3 LITTLE JOHN’S GHOST FRIENDS

CHAPTER 3 LITTLE JOHN'S GHOST FRIENDS Kaz did NOT like traveling inside a cardboard box. He couldn't see anything, so he had no idea where he was. "Are we almost there?" Kaz called to Claire. "Almost," she replied. "I see the purple house up ahead." "I can't wait to see my friends!" Little John said, rubbing his hands together. As he did, his hands started to glow. Little John made glowing look so easy. It annoyed Kaz that Little John could glow without even thinking about it. Kaz tried rubbing his own hands together, but nothing happened.

Kaz needed to work on his glowing skills. He knew Claire's grandma could see and hear ghosts when she was Claire's age, but she couldn't see or hear them anymore. Not unless they were glowing or wailing. What if the same thing happened to Claire? If Kaz couldn't glow or wail, and Claire couldn't see or hear him, how could they be friends? "We're here, you guys," Claire said. Kaz felt the box hit the ground with a jolt. "I found a good spot to hide," Claire said. "The box is right up against the house." "Let's go, Kaz," Little John said as he held tight to the ghost doll and started to pass through the side of the box. "Wait!" Kaz yanked Little John back by his shirt. "How do you know it's safe to pass through that side? If that's not the side that's up against the house, you'll end up in the Outside!" "Oh." Little John gulped. The ghosts felt a tap! tap! tap! on one side of

the box. It was NOT the same side that Little John had started to pass through. "This is the side you want to go through," Claire said. Sometimes it's good to worry, Kaz thought. At least a little bit. Little John stepped into the side of the box a little more carefully this time. Once Little John was all the way inside the house, Kaz took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and plunged into the side of the box himself. Something felt strange. The side of the box was all soft and squishy. It felt really different from when he passed through Claire's water bottle. Or the wall of books in the library craft room. There was also a small gap between the box and the wall of the house. Before Kaz realized what was happening, he felt his head and one arm push through the wall of the house. His middle was in the Outside, between the box and the house. His legs were still inside the box.

And he was stuck! Kaz tried kicking harder, but nothing happened. He tried swimming backward. Still nothing. He opened his eyes and saw his little brother wafting around a fancy living room with the ghost doll. Little John had already expanded to full size. "Little John!" Kaz called. "Help!" Little John turned. "Kick harder," he said. "I am kicking harder!" Kaz cried. "It's not working." "Try expanding!" Little John said. Kaz expanded, but that just made his legs too big for the box. It didn't help him pass the rest of the way through. Little John let go of the ghost doll and swam toward Kaz. He grabbed on to Kaz's arm with

both of his hands and pullllled. Kaz kicked harder and Little John pullllled harder. Finally, Kaz popped all the way through the box and the wall and landed in the house with Little John. "Ugh," Kaz said, holding his stomach. "I feel skizzy." "Well, don't spew," Little John said as he reached for the doll. "I'll try not to," Kaz said. Little John swam toward the ceiling. "Come on," he said. "Everyone usually hangs around upstairs in this haunt." Kaz had never passed through a ceiling before. He looked around and saw a staircase across the room. "I think I'll take the stairs," he said. He didn't feel like passing through any other new objects for a while. "Okay. I'll see you up there." Little John shot through the ceiling headfirst. Kaz drifted slowly above the stairs. He wondered if any solids lived in this haunt. He

hadn't seen or heard any. As he floated up and over the top of the banister, he saw and heard other ghosts. "Little John! Little John! It's so good to see you again," they all exclaimed as they crowded around Little John. Kaz couldn't tell how many of them there were. They all hugged and kissed Little John like he was their long-lost relative. Kaz felt shy. He hung back by the stairs until Little John called him over. "Kaz, come meet everyone. This is Art, Stretch, and Kiley, and their parents, Chester and Peg. Everyone, this is my brother Kaz!"