The torchlight dipped low as a strong gust of wind invaded the cave. Harrison’s eyes seemed to grow darker. “I’ve waited too long to get you here,” he said quietly.
Louisa suddenly reached out to Terri. “Help us!” she cried. “You believe us — don’t you?”
“You know we’re alive, not ghosts,” Sam said to me. “Help us get away from him. He’s evil, Jerry. We’ve seen his evil our whole lives.”
I turned from Harrison to the three kids.
Who was telling the truth? Who was alive? And who had been dead for over three hundred years?
Harrison’s face hovered darkly in the dipping, waving torchlight. He pushed his long stringy hair off his forehead with his free hand. And then he startled us all by puckering his dry lips and letting out a long high-pitched whistle.
My heart skipped a beat. I gasped. What was he doing? Why was he making that shrill sound?
He stopped. Then whistled again.
I heard the scraping of footsteps, rapid footsteps on the stone cave floor.
And then a low, dark figure came loping toward us out of the darkness.
26
A monster! I thought.
A ghost monster.
It uttered low, menacing growls as it neared. Its head bobbed and two red eyes flared as the creature bounded into the light of the flaming torch.
“Oh!” I cried out as I saw that it was a dog. A long, lean German shepherd.
The dog stopped a few feet in front of us. When it saw Harrison, it bared its teeth. Its growl became a ferocious snarl.
Dogs can recognize ghosts, I remembered.
Dogs can recognize ghosts.
The dog’s red eyes caught the light of the torch as it turned to Louisa and her two brothers.
It reared back on its hind legs — and began to howl and bark.
“They’re the ghosts!” Harrison Sadler cried triumphantly to Terri and me, pointing.
Snarling, the big dog leaped at Sam.
With a cry of fright, Sam raised both arms to shield himself. The three kids edged deeper into the cave.
The dog barked fiercely, baring its jagged teeth.
“You — you really are ghosts?” I cried out.
Louisa let out a pained sigh. “We never had a chance to live!” she cried. “The first winter — it was so horrible!” Tears rolled down her cheeks. I saw that Nat was crying, too.
The dog continued to snarl and rage. The three kids backed farther into the dark chamber.
“We sailed here with our parents to start a new life,” Sam explained in a trembling voice. “But we all died in the cold. It wasn’t fair! It just wasn’t fair!”
The rain started up again. The wind blew sheets of water into the cave entrance. The torch flame dipped and nearly blew out.
“We never had a life at all!” Louisa cried.
Thunder roared. The cave seemed to shake. The dog growled and snarled.
And as I stared at the three kids in the wavering light, they began to change.
Their hair dropped off first. It fell in clumps to the cave floor.
And then their skin peeled away, curling up and falling off — until three grinning skulls stared at Terri and me through empty eye sockets.
“Come stay with us, cousins!” Louisa’s skull whispered. Her bony fingers reached out toward us.
“Join usssss!” Sam hissed. His fleshless jaw slid up and down. “We dug such nice graves for you. So close to ours.”
“Play with me,” Nat’s skull pleaded. “Stay and play with me. I don’t want you to go. Ever!”
The three ghosts moved toward us, their skeleton hands outstretched, reaching, reaching for Terri and me.
I gasped and stumbled back.
I saw a frightened Harrison stagger back, too.
And then the torch blew out.
27
The torchlight flickered and died.
The heavy darkness made me gasp.
I could feel bodies moving, scraping over the wet stone cave floor.
I could hear the whispered pleas of the three ghosts.
Closer. Closer.
And then a cold hand gripped mine.
I screamed before I heard her whispered voice: “Jerry — run!”
Terri!
Before I could catch my breath, my sister was pulling me through the darkness.
Into the rain. Onto the slippery rock ledge.
“Run! Run!” Terri cried, her eyes wild, her cold hand still gripping mine. “Run! Run!”
The word became a desperate chant. “Run! Run!”
But as we struggled to lower ourselves down the rocks, the roar of thunder drowned out Terri’s shouts.
The ground shook.
My legs nearly slid out from under me.
I cried out when I realized the roar in my ears wasn’t thunder.
Half blinded by the rain, Terri and I spun around in time to see the rocks topple from the top of the cave.
The rain and wind must have loosened them. And now the big boulders rumbled down, cracking, knocking against each other, bumping, and rolling.
Rock after rock, thudding onto the stone ledge.
Until the dark cave mouth was completely covered.
Shielding my eyes from the rain with both hands, I peered up at the cave and waited.
Waited to see if anyone would come out.
But no one did.
No ghostly kids.
No old man.
Harrison Sadler had given up his life to capture the ghosts.
The cave glimmered white in a flash of lightning.
Now it was my turn to pull Terri away. “Let’s go,” I pleaded.
But she didn’t budge. She stood staring through the rain at the closed-up cave.
“Terri — please. Let’s go. It’s over,” I said, tugging her away. “The mystery is solved. The terror — it’s all over.”
28
A few minutes later, Agatha threw open the front door of the cottage and rushed out to greet us. “Where were you? Brad and I were worried sick!”
