Series 2000- Attack of the Graveyard Ghouls Page 7

  “Jason - over here!” Audra’s weak cry.

  “It’s me - Spencer!” I called to her. “I had to borrow Jason’s body.

  Where are you, Audra?”

  “Right here. Next to you. But I can’t figure out how to move. I - I feel

  like air.”

  “I’ll help you,” I said. “I’ll get you out of here.”

  “How?” she asked.

  “Uh … ” I swallowed hard. “Well … “

  And then I heard a noise from the graveyard gate.

  106 I turned toward the sound. And saw a large black dog, a black Lab,

  come loping into the cemetery.

  He wandered toward us, head bent, sniffing graves along the way.

  “Yes!” I cried happily. “A dog!”

  “So what?” Audra whispered.

  “You can slip into his body,” I told her.

  “Huh? How?”

  “You just have to concentrate,” I told her. “You can use the dog’s body

  to take you to town. Then maybe … maybe, we can get our own bodies back.”

  My voice trailed off.

  It was a big maybe.

  “Can I really take over the dog?” Audra asked in a tiny voice.

  “You have to,” I replied. “And we have to hurry - before the ghouls get

  this body too.”

  I reached out my hand to pet the dog, to keep him calm while Audra

  slipped into his body.

  “Nice dog. Nice boy,” I repeated softly.

  He raised his smooth black head.

  Gazed up at me.

  Then spun around and loped away.

  107 Get him!” Audra cried.

  The dog trotted toward the gate. I started after him.

  I stopped when I spotted something white poking up from the dirt. A bone?

  I stopped and yanked it out of the ground.

  Yes. A bone.

  A human bone? The thought made me shudder.

  I let out a long, loud whistle.

  The dog stopped. He turned and gazed at me.

  I waved the bone in the air - and he came trotting back. I held it out

  to him and let him sniff it.

  “Quick, Audra! Do it now!” I whispered. “Slip into his body!”

  “I - I don’t know how,” Audra wailed. “How do I turn into a dog? It’s

  impossible!”

  108 “Just concentrate. Concentrate on moving into him - and you’ll do

  it. You’ll see.”

  I waited for Audra to make her move.

  The dog licked at the bone.

  “Hurry, Audra.”

  The dog ran his big, wet tongue over my fingers.

  “Audra, where are you?” I whispered.

  “I’m here. Concentrating.”

  “You’ve got to hurry.”

  “I’m trying!” Audra cried. “I’m trying as hard as I can. But it’s not

  working.”

  “Think, Audra! Just think about slipping into him!” I urged.

  The dog rubbed his head against my arm. He unfurled his tongue again and

  licked my wrist. Then - suddenly - his body stiffened. He chomped down

  hard on my hand.

  “Owwww!” I let out a sharp cry and jerked my hand away.

  The dog growled. He shook his body back and forth, as if fighting an

  invisible enemy.

  “That’s it, Audra! You’re doing it! Don’t give up!” I cried.

  The dog twisted furiously. He fell to the ground and rolled over and

  over. He kicked out his legs. Growled fiercely. Then his body went limp.

  “Audra - are you in there?” I stared at the unmoving dog.

  He opened his mouth in a soft YIP - and I

  109 knew Audra had made the move. She was in the dog’s body.

  “Yes!” I shouted. “Let’s go!”

  We tore through the cemetery. And raced down Highgrave Hill.

  The sky was turning morning pink. A red sun hung low, rising over town.

  As we neared the bottom of the hill, we heard the screams. The cries for

  help. The sirens.

  Police cars, fire engines, and ambulances choked the streets.

  Flames shot out of houses and store windows.

  Black smoke billowed up from the burning buildings.

  “Look!” I pointed to a house totally destroyed by flames. It was Frank

  Foreman’s house. He stood outside with his family. They huddled

  together, staring in disbelief at the ruins.

  I felt sorry for him.

  I felt sorry for everyone.

  I turned to Audra, loping beside me. “What are we going to do?” I asked.

  “What can we possibly do?”

  110 I ran through the streets, through a trail of destruction. My jaw

  dropped as I gawked at the wreckage.

  Street signs lay scattered on the ground, hacked off at the tops. Pay

  phones had been ripped free from their wiring. The phone booths lay

  shattered on their sides.

  Windows were smashed. Shards of glass carpeted the streets.

  I ran by an overturned car parked on someone’s lawn. As I passed it, it

  burst into flames.

  We turned onto my block - and I cried out in surprise. “There they are!”

  Audra and Spencer. Our bodies! Axes in hand. Running side by side up my

  front lawn.

