The Second Evil by R.L. Stine

it suddenly pulled open easily. A damp, sour smell invaded their nostrils.
    â€œI can’t go in there. Really,” Kimmy insisted, taking a few steps back, her features twisted in disgust.
    â€œHere, I’ll give you the flashlight,” Corky offered. “Trade you for the candles.”
    â€œHaving the flashlight won’t help,” Kimmy replied, staring into the darkness behind the open front door. “Don’t you know the stories about this place? This whole house is evil!”
    â€œThe spirits are alive here,” Debra said, her eyes glowing in the beam of the flashlight. “I can feel them. I know we’re going to succeed.”
    Corky followed her into the house. Kimmy, herhand on Corky’s shoulder, reluctantly entered too, “Yuck! It smells in here,” she complained.
    â€œYou’ll get used to it,” Debra said quietly. She led them through the wide entryway that opened into a large sitting room.
    Corky shone the flashlight around the room. Wallpaper curled down from the walls, streaked with black. Dark stains covered the ceiling, which bulged and drooped. The floorboards were cracked and broken. “Watch your step,” Corky warned. “Look—there are holes in the floor.”
    The air felt heavy and wet. The smell of mildew and decay surrounded them. The rotting floorboards creaked as the girls made their way to the center of the room.
    â€œThis is great!” Debra exclaimed, taking a deep sniff of the sour air, her eyes glowing with excitement. “I can feel the evil spirit. I really can.”
    â€œI can
smell
it,” Kimmy said sarcastically.
    â€œHand me the candles,” Debra said. She placed the book on the floor and took the candles from Kimmy.
    â€œShine the light down on the book, okay? I’ve got to find the right page,” Debra instructed as she flipped through the pages.
    Corky felt a cold chill run down her back. “It—it just feels so evil in here,” she said, surveying the fire-stained walls, the broken floorboards.
    â€œWe each take a candle,” Debra instructed. She handed Corky and Kimmy each a red one, then lighted all three.
    â€œWe kneel in the center of the room,” she said, lowering her voice to a whisper.
    Corky and Kimmy obediently knelt beside Debra.
    â€œHold the candle in your left hand,” Debra instructed.“Then we put our right hands forward and clasp them in the center.”
    The girls followed these directions.
    Suddenly the flames dipped low and nearly went out. Corky gasped and let go of Kimmy’s hand.
    â€œYou felt it too?” Debra asked, excited. “You felt the spirit?”
    â€œIt was just the wind,” Kimmy said, rolling her eyes. “Give us a break.”
    â€œTry to concentrate, Kimmy,” Debra scolded. “We need total concentration. I can locate the spirit here. I know I can. But we have to concentrate.”
    â€œI’m concentrating,” Kimmy muttered.
    They held hands again. The candle flames dipped once more. This time none of the girls reacted.
    â€œI’m going to chant now,” Debra told them. “When I finish the chant, the book says we should know where the evil spirit is.”
    Corky swallowed hard. The rotting floorboards creaked. The candle flames dipped, then stood tall again.
    This is going to work, Corky thought. The spirit of Sarah Fear
has
to be somewhere in this frightening old place.
    â€œGive it the old razzmatazz,” Kimmy told Debra.
    Debra glared at Kimmy. “Ssshhh.” She raised a finger to her lips and held it there. Then, closing her eyes, she wrapped both hands around her candle and began to chant.
    The flickering light played over her pale, pretty face under the black hood. She chanted in a language Corky didn’t recognize. At first her voice was soft, but it grew louder and stronger as she continued to chant.
    Her eyes still closed, Debra began to move thecandle