6 Trapped!

CHAPTER 6 TRAPPED! "Where are you going, dear?" Grandma Karen asked as Claire reached for the doorknob. "And why are you taking an empty water bottle with you?" Claire glanced down at Kaz, who was safe inside the "empty" water bottle. She let out a small laugh. "Oh, did I forget to fill it? I better go do that." Claire ran up the stairs two at a time, the bottle swinging at her side. Once she and Kaz were alone in the kitchen, she untwisted the lid on the bottle. "Is it okay to put some water in there with

you?" Claire asked. "I don't want my grandma to get suspicious." Kaz knew what water was. It was like rain that solids could turn on and off inside their haunts. "Yes," Kaz said. "But leave some room for me to swim above the water." Kaz had seen Claire put water into a bowl for Thor before, but he had no idea how hard and fast it came out of the faucet. "Aaaaaaaah!" he shrieked as the water poured down on him inside the bottle. Claire yanked the bottle away from the stream of water. "What? What's the matter?" she asked.

Kaz shook himself. "I didn't know the water was going to fall so hard. Or that it would pass through me." "Sorry!" Claire said. "I'll turn it down." She moved a knob, and the water came out much slower. "Who are you talking to, Claire?" Grandma Karen asked from the doorway. Claire jumped. "No one. Just myself." Kaz hovered near the side of the bottle as water

rose below him. Grandma Karen stared hard at the water bottle. She stared so hard that for a second Kaz wondered if she could see him. But then Grandma Karen turned her attention to Claire. "You've been talking to yourself a lot lately," she said. Claire shrugged. "I like to talk to myself." Grandma Karen smiled. "I did, too, when I was your age," she said. "So, where are you off to?" "Um... a lady asked me to come help her do

some stuff," Claire said as she turned off the water. "What lady?" Grandma Karen asked. Claire put the top back on her bottle. It was only about half full of water. "Her name is Mrs. Beesley." Grandma Karen's face brightened. "Do you mean Victoria Beesley who lives over on Forest Street?" "Yes," Claire said carefully. "I know Victoria. She comes into the library from time to time. It's nice of you to help her out." "So it's okay if I go?" Claire asked. "Yes," Grandma Karen said. "As long as you're home in time for dinner." "Cosmo?" Kaz called as he swam around inside Mrs. Beesley's house. He had to be careful because, once again, there were a lot of open windows. "Cosmo, are you here?" Claire sat on the sofa next to Mrs. Beesley.

"How do you know the ghost is back?" Claire asked as she opened her notebook and dropped her detective bag at her feet. "I heard those sounds again," Mrs. Beesley said. "Crying... thumping... marbles rolling across the ceiling. Someone's up there. I can feel him when I'm up there, even if I can't see him." All of a sudden, they heard a loud CRASH! above their heads. And then footsteps scurrying across the ceiling. "What's that noise?" Claire asked, looking up. "It's the ghost!" Mrs. Beesley said as she rose to her feet. "Let's see if we can catch him." Kaz followed Claire and Mrs. Beesley up the attic stairs. But something was bothering him: Ghosts don't walk with their feet on the floor, so they don't make footsteps. When they reached the top of the stairs, Kaz, Claire, and Mrs. Beesley all looked around. Kaz didn't see any ghosts. He didn't see any solids, either. All he saw was a broken lamp lying on the