past. The driver probably wondered why I was doing such a crazy dance.
“Go away.
Go away!
” I shouted, swinging my backpack at the buzzing insect.
Swooping away, the wasp rose high, then dropped fast—and landed on my nose. Its furry legs prickled my skin.
Don't sting me!
I gave my nose a hard slap. Pain shot over my face and my eyes watered.
Did I hit the wasp?
No. I heard the buzzing again. I tried to search for it, but my vision was still blurred.
“Ohhhh.” I uttered a low moan as I felt something tickle the outside of my ear.
And then I felt the sticky, prickly wasp body climb inside. Into my ear. The buzzing became a roar. It clogged my ear. I couldn't hear anything else.
“No—please—!”
A wasp in my ear! Inside my head! The insect had crawled
inside my head
.
I dropped to my knees. I shook my head frantically. I shook my whole body.
But the wasp had burrowed deep into my ear canal.
Please don't sting me! Please!
I could feel it in there, stuffed tightly, pushing deeper, deeper … vibrating my ear, making my whole head buzz. I shut my eyes. I let out a hoarse scream of panic.
And as I twisted and shuddered and shook, the buzzing stopped.
Silence.
And then I heard a low whispered voice:
“I'll sting you, Max. I'll sting you!”
3
“I 'LL S TING Y OU, M AX —
if you don't help me.”
The raspy voice inside my ear made my whole head rattle and vibrate. I grabbed the sides of my face, trying to keep my head from exploding.
The furry wasp scratched me as it pushed deeper inside my ear. And the whispered voice made my whole body shudder in terror.
I knew who it was. I didn't have to think about it.
Phears!
Phears, the evil ghost. He had tortured me before!
Phears! Even his name made my teeth chatter and sent chills down my back.
He called himself the Animal Traveler. And he always appeared inside some kind of animal or insect.
I thought I'd gotten rid of him for good last Halloween. But here he was, inside my ear— stinger poised, ready to dig deep and send pain shooting through my brain.
What did he want from me?
I knew the answer to that question. He was desperate to capture Nicky and Tara. Why did he want them? Why was he so eager to get them?
I didn't have a clue.
“Max, you know what I want,” he whispered. His croaky voice rattled from deep inside my ear.
“Please … don't sting me,” I begged. I was shaking so hard, I could barely talk. My ear throbbed with pain. What if the wasp got stuck in there? What if it couldn't get out?
“You know I want those two Roland kids,” Phears said. “I haven't had much luck rounding them up. They go invisible every time I come near.”
“Please …,” I whispered. “Could you back out of m-my ear? I … I know it's odd. But I have a thing about wasps in my ears.”
“Shut up, fool!”
His scream sent pain shooting through my brain. My head vibrated hard. Again, I shut my eyes tight, trying to fight the dizziness.
“Nicky and Tara trust you, Max,” Phears continued, whispering again. “They'll follow you anywhere, won't they?”
“I … I don't know,” I said, blinking hard, still dizzy.
“Guess what, Max. You're going to bring them to me. You're going to lead them right to me. You're working for
me
now, Max.”
“No—!”
I protested. “No way!”
The pain started slowly, just a pinch at first. Then the pinch became a stab. And the pain washed over me like a
thousand
stab wounds.
I opened my mouth in a long howl as I realized the wasp had stung me. I shut my eyes tight and pressed my hands against my head as wave after wave of pain rolled over me. It felt as if my
brain
was on fire!
The wasp flew out of my ear and fluttered above my head. I raised my hand to my ear—but quickly pulled it away. The pain was too sharp. I couldn't swallow. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't hear. Carefully, I raised my hand to my ear again and realized it was swelling, swelling fast, tingling and throbbing with pain.
On my
“Go away.
Go away!
” I shouted, swinging my backpack at the buzzing insect.
Swooping away, the wasp rose high, then dropped fast—and landed on my nose. Its furry legs prickled my skin.
Don't sting me!
I gave my nose a hard slap. Pain shot over my face and my eyes watered.
Did I hit the wasp?
No. I heard the buzzing again. I tried to search for it, but my vision was still blurred.
“Ohhhh.” I uttered a low moan as I felt something tickle the outside of my ear.
And then I felt the sticky, prickly wasp body climb inside. Into my ear. The buzzing became a roar. It clogged my ear. I couldn't hear anything else.
“No—please—!”
A wasp in my ear! Inside my head! The insect had crawled
inside my head
.
I dropped to my knees. I shook my head frantically. I shook my whole body.
But the wasp had burrowed deep into my ear canal.
Please don't sting me! Please!
I could feel it in there, stuffed tightly, pushing deeper, deeper … vibrating my ear, making my whole head buzz. I shut my eyes. I let out a hoarse scream of panic.
And as I twisted and shuddered and shook, the buzzing stopped.
Silence.
And then I heard a low whispered voice:
“I'll sting you, Max. I'll sting you!”
3
“I 'LL S TING Y OU, M AX —
if you don't help me.”
The raspy voice inside my ear made my whole head rattle and vibrate. I grabbed the sides of my face, trying to keep my head from exploding.
The furry wasp scratched me as it pushed deeper inside my ear. And the whispered voice made my whole body shudder in terror.
I knew who it was. I didn't have to think about it.
Phears!
Phears, the evil ghost. He had tortured me before!
Phears! Even his name made my teeth chatter and sent chills down my back.
He called himself the Animal Traveler. And he always appeared inside some kind of animal or insect.
I thought I'd gotten rid of him for good last Halloween. But here he was, inside my ear— stinger poised, ready to dig deep and send pain shooting through my brain.
What did he want from me?
I knew the answer to that question. He was desperate to capture Nicky and Tara. Why did he want them? Why was he so eager to get them?
I didn't have a clue.
“Max, you know what I want,” he whispered. His croaky voice rattled from deep inside my ear.
“Please … don't sting me,” I begged. I was shaking so hard, I could barely talk. My ear throbbed with pain. What if the wasp got stuck in there? What if it couldn't get out?
“You know I want those two Roland kids,” Phears said. “I haven't had much luck rounding them up. They go invisible every time I come near.”
“Please …,” I whispered. “Could you back out of m-my ear? I … I know it's odd. But I have a thing about wasps in my ears.”
“Shut up, fool!”
His scream sent pain shooting through my brain. My head vibrated hard. Again, I shut my eyes tight, trying to fight the dizziness.
“Nicky and Tara trust you, Max,” Phears continued, whispering again. “They'll follow you anywhere, won't they?”
“I … I don't know,” I said, blinking hard, still dizzy.
“Guess what, Max. You're going to bring them to me. You're going to lead them right to me. You're working for
me
now, Max.”
“No—!”
I protested. “No way!”
The pain started slowly, just a pinch at first. Then the pinch became a stab. And the pain washed over me like a
thousand
stab wounds.
I opened my mouth in a long howl as I realized the wasp had stung me. I shut my eyes tight and pressed my hands against my head as wave after wave of pain rolled over me. It felt as if my
brain
was on fire!
The wasp flew out of my ear and fluttered above my head. I raised my hand to my ear—but quickly pulled it away. The pain was too sharp. I couldn't swallow. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't hear. Carefully, I raised my hand to my ear again and realized it was swelling, swelling fast, tingling and throbbing with pain.
On my
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