  “Come on, Audra!” I cried in panic. “They’re going to wreck my house!”

  111 The Spencer ghoul raised his ax and smashed through our front door.

  The Audra ghoul heaved his ax through the living room window.

  I heard shrill screams inside. Remy and Charlotte’s screams.

  Through the smashed window, I could see them holding each other in the

  center of the room.

  “Jason, help us!” Remy spotted me outside and cried out in fear.

  “Spencer has gone crazy!”

  I saw Mom and Dad rush in from the kitchen. They pulled Remy and

  Charlotte away from the window.

  The two ghouls leaped through the broken window.

  Audra and I charged in after them.

  I had no plan. I didn’t know how to fight the ghouls. I just knew I had

  to stop them from hurting my family.

  “Spencer! What’s wrong with you? Give me that ax right now!” Dad was

  screaming at the ghoul.

  Mom let out a terrified shriek as the ghouls raised their axes in the air.

  “Nooooo!” I wailed, diving toward them.

  “Jason! Run!” Mom pleaded with me. “Go get help!”

  Audra, inside the black Lab, lowered her head and let out a low,

  menacing growl. Then she barked ferociously at the ghouls.

  The two ghouls spun around to face us.

  I took a deep breath. “Go back to the cemetery

  112 where you belong!” I screamed. “Give us back our bodies, and go back

  to your graves!”

  The two ghouls grinned at each other.

  “Spencer! Audra! What’s wrong with you?” Dad cried. “Put down the axes -

  and let’s talk!”

  “Dad - I’m Spencer!” I said. “I tried to tell you. These aren’t Spencer

  and Audra. They’re Oswald and Martin Manse. They’re ghouls!”

  Mom and Dad exchanged confused glances. Remy and Charlotte pressed their

  backs against the wall.

  “Get out of here!” I screamed at the ghouls.

  The Spencer ghoul let out a furious cry. He swung his ax down on the

  coffee table and split it in two.

  Remy and Charlotte burst into tears. Mom and Dad, mouths open in horror,

  stepped back to protect them.

  Laughing, the two ghouls raised their axes and chopped at our piano.

  I stood helplessly, thin
king hard, frantically trying to come up with a

  way to stop them.

  With a fierce growl, Audra leaped to the attack.

  She dove at the ghoul in my body - and sank her teeth into his leg.

  He cried out in surprise. The ax fell from his hands.

  Snarling, Audra bit into the leg.

  The ghoul twisted and turned. He thrashed his arms wildly, tilting back

  his head in a howl of pain.

  113 As he struggled, the Audra ghoul menaced my family, holding the ax

  high in front of him. “The dead shall live, and the living shall die!”

  he proclaimed.

  “Audra - wh-what are you saying” Mom stammered. “Please - s-stop this!”

  “We don’t understand!” Dad cried. “What do you kids want? Why are you

  doing this?”

  The Spencer ghoul uttered an angry cry. He kicked hard and freed his leg

  from Audra’s teeth. Then he bent down - picked up the black Lab, and

  heaved it against the wall.

  The Audra ghoul handed him his ax. Then their eyes narrowed coldly as

  they turned to me.

  “Get him,” the Spencer ghoul said through gritted teeth.

  114 Uttering a low cry, I turned and bolted out of the house.

  The two ghouls lumbered after me. “Don’t let him get away,” the Spencer

  ghoul growled.

  I ran down the front lawn.

  Heavy gray clouds covered the morning sun. I could hear sirens in the

  distance.

  “Give me back my body!”

  Who said that? The shrill cry made me stop.

  I glanced around, but I didn’t see anyone.

  “Give me back my body,” the voice repeated, so close, from right next to me.

  “Jason? Is that you?” I choked out.

  “Yes. I want my body back.”

  The two ghouls raised their axes as they closed in on me.

  115 “Not now!” I cried. “Jason - please! Not now!”

  “Yes - now!” he insisted. “I need my body. I’m taking it back!”

  “Jason - not now” I screeched.

  The ghouls stepped closer.

  And I felt something heavy pushing down on my head.

  Jason!

  Pushing down, down on me.

  116 Jason - , please!” I gasped.

  But he pressed down heavily.

  I tried to fight back. Concentrated … concentrated …

  But my right arm started to pump up and down. Jason had taken over one arm.

  And then my left leg started to bend. It kicked hard.

  “Jason - stop!” I begged.

  He had taken over half the body.

  I swung my arm. Bobbed the head up and down. Bent and twisted, trying to

  toss him out. Trying to take back control.

