05 The Scream of the Haunted Mask by R.L. Stine

Author:R.L. Stine [Stine, R.L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Clark is a ghost.

I held the book in my trembling hands and stared at the boy’s face. Yes. It was definitely Clark.

Clark is a ghost.

I slammed the book shut and dropped it to the desk. I remembered the words of the man from the mask store. “Someone else is out there. Someone else who owned the mask and will do anything to get it back.” It was Clark! “I have to tell Sabrina,” I said out loud.

I picked up the box of markers and went running out of the room. I lurched down the long hall, my heart pounding. I burst into the playroom and shouted, “Sabrina? Sabrina?”

I stopped when I saw Clark. He was standing against the glass door in back. His hair fell down over his forehead. His hands were at his sides.

“Oh!” I let out a startled cry. Panic tightened in my throat.

Clark, what are you doing here? I thought. I know the truth about you. I know you were the stable boy. I know you are a ghost.

Why are you here?

Clark stepped away from the door. He said something to Angela and Colin. Then he reached behind his back — and pulled something from his pocket.

A mask!

The mask that had panicked the horses. MY HAUNTED MASK?

Clark pulled the rubber mask down over his face. An ugly mask. But not my mask. It was green and big-eyed and had a long alligator snout with two rows of pointy yellow teeth.

He fixed it over his head and stepped toward the kids.

“NOOOOO!” I wanted to scream for him to stop. But no sound came out.

I knew I had to act fast. Clark was a ghost, and I was the only one who knew it. The kids weren’t safe. None of us were safe.

I grabbed Sabrina and spun her around. “Quick —” I choked out. “Take the kids to the art table. Keep them close together. Make masks with them.”

“Mrs. Lange and I tried,” Sabrina said. “They wouldn’t sit down.”

“Listen to me!” I screamed. “Get them away from Clark. Sit them down and make the masks over there.” I pointed to the art table on the other side of the room.

“Hel-lo?” Sabrina said. “Carly Beth? Why are you so freaked?”

“Tell you later,” I said, my eyes on Clark in that hideous mask. “Where is Mrs. Lange?”

“She and Laura had to go out to get more cider,” Sabrina said. She studied me for a minute. She could see how frightened I was.

“Okay. I — I’ll round up the kids.” She turned and started to herd the kids to the art table.

I helped push Jesse and Debra in the right direction. “Come over here,” I said, trying to sound calm. I didn’t want to scare the kids. “Take a paper bag. Let’s make some scary Halloween masks. The creepier the better!”

Once the kids were settled, I took a deep breath and strode across the room to Clark.

“Carly Beth — hi,” he said. His voice was muffled inside the ugly mask. His dark eyes locked on mine.

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