The Curse of the Creeping Coffin Read online

  You stand up and brush yourself off.

  “Who are you?” you ask, trying not to let your voice tremble. “What do you want? What are you doing here?”

  “I’m Jane Luckmeyer,” the girl ghost says. “And this is my dearly beloved twin brother, John.”

  John bows deeply. Then he sticks out his tongue.

  “Oh, John,” Jane cries. “This will be so much fun!”

  “Yes, dear sister,” John answers. “We haven’t had anyone to torment in ages.”

  “An eternity!” Jane agrees. “But I’ve spent the time thinking of ever more horrible tricks and tortures.”

  You don’t like the sound of that! Could these two creeps have something to do with the creeping coffins?

  “Tell me something,” you say, hoping you sound casual. “Why have the coffins been moving around?”

  But the twins don’t answer you. Instead, they cackle horribly and grin at you.

  Go on to PAGE 66.

  You start to swing the rope, hoping to lasso the wild ghost stallion.

  Are you kidding?

  Do you know how long it takes to learn how to lasso?

  And you don’t even have that rope tied in the right kind of knot, do you?

  Admit it. Unless you’ve grown up on a dude ranch or within two hundred miles of a pack of wild stallions, you don’t have a flat chance of lassoing this crazed animal.

  So …

  If you were born in Colorado, Montana, or Wyoming, turn to PAGE 58.

  If you were born anywhere else, turn to PAGE 94.

  You race across the lawn and over the hill to the small barn. You swing open the door.

  Instantly, more than forty chickens flap down out of the rafters at you! Feathers fly everywhere.

  “Aaaaa-choooo!” The feathers tickle your nose. They get in your mouth. You swipe at the downy tufts.

  The clucking is so loud you cover your ears. Then you cover your head. “Aaaaaahhhh!” you scream. The chickens are swooping toward your hair.

  Huh?

  Why are they swooping toward your hair? You’ve heard that bats will fly at people and get tangled in their hair. But chickens?

  There’s definitely something weird going on with these birds.

  Turn to PAGE 97.

  You decide to ask your worst enemy to help you.

  Digger Sukowski.

  That’s the first name that pops into your head when you think about how to deal with this ghost.

  Digger is a sixth-grader who lives a few blocks away. He’s a bully and a jerk, and you can’t think of anyone meaner or tougher. Perfect.

  “Uh, wait right here,” you tell the ghost.

  You dash out of the house and run all the way to Digger’s backyard. That’s where Digger and his friends have built a tree house.

  The ladder leading up to the tree house has a sign on it.

  NO TRESPASSERS. THIS MEANS YOU. CLIMB THIS LADDER AT YOUR OWN RISK!

  You swallow hard and put your foot on the ladder.

  Keep climbing on PAGE 70.

  You reluctantly hand MacFarling a dollar bill.

  He folds the dollar in half twice. Then he jams it into a tiny slot of his electronic box. A minute later, the beeping stops. The box spits the dollar back out.

  “Thanks,” MacFarling says. “The spirit counter was jammed.” He gives the dollar back to you.

  Weird, you think. But it seems to have worked.

  Then, MacFarling stares at the red dials on his machine.

  “Bad news, kid,” MacFarling says finally. “By my count, there are ten ghosts in the house already. That’s way over my limit. You’re on your own.”

  He starts back toward his car.

  “Wait!” you call after him. “You can’t leave me here! Please! You have to help me!”

  MacFarling hesitates for a minute. Then he shrugs. “Okay,” he says. “This is what I’m willing to do. I’ll help you make a map of the graveyard. Come on.”

  A map of the graveyard? What for? you wonder.

  But you don’t ask questions. You just follow Mac into the cemetery and do what he tells you. An hour later, you’ve got a drawing of the first four rows of gravestones.

  To see the map, turn to PAGE 127.

