17-AH, THESE BRAINY MICE

AH, THESE BRAINY MICE... It was very late. I wanted to go to bed. I was exhausted. But my sister wouldn't let me. "I need to get a picture of that ghost," she insisted. "Ghosts wander around at NIGHT, not in the middle of the day, you cheesebrain! If you really saw a ghost, you'd help me find him!" "What does he know about ghosts," Trap said smugly. "I think Gerry Berry just ate too much cheese. Then he had a NIGHTMARE and saw a ghost. Everyone knows that brainy mice have wild imaginations." He pinched my tail. "Got to get your nose out of those books, Gerrykins!" he shrieked. "You're seeing too many ghosts...."

I rubbed my tail. That's it, I decided. I'd had enough of the Stilton family for one night. "I'm going to bed!" I announced. I headed for Slicedpaw's room and I slammed the door behind me. I had just stretched out on the bed when I heard a sound. CREEEEAK! Then I heard a loud meowing. Slicedpaw's white ghost jumped out from behind the bookshelf! It sneered at me. Once again, I was trembling with fear. That ghost must have been following me! Why was it picking on me? Did it know I was really a scaredy mouse at heart? Did it know I still slept with my Cheeseball the Clown night-light on? "Heeeeeeeeelp!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "It's back! The ghost is back!" Oh, how I wished I was home!

In a flash, my sister stormed into the room. "where is it? where is it This Time?" she shouted. I pointed toward the bookshelf. But just like before, it had vanished! Thea was beside herself with rage. Her whiskers stood on end. Steam poured out of her ears. "Enough is enough, Geronimo! I don't like to be tricked," she squeaked. "One more time and that ghost won't be the only one around here who's missing a paw!" Trap sniggered behind his whiskers. Meanwhile, Benjamin pointed out a line of white powder on the floor. It was close to the bookshelf. I sniffed it. How very strange. It was flour! Once again, Benjamin jotted some notes onto his pad.