by R. L. Stine
“Yeah, it is creepy,” Drew agreed. “Let’s just hope our parents don’t catch us down here. If they do, Madame Valda’s curse is going to be the last thing we have to worry about.”
But Madame Valda’s curse was the only thing that Kelsey was worried about. And if she didn’t find a jellyfish, she was going to have to worry about it for the rest of her life.
Kelsey headed into the water.
Drew started to follow.
“You stay on the beach,” she ordered. “Where you can see me.”
“I think I should go with you,” Drew argued.
“You can’t,” Kelsey reminded him. “I have to get the jellyfish myself.”
Kelsey started walking out into the ocean. She scanned every inch of the water around her.
No jellyfish—anywhere.
She waded in farther and farther. The water grew deeper. And darker. And colder.
It’s really scary out here, she thought as the water rose up to her shoulders.
She turned around to look for Drew. But she couldn’t spot him.
She took a few more steps into the ocean—and suddenly the ocean floor dropped beneath her feet.
She plunged down. Down. Down.
Her arms shot up, out of the water. But her head remained beneath the surface.
The current pulled her down—deeper and deeper.
Kelsey struggled to break the water’s surface. Struggled to breathe.
She kicked as hard as she could.
Her legs ached. Her lungs burned.
She needed air. She desperately needed air.
Coughing, gasping for breath, she finally burst free.
She gulped the cool night air, filling her lungs. Then she began to swim to shore.
But the water around her grew rough. She lost her rhythm and began to flail.
Concentrate! she told herself. Concentrate!
She kicked, hard. Her arms cut through the water.
She swam and swam.
I must be close, she thought, panting. I must be.
But when she lifted her head, she froze.
She couldn’t see the shore.
She couldn’t see anything.
She was lost in a sea of darkness.
16
“Drew!” Kelsey screamed. “Drew!” But her cries were drowned by the crashing waves.
Kelsey’s eyes darted around her. Trying to focus. Trying to spot a twinkle of light—any clue to show her the way to the shore.
But it was completely dark. So dark that she didn’t see the wave forming behind her. The huge wave.
It crested and broke, catching her in a cyclone of foam.
It spun her upside down.
Then it whipped her out of the water.
And she spotted it—the shore. The giant wave had carried her closer to the beach.
“Drew!” Kelsey tried to scream. But a wave washed over her, and she swallowed a mouthful of the salty sea.
Where was he? Her chest tightened.
Why couldn’t she see him? Did he go for help?
Kelsey began to swim again. She was surprised to feel her strokes propel her easily through the water. And as the shore line grew closer, she began to feel better. The tightness in her chest eased.
And then the current changed.
Now it thrashed against her, propelling her sideways.
Directly in the path of a huge stone jetty!
“Nooooooo!” Kelsey screamed at the sight of the jagged rocks.
The waves roared in her ears. Her heart thundered in her chest.
She tried to swim against the force. She cast a glance at the jetty.
She was so close to it now.
So close to being pounded against its pointed, rough rocks.
And then she spotted Drew. Running along the jetty. Jumping from rock to rock.
The waves crashed around her, tossing her body. Tossing her inches from the craggy wall.
“Kelsey!” Drew shouted down. “I’ll get help!”
“No!” she cried. “No time!”
A huge wave broke, thrusting her into one of the rocks that jutted out. And a sharp pain shot through her leg.
I can’t hold out any longer, Kelsey thought. She could feel the strength seep from her arms. Her legs.
Drew had to help her—now. In another moment she’d be smashed against the jetty.
She lifted her face to call to him one more time.
But he turned—and walked away.
17
The tide pelted Kelsey.
She threw her arms out—to soften the crash against the rough stones.
“Kelsey! Kelsey! Grab this!”
Drew!
He held out a pole—a pole with a red flag on the end. The kind lifeguards use to warn about rough seas.
Kelsey reached out. Stretching.
Grasping—grasping for the pole.
Drew held it out as far as he could.
Her fingertips grazed the end. She almost had it—but a wave broke over her, and the pole slipped from her hand.
She tried again—gripping it tightly this time. And Drew pulled her out of the churning sea.
As she sat on the jetty, gasping for breath, her fingers brushed against something. Something slimy.
She snatched her hand away.
A jellyfish.
She finally had her jellyfish.
“Drew,” Kelsey whispered. “Drew, wake up. It’s time to go.”
Kelsey stood in the doorway of his room. She was wearing black jeans and a black hooded sweatshirt.
Drew sprang out of bed. “I’m up! I’m up!”
He was already dressed, in black jeans and a black sweatshirt too. He even had his sneakers on.
“Come on,” Kelsey said as she tugged him out of bed. “It’s almost a quarter to twelve. We have to move fast.”
“Okay, okay,” he muttered. “Do you have everything?”
“Uh-huh,” Kelsey told him, patting her backpack. “Right here.”
“Is everyone asleep?” he asked.
“Yep.” Kelsey headed for the door. “So be quiet.”
Kelsey tiptoed down the stairs to the front door. Drew followed.
She opened the door slowly so that it wouldn’t make a sound. Then she and Drew stepped out into the chilly night air.
