it suddenly pulled open easily. A damp, sour smell invaded their nostrils.
âI canât go in there. Really,â Kimmy insisted, taking a few steps back, her features twisted in disgust.
âHere, Iâll give you the flashlight,â Corky offered. âTrade you for the candles.â
âHaving the flashlight wonât help,â Kimmy replied, staring into the darkness behind the open front door. âDonât you know the stories about this place? This whole house is evil!â
âThe spirits are alive here,â Debra said, her eyes glowing in the beam of the flashlight. âI can feel them. I know weâre going to succeed.â
Corky followed her into the house. Kimmy, herhand on Corkyâs shoulder, reluctantly entered too, âYuck! It smells in here,â she complained.
âYouâll get used to it,â 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. âWatch your step,â Corky warned. âLookâthere are holes in the floor.â
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.
âThis is great!â Debra exclaimed, taking a deep sniff of the sour air, her eyes glowing with excitement. âI can feel the evil spirit. I really can.â
âI can
smell
it,â Kimmy said sarcastically.
âHand me the candles,â Debra said. She placed the book on the floor and took the candles from Kimmy.
âShine the light down on the book, okay? Iâve got to find the right page,â Debra instructed as she flipped through the pages.
Corky felt a cold chill run down her back. âItâit just feels so evil in here,â she said, surveying the fire-stained walls, the broken floorboards.
âWe each take a candle,â Debra instructed. She handed Corky and Kimmy each a red one, then lighted all three.
âWe kneel in the center of the room,â she said, lowering her voice to a whisper.
Corky and Kimmy obediently knelt beside Debra.
âHold the candle in your left hand,â Debra instructed.âThen we put our right hands forward and clasp them in the center.â
The girls followed these directions.
Suddenly the flames dipped low and nearly went out. Corky gasped and let go of Kimmyâs hand.
âYou felt it too?â Debra asked, excited. âYou felt the spirit?â
âIt was just the wind,â Kimmy said, rolling her eyes. âGive us a break.â
âTry to concentrate, Kimmy,â Debra scolded. âWe need total concentration. I can locate the spirit here. I know I can. But we have to concentrate.â
âIâm concentrating,â Kimmy muttered.
They held hands again. The candle flames dipped once more. This time none of the girls reacted.
âIâm going to chant now,â Debra told them. âWhen I finish the chant, the book says we should know where the evil spirit is.â
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.
âGive it the old razzmatazz,â Kimmy told Debra.
Debra glared at Kimmy. âSsshhh.â 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 didnât 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
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