FIND OUT Team - GHOSTS & BULLIES

GHOSTS BULLIES Philip Osbourne

and

HELP! SAVE ME! SLOW..

alert

The Serroamonica look can make even the most cheerful clown turn sad.

The mistery of Serramonica

courage GOO!!!

don’t be afraid

HELP!

we are with you!

SHE...

NIGHT MARE!

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GHOSTS & BULLIES THE MYSTERY OF SERRAMONICA

GHOSTS & BULLIES THE MYSTERY OF SERRAMONICA

A novel by

PHILIP OSBOURNE Editor Martin Steel

Dedicated to my mother.

SPecial Thanks to my “mentor” Brian Yuzna Illustrations Roberta procacci

Introduction T

he Serramonica has incredible powers! Her look can make even the most cheerful clown turn sad.

Don’t dream about her and DO NOT open any hatches anywhere near your school. You will understand why after reading my diary.

My mom is of Mexican ancestry and my dad is American of Italian ancestry. They told me

about the Serramonica in the first place and since that very moment I couldn’t erase it from my mind.

Unfortunately I met her when I turned 12. Before you even ask, no, she doesn’t have a planner with bookmarks for each and every birthday. Some of us will meet her at 12, some others later. She will come, though, sooner or later. She’s like a bridge you need to cross if you want to reach the other side of the river.

The Ghost is the protagonist of this terrifying story.

She has incredible powers!

You have to meet her if you really want to know waht’s on the other side. You will 6

understand what I mean while reading my diary.

She loves turning the safest places into the most dangerous ones because terror and fear feed her.

Meeting her is like playing blind-man’s buff.

That old game consisted of blindfolding someone who then has to try to touch the other players who are moving all around him.

When I met the Serramonica I felt like I was blinded and I realized that darkness is her home.

You just have to pray not to be on her guestlist.

You’ve been warned!

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equipped with plenty of silver objects. To them, that’s just like kryptonite is to Superman.

But I am afraid of the Serramonica. I’m shivering just at the thought of this weird evil witch covered in a white sheet... to defeat her you have to hold her hand...

and that is something I would never do!

THE SERRAMONICA

I’

m not afraid of vampires. You can put a stake through their hearts and they’ll die and melt like ice cream under the sun.

I’m not afraid of ghosts, they’re nothing but a bunch of lazy bones who stay indoors all the time. You could even meet some sweet and maybe a little bit tubby ghosts like Casper.

Besides, they definitely prefer to make new friends rather that frightening people.

I’m not afraid of werewolves because I’m don’t stare at the moon in the forest at night. I prefer to sleep in my own bed at home. By the way, should they get close to my place, I’m fully 8

!

R E V E N

MAI! 9

I

t all started the day Ted and

Ray decided that just watching

CHAPTER 1 The school in the lake “Once upon a time there was reality.

Once upon a time there was a beautiful world before our eyes. Then the Ghost appeared and the horizon turned into a hatch, the smile into concern…

Still, there was a way, there always is, to restore the colors of the sky and the happiness of tomorrow. I’m going to tell you about it….”

the hatch in the floor of the basement was not enough for them.

I had warned them that opening it would be like unplugging a sink- once the water gets out, getting it back in is no longer an option. I had read articles and watched documentaries at school about it.

Adults just belittle things because they don’t believe in anything they can’t understand. But the story was not a fantasy, at least not for Principal Mark Oblivion. After the Serramonica’s first appearance he left the school and moved far away from Castle Lake. He is living proof of the fact that

Serramonica is much more than just an urban legend.

After her first appearance Principal Oblivion took his children out of school and asked his wife, an English teacher , to follow him to California.

According to the files I’ve read everybody thought he had gone crazy -- until the day the Serramonica came back

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and dragged a kid down into her world, 11

in the school’s basement, under the hatch.

Tobe Hopper was twelve years old. He was a talented boy, very good at drawing.

Everybody said he used to spend his days drawing imaginary worlds and races like the Metafish, men with octopus arms or the Cavers, butterfly-winged blind men. Why chose Tobe Strange

the Serramonica is unknown. things happened when the police

approached the hatch. Officer Lou lived in my neighborhood. When he tried to open the hatch that the Serramonica disappeared into with Tobe, Officer Lou slipped and broke both his arm and his leg! Something similar happened to Mr. Orson, the school’s maintenance man: he wanted to open the

TObe hoPper

the Illustrator

She was everyone’s nightmare.

She was a real predator, there was nothing we could do. Except run away!

My Nightmare 12

THE serramonica

ve guy, Tobe was a creati ould draw just like me. He w strations for hours. His illu shape to were a way to give ng in all the worlds livi his mind.

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hatch with a saw in order to free poor Tobe, but the

moment he walked down the stairs a step magically moved and he tripped -- and ended up banging his head on the floor...

So, Mr. Orson too was hospitalized for several weeks.

Through the years many people have tried to open

CRASH!

the hatch and find out where it goes, but no one has ever succeeded. Principal Oblivion once asked Isaac Asimov, a model student at the time, to close the hatch with locks and chains, so the evil nun couldn’t come back and kidnap other kids.