“Make sure you leave it unlocked,” Drew told her. “We need to get back in.”
Kelsey nodded as she pulled the door closed behind them. “Let’s go!” she cried, and the two started to run.
They didn’t stop until they reached the boardwalk. “The gypsy camp must be this way.” Kelsey turned to the left.
“Are you sure?” Drew asked.
“Well, it’s probably near Gregor’s fortunetelling place, right?”
“I guess,” Drew said. “You should have asked him.”
“No,” Kelsey snapped. “You should have asked him. I wasn’t allowed to ask any questions, remember?”
A flicker of light suddenly caught Kelsey’s eye.
“Look.” She pointed. “I was right!”
“Okay, okay,” Drew admitted. “We’d better hurry.”
Kelsey glanced at her watch. “Oh, no! It’s three minutes to twelve! Let’s—”
Drew grabbed Kelsey’s arm and tugged her back into the shadows. A dark figure approached.
As it neared, Kelsey could see it was an old gypsy man—dressed in colorful, ragged clothing.
Kelsey stepped forward. She forced a smile. “We’re looking for Gregor.” Her voice squeaked.
“Then you must come quickly, child,” he replied. He was missing almost all of his teeth, and his breath practically knocked Kelsey over. “Gregor is waiting for you. Come.” The old man beckoned her with a spindly finger.
Kelsey wasn’t so sure she wanted to follow him. But time was running out.
The old man led them under the boardwalk.
Kelsey had never been under the boardwalk. She felt as if she were in a huge cove. I
t was damp and dark—very dark. She could barely see the wooden planks high above her head.
She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. Her stomach lurched as the stench of dead fish filled her nostrils.
She wanted to turn back. But then she caught sight of a blazing fire up ahead.
As the three moved toward it, she could see gypsies—a crowd of gypsies—sitting in a circle around the crackling flames.
Their colorful clothing and golden jewelry glowed in the fire’s light.
Inside the circle stood Gregor. His face flushed from the heat of the flames.
“So, you are here,” he said as Kelsey and Drew approached. “Just in time.”
All the gypsies rose and turned to stare at Kelsey and Drew. Kelsey didn’t like the feeling of all those eyes on her.
“Did you bring everything I commanded?” Gregor asked.
“Yes,” Kelsey told him. “I’ve got them right here.”
“Good,” Gregor said. “Very good. Come then.” He extended his hand. The gypsies parted, allowing Kelsey and Drew to step inside the circle.
Then Gregor clapped his hands together twice—and all the gypsies began to dance.
They danced around the fire, singing an eerie tune—in a language that Kelsey did not understand.
Kelsey didn’t know what she was supposed to do. So she stood there and watched. Watched the gypsies whirl around her.
Kelsey recognized Zandra. She was dressed in her gypsy costume, wearing her long, dark wig. And as she danced with the others in the circle, she looked every bit as serious as the rest of them.
When Gregor clapped his hands again, the dancing and singing came to an abrupt stop. And everyone sat.
Gregor reached for an old leather-bound book lying close to the edge of the fire. “May I have all the items, please,” he addressed Kelsey.
Kelsey reached into her backpack. First she pulled out the jar with the horseflies. She handed it to Gregor.
He took it without saying a word.
Then she gave him the jar that held the sand crab. He took that, too.
Kelsey had put the jellyfish in a plastic bag. But she still hated touching it. She tossed it over to Gregor quickly.
The last thing Kelsey pulled out of her backpack was the map.
Gregor spread all the items before him.
He turned the tattered pages of his book, searching for the proper chant.
Then he began, chanting in the same strange language Kelsey had heard before. And he rocked back and forth—in a deep, deep trance.
Kelsey wondered what Gregor was saying. But she didn’t dare interrupt him.
“Is it over?” she whispered hopefully when Gregor finally stopped his strange song.
“Not yet,” he answered. “For the curse to be broken, you must swallow your fears.”
“What do you mean?” Kelsey asked.
Gregor nodded at the items on the ground in front of him. “You must swallow your fears,” he repeated.
“Are you telling me that I have to eat those things?” Kelsey shrieked.
“Yes,” Gregor told her. “It is the only way to break the curse.”
18
“No way!” Kelsey said.
Touching sand crabs and jellyfish was disgusting enough. Eating them was out of the question!
“We do not have to go on,” Gregor declared.
“Yes, yes, we do,” Kelsey moaned.
Gregor smiled. “Very well.” Then he reached for the jar with the horsefly.
“You’re going to do it?” Drew cried.
“I—I have to do it,” Kelsey stammered. “I’m not letting that witch beat me.”
“Are you ready to begin?” Gregor asked.
A hush fell over the bonfire.
Kelsey could hear the sounds of crashing waves in the distance. The crackling of the flames before her. And the pounding of her heart.
“Yes,” Kelsey forced herself to reply. “Only—couldn’t we maybe start with the map first?”
Gregor nodded as he placed the jar down and picked up the map.
He tore a piece out of the map, right where Kelsey had circled her street. “Open your mouth.”
Kelsey did, and Gregor placed the tiny piece of paper on her tongue. Then he began to chant.