  Whoosh! The rope snaps through the air with a swish! It flutters over Glory’s head. The ghost-stallion rears up with an angry whinny. You flick your wrist and give the rope a sharp yank. Bingo! You did it.

  Talk about heavy-duty lassoing!

  Glory snorts and stamps his hooves, nearly lifting you off the ground. But you hang on. Using all your strength, you drag the ghost-horse down the stairs. You pull him into the den, where your grandmother is watching television.

  “Grandma! Look!” you shout. “I’ve roped a ghost-horse!”

  Your grandmother gazes up from her television program and gives you a warm smile. Then she eyes the ghost-horse.

  “Now, don’t expect me to fall for that,” she says. “I know all about the gizmos you kids have these days. What is that? Some kind of hologram? Or video game? See, I’m up-to-date.”

  Hologram? Video game? Is she nuts?

  With a twinkle in her eye, your grandmother reaches for the TV remote control — and aims it at the horse.

  She pushes a button.

  Showers of sparks shoot out of the remote. A cracking BOOM shakes the house.

  What has your grandmother done?

  Find out on PAGE 9.

  “No way,” you say. “I’m not making a deal with a ghost!”

  “Fine,” the ghost-boy says. “You’re on your own!” He vanishes.

  Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea.

  Lark and his friends catch up with you easily. What happens next isn’t pretty. By the time Lark and his friends are done, you and Robin are a mess.

  You’re lying in the damp grass in Robin’s front yard. You’re bruised from being tackled. Your T-shirt and jeans are grass-stained. Your hair is a tangled nest. Lark used both sets of knuckles to give you “noogies.”

  “Oooh,” Robin fumes. “I could strangle him!”

  “No, you couldn’t,” you reply. “You’re not big enough. In fact, he strangled us.”

  “True,” Robin admits. “But we’ve got to do something to get back at him. I wish that ghost would come back. Maybe he could scare the living bazookas out of my stupid brother.”

  No sooner has Robin said the words when the ghost appears.

  “You rang?” the ghost says with a sly smile.

  Turn to PAGE 22.

  You didn’t feel that?

  Uh-oh. Pinch again.

  Nothing?

  You’ve obviously fallen asleep while reading this book! You’ve gone bye-bye. To dreamland. You’re probably snoring, too.

  The thing is, in your dreams you’ll probably be able to handle these ghosts.

  But in real life? Well … that’s a different story.

  So go ahead. Snooze on. Enjoy it.

  We’ll see how well you survive — when you wake up!

  When you wake up, turn to PAGE 53.

  Your heart races as you scoot away from the moving blanket. You press your back up against the wall. Something bumps into your foot. Then your knee.

  “OW!” Something invisible pinched you!

  Little by little, the “something” begins to appear.

  At first, it’s only a ghostly head. The head of a boy. He’s about twelve years old and he’s grinning at you.

  “Surprise,” he says as his body, arms, and legs begin to materialize in front of you. He looks almost solid — but not quite.

  “Who are you? Where … where did you come from?” you finally blurt out.

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?” he says. Then he floats over to the window and gestures toward your family’s car in the driveway. “Bumpy ride, wasn’t it?” he says with a laugh.

  Bumpy ride? Oh, no! He hitched a ride with you from your grandmother’s house!

  You’ve got to do some
thing to get rid of this ghost.

  But what?

  And who’s going to help you?

  If you choose your best friend to help you, turn to PAGE 73.

  If you choose your worst enemy to help you, turn to PAGE 56.

  “Okay,” you tell her. “I’ll find your head. Wait here.”

  But where should you look?

  You dash up the stairs to the attic. It’s the only room you haven’t been in since you arrived. And you definitely would have noticed a head if you’d seen one.

  You rummage around in the attic. You search through everything. Twice. Trunks of old clothes. Piles of old furniture. Golf clubs. No ghost-head.

