24

I peeked out and couldn’t see a thing. But I could hear it. Something had come into my room. I could hear it wheezing.

Under the bed probably wasn’t the best place to hide. Too obvious. But too late now—I couldn’t move without giving myself away.

Heavy breathing. The rustle of old clothing. The invisible thing was coming closer.

Peering into the darkness, I tried to follow the sounds. Who was it and what did they want with me?

Then I got another whiff of that foul stench. Only the witch-thing smelled like that.

The ghost of a child killer was in the room with me!

I peeked out from under the bed and saw the bottom part of her black cloak trailing along the floor. That was the rustling noise.

The cloak moved back and forth across the room.

Suddenly I knew what it wanted. The trunk. The dead creature had come to take back the trunk!

The old trunk was stored in my closet. But the papers and letters I’d found inside it were someplace even safer.

Under my pillow.

What a goon! What had I been thinking—that was the most obvious place. And if the foul creature found the letters, she’d find me hiding under the bed!

I had to do something, and fast.

The door to my closet creaked open.

The witch cackled with satisfaction as she fumbled with the trunk latch. The lid creaked open.

This was it! The only chance I’d have.

I slid out from under the bed and snaked my hand up over the side, feeling for my pillow. My hand found the letters. I snatched them and quickly ducked back under the bed.

“Nooooo!”

The witch hissed with fury. Had she seen me?

Her black cloak crackled. Her breath rattled, filling the room with its putrid stink. Her sticklike arm shot out angrily, sweeping across the top of my bureau. Books and airplane models clattered to the floor.

“I’ll get you, you little brat,” she croaked.

I scrambled farther under the bed until my back was against the wall and clutched the papers to my chest.

Footsteps approached the bed.

I tried to shrink myself smaller.

Suddenly the bed was lifted off the floor as the creature let out another angry bellow. She flung the mattress against the wall and it slid back down. I was still hidden.

The dead thing grunted as she bent to look under the bed. I held my breath, trying not to shake so hard.

I knew she had me.

I flattened myself against the wall.

Screeee … screeeee …

Her claws scraped the floor an inch from my face.