Dead Scared Read Online Free Page A

was Dougie’s sole caregiver and still treated him like a kid, though his heart was definitely in the right place. Now he pulled the door closed, leaving the two of us
alone once more.
    ‘I completely forgot it was school tomorrow,’ I said, sitting down beside Dougie on the end of his bed.
    ‘I know: double science first thing. I hate Thursdays.’
    ‘You’re not alone,’ I sighed.
    Dougie did a double-take suddenly.
    ‘This is insane, Will. You’re a ghost! Why are you here?’
    ‘I thought that once they’d shoved me in the oven at the funeral home I’d be on my way, but I appear to be stuck here.’
    Dougie laughed.
    ‘The oven. I like that.’ Then as he remembered the gravity of the situation he added: ‘Sorry, mate.’
    ‘Forget it.’
    ‘So how does this ghost thing work? Are you not destined to haunt your own family for all eternity?’
    ‘No, thank God, and I can’t say that’s not a relief! It’s not much fun there right now.’
    ‘How about the graveyard? Surely that’s where you belong?’
    ‘Nope, apparently not. I didn’t get stuck there either.’
    ‘What are we going to do?’ asked Dougie, shaking his head, still struggling to believe the strange turn of events.
    ‘Well, for starters, you’re going to go to school tomorrow.’
    ‘And what will you do?’
    ‘Reckon I’ll start the day with double science.’
    ‘Huh?’
    I smiled and shook my wrists, jazz-hands stylee.
    ‘I’m coming with you!’

FIVE
Design and Technology
    ‘He’s standing next to you
right now
?
’
    Stu Singer’s face had never been more animated. His eyes were wide and his grin looked like it might tear his face in two. Dougie nodded as Stu slapped a hand to his brow and shook his
forehead.
    ‘This is mad!’
    ‘Are you sure you can’t see him?’ asked Dougie.
    Stu pointed directly at me.
    ‘He’s here?’
    Dougie nodded again, as Stu threw his hand out, his fingers passing straight through me harmlessly. Stu sent a punch my way next, the fist disappearing into where my stomach should have been but
connecting with nothing. He threw a few more punches and karate chops as Dougie and I looked at one another, unimpressed. I stepped away, walking round the other side of Dougie, leaving Stu to
knock lumps out of thin air.
    ‘So
nobody
can see me except you?’
    ‘Seems that way,’ whispered Dougie as he watched Stu effortlessly unbalance himself with a high kick that sent him tumbling to the floor of the wood-store. Mr Russell, our design and
technology teacher, was oblivious to our presence in the storeroom. So long as he had a bit of wood to whittle away at on the lathe in the machine-room, he was happy.
    ‘Did I get him?’ asked Stu from the linoleum.
    ‘Yeah, you got him,’ lied Dougie, turning away.
    I stepped past Stu, who was clambering back to his feet, and joined Dougie by the window that overlooked the schoolyard. Clouds of dead leaves swirled through the air, tiny twisters of red,
yellow and brown whirling across the playground.
    ‘They’re going to think I’m mad, you know,’ he said.
    ‘Why’s that?’
    ‘All these conversations I’m having with myself. I look and sound like a proper nutter. Cheers for that, you div!’
    ‘They can’t see me; they can’t hear me. You’re the only one who’s paying me any attention. You’re the special one, D!’
    ‘So special that I get to be haunted by my best mate? Winner!’ he said, punching his fist feebly in the air.
    ‘You know what, Dougie,’ said Stu, having now righted himself, ‘my dad could take care of this for you. He’s a vicar, remember? Man of the cloth and all that. He knows
stuff.’ Stu stepped up and whispered, possibly trying to ensure that I couldn’t hear him: ‘He can make Will go away.’
    ‘He does realise I’m standing
right here,
doesn’t he?’ I said.
    ‘What do you mean?’ Dougie asked Stu. ‘You make it sound like Will’s one of the Sopranos.’
    ‘Dad can exorcise him.’
    ‘He can