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CHAPTER SEVEN

The House of Horrors

The five friends meet at eight that evening. Everyone has a scary costume. Bill is a vampire. Nick is a skeleton. Susan is a ghost. When they see Kelly’s costume they laugh and say, “Good evening, Mrs Abigail Cross!”

They cover the old table with a paper tablecloth. Then they put the food and drinks on the table. They light the candles because there is no electricity.

Nick turns on his portable radio. Megan goes to the dark bedroom. She opens the door and looks inside. The black dress and black boots are not there. She is afraid, but she says nothing to her friends.

Soon their friends arrive. They all have scary costumes and masks.

“Is this a haunted house? It’s very spooky,” they say. No one answers.

Some boys and girls dance. Others eat, talk and laugh. Several hours pass. Everyone is happy. “It’s a great party,” they say.

“It’s time for the treasure hunt,” says Bill. “You all have different maps. Let’s start.”

Everyone starts in a different room. Some start in the kitchen, others start in the bedrooms.

Kelly takes her torch and goes downstairs to the basement. She looks inside a big barrel. It is very dark and Kelly is in the basement alone. Suddenly there is a sweet smell of roses. She turns on her torch and she is terrified. The old lady from the museum is standing by the barrel!

“You are not Abigail Cross. I am Abigail Cross. Tonight is Halloween and you are in my house. On this night we spirits look for young bodies. When we find a young body we can live again. At midnight my spirit enters your body. You must die so that I can live!”

Kelly’s heart is beating fast. Her legs can’t move. She has no voice. Abigail Cross touches Kelly with her cold hand. She takes off Kelly’s mask and wig. “Your bed is in the barrel. You are tired.

You must sleep. forever.” Kelly obeys. She goes to sleep inside the barrel. Abigail puts on Kelly’s mask and wig. She goes upstairs to the party.

At half past eleven Nick says, “It’s almost midnight. Let’s sit down and take off our masks. We want to see the person behind the mask!”

Nick asks, “Who is the alien?” The alien takes off her mask. “It’s Megan!” Everyone laughs. “And who is the ghost? It’s Susan!”

“Who is the old lady?” asks Bill. The old lady takes off her mask. Everyone screams. It’s Abigail Cross’ ghost! Her face is white and her eyes are red. She has a red mark around her neck. She laughs and her teeth are black. Everyone is terrified.

Bill looks at her and says, “That’s Kelly’s costume. Where is Kelly?”

“I am Kelly. At midnight my spirit enters her body. Remember, I am a witch.”

Everyone wants to run away. They go to the door but they cannot open it. There are the horrible faces of the other ghosts outside the windows. The ghosts are looking inside.

“Who are these people?” asks Bill.

“Ha, ha! They are the witches of the hangings of 1692. Look at the red mark on my neck. This is the mark of the rope.

Twenty witches for twenty young bodies. Now you are in my house. This is the house of horrors. No one leaves this house alive. At midnight our spirits enter your bodies. We want to live again. We want to bring evil to Salem,” says Abigail Cross.

“Where is Kelly?” asks Bill.

“Look at the portrait on the wall,” laughs the witch.

Everyone looks at the portrait. They see Kelly’s face! Her lips are red and there is a red mark around her neck.

“This is our party, not yours!” screams the witch.