The Howling Ghost

by Christopher Pike

  “Those are a lot of coincidences,” Adam admitted.

  “But I thought the old woman’s ghost stole Neil,” Cindy said.

  “What made you think that?” Sally asked.

  “Because the ghost that grabbed Neil had hands like an old woman,” Cindy said. “She howled like one, too.”

  “Since when do old women howl?” Sally asked. “Look, we have a clear case of a ghost snatching a boy just like your brother. It’s got to be the same ghost. I’d bet my reputation on it.”

  “That doesn’t exactly make you a heavy bettor,” Adam muttered.

  “Where do you think this sailor ghost is?” Cindy asked, ignoring him.

  “He probably lives out on his ship,” Sally said.

  “Which just happens to be sunk underwater,” Adam remarked.

  Watch was thoughtful. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t get to the ship, and that it wouldn’t have an air space in it that a person could survive in for a few days. Neil could be there, and alive. They say the Titanic had whole rooms that the water didn’t get into. And that was underwater a whole lot longer than this ship.”

  “How do we get to the ship?” Adam asked. “And wouldn’t we need scuba equipment.”

  “I have scuba equipment,” Watch said. “I’ve been diving since I was seven.”

  “But you can’t dive alone in that shark-infested water,” Sally said. “It’s not safe.”

  “I have plenty of equipment,” Watch said. “I’ll take Adam with me.”

  “But I don’t know how to dive,” Adam protested.

  “I’ll teach you,” Watch said. “I have a diving certificate. You’ll see. It’s a lot of fun.”

  “What if a shark does come?” Cindy asked, although she was clearly excited that they might find her brother.

  “He can eat only one of us at a time,” Watch said cheerfully.

  6

  Another hour or so passed before they were able to haul the scuba equipment to the end of the jetty. Adam couldn’t believe how heavy the air tanks were. They ended up borrowing a shopping cart from the supermarket to push some of the stuff. But they couldn’t take the cart out on the rocky jetty. Adam was exhausted before getting in the water.

  “I need to rest,” Adam said as he set the tank down next to the rope they had tied to the lighthouse. The equipment looked so complex; he didn’t see how he was going to learn to use it in a few minutes. Plus, he couldn’t stop thinking about sharks. He didn’t want to go through the rest of his life with a nickname like Jaws.

  “That might not be a good idea,” Watch said. “It’s getting late. You want to dive with as much sunlight as possible. The sooner we get in the water the better.”

  Adam gestured to the equipment. “Will you really be able to teach me how to use all this?”

  “You’re not chickening out, are you?” Sally asked sweetly.

  Adam started to defend himself when Cindy stepped forward and spoke up for him. “Adam’s no chicken,” she said. “He was the first one to cross over to the lighthouse, in case you’ve forgotten.”

  Sally didn’t like being challenged by a girl, even one she was supposedly trying to help. She shook a finger in Cindy’s face.

  “You just remember that it was me who started this whole rescue operation,” Sally said. “Besides, Adam and I have been friends a long time. I can call him chicken whenever I want. And he accepts it.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far,” Adam said.

  “And he’s only lived here two weeks,” Watch added.

  “I just feel like you’re jealous of me or something,” Cindy said to Sally.

  Sally snorted. “Why would I be jealous of you?”

  “Cindy should be asking you that question,” Adam said.

  Sally exploded. “Why do you always take her side?”

  “I told you, the sooner we get in the water the better,” Watch said.

  “I am not always taking her side,” Adam said to Sally. “I just think you need to relax a little. That’s all. Take things as they come.”

  Sally smoldered. “We’ll see how relaxed you are when a great white shows up.”

  While getting the scuba equipment at Watch’s house, Adam and Watch had picked up swimming trunks. Climbing into the scuba gear, Adam kept asking about each piece of equipment. Watch held up his hand to reassure him.

  “I’ll adjust all your equipment,” Watch said. “All you have to remember is to breathe through your mouth. And don’t rush to the surface.”

