by R. L. Stine
The crowd of gypsies cheered.
Kelsey stared down at the card in her hand.
The Fool’s haunting face grinned up at her. But this time Kelsey grinned back. She was going to break the curse. Now she was sure of it.
“Approach the fire,” Gregor instructed as the crowd fell silent.
Kelsey took a deep breath. Then she stepped up to the flames.
The heat of the fire stung her cheeks—so she backed off, standing just close enough to toss in the card.
“Here goes,” she whispered to herself.
She lifted her arm, ready to throw—and the fire began to crackle.
She lowered the card to her side. She glanced around. Then she began again.
But as she raised her arm, the fire’s gentle flicker roared to a blaze.
Kelsey jumped back.
The flames soared higher and higher. Hot sparks shot out from their tops.
“What’s going on?” she screamed at Gregor.
But Gregor didn’t answer. Kelsey could see his face in the glow of the blaze. He looked terrified. He edged back—away from the circle of gypsies.
Kelsey moved in toward the flames.
I have to throw this card in! I have to!
“Hurry!” Drew shouted. “Throw it! Throw it before it’s too late!”
Kelsey swung her arm back and—BOOM!
The fire exploded in her face. And the flames leaped out—leaped out to grab her!
She screamed and screamed. And when she finally stopped, she heard a terrifying sound. A sound she had heard once before. A sound she would never forget. The sound of Madame Valda’s evil, haunting laugh.
20
Kelsey stared up. Up at the raging fire.
And gasped.
Madame Valda soared up from the center of the flames.
Her fiery body rose high above Kelsey. She loomed over them. Laughing madly.
“Again I face the Fool,” she cackled.
Daggers of fire flew from her lips.
“What do we do?” Kelsey cried out to Gregor.
“I… I… don’t know,” he stammered, his eyes fixed on the evil gypsy woman.
“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Kelsey screamed.
“He doesn’t know because he is a fake!” Madame Valda bellowed. “How can you believe in this gypsy clown—and not believe in Madame Valda!”
Kelsey whirled to face Gregor. He inched back again—farther and farther from the old woman.
“He is no gypsy!” Madame Valda roared. “He has no powers! There is nothing in his stupid, little magic book to help you.”
Then Madame Valda pointed her finger at Kelsey. “Fool!” she cried.
A firebolt shot out from her fingertip—and the gypsies began to scatter.
“They are frauds,” Madame Valda spat. “All of them. There is not one true gypsy among them.”
As she spoke, she turned her hands upward. Pillars of black smoke burst from her palms.
“I’m out of here!” Zandra screamed and took off down the beach.
Madame Valda cackled at the sight.
“Come on, Kelsey.” Drew grabbed Kelsey’s arm. “Let’s go!”
“I can’t,” Kelsey groaned. “If I don’t face her now, I’ll be under this curse forever.”
Madame Valda laughed her evil laugh. “You are going to pay for angering Madame Valda yet again.” Her eyes burned right through Kelsey. “Not only does this Fool insult me once, she enlists the help of more fools to insult me again!”
Kelsey spun around to face the other gypsies. But no one remained. They had abandoned her—left her alone to fight the hideous witch.
“Did you really think you could get rid of my curse so easily?” Madame Valda crooned. “Well, think again! You will never get rid of it! Never!”
Madame Valda’s laughter echoed through the night. Her hot red eyes bore into Kelsey.
“Kelsey!” Drew shouted. “Throw the card into the fire!”
“Go ahead, Fool,” Madame Valda taunted. “Try to burn it! Try!”
“Stop calling me Fool!” Kelsey cried. Then she inched forward, her eyes glued to the ugly gypsy.
“Come, Kelsey.” Madame Valda beckoned with a fiery finger. “Come closer to the flame!”
Kelsey stepped forward—and Madame Valda hurled a fireball at her feet.
Kelsey leaped away and fell.
“Come, Kelsey.” Madame Valda laughed. “You can do it!”
“Kelsey!” Drew screamed. “Are you okay?”
Kelsey nodded, jumping to her feet.
“I have to try again!”
Kelsey glanced up at Madame Valda. The evil gypsy’s eyes were closed!
“Throw it!” Drew screamed. “Throw it now!”
She must be tired, Kelsey thought.
“Now!” Drew screamed.
Kelsey swung her arm and hurled the card into the fire.
“Yes!” Drew’s shouts echoed as Kelsey watched the card sail straight for the flames.
And then she felt it.
A strong wind against her face.
“Nooooo!” she shrieked as the card flew from the fire.
