فصل 03

CHAPTER THREE

September 22, 1692

There is no school on Saturday. It is a cloudy autumn day. Autumn is usually a beautiful season in Salem. The leaves on the trees are yellow, red and orange.

Mr and Mrs Connor have a big orange pumpkin. They are making a jack o’lantern. “When it’s finished we can put it in front of the window,” says Mr Connor. “Are you girls ready for Halloween?”

“No, Dad. We must find a place for the party,” says Kelly.

“We must make our costumes too,” says Megan.

“Today is a perfect day to do many things,” says Mrs Connor. “Finish your homework this morning. Then you can look for a place for the party this afternoon.”

“I can start my science homework,” says Megan.

“I must study English,” says Kelly. “I have a test on Wednesday.” They go to their room and study until noon. Then the phone rings.

“Hello! This is Bill. I have a place for our party.”

“Really! That’s great! Where is it?” says Kelly.

“It’s a surprise. Meet me and Nick in front of the school at 1.30 p.m. We can go together.”

“OK. At half past one then,” says Kelly.

The five friends meet in front of their school. They are very excited.

“Where is the place?” asks Susan.

“Follow me,” says Bill. “My grandmother knows this place. It is the best place for a spooky Halloween party.”

They walk past the park, past the tennis courts and past the church. Then they walk down a country road. At the end of the road they see an old cemetery.

“This is the oldest cemetery in Salem,” says Bill. They enter the old cemetery.

“Look at the dates on the tombstones. This one says September 22, 1692,” says Megan.

“This one says September 22, 1692, too,” says Kelly.

“Here’s another tombstone with the same date, September 22, 1692,” says Nick. They look at a lot of tombstones.

“These are probably the tombstones of the Salem witches,” says Bill.

“How spooky! Let’s go now!” says Susan.

The five friends run to the country road. Then they walk for a few minutes. At the end of the road they see an old, abandoned house. It is near a forest. There is a rose bush near the door.

“This is the house for our party,” says Bill. His friends are very surprised. They look at the house. “Wow! Is this a haunted house?” Nick asks.

Bill laughs. “This is a very old house from the 1650s. Poor people sometimes live in it but then they go away. It’s abandoned. There is no electricity.”

“Why is it abandoned?” asks Nick.

“They say strange things happen here. It’s the perfect place for a spooky party. Remember, ghosts don’t exist,” Bill says.

“Are you sure?” asks Kelly.

The five friends look at each other.

“There is something strange about this place,” says Nick.