  “What happens if I choke and need to get to the surface fast?” Adam asked.

  “Your lungs will explode and your face mask will fill with blood,” Watch said. “If you choke, cough into your regulator.”

  “What’s that?”

  “The thing that goes in your mouth. Also, if you need to clear your mask, hold the top with one hand and blow out through your nose. The air pressure will expel the water.”

  Adam was getting nervous. “Does the mask usually fill with water?”

  “It can,” Watch said.

  “Then you couldn’t see around you,” Sally said darkly. “What’s coming for you.”

  Watch lifted one of the air tanks onto Adam’s back. Adam felt as if he were on Jupiter, where gravity was four times greater than on Earth. He could hardly move.

  “As soon as you get in the water, you won’t feel the weight at all,” Watch said. He pointed a hundred yards out to sea. “See where the water changes color right there?”

  “Yes,” Adam said, panting. Where Watch pointed, the water was a lighter blue.

  “That’s the beginning of the reef,” Watch said. “The ship’s probably wrecked somewhere near there. But the reef runs out a quarter mile. We might have to search for a while.”

  “How long will our air last?” Adam asked, checking the gauge. It read 3000 psi. He hadn’t a clue what that meant.

  “An hour, if we don’t go too deep,” Watch said. “When it says zero psi, you’re out of air.”

  “What do we do if we see a shark?” Adam asked.

  “Pray,” Sally said.

  “Go to the bottom,” Watch said. “And pray.”

  Just before Adam climbed in the water, Cindy leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He had never been kissed by a girl before except his mother, who didn’t count. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do. He was too scared to kiss her back, especially in front of Sally, who suddenly looked a lot like a shark herself. He just smiled and tried to give her hope.

  “Maybe we’ll find your brother,” Adam said.

  Cindy spoke simply, staring at him. “I know you’ll find him, Adam.”

  “Oh brother,” Sally muttered. “He’ll be lucky if he comes back in one piece.” But then Sally acted concerned and touched Adam’s arm. “You know, I’m kidding. You be careful, both of you.”

  “If we really wanted to be careful we wouldn’t get in the water,” Watch muttered.

  They got in the water anyway. Watch let the air out of Adam’s BC—his buoyancy control device, whatever that was. Almost immediately Adam began to sink. Yet he didn’t panic. He had never been underwater with a mask on before, and he was amazed at how beautiful it was. Different colored fish swam by. The sunlight shining through the surface of the water was like a ray from an alien sun.

  They sank steadily and didn’t stop until they were down thirty feet. Adam could at least read his depth gauge. Unfortunately, it was much darker than it had been near the surface. Adam could only see ten feet in any direction. Watch bobbled beside him and raised a hand in an OK gesture. Adam flashed back an OK sign.

  Watch had been right about one thing. Adam felt completely weightless, as if he were in outer space. It was a great feeling. He was glad he had decided to give it a try.

  Watch pointed out toward deeper water, away from the jetty and over to the reef. He wanted Adam to follow. Adam nodded his head. It was interesting communicating without talking.

  They moved forward. Adam quick
ly discovered that he swam faster if he didn’t use his arms, just his fins. He felt very comfortable under the water, and his fear of sharks almost went away. He watched as his silver bubbles rose slowly to the surface. He wondered if Cindy and Sally could see their bubbles.

  Two minutes later they were at the reef. They were now forty-five feet down, and it was as dark as half an hour after sunset. The reef was not made of coral, but of jagged rock. Watch had explained that coral only grew in warm water. As they drifted over it, searching for signs of a wrecked ship, Adam imagined he was floating over the surface of a distant moon. Even though it was dark, up close the beautiful colors remained. He wished he had a camera to take pictures to show his family. He knew they wouldn’t believe his story without proof. He wouldn’t have believed it himself.

  Watch handed Adam a flashlight. Adam didn’t know why he hadn’t given it to him on the surface, but figured Watch must have been afraid he would lose it before he grew comfortable underwater. The flashlights were small, not very powerful, but the beams lit up the rocks somewhat. Watch flashed his light in and out of the crevasses for any sign of the wreck.

