Field of Screams by R.L. Stine Read Free Book Online

past?
    Then I thought of an explanation that made my skin prickle.
    There was a good reason Ernie didn’t know what I was talking about. To him, the bus crash was still in the future. How could he know about something that hadn’t happened yet?
    That meant the Ernie that I met in my own time—the one who asked me what my wish was—really was a ghost. Eve was right.
    I swallowed hard. So a ghost sent me into the past.
    But why? Why?
    The question echoed in my brain until I finally fell asleep.
    I don’t know how much time went by. It felt like only a second passed before I was jerked awake. I lay in bed, listening.
    What woke me?
    I shivered. The room was strangely cold—even though it was the middle of summer. I gathered the sheet tighter around me.
    I glanced at the alarm clock. With the moonlight from the window I could just make out the time. Three in the morning.
    I swept my eyes around the room. Everything seemed normal, but the hairs on the back of my neck bristled. I had a feeling there was someone else there. Even though I could see no one.
    A shadow moved across from me.
    I sat up in bed. My heart thudded. “Boog? Is that you?” I demanded.
    No answer.
    â€œThis isn’t funny, man.” I tried to keep my voice steady.
    Still no answer. But the shadow seemed to drift in front of the window. The moonlight suddenly grew dimmer.
    I strained my eyes in the darkness. All I could see was—black. Like the patch of inky shadow I saw on Fear Street earlier that night.
    â€œWh-who’s there?” I stammered.
    The darkness seemed to stretch toward me.
    â€œYou! Why did you do this to me?” a thin, cold voice whispered.
    No way was that Boog’s voice! Chills raced down my back.
    â€œWho—who are you?” I croaked.
    The shadow moved closer. It looked like a cloud of thick black smoke—with burning white holes for eyes!
    Was it a ghost?
    It loomed right in front of my face. “You’ll pay!”
    â€œWh-what did I do? What do you want?” I managed to ask.
    No answer. The shadow bulged toward me.
    I shrank back. Numbing cold seeped into my bones.
    Then the thing was on top of me. Covering my face. Pressing me down.
    â€œHelp!” I tried to shout. But I couldn’t make a sound.
    I couldn’t breathe!
    The shadow was crushing me!

13

    I was being smothered—by a shadow!
    I gasped and strained for air. Fingers of cold dug deep into my veins. It felt as though my blood was turning to ice.
    I pushed against the shadow.
    My hands passed right through it!
    The horrible cold weight was crushing the air right out of my lungs. And I couldn’t even touch it!
    I grasped desperately at the thing. But my fingers closed on nothing.
    This is it, I thought. I’m finished!
    Then, suddenly, I could breathe again.
    No more horrible weight on my chest.
    No more icy chill.
    I was struggling with my own sheets.
    I peered around the room. My breath rasped loudly in the stillness. Moonlight poured in through the open window.
    I lay there, shaking. Was it a dream? A horrible nightmare?
    Then a ghostly voice whispered in my ear.
    â€œI’ll be back,” it said. “I’m coming for you. And next time I’ll be stronger.”
    I gasped. No dream. It was no dream!
    A ghost attacked me!
    A ghost from the Fear Street Cemetery.
    Okay. I was ready to admit it.
    â€œI believe in ghosts,” I whispered.
    But what did it want with me? What did I do to it?
    I didn’t have a clue!
    Gradually, the numbness bled from my veins. My breathing returned to normal.
    My hand trembled as I flicked on the lamp. I swung my feet down to the floor and sat up. I glanced over at the mirror.
    Buddy Gibson’s square face stared back at me.
    â€œWhy?” I asked the reflection. “Why did you have to be living on Fear Street, of all places?”
    Now things were even worse than before!
    Not only did Boog want to pound me into the ground. Not