Laura Smith

Mike couldn__ believe that Mr. Mackey__ secret tragedy was connected to his store, and no one had ever told him.__o you think he__ ever take it back?_ __hy would he? His son was never found, and he still blames your dad for it. I think it__ his way of making himself feel better about the accident. He thinks horror movies are evil or something._ __hat__ stupid. Most kids are more scared of him than they are of horror movies,_ Mike said, __e shouldn__ blame my dad._ __e thinks he__ protecting the kids,_ Tim said, rolling his eyes. __ell, if he is trying to save kids, why is he so mean to us? Everyone__ afraid of him. Even Jack._ __ don__ know. I guess he__ just a cranky old man. Don__ take it personally. He__ had it rough. He has to stand on that playground everyday knowing that just over that fence, his son__ body is down there somewhere._ __hen why doesn__ he teach at another school?_ __ don__ know, bud. Sometimes people just like to torture themselves._ - Saving Hascal's Horrors

Don__ tell Mom, but I think my little emergency last night was a sign. And I was thinking of you when it happened. So, I__ worried that this is a prediction about you. Do you have something big planned? Something dangerous that you__e going to do?_ Mike looked away. He didn__ want to lie to her but he also couldn__ tell her his plan. __ell, whatever it is, don__ do it, okay? You__e going to get the feeling soon too. I know it,_ she yawned, __t feels like it__ a long way off, but I__e never had this strong a reaction before. And now that I__ stuck in bed, I can__ help you_or stop you. So please, whatever you__e doing, let it go, okay? Especially if it__ about the shop. Just let me handle it._ ____l be careful,_ he said. __uh?_ she yawned again. He didn__ answer. Her eyelids grew heavy until they closed all the way. Mike lifted the sheet that was turned down from the bed and draped it over her. Then, he left the room, closing the door behind him. - Saving Hascal's Horrors

He let go of the rope one hand at a time and latched onto Lisa__ hands. Her fingernails dug into his wrists, but her grip was strong after a summer of lifting girls into the air. It was a tug of war battle between his friends and Shawn__ ghost. The wind died down as Shawn gathered all of his energy to pull on Mike. Even though he was terrified of what was happening, Mike knew that Shawn wasn__ trying to hurt him. After all these years, he was still trying to find a way out. Shawn wanted to go home too, and he saw the hope of being rescued falling away. __hawn! Please! Let me go!_ Mike called over the dying wind, ____l get you help! We__l get you out! Just please! Let me go!_ - Saving Hascal's Horrors

Green light,_ she called, and I watched Becky run ahead until she was just a few inches from Michelle. Kayla was right next to her. Just as she reached out to tag Michelle, Kayla pushed into Becky__ back hard, and Becky flew forward.I gasped. Michelle turned around as Kayla tagged her arm. Becky fell at Michelle__ feet. She wrapped her arms around Michelle__ legs to catch herself. Michelle fell forward onto her knees, and Becky bumped her mouth against Michelle__ shoe.__ime!_ I called, stopping the game.__is, you all right?_ Heather asked Michelle.Michelle didn__ answer. She looked at Becky who was on her knees, staring at the ground. __ou okay?_ I asked Becky.She started to cry. I didn__ know if she really was hurt or just looking for attention. I sighed and looked away, waiting for her to start screaming her head off.Luke ran over to us. He looked at her, pointed, and cried, __eck, you__e bleeding!__ looked up. Blood was trickling out of her mouth. She gasped. I glared at Luke for scaring her. He closed his mouth. Becky opened hers wider.__ayla, why are you such a little brat?_ asked Michelle, slapping off the grass stuck to her knees. __t was an accident!_ Kayla insisted.__eah right!_ Michelle yelled, __ou just wanted to win! It__ just a game!_ Kayla stood there looking guilty. I looked at Becky and noticed that one of her teeth was missing. I looked down, found a piece of white on the ground, and picked it up with my thumb and pointer finger. It was Becky__ tooth.__ecky, look!_ I said, holding it up, __ou lost your first tooth!_- The Castle Park Kids

Kayla jumped down off of the monkey bars. I thought she was going to apologize. Instead, she pointed at Becky and laughed as hard as she could.My blood boiled. I glared at her so hard that I thought that lasers would shoot out of my eyes and burn a hole through her. Without thinking, I stood up, walked over to Kayla, and slapped her across the face as hard as I could. I had never hit anyone who wasn__ my brother and sister, and I had never hit them as hard as I hit her. My hand stung. I grabbed it and held it between my knees. Kayla squealed, grabbed her face, and ran home. Ashley just looked at me. I reached for Becky, helped her to her feet, and we ran to our house.- The Castle Park Kids

The next morning, I woke up to hear Becky moaning and rustling around in her bed covers.____ so itchy!_ she cried.__o scratch!_ I said, groggily, but suddenly, I felt itchy too. So, I started scratching my legs. They felt better until I stopped scratching. Then, it started to burn. I threw back the covers and saw that my legs were covered in red bumps.__y legs!_ I yelled.Becky looked over at me. Then, she pulled back her covers. Her legs were even worse. She gasped.__om!_ I cried.Mom came in. She was ready for work, wearing her dress shirt and gym shorts. She only had to dress up the top half of her body in case she had to use her webcam to talk to her boss.__hat is it?_ she asked.__ook!_ I said, showing her our legs.__h no! That__ poison ivy!_ she cried, __here were you guys playing yesterday?_ __he woods,_ I said.__ou must have been sitting in it,_ she said.- The Castle Park Kids

Did I ever tell you that we used to keep our horses where your house is?___eah,_ I mumbled.She continued her story, __y brothers used to get up early every morning and go across the street, well, there wasn__ a street there yet. It was just a dirt road, and they used to get up and clean the stables and feed the horses every morning. I would go over there once they had finished and give the horses a brush, even though none of those horses were mine. I had always wanted my own horse, but I never got one. When my father got older, he got rid of the horses and sold the land, all but this yard here."She spread her hand over the yard as she said this."I grew up and got married and had to move away. My husband and I lived in an apartment above a bread store. And it was so cramped, let me tell you. There was nowhere to move around and no yard to take care of. It was terrible. I__ not saying I wanted my husband to die. I__ never have wished that in a million years. But I was so relieved to come home after two years, and I've lived here ever since."I had stopped raking, turned and looked at her."I know why you don__ want to leave this street," she said, "You__e been in that house your whole life, just like me. And no matter where you go it__ not going to seem like home. But just like me, you__e going to come back. You have to remind yourself of that. And I did hate being away from home, but it was the most memorable time in my life, being away. It was an adventure as much as it was scary. But when I came home, I learned to get out more. I went to beauty school and got a job at the salon and took trips with friends. I like to get away from the house so that I can come back and still appreciate it. And you will too after you come back.__ nodded at Violet. What she was saying made sense.____l go,_ I said, __ell them I__l go._- The Stable House

I didn__ see Danny come in or run towards me. He was just suddenly there, pulling me up by my arm so hard that I gasped. I felt his grip on my skin long after he let go. We ran down the steps where Mom met us, coughing. She was followed by a thick black cloud of smoke. I had never felt smoke that hot in my life. I tasted ash when I breathed in.__o! Get out!_ she choked, waving us towards the front door.We ran out into the night in our pajamas.__un to Violet__!_ Mom called behind us.- The Stable House