The House Next Door Read online

  Bobby slumped down in his seat. Kristi couldn’t see him any longer, but she could imagine the frustrated look on his face. Just then her phone buzzed with another text:

  Lame story, right?

  Kristy half-smiled, half-shrugged at Olivia.

  She couldn’t stop thinking about the story that Bobby had told. The thought of being lost in the caves . . . lost forever . . . made her wish that she was in second-period Spanish class instead of heading straight for the Ravensburg Caverns. Because you could use a lot of words to describe Bobby—he was definitely a loudmouth, a bragger, an attention hog—but Kristi knew one thing: Bobby Lehman had never looked so serious . . . or more like he was telling the truth.

  Want more creepiness?

  Then you’re in luck because P. J. Night has some more scares for you and your friends!

  A book cipher is a special code that can only be cracked with the help of a book. Each set of numbers in the list below represents one word that appears somewhere in this book. The first number is a page in the book, the second number is a line on that page, and the third number is a word in that line.

  For example, to decode 32-7-2, go to page 32, find the 7th line down on that page, and then read the 2nd word in that line. Did you get “knowing”? If so, you’ve got it!

  Now can you crack the book cipher below to read the fine print in the Goodwins’ deed? Fill in the corresponding word on each blank.

  30-1-3

  ___________

  130-19-9

  ___________

  5-8-7

  ___________

  131-2-6

  ___________

  28-22-7

  ___________

  45-13-2

  ___________

  61-21-1

  ___________

  8-23-8

  ___________

  9-3-11

  ___________

  70-20-6

  ___________

  63-13-2

  ___________

  23-11-7

  ___________

  35-8-5

  ___________

  84-18-2

  ___________

  84-18-6

  ___________

  105-6-8

  ___________

  10-5-1

  ___________

  106-15-4

  ___________

  YOU’RE INVITED TO . . .

  CREATE YOUR OWN SCARY STORY!

  Do you want to turn your sleepover into a creepover? Telling a spooky story is a great way to set the mood. P. J. Night has written a few sentences to get you started. Fill in the rest of the story and have fun scaring your friends.

  You can also collaborate with your friends on this story by taking turns. Have everyone at your sleepover sit in a circle. Pick one person to start. She will add a sentence or two to the story, cover what she wrote with a piece of paper leaving only the last word or phrase visible, and then pass the story to the next girl. Once everyone has taken a turn, read the scary story you created together aloud!

  Carrie was so excited for her first day of seventh grade. She was digging around in her backpack for her cell phone when the bus stopped in front of a creepy, old, abandoned house. To her surprise, a tall, pale boy wearing strange clothes got on the bus and sat down in the empty seat beside her. She was about to ask if he was new to town when he turned to her and said . . .

  THE END

  A lifelong night owl, P. J. NIGHT often works furiously into the wee hours of the morning, writing down spooky tales and dreaming up new stories of the supernatural and otherworldly. Although P. J.’s whereabouts are unknown at this time, we suspect the author lives in a drafty, old mansion where the floorboards creak when no one is there and the flickering candlelight creates shadows that creep along the walls. We truly wish we could tell you more, but we’ve been sworn to keep P. J.’s identity a secret . . . and it’s a secret we will take to our graves!

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  SIMON SPOTLIGHT

  An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division

  1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020

  www.SimonandSchuster.com

  Copyright © 2013 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

  SIMON SPOTLIGHT and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  YOU’RE INVITED TO A CREEPOVER is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  Text by Rebecca Frazer

  Cover art by Aly Turner © 2013 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  Cover designed by Nick Sciacca

  ISBN 978-1-4424-8233-3

  ISBN 978-1-4424-8234-0 (eBook)

  Library of Congress Control Number 2012956188