Wanted by R. L. Stine Read Free Book Online Page B

won’t let go of me!”
    My breath caught in my throat. This can’t be happening.
    I spun around, grabbed the sides of Brad’s mask, and pulled up hard.
    A few kids were shouting and screaming. Most of them just stood frozen in shocked silence.
    Finally, Brad and Marcus both started to laugh.
    â€œGotcha!” Marcus shouted. “Did you really believe us?”
    Brad slid off his mask. He tossed it into the crowd of kids. “You guys are too easy to fool!” he declared.
    Brad and Marcus bumped knuckles and slapped each other high-fives.
    â€œJust a joke,” Polly’s mom announced, as if everyone didn’t already get it. “What a hilarious Halloween joke. You certainly got everyone’s attention.”
    Marcus and Brad were smiling at me. “Success!” Marcus exclaimed. “We shook up this party.”
    â€œWe have to tell you all about the real ghost,” Brad said.
    â€œYeah, sure,” someone groaned. “Like we’re going to believe you now.”
    The voices faded into the background. I suddenly felt a little scared.
    I could feel my mask moving. Kind of changing.
    A heavy feeling of dread formed in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t want to believe it, but the mask was growing warmer and warmer. And I could feel it shrinking, tightening to my face.
    Brad and Marcus had pulled a joke about how their masks wouldn’t come off. But this was no joke. This was really happening to me.
    I reached my hands up to my neck and searched for the bottom of the mask. I knew I couldn’t tug it off from the top. I had to grab the bottom and slide it up. Pull the mask off from the bottom.
    But, wait. No. Oh, please, no.
    My hands fumbled at my neck. I slid them up, then down, then back up.
    Where was the bottom of the mask?
    I couldn’t find the place where the mask ended and my skin began.
    The mask has melted itself to my skin.
    My hands were shaking like crazy now. My panic was making my whole body shake.
    I felt the mask tighten some more. It was alive . Yes. The old mask was alive .
    I felt it moving, warming up, stretching itself, melting to my skin.
    â€œHELP ME!” The scream burst from my throat.
    I pulled and strained frantically at the mask. But it was no longer a mask. It was attached to me. It was part of me.
    â€œHelp me! I really need help! The mask — it’s melted to my face!”
    Brad and Marcus burst out laughing.
    Other kids started to laugh. Everyone stared at me, smiling, laughing, joking.
    â€œNo — really!” I wailed. “I really need help! This old mask — it … it’s ALIVE!”
    More laughter.
    â€œOh, please, Lu-Ann,” Polly’s mom said, chuckling and shaking her head. “The boys already pulled that joke. Take off the mask and come join everyone.”
    â€œI can’t!” I screamed. My voice sounded tinny, hoarse inside the mask. It wasn’t my voice at all. Somehow, even my voice had become ugly, monstrous.
    â€œI can’t take it off!” I wailed again. “Please — I’m not joking! Somebody help me!”
    I gripped it with both hands and pulled with all my might.
    Kids laughed. Marcus and Brad were laughing, too.
    And suddenly, my fear gave way to something else. Suddenly, I was no longer terrified.
    Now I was angry . Now a burning, furious anger swept over me.
    I felt about to blow up. Yes. Explode. Explode in screaming anger.
    What am I going to do? I’ve never felt anything like this in my life!
    I balled my hands into tight fists. I clenched my jaw. I felt every muscle in my body tense — so hard I could barely breathe.
    As my anger boiled, I made one last attempt to pull off the mask. I tore at it. Scraped it with my nails. Ripped my fingers at the eyeholes.
    But there were no eyeholes. There was no mask. It was my face now. The hideous, sharp-toothed, green scaly face was my face .

I couldn’t hold myself in any longer. I