It's All Downhill from Here by P.J. Night

is here. How do you know what he wants or doesn’t want? Have you had a conversation with him?”
    â€œWell, yes. We did.” Maggie sighed. “We talked with his ghost!”
    â€œReally? And were Simon and Sophie there when you had your little chat?”
    All eyes turned to the other two kids. Simon looked at the two girls, then at his mom.
    â€œWe all believe Maggie now,” Sophie finally said.
    â€œSimon?” Mr. Kim turned to his son.
    â€œI’m with them,” Simon replied weakly. “This house is definitely haunted.”
    â€œAnd what do you base this on?” Mrs. Kim asked.
    Simon glanced at Maggie and Sophie. He took a deep breath and then began his confession. “I have to tell you guys something, but you’re not going to like it,” he said to his parents. “I disobeyed you and went skiing today.”
    â€œI am so disappointed in you, Simon. I specifically—”
    â€œWait, Mom, there’s more.”
    Simon proceeded to tell his parents the story of the entire day—how he’d disobeyed his parents, his almost deadly encounter with Old Man Wharton’s ghost, and his being possessed at their séance just now.
    â€œThere are many reasons you could have fallen, Simon, even though you are a good skier,” Mr. Kim spoke up. “Weather conditions, slope conditions . . . but a ghost pushing you? Please. By the way, you’re grounded, forever, for disobeying us so blatantly. We really thought we could trust you.”
    â€œThis nonsense is over,” Mrs. Kim said firmly. “We are buying this house. Period. End of conversation.”
    The rest of dinner passed in uncomfortable silence. When she finished eating, Maggie brought her plate into the kitchen, then headed upstairs. Sophie followed.
    â€œWhat are we going to do?” Maggie wondered, flopping onto her bed.
    â€œSorry, Mags. I thought I’d be coming to visit you a lot, but I’m really afraid of this house, and of him.”
    There was nothing else to say. Maggie felt doomed and terrified about what the future would bring. She rolled over and stared up at the canopy. She felt likecrying, but the tears didn’t come. Finally she drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

    â€œHELP! HELP!”
    Maggie was awakened by shouts of terror.
    â€œSTOP! HELP ME! SOMEONE HELP ME!”
    She sprang from her bed and saw Sophie hurrying toward the bedroom door. She looked out the window. Still dark. Not yet morning.
    â€œWhat’s going on?” Sophie asked.
    â€œHELP!”
    â€œThat’s Simon!” Maggie cried. “Something’s wrong with Simon. Come on!”
    The two girls flung the bedroom door open and ran into Mr. and Mrs. Kim in the hallway.
    â€œHELP ME!”
    The cries came from downstairs.
    â€œSimon!” Mrs. Kim shouted, dashing down the stairs, followed by the others.
    When Maggie reached the bottom of the stairs, she was stunned by what she saw.
    Simon was being pulled around the house by anunseen force. He was awake, his eyes wide with terror. His arms were being jerked back at the elbows, then thrust forward, then pulled back again, as if he were using ski poles to speed himself down a slope.
    His knees were locked so that he was moving through the house with his feet scraping along the floor. He was unable to lift his feet or take a step or do anything to slow himself down.
    â€œWhat’s happening?” Maggie shrieked. “Simon!”
    â€œHelp me!” Simon cried. “Something’s pulling me and dragging me. Forcing me to act like I’m skiing. I can feel it. Stop it. Someone stop it.”
    Mr. Kim rushed to Simon’s side. He reached out to put his arms around his son in an attempt to stop whatever was dragging him around. But before he could reach his son, Mr. Kim was thrown backward, flung away from Simon.
    He was knocked off his feet and crashed to the ground ten feet away.
    â€œPaul!