The Final Nightmare by Rodman Philbrick Page B

whole second floor went up in flames.
    Scrambling to my feet, I rushed the stairs. Behind me somewhere deep in the house I heard my father calling.
    I felt a leap of hope. “Dad!” I yelled. “Sally’s upstairs!”
    My eyes searched the smoke for a glimpse of him. But suddenly something huge shot out of the dark and bowled me off my feet.
    There was a shriek of triumph and the witch shot past me and scuttled toward the stairway. I lunged after her, grabbing for the hem of her ghostly gown.
    Missed!
    The old lady seemed to fly up the stairs. I dashed after her. She snarled and turned on me. An instant too late I saw the gas can aimed at my head.
    WHAM!
    The world went black.
    When I opened my eyes there was a sheet of flame between me and the top of the stairs.
    I heard a shrill scream and looked up to see Sally running with all her might down the upstairs hall. The teddy bear dangled from one small hand. It was like she was Bobby, running for his life.
    Behind her came the nanny, the witch!
    â€œ Give me my teddy bear! ” she shrieked, her voice louder than the roar of the fire.
    All around them flames danced along the walls and edged across the ceiling. Sparks fell to the floor and little fires sprang to life everywhere.
    Sally ran faster, her terror growing.
    I had to get to her. I scrambled to my feet and charged the flames in front of me. But the heat blasted me backward. It was so intense my skin felt blistered.
    I looked up and Sally was still running. But the witch was gaining on her. I could see foam flying from her mouth.
    My heart felt like it was bursting. I lowered my head to charge the fire again but the flames roared up at me, higher than ever.
    â€œ Give me my teddy bear! ” screamed the witch. “ It’s mine, MINE! ”
    With a stab of horror I realized what was happening. Above me I heard Sally’s little footsteps desperately running, the witch’s gaining, always gaining.
    Bobby was gone. Sally was going to take his place. Sally and the nanny would both die here and haunt this awful place forever.
    â€œNo!” I screamed, running once more at the fire.
    But it was too late.
    Sally hit the banister and with a loud crack it gave way. Her scream turned my heart to ice.
    Her little body hurtled through the air, the flames leaping high to meet her.
    And then—
    â€œJason!” Dad appeared out of the smoke, covered in soot. His voice was raspy and his clothes were singed. “Where’s Sally?” asked Dad, panting with exhaustion.
    Blinking away tears, I couldn’t speak. I pointed with a shaky finger. Above us another section of the banister fell away, showering sparks everywhere.
    Dad gasped and choked. While all around us the fire raged red and white hot, Sally floated above us in a cool blue bubble. Bobby was in the bubble with her and between them they were holding the teddy bear.
    â€œ NO! ”
    A mad scream pierced the air with such fury even the fire shivered. The witch stood against the banister, leaning out, shaking her fist at the bubble. “ You can’t get away. You’re mine .”
    Her eyes were blazing coals and her mouth was a black hole flecked with foam. She lunged at the bubble.
    The banister gave way and the witch teetered out over nothing. For an instant she swayed, still snarling. Then the fire leaped up and hugged her tight.
    There was a loud CRACK and everything crashed in at once—the banister, the hallway, the ceiling, the floor. The witch. All of it went up in an explosion of flames.
    But somehow we were still alive.
    The house heaved a deep sigh as the roof fell, bounced, and settled to the ground for good. The house and everything that had happened here was finished. But for some reason I wasn’t scared anymore.
    Then I noticed I wasn’t hot anymore, either. The blue bubble was floating toward us and the fire fell away from it. The bubble wrapped around us and we sailed out over the house