Halloween Party Read Online Free PDF Page B

through the old cemetery, shaking the bare tree limbs like the bony fingers of skeletons. Niki squeezed Terry’s hand as they approached the Cameron mansion. They were following Murphy, who was still chuckling over the scare he’d given them.
    Suddenly Niki wheeled around. Two other kids were making their way through the cemetery, their costumes glowing in the pale, silvery October moonlight.
    Everyone had been given directions to come the same way. They all had to park in the cul-de-sac at the end of Fear Street and cut through the cemetery to Justine’s house at the edge of the woods.
    In spite of the scare Murphy had given him and Niki, Terry decided that going through the cemetery had been a great idea. What could be better forputting everyone in a thrills-and-chills Halloween mood?
    Up close, the Cameron mansion looked even spookier than it had from the cemetery. It was surrounded on both sides by barren trees that looked as if they must be hundreds of years old. The ground-floor windows were covered with heavy iron grates, and beside them battered wooden shutters banged in the wind.
    They may be fixing this old house up, thought Terry, but it still resembles something out of a horror movie. Maybe it really is haunted. Just then there was a break in the wind, and he could hear music and shrieks of laughter from inside. It sounded as if the party had already started.
    Murphy was clomping up the front steps to the porch, his zombie costume fluttering around him in the wind. Terry sneaked a quick glance at Niki and squeezed her hand reassuringly. She was dressed as an old-fashioned carnival reveler, in a beautiful red satin ball gown and flowing black cape. She had copied the dress from a book of old party costumes. She was beautiful. Grinning at Terry excitedly, she slid on her shiny black feathered eye mask.
    Quickly Terry pulled on his own mask. His mother had helped him dress up as a greaser from the 1950s. He was wearing black chino pants and old saddle shoes of his father’s that he’d found in the attic. He had rolled a pack of cigarettes in one sleeve of his tight white T-shirt and had a loose dark jacket over it. His hair was slicked back on the sides with Vaseline and teased up in the front. When he had left his house that evening, he’d thought he looked pretty cool, but now he wondered if he just looked silly.
    Like a wimp.
    As if reading his thoughts, Niki reached up and kissed him on the cheek. “You look great, Terry,” she said.
    Terry smiled down at her. “So do you, Funny Face.” He slid up his mask and leaned over to kiss her. She kissed him back, and for a moment they just stood there, holding each other awkwardly because of their costumes, and kissing.
    â€œUh, Terry,” Niki said after a moment. “What about the party?”
    â€œWhat party?” said Terry. But he pulled away and smiled down at her again. Then, hand in hand, they mounted the steps up to the vine-choked porch. Murphy must have already gone inside, because the porch was empty.
    There was a heavy, ornate door knocker in the shape of a skull in the center of the old wooden door. Terry reached out to pull it when suddenly a huge hairy spider swooped through the air and landed on his arm.
    â€œNo!”
    Niki shrieked and Terry jumped back, his heart pounding.
    â€œGotcha again!”
    Terry spun around and saw Murphy standing on the railing on the side of the porch, hidden by some of the vines. Cackling maniacally, Murphy jumped onto the porch. The giant rubber bug was on the end of a long pole and rubberband that he jerked up and down like a yo-yo.
    Murphy laughed. “You two sure scare easy. If all the wimps are as wimpy as you, the jocks’ll win this contest easy.”
    â€œVery funny, Murph,” said Terry. He took a deep breath and then laughed.
    Adjusting his mask, he raised his hand to knock again. There was a creaking noise, and the door slowly swung open.
    J