  They had been searching the reef for maybe thirty minutes when Adam suddenly felt something slide down his front. Looking down, he realized Watch had not tightened his weight belt enough. It was about to slip off. The weights, Adam knew, helped hold him down. He had not forgotten his lungs would explode if he rushed to the surface. A wave of terror swept over him. Instead of grabbing the slipping belt, he grabbed Watch’s arm and pointed frantically at what was happening.

  Watch looked over.

  At that moment Adam’s weight belt fell off completely.

  The belt sank like a rock, disappearing into a deep crevasse.

  Adam felt himself begin to float upward. Quickly.

  Oh no, Adam thought. His lungs would explode.

  Soon he would see his blood. Yuck.

  He would die. The fish would have him for food.

  But Watch grabbed him and pulled him down hard, shaking his head. Adam didn’t need the lecture. He knew he was supposed to go up slowly. But without the weights, it seemed impossible to stay down. But drag him down Watch did, until they were floating beside the top of the reef. Watch reached over, grabbed a rock, and stuffed it in one of the pockets on Adam’s BC. Immediately Adam sank down, and Watch was able to let him go. Watch pointed to the place where the weight belt had disappeared and then pointed to himself. He was going to search for the belt. Adam was to wait for him. Adam nodded vigorously.

  Watch disappeared.

  Adam sat on the edge of the reef and wondered if it was logical to be searching for a ghost in shark-infested waters. With Watch gone, it was hard to stop thinking about sharks. He had heard that great whites could weigh more than three thousand pounds. The shark could have Adam for a snack and still be hungry. He wished Watch would hurry and get back with his weight belt.

  But Watch didn’t come back.

  Ten minutes went by. Fifteen.

  Still no Watch.

  Adam checked his air gauge: 500 psi. He assumed that meant he was almost out of air. He had to start back soon, but how could he without Watch? Sally would yell at him and call him a chicken again. Besides, he liked Watch and didn’t think his friend would leave him alone on purpose.

  Adam’s air gauge sank to 400 psi, then 300 psi.

  He would need what little air he had left to make it back to the surface.

  Maybe a shark got Watch.

  Adam groaned behind his face mask, unsure of what to do.

  It was then that he saw the wreck.

  At first he wasn’t sure what it was. Just a glimmer of white in the eerie blue-black. It was off to his left, almost behind him, which was why he hadn’t seen it earlier. But it didn’t look that far away; it couldn’t be if he was able to see it at all. He wondered if Watch had seen it on the way back from retrieving the weight belt. Maybe Watch was already inside the wreck, Adam thought. That would explain why he hadn’t returned.

  Adam made a decision. He would check out the boat for one minute, no more. Then he had to head back up, with or without Watch.

  Adam swam slowly toward the wreck.

  It grew in size. The boat had been a motor yacht maybe sixty feet long. Adam could see the gash in the front where the hull had hit the rocks. He had to assume that farther out the rocks were closer to the surface. He could even read the faint lettering on the side. Thirty years had not washed it away. He was definitely looking at the Halifax.

  Adam checked his air: 200 psi.

  He had to return to the surface. Now.

  But just as he turned to swim up, he thought he saw several small bubbles float out of the hole in the hull. The opening was three feet across. He wondered if Watch had swum inside and become stuck. If that was true, Watch’s air would be running out.

  Adam made another hard decision.

  He would swim into the hole.

  Just a quick look around and then back out.

  But Adam had to dive down slightly to reach the hole. He was now fifty-five feet underwater, and he vaguely remembered Watch saying he had to stop for three minutes at fifteen feet before going to the surface. Well, Adam thought, that was one stop he wouldn’t have time to make. Maybe his lungs would explode after all. Yet he wasn’t as scared as he had been earlier. He had to save his friend. He was doing what he had to do.

  Adam swam into the crack in the hull.

