3. Very Special Effects

VERY SPECIAL EFFECTS 3 CLANG! Principal Winik burst into the lunchroom. "What happened in here?!" he demanded. He eyed the students and teachers. Everyone was covered in pumpkin goo.

Before Principal Winik could say anything else, Mr. Nekobi— the old man who took care of Eerie Elementary— rushed over. "Special effects!" Mr. Nekobi called out. "I'm using these pumpkins to test out new Eerie Day effects!" Sam grinned. Mr. Nekobi always shows up when we need him! Many years ago, Mr. Nekobi had been Eerie Elementary's first hall monitor. He had chosen Sam to be hall monitor. He had told Sam the terrible truth about the school. "I'll get this cleaned up," Mr. Nekobi told Principal Winik. The principal flicked a pumpkin seed from his shoe. "Very convincing effects," Principal Winik said. "And they'll have to be..."

Principal Winik stepped into the center of the room. "Students, I have news!" he announced. "This Eerie Day, our school will be hosting a haunted hayride on the soccer field!" Sam looked to his friends nervously. But then— RING! "The recess bell!" Lucy said. "Come on!" Sam started following his friends. He stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Principal Winik.

"Sam Graves," the principal said. "The fourth and fifth graders will be building the haunted hayride after school today. Since you are our head hall monitor, would you mind staying late to watch over things?" Sam nodded. "Sure thing, Principal Winik." As Sam made his way to recess, he overheard his classmates. Sam was surprised: Everyone believed Mr. Nekobi's special-effects story! No one was talking about the monstrous pumpkins. Instead, they chattered about the haunted hayride— and how exciting it would be to have it at school. But Sam wasn't excited. He was worried. Worried that Orson Eerie was up to something awful...