R. L. Stine_Mostly Ghostly 04 by Little Camp of Horrors Read Free Book Online Page B

back from his trip, dragging a canoe, holding it upside down over his head as an umbrella. He was moving slowly, like some kind of lumbering animal.
    “Th-there he is,” I said, pointing.
    “Let me handle this,” Tara said, blocking my path.
    “Handle it?” I asked. “What do you mean?”
    “He can't see me, right? I can just pull open his shirt and remove the pendant before he knows what's happening,” Tara said.
    “But—but he's really strong. He'll fight you,” I said.
    “I'll go with you,” Nicky said. “I'll hold Colin's arms behind him while you get the pendant off.”
    “Let me help,” I said.
    Tara pushed me back. “It's
our
mom and dad inside the pendant,” she said. “Let
us
rescue them, Max.”
    Nicky and Tara became invisible.
    The wind shifted, splashing cold rain in my face. Wiping it away, I watched my brother move slowly across the lakeshore. And I crossed my fingers.

23
    T HE RAIN POUNDED down hard. Colin trudged along the shore, holding the aluminum canoe over his head. Suddenly, the canoe rose into the air.
    Colin let out a startled cry. He gripped the sides of the canoe. I knew Nicky and Tara were trying to pull it away from him. I watched my startled brother struggle to hold on.
    “Stupid wind!” Colin shouted.
    Did he really believe it was the wind?
    Finally, the canoe appeared to sail away from him. It landed upside down on the ground. Colin stared down at it, looking confused.
    Colin's hands suddenly flew behind his back. His eyes bulged. “Hey—!” he cried out. “Let go! Who's there?”
    He was wearing a long-sleeved plaid shirt over a T-shirt. I watched the buttons start to come undone, one by one from the top down.
    Hurry, Tara, I thought.
    Colin stared down goggle-eyed as his shirtappeared to unbutton itself. He squirmed and struggled. But he couldn't free his arms.
    The third button came undone—and Colin's shirt flew open, flapping in the wind.
    Colin let out a frightened shriek.
Now
he knew it wasn't the wind! The wind doesn't unbutton your shirt!
    He squirmed and ducked and tried to twist free of whatever was holding him. “Who's there?” he screamed again. “I can't see you! Let me go!”
    I loved watching him squirm. He always made fun of my ghost stories. Maybe he'd believe me the next time I told him I was haunted!
    Suddenly, Colin dropped onto his back and started to kick his feet. “Stop it! Stop it!” he shouted, wriggling like a worm. “I'm
ticklish
!”
    His open shirt flapped in the wind. “Max! Max!” Tara's shout rang out over the roar of the wind.
    “Tara—what's wrong?” I called.
    “It isn't here!” she screamed. “He isn't wearing it!”

24
    “N OOOOOO !” I opened my mouth in a furious cry.
    He stole that pendant from me, I thought, and we really need it.
    A wave of anger swept over me.
    That big jerk can't keep it from us!
    I took off, running across the rain-soaked grass. My sneakers splashed up waves of water as I ran.
    “Colin!” I shouted. “Colin! Colin!” I just kept shouting his name.
    He jumped to his feet, his eyes wide with surprise. “Max? What are you doing out here? What's your problem?”
    I lowered my head and ran right into him. I wrapped my arms around his knees and tackled him to the ground.
    We both landed hard. “Way to go, Max!” I heard Nicky shout.
    “Give me my pendant!” I screamed in a high, hoarse voice. “Give it to me! Give it to me!”
    I climbed on top of Colin and sat on his chest.
    He lay on his back, gasping in shock.
    He'd never seen me lose it like this before. After all, he was the big tough dude and I was the weak geeky shrimp.
    Only this time, I really wanted something. I was going to get that pendant back no matter what Colin did.
    “Give it to me! Give it!” I started pounding his chest with my fists. “Give it!”
    “Okay, okay.” Colin raised both hands in surrender. “Okay. No problem, Maxie. You can have your stupid, babyish pendant back.”
    “Really?” I said,