R. L. Stine_Mostly Ghostly 07 by Freaks, Shrieks

What was he talking about? Did he plan to set me free?
    Where did he keep the bananas? Where were the trees for me to climb?
    “Chee chee chee!”
I called, trying to get his attention.
    But something strange was happening to Dr. Smollet. He suddenly began acting totally weird.
    His arms flew up. He spun around.
    “Let me go!” he screamed. “Get off me! Nicky! Tara! Let me go!”
    Who was he screaming at? I didn't see anyone else in the room except for the other chimp.
    Dr. Smollet started staggering backward. He was thrashing his arms and shouting. It looked like someone was pushing him to the tall stools, except I couldn't see anyone there.
    The next thing I knew, the other chimp was set free. I expected him to run away, but he didn't. He climbed down from the stool and stood scratching his head.
    Squirming and kicking, Dr. Smollet plopped down on the stool next to me. “You can't do this to me!” he screamed. “Let me go! What are you doing? You two don't know how to switch brains!”
    His angry words rang in my ears. What did they mean?
    I watched the headphones fly up all by themselves. Then they slid down over Dr. Smollet's head.
    I suddenly felt frightened. What was happening here?
    Was something bad going to happen to me?
    I tried to figure it all out, but thinking so hard made my head hurt. I wanted to climb to the highest tree branch I could find. But I wasn't even in my own body. I was in a
boy's
body! Trapped here. Trapped!
    I heard a loud hum in the headphones. My head started to buzz. The buzz grew louder.
    The last thing I saw was the terrified look on Dr. Smollet's face.
    I felt a shock. I shut my eyes.
    I felt a gentle puff of wind inside my head.
    When I opened my eyes, everything had changed.

I SAW N ICKY AND Tara standing by the computer keyboard. “You can't do this!” I screamed. “You can't do this to a great scientist!”
    My voice came out high and shrill. I realized I was inside Max's body.
    The two evil little Roland ghosts had made a successful switch. My brain was inside Max. And inside my body …
    “Hoo hoo hoo!”
    The chimp! Mr. Harvey's brain was now inside
my
body. The chimp was scratching
my
beard, slapping the front of
my
white lab coat.
    I knew I'd never get over this insult. Putting the brain of a chimp inside the head of one of the world's most brilliant scientists!
    I'll wait for my chance, I thought. I'll make those two ghosts pay for what they've done!
    But what can I do? I'm just a boy. A brilliant scientist trapped in a boy's body!
    Oh no. I gasped as I saw what those two ghost kids were doing.
    They pulled my body—Dr. Smollet's body—off the other stool. They put the chimp on the stool and hooked him up with the headphones.
    I knew what they planned to do.
    The chimp had Max's brain inside him. And I—Dr. Smollet—was inside Max's body.
    So I knew what they planned to do. And I knew I was helpless to stop them.
    The loud hum in my ears again. A strong jolt of electricity. A pounding roar.
    And then a gentle puff of air.
    I opened my eyes. I glanced around.
    Nicky and Tara ran up to me. They pulled the headphones off and tossed them to the floor. They helped me off the stool, onto the floor.
    “Max? Max? Are you back to normal?” Tara cried.
    “Did it work?” Nicky demanded, tugging my arm eagerly. “Did our brain transfer work, Max? Are you Max again? The right brain in the right body?”
    “Hoo hoo hoo,” I said.

I LAUGHED . “I' M ONLY kidding!” I cried. “I'm back. I have my brain back again! I'm so happy, I wish I could
kiss
it!”
    I hugged them both. “Good work, guys! You saved me! This time, you
really
saved me!”
    “Let's get out of here,” Tara said. “This place gives me the creeps.”
    I turned back. “But—what about them?”
    I watched Dr. Smollet and Mr. Harvey. Their brains were switched. Dr. Smollet was pounding his chest, going,
“Chee chee chee!”
Mr. Harvey was pacing back and forth angrily, his hands clasped behind his