by Eddie Jones
“Just the same, I’m coming back to visit. I promise.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Meg said.
“We’re not going there again, are we?” I said, trying to hide my smile.
“Just saying, the last time you promised someone …”
“Look at you two, arguing like an old married couple. Come on, let’s head over to my new apartment before I forget how to drive.”
“Shotgun!” I yelled.
“Fine. But you have to make sure she stays on the road,” Meg said, punching me on the arm.
From the foyer Aunt Vivian called, “Has anyone seen my wallet? I know I had it a second ago.”
I caught Meg’s eye, winked, and said to Aunt Vivian, “Is that it under your arm?”
“Oh, Nick, whatever will I do when you’re not around?”
Dear Cool Ghoul readers: I’m writing this on my new tablet from the backseat of our car. We’re on our way back to Kansas. One final thought as I close the file on the Forester case. I still don’t know who mugged me in the alley. Edwards still insists it wasn’t him. I believe him. Maybe it was someone pretending to be a vampire. Or one of the lieutenant’s men trying to discourage me from meddling in the case. Could be I’ll never know. But I have a hunch I’ll face that phantom again.
And soon.
FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION
Questions written by Sarah Lynn Phillips
1. Nick’s dad encourages him to visit Aunt Vivian and makes this statement: “Family is everything.” Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not? How did Nick’s opinion of his great-aunt and the importance of family change? Why did he refer to her as “a Golden Globe—winning aunt”?
2. Nick unearthed legends, myths, stories, and alleged history about vampires. His discoveries led him to suppose people’s belief in them “isn’t all that new.” What’s your take on the lieutenant’s conclusion? “Only proves people today who believe in vampires aren’t any smarter today than they were back then.”
3. The note signed by Barnabas Forester read, “Fear the darkness, for it is in the black hearts of men that evil lurks … Take my warning seriously … Escape now while you still can, for if you do not, you too may find yourself forever bound by the curse of darkness.” How does this warning compare with the teachings of Jesus found in the Bible? Investigate the following:
• Jeremiah 17:9
• Matthew 15:17–20
• Mark 7:21
• Romans 1:21
4. Aunt Vivian said, “We make time for the things that matter.” Nick’s father said family mattered, but his busyness prevented him from visiting his aunt. What things matter enough to you so that you make time for them? What do you say is important but your actions show otherwise?
5. What do you think Aunt Vivian meant when she quoted Jesus from Matthew 10:16, “Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves”? Do you think she bribed the doctor by paying him to let Nick see the body, or did her action demonstrate shrewdness? Why?
6. Forester’s widow said, “Seeing how the rest of the world lives really makes you appreciate where you’re from [and] … what you have.” Do you think this is true? Can you recall a time when you or someone you know visited a third-world country? How was that person changed as a result?
7. The phantom figure in the room of caskets asks Nick, “Do you believe a person can gain eternal life through the blood of another?” How would you answer this question? Compare your response to the clues written on ancient scrolls two thousand years ago:
• Romans 5:8–9
• Hebrews 9:22
• 1 John 1:7
8. Consider the age-old quest for immortality. Is it possible for a human to be immortal (Hebrews 9:27)? How do mortal people gain eternal life? How would you assist Nick in his quest “to unravel the mystery” and live forever? Take a close-up look at John 3:16 and Ephesians 2:4–9.
9. Aunt Vivian asserted, “Where I’m going they pave the streets with gold.” Examine Revelation 21:21 to see why she seemed so confident. Take a virtual tour of Heaven by investigating Revelation 21:1–5, 15–27, and 22:1–5. If you knew with certainty there was life after death, how would that change your view of your present problems?
10. Nick knew he couldn’t change the past, fix his mistakes, or save himself. He realized some things, such as death, were out of his control. Where would you advise Nick to seek help? How do Matthew 7:7–8 and Hebrews 4:16 relate to Nick’s new attitude?
About the Author
Eddie Jones is the author of nine books and over 100 articles. He is a three-time winner of the Delaware Christian Writers Conference, and his novel, The Curse of Captain LaFoote, won the 2011 Selah Award in Young Adult fiction. He is also a writing instructor and cofounder of Christian Devotions Ministries, and his He Said, She Said devotional column appears on www.christiandevotions.us. When he’s not writing or teaching, he can be found surfing in Costa Rica or some other tropical locale.
Also by Eddie Jones
The Caden Chronicles
Dead Man’s Hand (Book 1)
Skull Creek Stakeout (Book 2)
The Curse of Captain LaFoote
My Father’s Business: 30 Inspirational Stories for Discerning and Doing God’s Will
ZONDERKIDZ
Skull Creek Stakeout
Copyright © 2013 by Eddie Jones
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EPub Edition © JUNE 2013 ISBN: 9780310723912
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* * *
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Jones, Eddie, 1957–
Skull Creek stakeout / Eddie Jones.
pages cm. — (The Caden chronicles; bk. 2)
Summary: Fourteen-year-old Nick gets a job as a roving reporter for The Cool Ghoul Gazette, a website on paranormal disturbances, and, on his first assignment, finds a corpse with fangs, bite marks, and a gaping hole in its chest, courtesy of a wooden stake.
ISBN 978–0–310–72390–5 (softcover)
[1. Supernatural—Fiction. 2. Reporters and reporting—Fiction. 3. Vampires—Fiction. 4. Web sites—Fiction. 5. Mystery and detective stories.] I. Title.
PZ7.J68534Sku 2013
[Fic]—dc23 2013009460
* * *
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Cover design: Sammy Yuen
Editor: Kim Childress
Illustrations: Owen Richardson
Interior design: Sarah Molegraaf
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