The Basement Ghost
Mindy felt a chill run up her spine as Susan spoke.
“The thing came closer. Creep . . . creep . . . creep.”
Susan’s voice got huskier each time she said creep. The girls were sitting in large stuffed chairs by the fireplace. Susan’s face seemed to flicker in the firelight.
CRACK-A-BOOM!
Outside, thunder boomed and lightning flashed. Mindy’s teeth chattered.
“Scared?” asked Susan.
Mindy pulled the blanket up to her chin and tucked her legs in tight. “I’m just cold from when we were out in the rain.”
Mindy knew Susan didn’t believe her. They both knew what a scaredy-cat she was. She’d give anything to be brave like Susan—or at least to make it through Susan’s ghost story.
A cool breeze brushed the back of Mindy’s neck. Was something back there? She couldn’t bear to look. What if it was something horrible like in Susan’s story?
“The creep . . . creep . . . creep came closer.”
Mindy felt a whimper rise up in her throat. She dropped her face into the blanket.
“Girls, don’t forget you have a tennis match in the morning.” Mindy jumped at the sound of the voice. She turned around. Susan’s mom was standing behind her. “I’m sorry you got rained out today.”
“Will our uniforms be dry?” asked Susan.
“Yes,” said Susan’s mom. “Now, stop telling those scary stories and get some sleep.”
“They’re not scary,” said Susan. She smiled an eerie smile. “At least, I don’t think so.”
“Good night, girls.”
“Now, where was I?” asked Susan. “Oh, yes.” Her voice got husky again. “Creep . . . creep . . . creep.”
CRACK-A-BOOM!
“Ahhh!” Mindy couldn’t stop the scream. She buried her face in the blanket again. The wool was damp from her wet hair.
The room grew quiet. Mindy looked up. Susan was still, her eyes darting around like she was listening. Rain pelted the window. The fire snapped and crackled. And then, Mindy heard what Susan heard.
Lump-THUMP, lump-THUMP, lump-THUMP. The sound was muffled but steady.
“What’s that?” whispered Mindy.
“I don’t know,” said Susan.
“It sounds like it’s coming from downstairs.” For a second, Mindy thought Susan’s voice shook. “Maybe it’s a ghost,” said Susan. She ran out of the room.
“Don’t leave!” cried Mindy. She covered her ears, but she still heard a faint lump-THUMP, lump-THUMP, lump-THUMP. Then, CRACK-A-BOOM!
Mindy threw off her blanket and ran to find Susan.
Where did she go?
Mindy looked at the basement door. It
was open a crack. Had Susan gone down?
Lump-THUMP, lump-THUMP, lump-THUMP.
Mindy tiptoed to the door and tapped it open. She could see only the top three stairs. On the top stair was a box of laundry detergent.
Lump-THUMP, lump-THUMP, lump-THUMP.
Mindy sighed with relief and chuckled. She knew what the noise was, and it wasn’t a ghost. She flung open the door and started down the stairs—one step . . . two . . . three.
She stopped. Ghost or no ghost, it was awfully dark down there.
“Wait!”
Mindy turned and saw Susan standing at the top of the stairs holding a flashlight. “Don’t go down there. What if it’s a ghost?”
Mindy stared at Susan. “You’re kidding, right?”
Lump-THUMP, lump-THUMP, lump-THUMP.
“No,” said Susan. “I . . . I really think something’s down there.”
Before Mindy knew what she was doing, she reached for Susan’s flashlight. “Come on,” she said. Susan grabbed her shoulder.
Lump-THUMP, lump-THUMP, lump-THUMP.
Mindy shone the light down the stairs and took a step. Susan was squeezing her shoulder. The girls took one step at a time.
Step. Lump-THUMP. Step. Lump-THUMP. Step. Lump-THUMP.
Mindy made it to the bottom of the stairs and switched on the light. She let out a deep breath. “See?”
Mindy ran to the dryer and opened it. The girls’ soaking-wet sneakers were flopping around inside. Lump-THUMP, lump-THUMP, lump-THUMP.
The dryer slowed. Lump-THUMP . . . lump . . thump.
It stopped.
“Your mom was drying our sneakers for tomorrow,” said Mindy. She looked at Susan. “Were you really scared?”
Susan shook her head, but Mindy could see that she was shaking.
“Let’s go,” said Mindy. “I want to hear the rest of that ghost story.” She closed the dryer and pressed the button.
Lump-THUMP, lump-THUMP, lump-THUMP.
“And let’s share my blanket this time,” Mindy added. “OK?”
“OK,” said Susan.
Mindy switched off the light. The basement
went dark. The girls grabbed each other’s hands and raced up the stairs
as fast as they could.
