Series 2000- Headless Halloween Read online

  105 To my surprise, the wall pulled back. I moved the light beam to the

  floor. I uttered a happy cry as the floor stopped moving and flattened out.

  “Yes! Yes!” I shrieked.

  I turned and beamed the light at Vinnie’s chair - and the chair began to

  shrink.

  Vinnie jumped up. “It let go of me!” he cried.

  The chair shrank lower, lower - and vanished into the floor.

  “Let’s go!” I cried.

  I grabbed Vinnie’s hand and ran, pulling him to the door.

  The walls began sliding in on us again. But I swung the beam of light

  from wall to wall, and they dropped back into place.

  106 We ran through the door. And down the long hall.

  And seconds later, we were back outside, back in the cool, fresh air.

  Running, running hard, away from the haunted house, down the street

  still filled with shouting, laughing trick-or-treaters.

  I’ve saved two frightened people, I realized.

  I have only one more to go. But I know there can’t be much time left.

  Maybe only minutes … or seconds!

  Vinnie and I ran until we reached his house. He thanked me for saving

  him. Thanked me again and again.

  But I hardly listened. My brain was whirring.

  How can I save someone else? What can I do?

  I watched Vinnie go running into his house. Would his parents believe

  his wild story? Probably not. But I didn’t have time to worry about that.

  I needed to rescue one more person. If only I knew how much time was

  left …

  107 “Leave me alone!”

  “Huh?” I turned and saw a group of costumed kids across the street.

  “Leave me alone!” my sister Maya screamed again.

  Some big, tough-looking kids had Maya and her friends surrounded. I saw

  one of them push Maya’s friend and grab her trick-or-treat bag.

  Another big guy grabbed my sister’s arm and twisted it behind her back.

  Maya let out a frightened cry.

  I’ll scare these guys away, I decided, and I’ll have my three rescues.

  I’ll be okay. I’ll be alive!

  I slid my head under my coat. The old headless gag should do it, I told

  myself.

  I zipped the coat over my head. Then I tore

  108 across the street, screaming, “My head! My head!”

  I heard laughter.

  “Brandon - stop joking! Help us!” Maya wailed.

  I poked my head up. The tough kids were laughing at my headless trick.

  They weren’t scared at all.

  Now what? I asked myself.

  One of them - a big, powerful-looking kid with red hair standing

  straight up on his head like a broom - grabbed the front of my coat.

  “What do you want to do with him, Chris?” he asked one of his pals.

  “I like him better without a head,” a blond boy, wearing blue sunglasses

  despite the darkness, replied with a sneer.

  “Let’s take off his head,” the red-haired guy said, tightening his grip

  on me.

  “L-let me go,” I stammered. “And leave the girls alone too. Pick on

  someone your own - “

  “Shut up, geek!” the red-haired boy bellowed.

  “Make him climb that tree,” another boy suggested.

  They grabbed me and shoved me roughly against the tree trunk.

  “No - please,” I begged. “I don’t have time. You have to let me go. I - “

  If they force me up the tree, I won’t stand a chance, I realized. I

  won’t be able to rescue anyone. And I’ll go back to the other side …

  forever.

  109 “Get up there,” the boy named Chris barked. “Start climbing.”

  “No - ” I tried to squirm away.

  But they were too strong. The red-haired boy pushed me back against the

  tree. “Climb! Fast!”

  I’m doomed, I realized.

  I’m dead.

  And then - something really horrible happened.

  110 “Get up that tree. All the way to the top!” The red-haired boy gave

  me another shove from behind.

  I felt his hand push my shoulder - and then … and then …

  I felt my shoulder slide off.

  The shoulder slid forward and then started to fall.

  I uttered a startled gasp as my head slid off. My shoulders … my chest …

  I stood and stared, so confused. I watched my body crumple to the grass.

  It sprawled onto its side and didn’t move.

  I stood there in amazement - staring down at my body.

  Staring until I finally realized what had happened.

  111 Time was up!

  The hour had ended. I failed. Failed! Once again, I’d slipped from my body.

  And now I stood gazing down at myself in horror.

  A scream made me look up.

  The tough guys were staring at me with bulging eyes. They gaped down at

  my fallen body - and then up at me.

  And then they tossed back their heads in horrified screams.

  They all were screaming now - the tough guys, Maya, and Maya’s three

  friends.

  Then they all spun away from the terrifying sight, staggering and

  stumbling, desperate to get away.

  I watched them run screaming down the street. The boys went one way.

  Maya and her friends headed for our house.

  “I did it!” I cried out loud. “I saved three people! I rescued three

  frightened people! I did it! I did it!” I knew that the hour had already

  ended, but I hoped Norb would give me a break.

  I hid my body under a bush. “I’ll be back for you in a minute!” I told

  it happily.

  Then I took off, running to the ravine. “I did it!” I announced at the

  top of my lungs as I made my way past Mr. Benson’s house. “I did it! I

  saved three people!”

  I stopped at the edge and peered across. “Hey,

  112 Norb!” I shouted. “Norb - where are you? I did it! I’m back!”

  Out of the darkness, Norb appeared on the other side. He still wore the

  ugly monster mask. He waved to me. “Jump across, Brandon,” he called.

  “Hurry. You can do it. Jump across.”

  “Okay,” I agreed. I stepped back and took a running start. At the edge

  of the ravine, I leaped - and made it easily to the other side.

  “Welcome back,” Norb said, his eyes studying me from inside the mask.

  “I did it!” I exclaimed. “I saved three frightened people. Now get me

  back inside my body!”

  Norb laughed. “Oops - just joking!” he declared.

  I gaped at him. “Huh? What did you say?”

  “Oops - just joking!” he repeated. He laughed harder.

  The other masked kids suddenly appeared behind him. They were laughing too.

  “But you said - ” I pleaded.

  “Oops - just joking!” Norb cried gleefully.

  I swallowed hard. I was trembling so hard, I could barely speak. “You

  mean - ?” I choked out.

  “Don’t you get it, Brandon?” Norb asked. He reached both hands up - and

  tugged off his mask.

  “Nooooo!” I let out a scream as his face came into view.

  My face!

  I stared at my face!

  113 Norb tossed back his head and laughed. “Happy Halloween!” he

  shouted. “Happy Halloween, Brandon!”

  And then he reached both hands up and pulled off the face.

  It was a mask! Only a rubber mask!

  And underneath … nothing but air. He was headless!


  “This year, I dressed up as you,” Norb said. His voice seemed to come

  out of nowhere. “Didn’t you guess? Didn’t you figure it out when I told

  you my name - Norband? It’s Brandon. I just moved the letters around!”

  I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.

  The other kids all laughed. And then they too pulled off their masks.

  I groaned. Their faces were all decayed, crumbling. Rotting away.

  Patches of green skin clinging to yellowed bone. Empty eye sockets.

  Slack jaws with missing teeth …

  “You’re all dead,” I choked out.

  “And so are you,” Norb said softly. “You’re one of us now, Brandon.

  You’re one of us forever.”

  I stared at him, letting it all sink in.

  They played a joke on me, a Halloween joke.

  There was never a chance I’d get my body back.

  A long sigh escaped my throat. I narrowed my eyes at Norb. “Well …

  it’s still Halloween, right?” I asked.

  “Yes,” he replied.

  114 “And we’re all dead, right?” I asked.

  “Yes,” he replied again.

  “So, come on!” I cried, slapping him on the back.

  “Let’s cross over to the other side and do some serious scaring!”

  114

  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 nearly 200

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

  teenage son, Matt, and dog, Nadine.

  115