by R. L. Stine
The word poltergeist comes from the German poltern (rumble) and geist (ghost). Rumbleghost!
Dealing with a constantly busy phone is one thing — dealing with a PHONE that melts in your hands is another. That’s exactly what happened during the Galway Ghost case, one of Ireland’s most famous poltergeist occurrences. That was the final straw for the family living in their haunted house: They had to move out for a few weeks before coming back to battle the ghost!
With that in mind, keep an eye on all of your appliances at home. Is that fridge growling? Did the microwave just burp? Was your toaster where you left it after breakfast this morning? Did the coffee machine just spit at you? While none of these kitchen appliances has ever reportedly been possessed or cursed, there’s always a first!
After 1950s movie star James Dean died in a car crash, his CAR was refurbished and resold … only to create deadly results for anyone who drove it!
Story Starter: Say Cheese and …
Working with a friend, pick one of the following four creepy introductions. Each of you should write your own story of what happens after the introduction. Then compare notes. How are your stories similar? How are they different? Put all the best ideas together and keep writing. How does the story end?
PICTURE #1 Thrilled to get a camera for her birthday, Carmela rushed out to take a picture of her dog performing a trick in the backyard. But when Carmela looked at the photo, she was freaked out to see a wolf creeping up behind Buster …
THEN WHAT HAPPENS?
PICTURE #2 Twins John and David love adventure! Pro rock climbers and white-water rafters, they like to capture their skill on film. Halfway through a rafting trip, their dad snapped a goofy picture of the brothers. When the three looked at the photo, they were horrified to see a huge tidal wave crashing behind them.
THEN WHAT HAPPENS?
PICTURE #3 On a trip to the mall, friends Jasmine and Madeline took pictures of possible dresses for the winter dance. The first — their favorite — was a shimmery blue with silver trim. But the dress in the picture was covered in spiderwebs and dust!
THEN WHAT HAPPENS?
PICTURE #4 At the circus with his sister Maya, Omar took a photo of the main ring. He and his sister were terrified when they saw the picture — it showed elephants trampling the clowns, and lions loose and heading into the crowd!
THEN WHAT HAPPENS?
Keep an Eye
on the Evil Camera in
Goosebumps
Horrorland™
#8 SAY CHEESE—AND DIE SCREAMING!
Read on for a peek at the all-new, all-terrifying thrill ride from R.L. Stine.
5
I let out another gasp. And jumped up from the chair. “What’s wrong?”
Reena pressed her hands over her eyes. “HELP ME! Julie — my eyes are BURNING! Oh, HELP ME!”
I grabbed her hands gently and tugged them down. When I saw her eyes, my breath caught in my throat.
Her eyes were glowing red like fire!
“Help me!” she moaned. “Oh, it hurts! It really hurts!”
“M-maybe the flash was too bright,” I stammered. “You were standing so close to the camera.”
I pulled Reena into my bathroom. I soaked a washcloth with cold water and pressed it over her eyes.
“It isn’t helping!” she shrieked. “My eyes — they’re BURNING! It hurts SO MUCH!”
I took the cloth away. Her eyes were still glowing bright red.
“Here. More cold water,” I said. I placed the washcloth back on her face. Then I pulled her downstairs to Mom. “Her eyes are burning. They’re all red,” I told her.
“Let me see.” Mom pulled the cloth away. She blinked a few times when she saw the red glow. “Something irritated them badly,” she said. “Do you have allergies?”
Reena shook her head. Her whole body was trembling. “NO! No allergies! Please — HELP ME!”
“I have some eye drops in my room,” Mom said. “Julie, they’re on my dresser.”
We tried the eye drops. They didn’t help at all.
“Call Reena’s parents,” Mom said. “Maybe they can get her to an eye doctor. I’ve never seen anything like this!”
Mrs. Jacobs arrived a few minutes later. We helped Reena into the car. “Call me later,” I said. “When the burning stops.”
I watched them drive away. I had a tight feeling in my stomach. I couldn’t get Reena’s frightened screams out of my ears.
In my bedroom, I picked up the snapshot. I stared at Reena’s smiling face with the red, glowing eyes.
How totally weird, I thought.
After dinner, I was still thinking about Reena. I suddenly remembered I had an assignment from Mr. Webb. I was supposed to be at the gym, shooting the girls’ basketball game for the yearbook.
I grabbed two of my cameras and stuffed them in my bag. Then I jumped on my bike and raced to the gym.
