Why I'm Not Afraid of Ghosts Read Online Free PDF Page B

room.
    â€œWhat is wrong with him?” Dora raged as she andRobbie followed Oliver back upstairs. “We knew he was going to be a tough scare, but this is ridiculous!”
    Robbie almost snickered. But that would have made Dora madder. She was already mad enough.
    â€œShawn?” Oliver called as he entered his room. “Spooky?”
    The Doberman scrambled to his feet, his tongue lolling from his mouth. Robbie eyed the dog warily. He didn’t want to be jumped through again.
    Oliver patted the dog’s head. “Spooky, where’s Shawn?”
    â€œRuff,” Spooky answered.
    â€œYeah, right,” Oliver muttered. “I’m asking a dog. But still. Where did Shawn go? That skull face in the game must have spooked him.” He shook his head. “You know, he sure gets scared easy.”
    â€œUnlike some idiots,” Dora muttered.
    Robbie hid a smile. It looked as if Dora’s big scare had fallen pretty flat.
    * * *
    â€œWhatever you do, it can’t possibly be better than my scare,” Dora declared when they were back in the attic.
    â€œYour scare,” Robbie repeated sarcastically. “It worked so well. Hah.”
    â€œHey. I heard you scream!”
    Robbie felt as if he were turning red, even though ghosts can’t blush. “Well, you just surprised me, that was all.”
    â€œYou were scared,” Dora said. “Admit it.”
    Robbie gazed at his big sister. “Okay. I was scared. But so what? Oliver wasn’t. Not even for a second!”
    Dora frowned. “For my next scare, I’ll try something bigger.”
    â€œNo fair,” Robbie protested. “It’s my turn next!”
    Dora crossed her arms and smirked at him. “You might as well give up and let me take the next turn. You know you can’t come up with anything better than my amazing computer glitch.”
    â€œOh, yeah?” Robbie yelled. “Just wait! Just wait until tonight! I’ll give him nightmares so bad, he can’t wait to wake up, and when he wakes up, it’ll be worse!”
    Dora shook her head. “You pale excuse for a ghost! What happened last night? “My little sister is having nightmares!’ What makes you think tonight is going to be different?”
    â€œYou’ll see,” Robbie countered. He was so mad at Dora, he wanted to spit. But ghosts can’t do that either. “Just you wait. You’ll see!”
    He didn’t know yet exactly what she would see.
    But he was going to come up with something huge!

10

    R obbie never prepared more carefully for a haunt in his whole afterlife.
    But it would be worth it. He had plans. Big plans!
    He wished he knew some of Dora’s special tricks though. He’d feel more sure of himself.
    Never mind. He had plenty of his own tricks up his sailor-suit sleeves!
    From his perch on top of Oliver’s dresser, Robbie watched Oliver turn out the light and pull up the covers.
    Spooky strolled over to the desk. He turned around three times and then lay down.
    Robbie didn’t start his scare right away. It was always better to begin haunting when people were shaken up and confused.
    Waking them out of a sound sleep with wild noises was one of the best ways to shake them up!
    Robbie thought over his stunts, rehearsing them in his mind while he waited for Oliver to fall asleep.
    This kid sure tossed and turned a lot!
    Why did he keep fiddling with his sheet?
    Maybe I should go ahead and start now, Robbie thought. Maybe Oliver would be scared enough.
    No. Stick to the plan! Robbie scolded himself. He forced himself to wait.
    Finally Oliver was breathing long and slow. Robbie drifted above Oliver’s bed. Yup! He could hear soft snores. Time for the scare to begin.
    Robbie tuned his voice and his sound effects so that only Oliver could hear them. Then he groaned.
    Just a little groan to start out. To kind of ease into it. Sneak into Oliver’s dreams.
    Robbie