The Second Evil by R.L. Stine Page A

in a circle in front of her, still gripping it with both hands. Around and around, slowly, slowly, while chanting louder and louder.
    Gripping the candle in her left hand and Kimmy’s hand in her right, Corky stared straight ahead, concentrating on Debra’s strange, musical words.
    After a few minutes, Debra finished her chant.
    She opened her eyes.
    And all three girls cried out as the evil spirit rose from a hole in the rotting floor.

Chapter 16
He Disappeared

    C orky leapt to her feet, staring straight ahead through the darkness as the creature struggled to rise into the room.
    Her mouth open in horror, Kimmy grabbed the flashlight and aimed it at the hole in the floor.
    The creature whimpered and scratched at the floorboards.
    â€œIt’s a dog!” Corky cried.
    Debra’s face fell.
    Corky and Kimmy rushed forward and worked to pull the dog out of the hole in the floor. “You smelly thing,” Kimmy said, petting its head and scratching its ears. “How did you get stuck down there?”
    The dog, a forlorn-looking mutt with damp tangles of long brown fur, licked Kimmy’s nose appreciatively.
    â€œDon’t let him lick you, Kimmy,” Corky teased. “You don’t know where he’s been.”
    â€œA dog. I don’t believe it,” Debra said, sighing.
    Wagging its shaggy tail, the dog circled the room excitedly, sniffing furiously along the floor.
    â€œMaybe he
smells
the evil spirit,” Kimmy said sarcastically to Debra.
    â€œNot funny,” Debra muttered, gathering up the candles. “I really thought we were close to something.”
    â€œMe too,” Corky said, watching the dog as it loped out of the room. “I was so scared when we heard the thing start to come up from the floorboards.”
    â€œBow-wow,” Kimmy said dryly, rolling her eyes.
    â€œI’m not giving up,” Debra insisted.
    â€œI am,” Kimmy said emphatically. “I’m freezing.” She handed the flashlight back to Corky and started toward the front door.
    â€œKimmy, wait,” Corky called. “Want to come to my house?”
    Kimmy turned back and shook her head. “No, thanks. I’m going home and getting into a hot bath.”
    â€œBut—”
    â€œLet her go,” Debra said glumly.
    â€œSee you in school tomorrow,” Kimmy called from the front entryway, then disappeared from view.
    Corky turned back to Debra, who slammed her book shut and tucked it under her arm. “I was so psyched,” she told Corky. “So psyched”
    â€œMe too,” Corky said.
    â€œWe’re the only ones who know the evil spirit is loose,” Debra said, heading to the front. “The only ones.”
    â€œYeah, you’re right,” Corky agreed sadly. “My own parents change the subject every time I try to tell them the truth.”
    â€œThat’s why we have to do something,” Debra said.
    â€œI just keep thinking about Sarah Beth Plummer and Jon Daly,” Corky said with a shudder. She pulled up the collar of her down coat and buried her face inside it like a turtle as she followed Debra to the door.
    They stepped outside, surprised to find it warmer there than in the house.
    â€œYeah. That sounded like a pretty bizarre scene, the two of them in the cemetery,” Debra said thoughtfully. Her expression brightened. “You know what? We should check them out.”
    â€œYou mean go talk to them?” Corky asked, following her toward the street.
    Debra nodded. “Yeah.”
    â€œRight now?” Corky asked, glancing at her watch. It was nearly ten.
    â€œWhy not?” Debra asked.
    â€œWell …” Corky hesitated. That nice hot bath Kimmy had talked about sounded pretty good to her too.
    â€œCome on. We’ll take my car,” Debra urged, pulling Corky by the arm. “It’ll only take a few minutes to drive to Jon Daly’s house.”
    â€œYeah, but what do we