Chapters (38)
- Copyright Notice
- Dedication
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- Newsletter Sign-up
“Are you stupid or what? I said there’s no such things as ghosts!”
“That wasn’t a normal sound…”
Marty stifled a giggle. They were truly on edge now, but for step three of the plan, he and Gracie needed them to get nearer to the pumpkin. Marty put the wind chimes down and let them walk closer. As they did so, his throat tightened. He knew what they wanted to do to it, but in order to get this just right, he had to let them get close. Just close enough …
“Man,” said one, his dull voice bouncing off the pumpkin, “look at the size of it!”
It does seem to strike awe in people, even stupid ones, thought Marty. Gracie kicked him, and he gestured upward and mouthed, “… After three.”
He watched as they inched closer. Closer. Their white sneakers shining in the moonlight.
“This is gonna be ace!” said Gerry, giggling stupidly.
“Ready?” he asked.
Marty nodded at Gracie and stuck up his fingers … one, two, and three. Gracie yanked down on the chain hanging from the top of the shed, and a bucket of fish guts flew out of the nearby tree and upended itself all over the three boys.
They shrieked.
“What happened?”
Gerry had had his mouth open in shock and had gotten a mouthful of the fish puke. He was dabbing at his tongue with fishy hands, which made everything worse.
“Oh my GOD! WHAT IS THAT?!”
“It stinks!”
“Let’s get out of here!!!!”
“NOW!”
Marty pulled another chain and WHOOSH, another bucket flew through the night and dumped a load of slimy seaweed tea all over them.
“This place is haunted!” screamed one as he slipped on his bum on the ground. They wriggled and writhed and couldn’t for the life of them stand up. Then, for good measure, Gracie let rip with a bucket of nettle stink tonic.
“WAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” They didn’t know which way was up by now. Marty was giggling and so was Gracie, both of them holding on to the sides of the shed for dear life.
The white-sneaker boys looked like some swamp monsters. Green and black with arms and legs flailing everywhere, making the most disturbing sounds anyone had ever heard. When they eventually got to their feet, they scrabbled and grappled with one another as they made for the gate.