  His flashlight was out in front of him. He swam into the bow of the boat, into a storage room of some kind. He disturbed a mop and pail, and they floated up. The walls closed around him and it seemed that his light dimmed. He hoped Watch had checked the batteries before they went under. He hoped he found Watch soon. The storage room was partially crushed, and the way was narrow. Adam imagined how easy it would be to get stuck inside, without being able to turn around.

  Something jumped out at him.

  It had sharp teeth. Big eyes. An ugly face.

  Adam screamed inside his mask.

  He dropped his flashlight.

  Everything went dark. Perfectly black.

  Oh-no. Oh-no. Oh-no.

  At that moment Adam knew he was doomed. The horrible creature coming toward him was about to take a big bite out of his face, and then it would crawl through the hole and eat his brains. For several terrifying seconds Adam floated frozen, waiting to be devoured by the monster from the deep.

  Yet the seconds ticked by and nothing bit him. Also, when he finally opened his eyes, he realized that his flashlight had not gone out. It was floating just below his feet. Only the beam was pointing into a closet and was no longer lighting up the storage area. It had gone black because he had almost blacked out.

  Adam reached down and grabbed his light.

  He saw the creature again.

  And screamed again.

  Then he stopped, embarrassed.

  The creature looked scary, but it wasn’t that big. He realized he was looking at a one-foot-long electric eel, which was similar to an underwater snake. The little eel actually seemed more terrified of him. Adam flicked his hand once, and the thing darted away. Now Adam decided it was time for him to get away. If Watch had entered the wreck, he wasn’t there now.

  Adam turned and swam back the way he’d come.

  He thought he was going back the way he’d come.

  But he didn’t emerge back into the ocean.

  Instead, he found himself in a stateroom.

  He floated up into it and shone his light around.

  He must have gotten turned around.

  Probably when he closed his eyes and screamed into his mask.

  Adam noticed something funny about the large stateroom. It was filled with air. It was a good thing. Adam checked his own air supply. Again he almost fainted. His panic attack with the electric eel had drained his tank.

  He had 0 psi.

  Adam gagged on the regulator in his mouth.

  It was not giving him any more a
ir.

  He pulled it out of his mouth and drew in a deep breath. The air in the stateroom was old and smelled like fish. But at least it fed his lungs; he wasn’t about to complain. Adam couldn’t believe how he had gotten himself into such a mess. He was fifty-five feet underwater and his tank was completely empty. Worse, no one knew where he was.

  Adam searched around some more with his flashlight.

  It was then that he saw something worse than an electric eel.

  A million times worse.

  It was a slimy skull. A whole skeleton.

  It floated toward him.

  Adam screamed. No one heard him.

  And the skeleton kept coming.

  7

  “I lost him,” Watch said as he climbed back onto the jetty.

  “What?” Sally screamed. “How could you lose him?”

  Watch sat on a boulder and pulled his face mask off. “He dropped his weight belt and I went down to retrieve it. But it was stuck between two rocks. I had a hard time getting it loose. When I finally returned to where I’d left Adam, he wasn’t there.” Watch glanced around. “I don’t suppose either of you has seen him?”

  “Of course we haven’t seen him!” Sally yelled. “You were supposed to take care of him!”

  “I’m sorry,” Watch said.

  “You’re sorry!” Sally cried. “You just murdered my future senior prom date!”

  “It’s a long time till senior year,” Watch said. “You might meet someone else you like.”

  Cindy had tears in her eyes. “Is Adam really dead?” she asked.

  Watch hung his head sadly. “I’m completely out of air. He has to be, too. Unless he grew gills in the last few minutes, I don’t see how he can be alive.” Watch looked out to sea and sighed. “He was so young.”

  Cindy put her hand to her head. “Oh no. This is all my fault. Poor Adam.”

  “Stop sobbing,” Sally snapped at Cindy. “It ain’t over till it’s over.” Sally paused to think. “Why would Adam have left the spot where you left him? We have to ask ourselves this question.”