Ghost Hunt: Chilling Tales of the Unknown Read Online Free PDF Page B

surprise, the floating figure fell back.
    “Go away!” Diana repeated. Her voice came out a little stronger this time.
    She pulled herself up from her hands and knees. Stood as tall as she could. “Did you hear me? Go away and leave us alone!”
    The man began to sway from side to side. As if he wanted to go somewhere but couldn’t decide which direction to take.
    “Go
away
!” Diana screamed. “Go away!”
    The floating man vanished. Like smoke.
    Diana still stared at the gray dock.
    Just shadows now. Shadows and moonlight.
    Her knees started to shake. She reached out for the nearest chair and dropped into it. With a deep, shuddering breath, she pulled her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs. She rocked from side to side.
    “Don’t come back,” she whispered. “Go away. Go away and leave us alone.” Over and over. Rock, rock. Back and forth. From side to side. “Don’t come back. Go away. Go away and leave us alone.”
    That’s how her parents found her the next morning.
    At least this time they believed her.
    They believed her when she said she had seen a ghost.

     
    “I have to ask,” Jen said. “Have we
ever
done anything like this before?”
    Jen’s question made Lyssa shiver. The TAPS teammates plusJason and Grant were in a small powerboat. They were on their way to Heron’s Point Dock to investigate a haunted houseboat.
    “Nope,” Jason answered. “It’s pretty much a TAPS first.”
    He tucked one hand into his jacket pocket. He held on to the side of the boat with the other.
    The sun was lowering in front of them. It made the water sparkle with red and gold. The air felt chilly. The water had choppy waves. The small boat bounced up and down, like a carnival thrill ride.
    Lyssa held on tight. She felt excited. Jen was right. How many times did you get to investigate the possibility of a haunted boat?
    “Do the Martins live on the houseboat year-round?” she asked.
    “No,” Grant answered. “They mainly use it in the summer for vacations. It’s big enough to live on, but Diana, the twelve-year-old daughter, has to go to school.”
    “She’s the one who has made most of the claims, right?” Jen asked.
    “Yes,” Grant answered. “She says she’s seen a full-bodied apparition.”
    “I don’t know about you guys,” Jason said. “But I can’t wait to get started. Heron’s Point is a very old, very lonely spot. The perfect place for paranormal activity.”
    “I’m excited too,” Lyssa agreed. “I mean, a haunted houseboat? How cool is that?” The boat bounced hard. Frothy water splashed over the side. Lyssa dodged away from it.
    “Look!” Grant said. He pointed. “I think we’re almost there.”
    Up ahead, Lyssa could see a small island. It looked like a green hill growing out of the ocean.
    As they roared closer, she could see that the island was mostly covered with trees. She could make out a rocky shoreline and a half-moon cove dead ahead.
    Jason pointed to a long wooden dock on the right side of the cove. A single boat was tied up beside the dock.
    “Wow!” Jen said. “That is a big boat!”
    “It looks huge from here,” Grant said. “But you’ll be surprised at how small it feels inside. Good thing we left the twins back at the office.”
    The Hammond brothers—Mike and Mark—had agreed to stay behind. They would go to work on the case after the evidence was collected.
    “Get ready, everyone,” Jason said. He glanced up at the sky. “There’s a storm coming in. Take a look at those clouds. Something tells me we’re in for a rocky night.”

     
    The three Martins welcomed the TAPS team onto the boat.
    Lyssa took a few awkward steps across the deck. She knew it would take a while to get her sea legs.
    She couldn’t stop staring. The houseboat was just awesome. On the outside, the boat looked like a big, tall speedboat.
    The decks were polished wood. There were metal handrails all around the deck. They were so shiny, Lyssa could see