The Howling Ghost Read Online Free Page B

Hollo. Hollo.
    Actually, it sounded as if a ghost were talking.
    Olio. Olio. Olio
    But not a friendly ghost. Not one welcoming him.
    Ogo. Ogo. Ogo.
    Adam shivered as he listened to the sound.
    Go. Go. Go.
    There was a small storage room off to his left. Inside was a shovel, a wheelbarrel, several metal containers that smelled of kerosene, and a rope. Surprisingly, the rope was fairly new, in better shape than the other equipment. He hurried back outside and held it up for the others to see. Watch spoke for all of them with his next questions.
    â€œDo you want to use it to get back here?” he asked. “Or do you want us to come over there?”
    Cindy stepped forward. “I want to search the lighthouse,” she said. “I have to.”
    Sally eyed the water uneasily. “If the rope breaks, we’ll all end up in a shark’s belly.”
    â€œIs there a good place to tie it on your side?” Watch called to Adam.
    Adam glanced back at the winding stairway. He had at least a couple hundred feet of rope in his hands. It would reach, he decided. “Yeah,” he said. “Do you have anything to tie it to on the jetty?”
    Watch studied the boulders. “Sure,” he said. “But we’ll be dangling just above the waterline.”
    â€œI wonder how high a shark can reach out of the water?” Sally muttered.
    Adam threw one end of the rope over to Watch, who wrapped it around a boulder. Before Watch tied his end off, Adam reentered the lighthouse and secured his end to the stairway. He knew it was ridiculous, but he thought he heard his hello still echoing. It was only a faint moan though.
    Oooooo.
    Adam went back outside. Watch had drawn the rope tight and tied it. It stretched only three feet above the water. “Who’s going first?” Adam called.
    Cindy grabbed hold of the rope. “I will.” Then she paused. “What do I do?”
    â€œStart with your back to the lighthouse,” Watch explained. “Grab the rope tightly with your hands and pull yourself out slowly. When you’re above thewater, throw your feet around the rope, too. And don’t fall off.”
    Cindy did what Watch instructed. Soon she was inching her way toward Adam. The ends of her blond hair brushed the tips of the small waves. Adam wanted to say something to encourage her, but couldn’t think of anything—especially with Sally glaring at him.
    Adam just didn’t understand Sally. She had been the one who wanted to help Cindy in the first place. Just because he said a few nice things about Cindy was no reason for Sally to get so jealous. Adam didn’t even know what there was to be jealous about. They were kids and weren’t into relationships. He wasn’t even sure what the word meant.
    â€œJust a few more feet,” Adam said finally when Cindy was almost across. When her feet were above the stones, he reached out and helped her off the rope. She stood beside him and caught her breath.
    â€œThat was scary,” she said.
    â€œHow long have you lived in Spooksville?” he asked.
    â€œTwo months. How about you?”
    â€œTwo weeks. We moved because of my dad’s job.”
    Cindy’s face fell. “We moved because my dad died.”
    â€œOh. I’m sorry.”
    â€œHis family had a house here that we stay in for free.” Cindy shrugged weakly. “We had nowhere else to go.”
    â€œYou don’t have any other brothers or sisters? Beside Neil?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œHey!” Sally called from across the water, her hand on the rope. “Stop talking and get ready to rescue me if I fall in.”
    â€œI can’t wait to rescue you again,” Adam called back.
    Sally took longer to cross than Cindy. Actually, she complained so much the whole way it was amazing she had enough strength left to hold on to the rope. But finally she was standing beside them.
    â€œI hope we’re not in a hurry on the