05-ISN'T IT A SCREAM？

ISN'T IT A SCREAM? The next morning, we went to the store where Trap worked. Tricks for Tails was a creepy-looking place. I noticed that the bell was in the shape of a skull. The minute I touched it, I heard a terrifying scream. I jumped so high, my fur brushed the clouds. The day had just begun, and I was already shaking with fear. But Benjamin just giggled. "What a neat doorbell!" he said with a grin. I wiped the sweat from my fur. Be brave, I told myself. HEY, YOU! CHEDDARFACE! PRESS HERE! AaaaaaaaagHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

We went in. The store was dark and dusty. And I mean really dusty. It looked like no one had cleaned the place since the Great Cat War! I'm talking fur balls all over the place. I wrinkled my nose. Then I saw Trap. He was sitting in front of a cash register. "Hey, there, Cousinkins!" he snickered. "You look a little pale. How do you like the doorbell? Isn't it a scream?" He pressed a button. The recorded scream made me jump again. My cousin chuckled. "This one is called the Mummy's scream," he explained. "But we also have the Cat's MEOW and the Snapping MOUSETRAP. Do you want to hear them?" I quickly shook my head to say no. But I said yes when he offered me some candy. After all, my heart was still pounding from

those silly screams. I deserved a little treat. A nice piece of chocolate would cheer me right up. Trap gave me an unopened box. Yum! I love candy. But when I opened the lid, a SPRING hit me in the face!

My cousin sneered with satisfaction. "Ha- ha! I knew you would fall for that one!" I frowned. "So much for a quick pick-me- up," I muttered. It was time to get down to work. I was here to do research. I needed to learn more about scary tricks and party games. Then I could go home and write about them. At that moment, I spotted a little glass cabinet. It was filled with rubber cheese. I took out a piece of Swiss and squeezed it. The cheese squeaked. Trap took out another piece. "What do you think about this mozzarella? It looks just like the real thing. Go ahead, touch it," he urged. I did. It felt exactly like a piece of mozzarella. "Cheese

niblets!" I squeaked. "It even smells like cheese! What a perfect fake!" Trap smirked. "You're right about one thing, Gerry Berry," he said. "It is perfect. But it's not fake." Then he popped the cheese into his mouth. "Tricked you again!" he jeered, his mouth full. Did I mention my cousin can be a pain in my fur? Next, Trap led us to a room in the back of the store. The door was shaped like the head of a cat with gaping jaws. I shivered. The cat looked so real. I could almost hear it hissing at me. I entered the room with a feeling of dread. It was so dark, I could hardly see my own whiskers. Trap turned on a dim lamp. "Look around if you dare..." HE ANNOUNCED IN A SPOOKY VOICE.