The boy followed the orders, but then he told everyone that as soon as he walked in, his blood froze, his

sight was almost obscured and his body started tingling.

His mom decided to send him to another school.

When he grew up he became a sci-fi writer haunted by strange visions.

Although his books turned out to be pretty successful, he was not able to regain his

Orson the Carpenter 14

eone and THE HATCH n. She picked som de ’s st ho G e th as pe!

The Hatch w er been able to esca ev s ha e on o N ! n w dragged them do 15

cheerful and happy mood ever again. I’ve read online that the nun’s vision is still

haunting

him.

It’s been ten years since the day Castle Lake Middle School met the Serramonica and her ghosts. All they left was a fading memory that has now turned into an urban legend. As time passed by, people changed the story and added so many details that you can’t really tell what is real and what is not anymore.

I had warned Ted and Ray to keep away from that place, but

once you tell them not to do something, that’s just when they will do it.

They never back down from a challenge!

Every day they manage not to get into trouble is a wasted, useless day for them. I told them about my recent discoveries, but during the Last

Day of School

Party, while everyone was having fun, they secretly went downstairs with pincers to open the hatch and meet the infamous Serramonica.

“If she really exists, we’ll become friends,” Ted said arrogantly. Ray does everything Ted

says

ISAAC ASIMOV

what’s under well. He never saw as y gu ve ti ea cr oached the Isaac was a s soon as he appr A . it ed os cl y pl y, the hatch. He sim thousands of craz by d te ul sa as as w s mind s in his sciGhost’s world, hi to tell those storie d de ci de e H . es otherworldly imag fi books.

or does, even the craziest stuff, but this time he 16

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didn’t say a word. His friend was his boss though, and no matter the danger, he would follow.

“Serramonica, Serramonica, here we come,” Ted started singing. Ray

was laughing, feeling protected by his friend’s bold attitude.

I didn’t want to go to the basement because I was scared, but I wanted to try to stop them .“Ted, please, it’s not going to end well. Listen to me, for once in your life! The nun is real, don’t let her back into our world. She is the personification of Hate, you can not stop her!” He just looked at me straight in the eyes and

TED & RAY

st they were ju e b y a M . s , even if nd curiou ey were bad arrogant a th e t er h w g u o ey h th they T er e guys and on. I’ve nev iv ti ls u en p tt a im g cravin s eyes on They were e everyone’ ke bullies. v li a h d te to c t a s ju king they eren’t thin e anything w n o d ey e th v a h h tc would the ha ost didn’t they opened ght the Gh u en o h th W . ey h em T th s, they sequences. many of u n e o c ik e L th r. ll te a about knew bet to learn. ought they th ey anything th d t, a h exis ey th k didn’t thin

whispered, “You wimp”.

Then he pushed me to the ground.

I fell badly and hit my head on a chair.

I felt fuzzy for a few seconds and when I came back to my senses, they had gone.

2 I’m 12.

I’m not 30 and if I don’t understand something, that’s fine with me. I don’t always understand Algebra and Chemistry at school, but I’ve 18

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been told I’m a good writer.

I don’t understand all of the news when Mom watches TV and I’ve been wondering: have you ever thought about doing a sort of “previously, in this country: ...” for kids like me?!

Most of the time I can’t even understand why my friends do what they do either.

Who in the world understands everything, after all?

I don’t understand adults, obviously.

My dad seemed to be in love with my mom and they had been together for 15 years, looking every inch like the perfect sit-com family, and my sister and I were the audience laughing in the background. And then, ZBAM!

ZBAM 20

One day superdaddy storms out of our home and leaves forever.

ZBAM GUAAAAHH

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That’s when I became the son of a divorced

of the room where the party was going to be held went off and a strange, dark liquid started covering the window panes, like never-ending tears.

She perceived Ted and Ray were approaching the hatch. Although there was no piano in that dark basement, some sweet and delicate notes covered our

couple. I tried to put all the pieces of my life back together by myself, but I couldn’t. When my sister and I were told about the divorce, it was like a slap in the face. Maybe that’s why we’ve grown up a little bit faster, but we love Adam and Sally anyway. They’re our parents and they love us like they did before.

But now I do understand things, though.

My brain is thinking hard, I am ready and nothing distracts me. The Serramonica is nothing like an old lady giving candies to kids - her

look drains your feelings and memories and you’re left with nothing, like a desert after a vulture’s scavenging.

No one really knows who she is, where she lives and what she really wants, but a lot of people actually saw her and their hands are still shaking just thinking about her. She’s

still living inside their

minds.

I wish I had warned Ted about the Serramonica’s ability to sense the energies approaching, but the moment this flashed through my mind the lights 22

screams. The

doors slammed and locked all by themselves.

JOE, THE PITCHER

He was the bravest guy in the school, a natural-born leader. Even bullies respected him. The moment he heard the Ghost’s words all his fears came up all of a sudden and he broke down in tears. Before the Ghost, we were all equal. We were nothing but defenceless newborns.

I saw Mary, a fellow student of the IT course, curling

up into a little fetal ball under a table.

