Visitors by R. L. Stine Page A

neater than usual. Some of the girls looked as if they had their hair curled or straightened just for today. School Picture Day.
    I felt so tense, I thought I might burst. I wanted to run down the halls shouting, “Go home! Go home! You’re not safe here today!”
    But instead, I found Ms. Crenshaw in the photo room. And I volunteered to help her with the school photos.
    “Thank you, Ben,” she said with a smile. She winked at me. She believed I still had the alien inside, controlling me. She believed I wanted to help her with her evil plan.
    When photo time came, I headed for the gym, where the pictures would be taken.
    Kids were lined up along the gym wall, waiting their turn. A few teachers hung around on the sidelines, making sure everything stayed under control.
    Ms. Crenshaw had set up a curtain as a backdrop. Each kid was supposed to go behind the curtain.
    Summer waved to me when she saw me. She wasacting as Ms. Crenshaw’s assistant. Rikki stood near the velvet curtain, ushering kids inside when it was their turn.
    I stepped into the photo area. Ms. Crenshaw and Summer were setting it up.
    Against the wall, I saw a tall stack of cages covered with a sheet. I knew what was under that sheet, what sat inside those cages.
    The aliens.
    “I think Ben will be a big help to us—now,” Ms. Crenshaw said to Summer.
    “Uh, yes,” I replied. “I’ll do whatever I can for the mission.”
    “Okay, Summer,” Ms. Crenshaw said. “We’re ready for the first host body. I mean, student.”
    Summer nodded at me. I went around to the other side of the curtain, where the kids stood in line. They were mostly from my class.
    Summer poked her head around the curtain. “Go ahead, Ben,” she said. “We’re ready.”
    I had to go along with it. What else could I do? If I resisted, Summer would know that I was no longer an alien host. And then I’d have no chance to save the others.
    The first kid in line happened to be Dennis Corcoran. I pointed to him. “You’re up,” I said.
    Dennis’s wavy hair had been wetted down and combed flat, probably by his mother. Even though Ididn’t like Dennis, it made me sad to think about what was going to happen to him behind the curtain.
    Dennis walked around the curtain. He nodded at Ms. Crenshaw, who stood behind the big camera on a tripod.
    “Smile,” Ms. Crenshaw said. “And open wide.”
    Dennis said, “Cheese.” Then Rikki and Summer grabbed him. Rikki held him down while Summer opened his mouth and shoved a furry alien down his throat.
    I cringed as I watched Dennis struggle. He tried to cry out, but his voice was muffled by the alien.
    After a few seconds, he swallowed it.
    He was now an alien host. And I was too late to save him.
    Could I save the others?
    What could I do?

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    Ms. Crenshaw snapped Dennis’s picture. He stared blankly at the camera. The flash went off, blinding me for a moment.
    Then Ms. Crenshaw called, “Next!” Dennis stepped out from behind the curtain, smiling as if nothing had happened.
    A girl disappeared behind the curtain. I had to think quickly.
    If I didn’t do something, all the aliens would have human hosts. And I would be the only kid left in school who wasn’t possessed.
    One after another, the kids stepped behind the curtain. They had no idea what horror lay behind it.No idea what was about to happen to them.
    Summer stuffed an alien body down each throat. Ms. Crenshaw snapped a picture.
    It was as if she were recording the first moment of their new lives. They were no longer human kids. Now they were just bodies, houses for aliens.
    This can’t go on, I thought. I racked my brain. Do something! Do something!
    If only Rikki would stuff those aliens down my throat, I thought. Then they’d all die, just like the first one.
    Yes!
    Yes!
    I finally had an idea.
    I turned to the aliens’ cages covered by a sheet. Was the leader in there?
    I knew he had to be. The aliens couldn’t go far without their leader.
    I crossed over to the