I got there just in time. The game was nearly over. Our Tigers were losing to the Bay Meadow Stingrays.
I saw Karla Mayer, our best player. She stole the ball and dribbled down the floor. She stopped at the line and sent up an easy three-pointer.
The bleachers were about half full of kids. Most of them started to stomp their feet and chant,
“Karla kills! Karla kills! Karla kills!”
I decided to take some shots from the top of the bleachers. I took out my best digital camera and hurried up the steep steps. I let out a sharp cry as a red-and-white sneaker stuck out and tripped me.
“Ow.” I fell and banged my knee hard. I turned and saw who was wearing the sneaker — Becka. She and Greta grinned at me.
“Not too klutzy, are you?” Becka said. She laughed.
“Ju-Ju, too bad. Did you fall on your camera?” Greta shouted over the noise of the crowd.
I should have ignored them. Instead, I said, “Becka, don’t you have awfully big feet for a girl?”
Then I glanced at my camera. Oh, wow. I really did fall on it. The lens was cracked.
Shaking my head, I climbed to the top of the bleachers.
I gazed at the scoreboard. The Tigers were losing 36 to 45. Karla would have to go to work. Good photo ops.
I reached into my bag for the other camera — and let out a cry. “Oh, no!” The weird, old camera. I didn’t mean to bring it.
Well … I had no choice. I had to use it.
I knew I couldn’t snap dozens of shots with the old thing. I needed to wait for one or two great moments.
I had to get a long shot of Karla running down the floor. Could the old camera do it? I raised it to my face — then groaned.
David Blank! He had a blue baseball cap pulled down over his red hair. But I still recognized him easily.
What was he doing here?
David was on the floor next to the players’ bench. He had two cameras strapped around his neck. And he was snapping photo after photo.
“You creep!” I shouted out loud. He knew this was my assignment.
David would do anything to win our contest. But this just wasn’t fair.
The Stingrays scored again. The crowd grew quiet. Everyone was waiting for Karla to make a move.
I glanced down the bleachers. Becka was on her cell phone. Greta was searching for something in her bag. They weren’t even watching the game.
I held the old camera ready. A few seconds later, Karla came dribbling full speed down the center of the floor.
This was my shot. I kept her in the view screen as she flew toward the basket. She leaped high and sent a layup to the hoop.
I pushed the shutter button just as her feet left the floor. The camera flashed. The square of film came sliding out.
I gazed at the photo, watching it develop.
“Weird!” I cried. “How did I mess up?”
The picture showed Karla’s arm all by itself.
Where was the rest of her body? Her face?
How could I just capture her arm?
A loud CRAAAAACK made the
kids in the bleachers gasp.
And rising over that, I heard a high wail, a long, shrill scream of pain.
GOOSEBUMPS HORRORLAND™
ALL-NEW, ALL-TERRIFYING
Also Available on Audiobook from Scholastic Audiobooks
#1 REVENGE OF THE LIVING DUMMY
#2 CREEP FROM THE DEEP
#3 MONSTER BLOOD FOR BREAKFAST!
#4 THE SCREAM OF THE HAUNTED MASK
#5 DR. MANIAC VS. ROBBY SCHWARTZ
#6 WHO’S YOUR MUMMY?
#7 MY FRIENDS CALL ME MONSTER
#8 SAY CHEESE — AND DIE SCREAMING!
GOOSEBUMPS®
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NIGHT OF THE LIVING DUMMY
DEEP TROUBLE
MONSTER BLOOD
THE HAUNTED MASK
ONE DAY AT HORRORLAND
THE CURSE OF THE MUMMY’S TOMB
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR
SAY CHEESE AND DIE!
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MONSTER BLOOD
A NIGHT IN TERROR TOWER
ONE DAY AT HORRORLAND
RETURN Of THE MUMMY
THE SCARECROW WALKS AT MIDNIGHT
RIDE FOR YOUR LIFE!
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Goosebumps book series created by Parachute Press, Inc.
Copyright © 1992 by Scholastic Inc.
Cover art by Brandon Dorman
Cover design by Steve Scott
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc., Publishers since 1920. SCHOLASTIC, GOOSEBUMPS, GOOSEBUMPS HORRORLAND, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.
First printing, April 2009
“Behind the Screams” bonus material by Matthew D. Payne
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e-ISBN: 978-0-545-40583-6