Karen's Ghost by Ann M. Martin

Author:Ann M. Martin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2016-08-29T04:00:00+00:00

“Then how come you have someone else’s diary?” Andrew wanted to know.

“Because the guy is dead now. He won’t care if I read his diary.”

“Karen,” said Mommy, “ ‘the guy’ is your grandfather. Be nice about him. And how did you get his diary?”

“We found it in Ben Brewer’s room. It was in a secret drawer in the table next to his bed. Kristy and I were so sc — I mean, so brave. We marched right into that room and we searched it until we found this diary. Jeremy must have wanted to tell the story of his father. I guess that’s why he put the diary in his father’s room. Anyway, did you know that Ben’s birthday was on Halloween? And after he died he started giving himself haunted birthday parties.”

“Oh, Karen,” said Mommy.

“It’s true. That’s what Jeremy wrote.”

“Really?” said Andrew. His bottom lip trembled.

“Really,” I told him. “He gives one every ten years. And guess what. This Halloween he’ll be giving a haunted party and we will be at the big house for it. It will happen at midnight.”

Andrew began to cry. “No!” he wailed. “Then I’m not going to Daddy’s for Halloween. I don’t want the ghosts to get me.”

“Andrew,” said Mommy, “there are no ghosts. Besides, you will be asleep at midnight, so you don’t need to worry. And Karen, you are scaring your brother. Please stop it right now.”

“Okay,” I replied. But I sat back in my seat and said softly, “Yup. Every ten years. A haunted party. A haunted birthday party. At midnight.”

Mommy stopped the car. She turned around in her seat. “Karen, that is enough. I just told you that you are scaring Andrew. I don’t want to hear another word out of you until we get home. And then I want you to go to your room for fifteen minutes and think about what you’ve done.”

I began to cry. In the front seat, Andrew was crying, too. We cried all the way home. Mommy did not say anything.

At home, I spent fifteen minutes in my room playing with Emily Junior. I tried to think about what I’d done. But all I could think about was Ben.

When the fifteen minutes were over, Mommy said I could come out. She said it was dinnertime. I ate my whole dinner without saying anything about Ben or Jeremy or the diary.

Mommy gave me a hug and a kiss. I was glad she was not mad at me anymore. But I was mad at Andrew. He had gotten me in trouble because he is a crybaby. So when we were alone I sang to him, “Haunted birthday to you, haunted birthday to you. Ben Brewer will get you. Haunted birthday to you.”

Do you know what? Andrew stuck his tongue out at me.

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