8. Evil Candy

Chapter 8 Evil Candy "I can't believe Officer Fallon just disappeared," Lucy said. "He was standing right here three seconds ago!" "Maybe it's the candy," Nate said. "You eat some, and you disappear!" "Dink told me that if we stole candy from the ogre, we'd get a prize," Lucy said. "Some prize," Nate mumbled. "Eat it and you're gone."

They all stared at the basket in the ogre's mouth. Bradley grinned at Nate. "Why don't you take a candy and find out what happens?" "No way!" Nate said. "Why don't you take some, brave Bradley? Then Lucy and I will watch you disappear!" Bradley shook his head. "No, I have to stick around to protect you from the witches and zombies." "I'm not taking candy, either," Lucy said. "But I have an idea." She parted the black curtain. "I'll be right back." Then she was gone. "Where's she going?" Nate asked. "Now there are only two of us! If you disappear, I'll be all alone in this creepy place!" "Don't worry," Bradley said. "I'm not going to disappear." Nate peeked through the curtain crack. "It's dark out there," he said. "What if she—" Suddenly Nate shrieked and jumped back. "Run for your life!" he yelled.

When Bradley turned, he saw a skeleton walking through the black curtain. The skeleton pointed a bony finger at Nate. "Come with me, Nate Hathaway," the skeleton said. "I'm your new best friend!" Nate ran and hid behind Bradley. Bradley laughed. "Okay, come on out, Lucy," he said. "We know it's you." Lucy stepped out from behind the skeleton and laid it on the floor. It grinned up at them through yellow plastic teeth. "Where'd you get it?" Bradley asked. "It was on Mr. Linkletter's desk, remember?" Lucy asked. Nate walked over to Lucy and the skeleton. "Very funny," he said. "Why did you drag it way over here?" "Mr. Skeleton is going to help us figure out what happened to Brian, Officer Fallon, and the other kids," Lucy said. "How's he going to do that?" Nate asked. "He doesn't have a brain, Lucy." "No, but I do," Lucy said. She pulled a ball of string and some scissors from a pocket. "I

borrowed these from Mr. Linkletter's desk." "What're they for?" Nate asked. "Maybe the skeleton can show us how everyone is disappearing," Lucy said. She cut a long piece of string from the ball. She tied one end of the string around the skeleton's left wrist. She tied the other end to his right wrist. "Okay, pull on the string," Lucy said. Bradley and Nate tugged on the string, and the skeleton's arms lifted off the floor. "Perfect!" Lucy said. "Now help me stand it up." Bradley and Lucy stood the skeleton on its feet. "Move him over by the ogre," Lucy said. They stood the skeleton in front of the ogre's mouth. "Okay, I'll hold him up, and you two make him reach for the candy," Lucy said. "How?" Nate asked. "I'm not getting near that candy!" "Just pull the string up so his hands touch the basket," Lucy explained. "If I'm right, something should happen." "Cool," Bradley said. "Like a skeleton puppet!"

Bradley and Nate lifted the string. The skeleton's bony hands moved forward. They touched the basket. Nothing happened. "Now make him take some candy," Lucy said.

Bradley and Nate pulled the string tighter. When the skeleton's hands landed on the candy, three things happened at once: The lights went out. They all heard a creaking noise. Bradley and Nate yelled as the string was yanked from their fingers.