She ushered us in, fussing over us, shaking her head, talking excitedly, glad we were back safe and sound.
Terri and I got dried off and into clean clothes.
The rain had stopped by the time we joined Brad and Agatha in the kitchen for steaming mugs of hot cider. Outside the kitchen window, the wind still blew the trees, sending water cascading down from the leaves.
“Now tell us what happened to you,” Brad said. “Agatha and I really were terribly upset that you were out in this storm.”
“It’s kind of a long story,” I told them, warming my hands on the hot cider mug. “I don’t know where to start.”
“Start at the beginning,” Brad said quietly. “That’s usually the best place.”
Terri and I did our best to tell them the whole story of the three ghostly kids, the old man, and the frightening cave. As we talked, I could see their expressions changing.
I could see how worried they were for Terri and me. And I could see how unhappy they were that we had ignored their wishes and ventured into the cave.
When I finished the story, the room grew quiet. Brad stared out the window at the dripping rainwater on the glass. Agatha cleared her throat but didn’t speak.
“We’re really sorry,” Terri said, breaking the silence. “I hope you’re not angry at us.”
“The important thing is that you’re both safe and sound,” Agatha replied.
She stood up, stepped over to Terri, and gave her a warm hug.
Agatha started toward me, her arms outstretched — when a sound outside made her stop.
Barking. Loud dog barking.
Terri lunged for the back door and pulled it open. “Jerry — look!” she cried. “It’s Harrison Sadler’s dog. He got out of the cave. He must have followed us here.”
I moved to the open doorway. The dog had been drenched in the rain. His wet gray fur was matted to his back.
Terri a
nd I reached out to pet the dog.
But to our surprise, he reared back and growled.
“Easy, boy,” I said. “You must be really frightened, huh?”
The dog snarled at me and started to bark.
Terri bent down and tried to soothe the animal. But he backed away from her, barking ferociously.
“Whoa!” I cried. “I’m your friend — remember? I’m no ghost!”
Terri turned to me, her expression puzzled. “You’re right. We’re not ghosts. Why is he carrying on like that?”
I shrugged. “Whoa. Easy, boy. Easy.”
The dog ignored my pleas, barking and howling.
I turned back to see Brad and Agatha huddled against the kitchen wall, their faces tight with fear.
“That’s only Brad and Agatha,” I told the dog. “They’re nice people. They won’t hurt you.”
And then I swallowed hard. My heart began to throb.
I realized why the dog was barking like that. He was barking at Brad and Agatha.
Agatha stepped into the doorway, shaking her finger at the snarling animal. “Bad dog!” she cried. “Bad dog! Now you’ve given away our secret, too!”
Terri gasped. She realized what Agatha was saying.
Agatha slammed the kitchen door hard and turned back to Brad. “What a pity that dog had to show up,” she said, shaking her head fretfully. “Now what do we do with these two kids, Brad? What do we do with the kids?”
BEHIND THE SCREAMS
GHOST BEACH
CONTENTS
About the Author
Q & A with R.L. Stine
Haunted Family Tree
The Supernatural Power of Dogs
Activity! Make Your Own Grave Rubbings
A Terrifying Peek at GOOSEBUMPS HORRORLAND #16: SPECIAL EDITION: WEIRDO HALLOWEEN
Bonus material written and compiled by Luke Woods
About the Author
R.L. Stine’s books are read all over the world. So far, his books have sold more than 300 million copies, making him one of the most popular children’s authors in history. Besides Goosebumps, R.L. Stine has written the teen series Fear Street, the funny series Rotten School, as well as the Mostly Ghostly series, The Nightmare Room series, and the two-book thriller Dangerous Girls. R.L. Stine lives in New York with his wife, Jane, and Minnie, his King Charles spaniel. You can learn more about him at www.RLStine.com.
Q & A with R.L. Stine
Did you grow up in the city or the country?
R. L. Stine (RLS): I grew up in a suburb … of Transylvania! Just kidding; I grew up in Bexley, which is a quiet little suburb of Columbus, Ohio. Not at all like Transylvania—except we all liked to fly like bats under the full moon!
Were you ever shipped off to spend the summer with old relatives?
RLS: I was never shipped off to other relatives. None of them wanted me! I spent all my summers under a tree in my front yard, reading scary comic books. No kidding.
As a child, did you spend a lot of time looking for adventure like Terri? Or were you more like Jerry?
RLS: When I was a kid, the only adventures I looked for were in books and comics. I read adventure stories — I especially loved pirate stories and superhero comics. Then when I was about ten, I invented my own superhero: Super Stooge, the world’s worst superhero. He would fly headfirst into brick buildings! I thought it was hilarious.
Terri has a lot of hobbies to keep her busy. What do you enjoy doing when you aren’t writing?
RLS: I like chewing on bones and chasing after dogs and squirrels in the park. I spend a lot of time combing my face and my furry arms and legs. I enjoy being a werewolf, but it’s hard to keep yourself looking neat.
What do you think Agatha and Brad did with Terri and Jerry after the story ended?