It rode the burst of hot air Madame Valda released from her chest.
Kelsey gaped in horror as her only hope blew away.
21
The Fool card soared past Kelsey.
Way above her head.
Way out of her reach.
Out—out toward the beach.
“Oh, no!” Kelsey cried. “It’s headed for the ocean!” Kelsey and Drew tore down the beach after the fluttering card. It appeared as a dim white speck as it floated out—out to sea.
Madame Valda’s laughter cut through the air, but Kelsey didn’t turn back. She ran. Ran for her life.
“I can get it! I’ve got to!”
The beach was pitch black. Kelsey wanted to look down—to see where she was running. But she didn’t.
She trained her eyes on the card. She could lose sight of it in a blink.
She ran faster. Faster.
But suddenly she felt heat at her back.
“She’s chasing us!” Drew screamed.
Kelsey turned—and saw a huge ball of fire streak through the sky. It swooped down—and spun around her.
She stared in terror as Madame Valda soared up from the fireball’s center. Dripping fire.
The flames licked at Kelsey’s legs… arms… hair.
She threw her arms over her head and screamed.
“There is no way to escape me, Fool.” Madame Valda’s fiery breath hit the back of Kelsey’s neck. “No way at all.”
The card! Kelsey had lost sight of the card!
She jerked her head around. There it was! Dipping down—right in front of her.
Kelsey sprang up for it. And just as her finger brushed its tip, the gypsy’s hot breath blew it away.
“Nooooo!” Kelsey screamed. “Nooooo!”
The card flipped and spun in the air.
Kelsey leaped for it.
The evil gypsy blew it again—blew it from her grasp.
“To the sea!” Madame Valda cackled. “To the beautiful black sea!”
The card swirled in front of Kelsey. It fluttered down in front of her face. Then rose up sharply.
Kelsey lunged for it. But it whirled around her.
Taunting her.
Then it sailed out to the shore.
Kelsey lunged again. Plunging in the cold, inky water.
“Say goodbye, you little fool!” Madame Valda shrieked. Then she threw her head back and roared with laughter.
And just as she did, Kelsey snatched the card from the air—and thrust it directly in the center of Madame Valda’s flaming body!
“Here’s your card back, Madame Valda!” Kelsey spat.
“Nooooooo!”
Madame Valda’s screams rang out through the night. Her fiery form exploded in an enormous burst of light. And tore through the blackened sky.
Kelsey s
miled as she watched the fire fade—as Madame Valda’s features began to melt.
Her fiery figure shriveled up—smaller and smaller.
And then she disappeared in a puff of smoke.
22
“No! No! Noooo!” Kelsey screamed when she heard the explosion.
“I won!” Drew shouted. “I won!”
Kelsey glared at the clown she had been aiming at. Its inflated balloon head bobbed from side to side.
She set down her water pistol, defeated. “Only because I let you win,” she shot back.
Drew just laughed as the carnival barker handed him his prize—a giant pretzel. He broke it in two and gave her half.
“Thanks.” She smiled. “What should we do next?”
“Let’s go through the haunted house again,” he suggested. “The Shadyside Carnival has the best haunted house!”
“That’s because Shadyside is the best haunted town,” Kelsey joked.
“I’m glad we made it back from the beach in time for the carnival,” Drew said as the two headed for the haunted house ride.
“I’m glad we made it back at all,” Kelsey replied.
“Oh, brother!” Drew pointed up ahead. “Look at that line!”
The line for the haunted house curved all the way around the ride twice.
“We’ll be here forever,” Kelsey complained. “Let’s find something else to do.”
“Like what?” Drew asked. Then he gasped.
“What?” Kelsey cried.
“Look!” He pointed to a sign that read “Gypsy Fortuneteller.”
“That?” She laughed. “That’s nothing. It’s just a mechanical fortuneteller inside a glass box. Come on, I’ll show you.”
Drew hesitated.
“Come on!” she said again, tugging him over to the glass box.
As they neared it, a little girl slipped a quarter into the slot and waited for the mechanical fortuneteller to whirl around and tell her fortune.
She waited. And waited. And waited.
“This stupid thing is broken,” the little girl complained, kicking the box. Then she gave up and walked away.
“See?” Kelsey said. “Nothing to be afraid of.”
Drew stared at the box. “Just a machine,” he said, breathing a sigh of relief.
Then she and Drew turned and walked away.
“Not afraid?” a voice called after them.
They stopped.
“Fool! Fool! Fool!” The voice cackled now. “Only a fool is not afraid!”
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