A Haunting on Sycamore Avenue - Robi Crusoe (reading strategies book txt) 📗

I thought I would never see the day when the very place where I worked would become haunted. I was wrong.
Hi, my name is Alex Grimm. Some people would say I live a very adventurous life, but to me, it seems like every day is a living nightmare. I blame it on my job.
You see, I’m a ghost hunter, and a very good one at that. My boss, William Daniels, sends me on missions all over the world. Or at least, he did.
It all started this morning. I woke up at six o’clock A.M. like I usually did. I then got dressed, brushed my teeth, combed my hair, and sat down at the table with a hot mug of coffee. My pet ferret, Gwenet, lied under my chair curled up on my feet.
After I finished my breakfast, I drove off to work. As I walked into my office, I immediately knew that something was wrong. My boss was nowhere in sight. Usually, each morning when I came in, he would be in my office, ready to give me a new assignment. But today, instead of finding him in my chair, I saw a young, stern looking woman. She was dressed in a long pink dress, boots, and a large pink hat. When she saw me, she smiled menacingly.
“Good morning, Mr. Grimm.” she said. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Madame Leona.”
“Ok, well Miss Leona,” I replied. “What exactly are you doing in my office?”
“I’m here, Mr. Grimm, because I am your new boss.” said the lady.
“Where’s William?” I asked.
“Let’s just say that he had to take a little vacation.” she replied, smiling up at me. Miss Leona then got up and walked away. I sat down at my desk, unsure of what to make of the encounter. All I knew though was that I didn’t trust that creepy Miss Leona one bit.
Things got even stranger as the week went on. It was all because of Leona. She never sent anyone out on missions and she never left Williams office. I suspected that there was something different about her. That was when I started my investigation.
I got up from my desk and slowly edged my way over to William’s office. I peered inside and breathed a sigh of relief. Madame Leona wasn’t there. I walked in, not noticing the slight chill that was creeping up my spine. On William’s desk laid a small piece of parchment. As I watched, it seemed to glow with an eerie blue light. As I read it, I filled with dread.

Dear Madame Leona,

I thank you for finding our target, though now, you must dispose of him.
Sincerely,
The Ghost King

That note confirmed my suspicions. Madame Leona wasn’t a normal person.
She was a ghost.
I turned around just as Madame Leona walked through the door. My presence stopped her in her tracks.
“You, what are you doing here?” she hissed.
“I’m just trying to do my job.” I said. “Finding ghost and disposing of them.” I heard Leona’s breathe catch, and immediately I knew that I had found her out.
“Now, before I dispose of you, I have a question.” I said. “Just who exactly is the Ghost King in your letter?”
“You’ll never know!” screamed Leona. Then, in a flash of bright light, she disappeared. I stood there, amazed, for a few seconds. Then I quietly walked back to my office, still pondering the mystery of Madame Leona and her letter.
I drove home after work, still thinking about the mysterious events that had occurred in the past week. As I entered my apartment, I was greeted by Gwenet, who ran up to me and nuzzled my leg. I smiled, then went and sat down in my armchair. As soon as I took a seat, I felt a mysterious pain in my head. As I touched my fingers to my temple, I heard the sound of Leona’s voice.
“Enjoy my little pets Alex.” she said. “And be warned, I will be back, and when I come, nothing will stop me from getting my revenge!” She then laughed as her voice faded away. I sat there, scared half to death, with Gwenet staring up at me, pity in her eyes. Then I heard an eerie cackle come from the kitchen. I got there just in time to see one of my plates fly across the room.
“These must be Leona’s pets.” I muttered to myself. Then I looked down at Gwenet. “Gwenet,” I said. “This is going to be a long week.” Then I ran around the kitchen, trying to catch the plates that were flying at me from all directions.

Text: R.C. Productions
Publication Date: 05-30-2012

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