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And I saw Joe, fearless Joe, the football team quarterback, crying hysterically.

And then the voice came. Our minds were invaded by a shrill woman’s voice, it sounded like nails on a chalkboard. We were locked in and couldn’t run away.

“I

am the Serramonica, I don’t know darkness, I don’t know truce.

I am the Serramonica, I don’t know sympathy and forgiveness.

My world is my reason. My world will be your home”.

3 If you think I don’t believe in people, you’re wrong. Yesterday I was at Castle Lake Park with Ted and Ray. Everybody says they’re nothing but bullies,

but to me they’re my friends. My afternoon friends.

I spent my childhood playing with them in our neighborhood. 12 24

years-old, nuts, fearless,

unpopular.

What’s really incredible is how nice they were to me and how purposefully irritating they are to everyone else at school.

They were waiting for me, as usual, to play football or some online videogame roleplay.

I don’t talk a lot with them so I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t know that I’m a quite popular youtuber. I’m famous for my crazy gameplays about the videogame world.

We’ve never really talked much, but I always felt good when we were together. Ted

and Ray always avoided me at school, never giving me more than a nod or a quick look.

I’ve never understood why they were so Jekyll and Hide, they seem to have simply decided to be at their worst at school. It’s like they had a contract that obliged them to turn themselves into idiots at the sight of the school desks and corridors. Ted has always been the leader and Ray the follower. Maybe because Ted already looks like a war worn soldier. He looks older than his age.

Ray is shorter, blond and looks like an angel. He’s said to have superpowers because he runs so fast. He

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runs 100 yards in less than 10 seconds and he’s not even 13 years old yet. He simply worships Ted. But Ted probably wouldn’t even thank him if Ray saved his life. And Ted really doesn’t care.

I believed in them. I don’t like labels. People called them bullies, but I knew they were just bold, and not evil.

I had my Los Angeles Galaxy soccer ball with me. My dad bought it for me during a business trip in the City of Angels. Ted looked more nervous than usual and asked me: “Do you trust us?”

I looked at Ray. He really trusted Ted. I’d have never lent them my iPhone or my allowance, but I knew that after eight years playing together, they wouldn’t ever hurt me.

I thought about it for a couple of seconds and nodded.

Ted came closer, his face in front of mine and said: “Then close your eyes and open your mouth.”

I was scared.

My legs were shaking but I had to make a decision.

Why did he ask me if I trusted them?

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Why did I have to open my mouth and close my eyes? What could he possibly do?

I swallowed, took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I opened my mouth and in one second I had it filled with dirt. Ted and Ray were laughing like crazy.

I had trusted the wrong people.

They had been making fun of me.

I was feeling sad because I believed in them. I started crying when I was walking home.

I felt humiliated.

I kept on spitting the dirt they had put in my mouth.

I had to throw up and as soon as I got home I placed my head under the water in the sink trying to drink and spit, having a hard time getting rid of all the grit stuck in my mouth and teeth.

My mom asked me what happened.

I looked her in the eyes, hoping to find a warm and

safe place. I found it, ran to her and hugged her while I was crying.

I could trust her!

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I had trusted the wrong people.

They had been making fun of me.

4 What happened yesterday should have been a lesson to me. On the contrary, I trusted Ted and Ray’s good sense.

The moment I saw them bustling about the hatch with their tools I knew I had to stop them, but they’re twice as big as me and I’m not good at

fighting.

Trouble was at hand, not only for the two of them, but the whole school would soon be thrown into a terrible nightmare. And there would be no way out.

They opened the hatch. And everything went back to

No screams, no Serramonica, nothing.

normal.

The light went on, the black liquid covering the windowpanes disappeared and the music started

I, ALAN

They say as youtubers we are always smiling and looking happy.

Sure, when I have to get ready to show the new game plays I’m wearing my best, brighest TV smile. But there are moments when I could never smile. Even if I were an app, in these moments you could never insert an emoji like we do in WhatsApp. I felt betrayed by my friends. I feel like an idiot. I realized, at my own expense, that trust is when we give a part of us to someone else. Betrayal is when we don’t get it back.

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playing again.

We were all in shock.

Five minutes later the door opened and we all turned our frightened eyes on it: Ted and Ray were there.

Wow, such a relief!

Nothing was different.

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No blood stains, no ghosts chasing them.

We had all just imagined them trapped and imprisoned by some infernal creature.

Ted opened his mouth and the words he uttered were not Ted’s voice. The Serramonica was speaking through Ted! It was the same shrieking voice we had all heard before, deep in our heads.

The strange creature smiled with sarcasm and her shrieking voice echoed in the room like a thunder...

We all knew our lives would never be the same again.

Never again.

I am the Serramonica. I will meet you all soon.”

He said: “

The bully fell into a trance and collapsed.

I ran to help him.

Everybody was silent, frozen in fear, but I knew he was still Ted. “Move! We need help!” I screamed. But no one was moving, they were stuck like chess pieces with no player to animate them.

What was going on?

Mary pointed her fingers to the mirror behind me.

And there was the Serramonica, her reflection on the glass.

I turned.

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