RLS: Yuck. Let’s not talk about it. I’m getting ready to eat lunch!
Do you ever look back at your books and wish you could change parts of them?
RLS: Kids ask me that all the time—but the truth is, by the time I have written an outline for the book, then revised the outline, then written a first draft of the book, then written a second draft (then sometimes a third draft), I’m pretty glad I don’t have to go over it again! I’m always more interested in the next book I’m writing. Goosebumps HorrorLand #16: Weirdo Halloween is a special edition and takes place during the spookiest time of the year. What kinds of surprises do you have up your sleeve at the scariest amusement park in the world?
RLS: Hey, I’m not going to give away any surprises. But I’ll tell you that Halloween is a whole month long in HorrorLand — and that doesn’t count the time it takes for everyone to recover from the shock. And I will also reveal that this book is extra long, too. Two stories instead of just one! That means double the Halloween scares!
To find out about R.L. Stine’s celebration after writing a book, check out the collector’s edition of
THE SCARECROW WALKS AT MIDNIGHT.
Haunted Family Tree
Everybody’s family tree has some crooked branches, but this is ridiculous. We can’t even have a reunion because Wolfman Fred won’t speak to Cousin Dracula since that incident with the villagers and pitchforks. But you know what they say, “The family that haunts together, stays together.”
Now make your own. You can use your real friends’ names or just make them up. Try silly word combinations to make your family sound ghoulish. Remember to be scary and funny.
The Supernatural Power of Dogs
Harrison Sadler’s German shepherd can recognize ghosts. But those aren’t the only things a dog is able to sense. Because they have such acute senses of hearing, smell, and taste, dogs can PREDICT changes in the weather, from something as small as a rain shower to something as large as an earthquake!
Changes in the atmosphere’s pressure can signal an oncoming storm. Dogs are more SENSITIVE to this than humans and may act out. Since thunder and lightning scare many dogs, they may associate the feelings of an oncoming storm with the storm itself. Since their hearing is so much stronger, these beloved pets can hear weather noises far off in the distance.
With all of these abilities, it makes sense that a dog would be able to sense the presence of a SUPERNATURAL creature. Reported ghost appearances feature some of the same characteristics as storm activity—a drop in pressure, increased electrical output, and far-off sounds.
So the next time your dog behaves badly, maybe it means a storm is coming. Or maybe something much WORSE is already there….
Make Your Own GRAVE RUBBINGS
Making grave rubbings is a fun and easy activity. And unless you pick a ghost’s grave, it’s only a little spooky. All you need is someone to bring you to the cemetery and the following items:
Unwrapped crayons, charcoals, or chalk pastels
Thin paper such as tracing, rice, or wax paper
Tape
COURAGE!
First, walk around the graveyard until you find a gravestone that particularly interests you. It could be an especially old one. It could be that it has the name of someone famous or someone you know. You could like the patterns engraved on it. Whatever the reason, don’t stop looking until you find one that grabs you.
Tape your sheet of paper over the grave’s inscription. This will help make sure your paper doesn’t slip … especially if you get scared and your hands start to shake. (You are in a graveyard!)
Holding your crayon lengthwise, rub the surface of the paper vigorously. Make sure to cover the area evenly.
The inscription will start to appear on your paper. When you have colored in your entire sheet, the grave rubbing is complete! Find a bunch of interesting graves and start a collection!
NOTE: Make sure you are grave rubbing and not grave robbing! The stones belong to someone else, so treat them carefully and respectfully. You don’t want to have any ghosts mad at you for disturbing them!
Add more Goosebumps to your collection! Here’s a chilling preview of
WEIRDO HALLO
WEEN
See what Halloween is like in the world’s scariest theme park with this special edition!
1
HorrorLand Theme Park is supposed to be “The Scariest Place on Earth.” My brother, Chris, and I had to beg our parents to take us there. And then we had to beg them to let Chris and me go exploring without them.
So here we were, our first afternoon in the park — on our own — staring into the Tunnel of Screams. All I could see was a long, dark tunnel, as black as night. I could hear shrieks and muffled cries from deep inside.
“Looks awesome,” I said. “Let’s go.” I pulled Chris into the tunnel.
We took a few steps and left the sunlight behind. In the gray light at the tunnel entrance, I could see high stone walls curving over us. Like a cave.
And flickering lights. They danced and darted along the ceiling and reminded me of the fireflies in our backyard in August. The gray light soon darkened to black as we walked farther into the tunnel.
The other kids and families all vanished from sight. Suddenly, I couldn’t see anyone. And all I could hear were shrill, horrifying screams. Screams that seemed to come from all sides, in front of us, behind us. Screams of terror. Long, high shrieks of fright.
“Like stepping into a horror movie,” Chris said in a whisper. He was shuffling next to me, keeping close. I could barely hear him over the screams and cries.
Was I frightened? Well … my whole body started to tingle, and my legs felt shaky.
I guess I have to admit that I, Meg Oliver, was actually terrified! Maybe for the first time in my twelve years.
“Whooooooah.”
A low moan right behind me made me spin around with a gasp. But of course I couldn’t see anything there.