A HALLOWEEN TALE; WHERE'S GRANDMA, MR. JEETERS? (standard:Suspense, 828 words)
Author: Rosie Jay	Added: Oct 11 2006	Views/Reads: 4547/2763	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Clarissa visits Grandma every day after school, only to find her gone one day and the door is wide open. Did that spooky Mr. Jeeters have something to do with it?

A HALLOWEEN TALE:  WHERE'S GRANDMA, MR. JEETERS?" 

By 

Rosie Jay 

Clarissa loved spending time with Grandma.  Now there were two good
reasons to visit her every day after school.  Grandma was recovering 
from knee surgery, and Clarissa liked to make her smile.  Besides, 
there was always a batch of warm homemade cookies on the kitchen table. 


How fine it all seemed, except for one little problem. 

Grandma’s new gardener—Mr. Jeeters—might be there, trimming bushes or
mowing the lawn.  He kept to himself mostly, but he was spooky-like   
His dark piercing eyes chilled Clarissa to her very bones. 

After gathering her sweater and schoolbag, Clarissa filed out with the
other fourth-graders.  She was on her way.  Finally, when she reached 
Grandma’s street she looked about.  With no Mr. Jeeters in sight, she 
skipped her way to Grandma’s house and rang the doorbell. 

“Grandma, it’s me, Clarissa,” she announced cheerfully. When Grandma
didn’t answer she tried again—and still, nothing. 

Maybe she’d have better luck at the backdoor, she decided.  But as she
turned, her schoolbag slipped from her shoulders and brushed hard 
against the front door.  Slowly it pushed open—all by itself. 

Cautiously, she walked in, this time yelling out louder than ever,
"Grandma, where are you?” But the house never seemed quieter. 

Oh, how Clarissa began to wonder—and worry!  Did Grandma fall and hurt
her knee again?  Did she rush to the hospital, forgetting to lock the 
door?  Clarissa dropped her schoolbag and ran through every room.  All 
were empty.  There were no cookies waiting on the kitchen table either. 


At that very moment, a hard thumping noise rose from the back of the
house.  "Who's there?" she asked shakily.  Ever so bravely she inched 
her way toward Grandma's bedroom, each step drawing her closer to the 
sound.  Yes, it was coming from outside the window and she'd have to 
peek through the curtains to see what it was... 

“Oh, no!” Clarissa screamed, yanking the curtains closed.  Mr. Jeeters
was on the other side of the window!  He glanced up, his piercing stare 
sending those chills through her all over again—and he was clutching 
sharp garden shears in his right hand! 

Trying to catch her breath, Clarissa calmed herself as best she could. 
Her imagination began to run wild with an awful possibility.  Did that 
spooky Mr. Jeeters have something to do with Grandma’s disappearing?   
That just couldn’t be!  If Grandma was in danger she would have to act 
quickly!  In that very moment, somehow, amazingly, her fright turned 
into courage.  “Well, we’ll just see about THAT!” she declared, so 
loudly she didn’t care whether he heard or not. 

Fiercely she marched to the front door, flinging it wide open with a
burst.  Only after she had tromped all the way to the backyard did she 
feel a moment of fear, for Mr. Jeeters’ piercing gaze was firmly fixed 
upon her.  But she was determined.  Somehow she had to find 
Grandma—maybe even save her. 

“Mr. Jeeters, tell me this very moment.  Where is my Grandma?” she
boldly inquired with her hands on her hips. 

Mr. Jeeters shook his head, clearly confused, but he had carefully
followed every word she spoke.  Then he did something she truly didn’t 
expect.  He blinked and shrugged his shoulders!  After pulling a 
crumpled piece of paper and short stubby pencil from his pocket, he 
began to write. 

Clarissa stood there, truly puzzled.  She had been ready for anything,
but whatever was Mr. Jeeters doing?  He handed her the crumpled paper.  


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