2 How to Travel Safely Outside

CHAPTER 2 HOW TO TRAVEL SAFELY OUTSIDE "I have an idea," Claire said. "You can shrink, right?" "Yes," Kaz said. Shrinking was one ghost skill he had mastered. But he didn't understand how that would help. It didn't matter whether he expanded, shrank, or stayed his normal size. If he went into the Outside, the wind would blow him away. "Follow me," Claire said. Kaz swam after her. When they got to the kitchen, Claire opened a cabinet and took out a tall, rounded container with green stars on it. "This

is my water bottle. Can you shrink small enough to fit inside?" Kaz looked at it. "Sure," he said. He used to shrink much smaller than that whenever he played Keep Away with his brothers back at their old haunt. "Good," Claire said. "Because if you can ride in here, then I can take you with me anywhere." "Even into the Outside?" Kaz asked. "Even outside." "And I won't blow away?" "I don't think so," Claire said. I don't think so was not the same as No, you won't. But Kaz was willing to give the bottle a try. He took a deep breath and shrank down... down... down... until he was no larger than Claire's finger. Then he spun around three times and swam into the bottle. "That is so cool," Claire said. She always said that when Kaz shrank. Shrinking wasn't something solids could do. Not even if they tried

really, really hard. Claire peered in at Kaz through the open top. Her eyes and nose now looked huge to Kaz. "How is it?" Claire asked. "Do you have enough room in there?" Kaz swam in a circle all around the bottle. He had plenty of room. And even if he didn't, he could shrink a little smaller. It was kind of hard to see out through the side

of the bottle, though, because there were green stars all over it. "It's fine," he said, floating between the stars. "Okay," Claire said. "I'm going to put the top on the bottle now." Kaz ducked as a green lid came down over the top of the bottle. "Can you still hear me with the top on?" Claire asked. Her voice sounded a little muffled, but Kaz could hear her. "Yes. Can you hear me?" he asked. "Yes," Claire said. She picked up the bottle with Kaz inside and looped the strap over her shoulder. "Let's go!" The bottle swung back and forth against Claire's hip as she skipped down the stairs. Kaz felt both excited and a little bit nervous. He was going into the Outside! With Claire! "Grandma?" Claire called, her hand on the front door. "I'm going for a walk, okay?" Grandma Karen poked her head into the

entryway. "By yourself?" she asked. Claire hugged the bottle with Kaz inside close to her body. "Yes," she said. "Well, I'm glad you're finally getting some fresh air," Grandma Karen said. "Maybe you'll even find a new friend?" "Maybe," Claire said. "Please be home by four o'clock," Grandma Karen said. Claire opened the door and stepped into the Outside. Brightness! That was the first thing Kaz noticed about the Outside. Everything was so bright. But he felt reasonably safe traveling inside Claire's bottle. He was even starting to enjoy the Outside a little bit. It was so full of color. As Claire walked, Kaz saw gray sidewalk and green grass below him... blue sky with white fluffy clouds above him... trees with bright green leaves and dark red leaves to his right... flowers

in every color of the rainbow to his left. He heard birds chirping... insects buzzing... wind rustling through the leaves... and in the distance he heard a familiar "Woof! Woof!" Kaz turned toward the sound. It almost sounded like his dog, Cosmo. But it couldn't be. Could it? Kaz peered between two green stars. He didn't see any dogs, ghost or solid. "How long will it take to get where we're going?" Kaz asked. "Not long," Claire said as she turned a corner. This was a busier street than the last one they'd been on. Cars and trucks whizzed past. Kaz had never been so close to cars and trucks before. "Woof! Woof!"