Ghost Town by Annie Bryant

lonely life,” Mr. Ramsey said as he shut off the flashlight and took the lantern from Lissie. He walked toward the stairs that curved gracefully behind the desk. “Hello? Is anyone here?” he called out into the darkness of the second floor. “Our car broke down and we’re looking for shelter from the storm.”
    Only the moan of the wind replied.
    The girls huddled together as Mr. Ramsey called upstairs again. “Hello?” Before he could get out another word, a loud bang came from the second floor, followed by a gust of frigid wind swirling down the stairs.
    The giant gust blew out the flame of the lantern and the group was plunged into darkness.
    Charlotte grabbed her father’s arm and Avery grabbed Lissie’s. Maeve put a hand to her mouth and let out a blood-curdling scream.

Part Two
Snowbound

CHAPTER
11
A Long Winter’s Night
    Okay, everybody. Let’s all stay calm. Most likely the howling is just a draft from an open window somewhere,” Mr. Ramsey assured the girls as he rubbed his hands together to keep warm.
    â€œDoesn’t it always get colder in scary movies right before a ghost shows up?” Avery asked, eyes wide.
    â€œLet’s step over here so I can relight the lantern,” Mr. Ramsey directed. The group shuffled in one huddled mass to the front desk. Charlotte noticed her father’s hands shaking slightly as he tried to strike the match.
Is he cold or afraid?
wondered Charlotte.
    â€œYou girls stay here with the lantern. Make sure you keep it out of that draft, away from the stairs. We don’t want to use up all the matches,” Mr. Ramsey instructed. He took the flashlight out of his pocket and clicked it on. “I’ll go upstairs to investigate.”
    â€œDad, don’t go up there alone!” Charlotte pleaded.
    â€œYeah,” Avery said with an attempt at bravado. “It’slike when you’re watching a scary movie and you want to yell, ‘No, don’t do it!’”
    Just then the howling became louder, and the girls, including Avery, moved closer together.
    â€œI’ll go with you,” Lissie offered.
    â€œI think you better stay with the girls,” Mr. Ramsey hesitated, looking at three frightened faces.
    â€œWe’re not babies,” Avery protested. “I think we can stay down here by ourselves. Besides, I don’t think Lissie can scare away any ghosts or anything.”
    â€œI don’t like ghosts,” whispered a shaking Maeve.
    Staying downstairs by themselves sounded like a bad idea to Charlotte, but Lissie had already joined Mr. Ramsey at the bottom of the stairs.
    The light grew dimmer as Charlotte’s dad and Lissie creaked up the old, winding staircase.
    Avery inched around the corner of the desk and looked up the stairs. “No ghost attacks yet!” she reported with a grin.
    â€œAvery! Get back here!” Maeve said in a loud whisper. “Charlotte’s dad said we’re supposed to stay out of the draft. What are you talking about anyway? Ghosts don’t attack people. They just
haunt.
”
    â€œDo you know that for sure, Maeve?” Avery asked. “Have you ever met a ghost? Maybe the ones here in Dry Gulch are extra creepy. Remember, there were a lot of bad guys in the Old West.”
    â€œShhhh!” Charlotte demanded, cocking her head.
    After a moment of tense silence, Avery couldn’t stand it anymore. “Well, at least they’re not screaming in terror,” she blurted out.
    â€œSHHHHHH!” Maeve and Charlotte shushed her at the same time.
    Avery made a face and folded her arms across her chest. She was tired of being shushed.
    Finally there were noises from upstairs. A window slid firmly shut. A
swish
of curtains. Instantly the eerie howling stopped.
    Charlotte gasped. She hadn’t realized she had been holding her breath until that very moment.
    â€œSo it was the wind all along and not a real