The Howler Read Online Free PDF Page B

really want to believe.”
    “Scott is right to tease you,” she said.
    That hurt. Wow, that hurt!
    But here I was, up in my room, feeling reallyexcited. Nervous. About to test my new purchase.
    I shut everything else out of my mind and pulled my desk chair in front of the table. Then I leaned over the Howler and gently wrapped my fingers around the power switch. I clicked it on.
    The dial lit up instantly. It gave off a dim yellow glow.
    I brought my face close to the speaker and listened.
    Nothing. Silence.
    I searched for a volume control, but I couldn’t find one.
    I stared at the dial. The yellow glow appeared to grow brighter.
    I heard a buzz. A crackling sound, like static on the radio.
    I pressed my ear to the speaker and listened for ghostly howls.
    Nothing.
    “Come on, ghosts,” I said out loud. “Where are you?”
    Give it a chance, I told myself.
    I heard another crackle of static. The yellow dial flickered. Then silence.
    How long did I sit there, staring at the yellow dial? Five minutes? Ten?
    After a while, I stood up. I paced around the room. Then I crossed to the window and gazed down toward Scott’s house.
    He was just getting home. I saw him pause at his back door and look up at my window.
    I ducked back so he wouldn’t see me. I didn’t want him barging in and giving me a hard time about the Howler. That’s the last thing I wanted!
    I turned back to the Howler, glowing and silent on my little table.
    I sat back down in front of it. Leaned my elbows on the table. And stared into the dial.
    Come on, I urged silently. Let me hear something. Just one tiny ghost sound.
    I nearly fell off the chair when I heard a ghostly whisper.
    “ Spennnn-cerrrrr .”
    A spirit! A ghost! I could hear it! So close! It sounded so close!
    “ Spennnn-cerrrrr .”
    And then it grabbed me from behind.
    And spun me around.

14
    “Nick!” I cried. “You jerk! Let go of me!”
    He giggled and gave me a hard shove that sent me sprawling over the table. Then he tossed my backpack to the floor and took its place on my bed.
    “What’s up, wimpface?”
    “Nothing you’d be interested in,” I sneered. “Would you please get out of my room? I’m kind of busy.”
    He spit his bubble gum toward the wastebasket in the corner—and missed. The gum bounced off the wall, onto my carpet.
    “Hey, pick it up,” I said.
    He grinned at me. “Pick what up?” He jumped to his feet and came up behind me. “What’s that thing? Another stupid ghost toy?”
    “No, it’s not a toy,” I replied. But I was immediately sorry. I should have told Nick it was a toy, I thought. Then he’d go away and leave me alone.
    Now I was going to have to explain.
    He picked it up off the table. “Is it a radio?”
    “Kind of,” I said. “It’s called the Howler. It uses radio waves or something. It picks up the howls of ghosts.”
    He snickered. “Yeah, sure.” He raised the Howler to his ear.
    “Careful—you’ll unplug it,” I warned.
    Nick narrowed his eyes at me. “Are you becoming some kind of Star Trek freak? Is that what this is about?”
    “No way,” I said. “I just—”
    He pressed his mouth against the dial. “Beam me up, Scotty!” he shouted into it. “Beam me up. This is Spock!”
    He laughed really hard, as if he’d just made a really funny joke. Then he dropped the Howler to the table.
    “Careful!” I screamed. “You’ll break it.”
    He started to the door. “You’re pitiful,” he said. “It’s not even funny, you’re so totally pitiful. You really think you can buy some kind of stupid little radio and be able to hear ghosts howling.”
    “Just leave me alone!” I cried.
    “Pitiful,” he repeated. And he walked out of my room.
    Pitiful. The word repeated in my ear.
    Maybe he’s right, I thought, staring at the silent gray box. Maybe I am pitiful.
     
    Or maybe not.
    Late that night, I was awakened by a strange sound.
    I sat up in bed and listened.
    The room was hot. The furnace had been on full