Julie’s hand shook so hard, she nearly dropped the camera.

I grabbed it and gazed at the viewscreen. “Whoa,” I muttered. “Totally weird.”

I could see the GHOUL CROSSING sign. But where were we?

None of us were in the picture. Just the sign. Black and gray. No color anywhere.

“Come on,” Julie said, waving us back in place. “We need a do-over. It can’t be the camera. This is my newest one.”

We lined up again. Carly Beth and Luke stood in front. The rest of us huddled close behind them.

Julie raised the camera and gazed into the viewscreen. “Okay. I can see everyone clearly. Matt, squeeze in a little.”

She took a step back. “Okay. I’ve got you all now. Don’t anybody move.”

She flashed the camera.

We hurried over to check it out with her.

“You … you’re INVISIBLE!” Julie cried.

“That’s impossible!” Matt said. He turned the back of the camera toward him to see it better. “Huh? Where ARE we?”

Robby shook his head. I could see him shiver.

“I … I wish I hadn’t read so much science fiction,” he said. “I wish I hadn’t read so many comic books.”

“Robby, what are you thinking?” Carly Beth demanded.

“Well …” He shivered again. “If we did go back in time, we wouldn’t show up in a picture.”

“Why not?” Jillian asked.

“Because we weren’t born yet!” Robby replied. “None of us was alive in 1974!”

“Stop! This is giving me a headache!” Julie said.

“Why did you say that?” Luke said to Robby. “Now I am totally creeped out.”

“Do you mean we’re standing in this park that doesn’t exist? And we aren’t even BORN yet?” Matt cried.

Matt pointed across the plaza. “We should try to take a picture of one of those shadow people over there,” he said.

We turned to stare at a group of shades walking around a fountain.

“Bet it wouldn’t come out, either,” Julie said.

“Let’s stay away from those shades!” Luke said.

And then Carly Beth let out a cry. “Over there!” She pointed to a small, square building that looked like a log cabin.

A black-and-white sign over the door read: INFORMATION BOOTH.

“Come on,” Carly Beth said, trotting toward the cabin. “Maybe someone is in there. Maybe someone can help us.”

“Maybe …” I muttered. But I didn’t really believe it.

My legs felt as if they weighed a thousand pounds as I jogged to the information booth. I knew it was my feeling of dread weighing me down.

I had the most frightening hunch that our troubles here were just beginning.

I followed the others through the open door. We stepped into a small, dark room. Gray light filtered in through a tiny window.

A black counter stretched across the back. Cobwebs hung down like a curtain from the low ceiling.

“Anyone here?” I called in a shaky voice. “Anyone in here? Please?”