  You glance around the dusty room. Think! There may not be much time left. If I were a ghost-head, where would I be? you ask yourself. You suddenly spot a large moose head sitting on the floor by a broken chair.

  You kneel down to examine the moth-eaten moose head. Up close, it looks even worse. The antlers are cracked and one eye is missing. It is filthy and has a musty odor.

  It’s not even human. But what choice do you have?

  It’s the only head here!

  Besides — you’re in a big hurry. You’ve got to get the sword before the coffins creep again!

  You grab the moose head and race downstairs.

  You only hope the Keeper of the Sword won’t be furious when she sees the head you brought her!

  Cross your fingers for luck and turn to PAGE 80.

  No deal, you decide. You’re not going to make a bargain with a ghost.

  You wouldn’t even make a deal like that with your mom. Promise to do “whatever” she wants? You might end up raking leaves and washing her car for a year!

  “No, thanks,” you tell the ghost. “No deal. I don’t make promises I can’t keep.”

  The ghost smiles at you. A nice smile. For the first time since you met him, he seems genuinely friendly.

  “That’s what I wanted to hear,” the ghost says. “That you wouldn’t make a promise unless you really meant to keep it. I’ve been looking for someone honest like you for a long time.”

  Then the ghost reaches into his pants pocket. He pulls out a gold coin.

  “Take this,” he says, handing it to you. “And promise me that you will never spend it. The coin will bring you good luck as long as you never sell it, spend it, or give it away. But make sure you are not buried with the coin. Otherwise, your spirit will never rest. Like me, you’ll be forced to roam the earth looking for someone to give it to.”

  You take the coin from him, and he sighs with relief. Then the ghost-boy vanishes completely … and you never see him again.

  THE END

  Keep away from the Luckmeyer twins. That should be easy, no problem. Twins are pretty easy to spot.

  Then it hits you — do they always stick together? Are they guys or girls? And how old are they? No way to know.

  Hmmmm. Maybe this will be more difficult than you thought.

  You slink into your grandmother’s house. You feel creepy, knowing the place is loaded with ghosts. And how are you going to find the Keeper of the Sword? You don’t have a clue. Your head swims as you wander up to the second floor.

  BAM! A door bangs open. It nearly hits you in the head.

  You jump back, and peer into a hall closet.

  “Don’t go in there!” a voice behind you warns.

  You whirl around and see — a ghost! A teenager from another time. He’s dressed in an old-fashioned black velvet suit with a frilly white shirt. His hair is slicked back and combed neatly behind his ears. He’s smiling — but it’s a sneaky smile.

  Should you listen to him?

  If you stay out of the closet, turn to PAGE 12.

  If you see what’s in the closet, turn to PAGE 26.

  You stare down at the map of gravestones in your hands. You wonder how it can possibly help.

  “Big trouble,” Mac says, peering over your shoulder. “The message is already almost completely spelled out.”

  “What message?” you ask, puzzled.

  “Look at these first four rows,” he says, pointing at the paper. “The rest of the graves don’t matter. That’s why I didn’t put them on the map. Take a pen and circle the first letter of the last name on each tombstone. It spells out a message! Don’t you see?”

  No. You don’t see. And you won’t see — until you do it.

  So do it.

  Turn to the map on PAGE 127. Circle the first letter of the last name on each tombstone. It will spell out a message — or part of one.

  When you have discovered the message, turn to PAGE 91.

  The Luckmeyer twins float down the steps toward you. And they both have an evil glint in their eyes.

  Uh-oh. These two spell trouble. Double trouble.

  Run! you tell yourself. But which way?

  If you run away from them, you’ll be running straight toward the graveyard.

  But your only way back into the house is by getting past the Luckmeyer twins first. They’re floating closer and closer to you — and John is hiding something behind his back.

  You freeze. You can’t decide what to do. You know John is up to something. And you know you’d better not stick around to find out what it is! But which way should you go?

  Don’t think! Run!

  If you run toward the graveyard, turn to PAGE 93.