  “Jason … “

  I could feel myself growing weaker. Feel him moving in, taking command.

  I glanced up to see the ghouls stop and stare.

  117 Their black eyes bulged wide, watching Jason and me struggle.

  I swung one arm. I dragged a leg. I tried to move away.

  Jason fought back, moving his leg.

  As we struggled, the body did a strange dance.

  Neighbors stared. My family watched in shock and horror from the front

  steps.

  I hip-hopped over the grass, swinging one arm.

  Jason made the body hop back. Then skip.

  A wild dance. A frantic dance.

  And suddenly, I heard a groan of pain.

  I looked up to see the ghouls shut their eyes. They both opened their

  mouths in long, low groans.

  They clutched their stomachs.

  What is happening? I wondered.

  Jason and I continued our wild dance, struggling for control of the

  body. Flapping our arms, bending our knees, hopping and skipping in a

  desperate rhythm.

  And to my shock, both ghouls dropped weakly to their knees on the grass.

  The axes fell from their hands. They rolled their eyes and uttered faint

  moans.

  I kicked and tossed an arm.

  The two ghouls groaned again.

  It’s the dance, I realized. The crazy dance.

  The dance is making them weak.

  118 And then the strange words on the gravestone returned to me. The

  words I hadn’t understood.

  DEFEAT DEATH ONLY BY LIVING.

  What is a better sign of being alive than dead I asked myself.

  Yes.

  Dancing. When people dance, it means they’re really alive!

  I did it! I figured out how to defeat Oswald Manse!

  I had always hated dancing. I never danced.

  But now I knew I had to dance and dance - and never stop!

  “I’m going to get my body back!” I shouted at the ghoul.

  “It’s my body now!” the ghoul moaned. “No one beats Oswald Manse! No one!”

  I kicked my legs. And waved my hands. I snapped my fingers and moved my

  body in a wild, frantic rhythm.

  “Stop!” the ghoul clutched his chest in agony. “It’s my body now … “

  I grabbed the black Lab by the front paws. Pulled her up on her hind

  legs. And danced with her.

  Danced … danced …

  Until, moaning and crying, the two ghouls shut their eyes and collapsed

  to the grass.

  Yes!

  We defeated them!

  119 “We did it, Audra!” I cried, letting go of her paws. “We did it!”

  I wanted to shout and laugh and sing. I wanted to dance until I couldn’t

  dance anymore.

  But then I turned to my body and Audra’s body - and my heart sank.

  They lay facedown, arms and legs sprawled over the grass.

  Lifeless.

  So totally lifeless.

  Too late, I thought.

  Too late to slip back in.

  Audra and I are doomed.

  No bodies. We’ll be shadows too.

  Nothing but shadows … forever.

  120 I floated out of Jason’s body.

  He instantly took charge. I watched him test his hands, bend his knees,

  open and close his mouth.

  “I’m me, ” he declared happily.

  But would I ever be me again?

  “Come on, Audra,” I urged the dog. “Hurry. Maybe we’re not too late.

  Maybe we can be ourselves again. Maybe we can do it.”

  The dog trotted beside me.

  I floated up over my body.

  Please … please! I prayed. Let me back in.

  I concentrated. Concentrated …

  Felt myself slipping down, down …

  Down into a deep darkness.

  I opened my eyes.

  121 I saw the clouds roll away. Bright sunlight beamed down on us,

  spreading over the lawn.

  “We made it, Audra! We made it back just in time!” I shouted.

  I felt so happy, I jumped up and down. I spun in a circle - and let my

  skirt twirl around me.

  Huh?

  I glanced down - at my purple skirt, my purple tights, my silky black

  blouse, my bright blue nail polish!

  I touched my head and ran my hands through my long, silky black hair.

  “Whoooooa!” I turned to Audra - but Audra wasn’t there beside me.

  I was staring at myself.

  “Uh … Audra,” I said, tossing back my black hair. “I think we made a

  little mistake. What do we do now?”

  122

  [blank page]

  About R.L. Stine

  R.L. Stine is the most popular author in America. He is the creator of

  the Goosebumps, Give Yourself Goosebumps, Fear Street, and Ghosts of

  Fear Street
series, among other popular books. He has written over 200

  scary novels for kids. Bob lives in New York City with his wife, Jane,

  teenage son, Matt, and dog, Nadine.

  123

  Table of Contents

  4 Invasion of the Body Squeezers, Part I

  5 Invasion of the Body Squeezers, Part II

 

 

  R. L. Stine, Series 2000- Attack of the Graveyard Ghouls

 

 

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