Swallowing the map was really easy. It clung to the back of her throat for a only second. Then she managed to choke it down.
But as Gregor reached for the jar of horseflies, Kelsey’s stomach heaved.
When he opened the jar, two of the horseflies escaped. Gregor plucked one of the wings from the horsefly lying in the bottom of the jar and held it out in front of Kelsey.
At least I don’t have to swallow the whole thing. She sighed.
She stared at the wing, trying to convince herself that it wasn’t going to be as terrible as she thought.
It’s just a wing. A tiny, little wing. As harmless as a piece of cellophane.
Kelsey closed her eyes and opened her mouth. And she told herself that that’s exactly what it was—a little piece of cellophane.
The moment the wing hit her tongue, she pushed it back toward her throat. Then she swallowed quickly.
She didn’t taste a thing. It almost felt like swallowing the skin of a peanut.
Only it wasn’t the skin of a peanut. It was the wing of a horsefly. And Kelsey could feel it sticking in her throat. She swallowed and swallowed. But she couldn’t make it go down.
She started to choke.
Just as she was about to ask for a glass of water, she saw Gregor reach for the sand crab.
She quickly gathered saliva in her mouth and forced the wing down in one big gulp.
Gregor lifted the crab and removed one of its legs. He dangled it in front of her.
Kelsey shut her lids tightly and tried not to think about it. Then she opened her mouth.
As soon as Gregor placed it on her tongue, she swallowed—hard and fast.
The crab leg scratched her throat as it went down.
Kelsey imagined that it was still alive.
Alive and wriggling back up into her mouth.
Kelsey slammed her hand over her mouth—so she wouldn’t throw up.
“You have just one fear left,” Gregor stated. Then he pulled out a jeweled knife and sliced off a chunk of the slimy, foul-smelling jellyfish.
The gypsies stared. Silently.
It seemed as if everyone stopped breathing.
Kelsey broke out into a sweat. She wiped her clammy palms on her jeans.
She tried to open her mouth. But she gagged.
“I can’t,” she cried as she turned her face away from Gregor.
“You must,” Gregor told her. “Or the curse will always be with you.”
“You can do it, Kelsey,” Drew pleaded. “I know you can!”
She shook her head. “No,” she told Drew. “I can’t.”
“Kelsey,” Drew replied, “you have to.”
Kelsey knew Drew was right. She had to try. “Okay,” she said, inhaling deeply. “I’m ready.”
Kelsey closed her eyes and held her nose. She opened her mouth. She told herself that if she swallowed it quickly, everything would be okay.
Gregor placed the quivering gunk in her mouth.
It oozed on her tongue.
She forced herself not to think about it. She closed her mouth around the bitter slime.
It tasted salty and fishy. Like eating rotten bait.
But the taste wasn’t the worst part.
The worst part was how it felt in her mouth.
Slimy—like mucous.
Ooozing and sliding around on her tongue.
Swallow! Kelsey ordered herself. But she gagged again.
Swallow! This time the glob slipped down her throat. Slowly. Kelsey felt her stomach lurch.
She was sure she was going to vomit.
Swallow!
Kelsey had to swallow three times to force the quivering blob down her throat.
She op
ened her eyes slowly and smiled at Gregor. Drew beamed—as if she had just won an Olympic gold medal.
“You have done very well,” Gregor congratulated her. “Very well, indeed. You are a brave girl. And you should be most proud of yourself.”
“I am.” Kelsey laughed. “I am!”
“You did it, Kelsey!” Drew exclaimed. “You really did it!”
“So, is that it?” Kelsey asked Gregor. “Is the curse all gone now?”
Gregor peered into his magic book. “No,” he told Kelsey. “The curse has not yet been broken.”
“What else do I have to do?” Kelsey wailed. “What else could there possibly be?”
“You must throw something belonging to Madame Valda into the fire,” Gregor told her.
“You never told us that!” Drew yelled.
“Something belonging to Madame Valda!” Kelsey shrieked. “I don’t have anything belonging to Madame Valda. I’m doomed,” she told Drew. “I’m totally doomed.”
19
“There must be another way!” Drew protested.
“No. No other way,” Gregor stated.
“Maybe Madame Valda left something in your shack?” Drew turned to Zandra.
“Umm. Let me think….”
“She didn’t have anything except that stupid deck of cards,” Kelsey interrupted.
“Kelsey!” Drew exclaimed. “That’s it! The card! You still have the Fool card! That belonged to Madame Valda!”
Kelsey’s face lit up. She started rummaging through her backpack to find it. “You’re right! We do have something that belongs to Madame Valda.” She laughed. “And here it is!” Kelsey pulled the Fool card out of her bag.
“I’m not sure this will work,” Gregor said, taking the card from Kelsey to examine it.
“What do you mean?” Drew shouted. “Of course it will work. It’s Madame Valda’s card!”
“Yes, I know,” Gregor started to explain. “But the book suggests using an article of clothing or jewelry.”
“Yeah,” Kelsey snapped. “But we don’t have an article of clothing or jewelry. We have a card. Besides, the book doesn’t say you can’t use a card, right?”