  If you try to slip past the twins and back into the house, turn to PAGE 108.

  You’re trying to crawl out from under the sink, when the lights pop back on.

  A moment later, Lark and his buddies zoom into the kitchen.

  “What are you two jerks doing?” Lark asks.

  “Nothing,” Robin says quickly.

  “Yeah, nothing,” you chime in.

  Lark looks at his friends and they all nod. You don’t like the way they’re smiling at you.

  Uh-oh.

  Hurry back to PAGE 6.

  Ick! Another cricket plops on your head.

  “Let me out!” you yell again, pounding on the door.

  Immediately, the door swings open.

  Uh-oh. The ghost was right. Trouble has arrived — in a big way.

  It’s your grandma. And she’s steaming mad.

  “What in heaven’s name are you up to?” your grandmother scolds.

  You glance past her into the kitchen and see what she means. The whole place is a mess. Flour is scattered all over the floor. Pots and pans are stacked on the chairs and table. Every single item that was in the refrigerator is sitting on the kitchen counter.

  “What on earth have you done?” your grandmother demands, pointing at the huge mess.

  Behind her back, you see the ghostly John Luckmeyer with a big grin plastered across his smirking face.

  Quick — what are you going to tell her?

  If you decide to make up a story, turn to PAGE 71.

  If you tell the truth, turn to PAGE 112.

  The book lands with the front cover down. Lucky you! You survive the fall off the bridge. But don’t kid yourself. You’re pretty bruised and scratched up.

  “Owww …” you moan, as you lie on the rocky banks of the river.

  Mistake. You shouldn’t have moaned. Now the soldier knows where you are!

  In a flash, he jumps off the bridge and towers over you.

  “Prepare to die!” he shouts.

  Can’t this guy think of anything else to say?

  Then he … well … he … you know. He finishes you off with one thrust of that beautiful, mother-of-pearl-handled, sapphire-encrusted sword.

  Hey — don’t look so surprised.

  We said there was a fifty–fifty chance of surviving the fall. We didn’t say anything about surviving this book!

  THE END

  You clutch the tree-house ladder so hard you get a splinter. The ladder is nailed to the side of the tree. There isn’t much space for your hands or your feet. The boards are wobbly and crooked. You don’t dare look down.

  When you
’re halfway up the ladder — too high to jump down, but not high enough to lift yourself onto the platform — Digger pops his head out of the tree house. He gives you a mean grin.

  “Hey,” he says in a nasty voice. “Lookee what we got here. A trespasser!”

  Then he leans over the edge of the platform with a bucket in his hands. He raises the bucket, then turns it upside down.

  Directly over your head.

  Turn to PAGE 7.

  “Uh, I was trying to make dinner for you, Grandma,” you say. If you told the truth, she’d think you were lying. Then you’d be in even bigger trouble.

  “Well …” Your grandmother’s face begins to soften.

  Then John Luckmeyer floats over to you. Before you realize what he’s doing, John picks up one of your grandmother’s best china teacups. He knocks it to the floor, right by your hand. The teacup lands with a horrible crash.

  Oh, no!

  You start to open your mouth to explain. But then another ghost appears on the other side of you. This one is a girl. She’s wearing an old-fashioned, long white linen dress. Her hair is braided and the braids are wrapped around her head three times.

  “Hello,” she says with a snicker. “I’m Jane Luckmeyer.”

  Great, you think. Another one. Trapped between the Luckmeyer twins.

  She picks up the china saucer that goes with the teacup John just smashed. The she tosses it like a Frisbee across the room. Somehow she makes it look as if you threw it. The saucer crash-lands at your grandmother’s feet.

  “That’s it,” your grandmother says. “Go to your room!”

  Turn to PAGE 124.

  You jump up from the bed.

  Elvira lies down, neatly spreading her white satin dress on the covers. Her long red hair fans out across the pillow.