to determine where the