{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang1033{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Book Antiqua;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f2\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Lucida Sans;}{\f3\fnil\fcharset0 Courier New;}}
{\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue255;\red54\green95\blue145;}
{\stylesheet{ Normal;}{\s1 heading 1;}}
{\*\generator Msftedit 5.41.15.1515;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp20 \sa200\sl276\slmult1\f0\fs24 Fuzone presents\'85\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1 MR MIDNIGHT\par
\pard\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp20 \sa200\sl276\slmult1 #61 \endash  Who Was In That Coffin?\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1 I manually copied this book from the real book itself. It took days and sometimes even weeks for me to do this.\par
I hope you enjoy this book. Pass it around if you like. Sharing is caring.\f1\par
\pard\f0 Find more Mr Midnight stories at http://readmrmidnight.weebly.com/\f1\par
\pard\keep\keepn\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 1\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\fs22\par
\f0\fs24 It had just been another ordinary school day. You know what I mean \endash  too much work, too many hassles, and a head full of headaches!\par
But now, as the sun went down on all that stress, I was having some fun.\par
My name is Nicholas Low, by the way, and I\rquote m into jogging. Jogging lets me work off all the pressure \endash  it never fails!\par
And I always jog, twice a week, with the same two friends, at the same time, in the same place.\par
There\rquote s Yee Wei Wah \endash  he\rquote s one of the fastest runners in our school, and no wonder. He\rquote s so handsome, girls are always chasing after his. \i Ha ha!\par
\i0 And then there\rquote s Kyna Sim. She lives in the same apartment block as Wei Wah and me. She\rquote s the only girl we know who doesn\rquote t give us any trouble. She\rquote s very cute, and her glasses make her look even cleverer than she is. She wears them wherever she goes, even when she\rquote s jogging.\par
(I wear glasses too \endash  but only when I\rquote m watching TV.)\par
We always jog along the same track beside a fast-flowing river in the nature reserve, not far from our apartment block.\par
So there we were, pounding along the grassy path, pumping lots of fresh air into our lungs, when Kyna cried out, \ldblquote Did you hear that?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What?\rdblquote  I asked. All I could hear were my heartbeats throbbing through my brain.\par
\ldblquote It sounded like a car,\rdblquote  she called.\par
Wei Wah looked puzzled. \ldblquote Who\rquote d bring a car down here?\rdblquote\par
As we rounded a bend in the river, I caught sight of the old bridge looming above the water. We pass it every time we go jogging, and I never give it a second glance. Nobody uses it anymore, not since the highway was built.\par
\i But today was different!\i0\f2\par
\f0 I could see the top of a black car that had stopped in the middle of the bridge, its engine still running. Two men were peering over the rail. It was too dark for them to see us on the shadowy track, but we could make out their shapes by the dying light of the sun.\par
They disappeared, only to return a moment later, and I could tell by the way they moved that they were carrying something heavy.\par
And that\rquote s when the weirdest thing happened.\par
They lifted a long wooden box onto the rail and pushed it over.\par
\ldblquote Oh yuck, they\rquote re dumping their trash in our nice clean river,\rdblquote  complained Kyna in disgust.\par
The box went sailing through the air. It struck the water with a huge splash. A moment later we heard the car speed away.\par
We raced over to the bank, peering through the reeds as the current carried the box toward us.\par
And that\rquote s when Kyna let out a scream. \ldblquote It\rquote s not a box \endash  IT\rquote S A COFFIN!\rdblquote\par
\pard\keep\keepn\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 2\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\fs22\par
\f0\fs24 Kyna was right. There was no mistaking the shape of the coffin. The broad top where the dead person\rquote s head and shoulders would be, tapering down to where their feet would rest. And with the richly polished wood and gold handles\'85hey, what else could it be?\par
\ldblquote People don\rquote t throw coffins away!\rdblquote  Wei Wan blurted out. \ldblquote They\rquote ve got bodies in them!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote And they don\rquote t throw them off bridges,\rdblquote  I added, my eyes goggling at the sight of the coffin bobbling along in the river.\par
We scrambled among the reeds on the riverbank, keeping pace with the coffin, taking care not to fall into the swift water.\par
\ldblquote Do you think it will come in close enough?\rdblquote  I asked.\par
Wei Wah darted a puzzled glance at me. \ldblquote Close enough for \i what?\i0\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Close enough for us to pull it out,\rdblquote  I answered, as my running shoes sank into a patch of mud. \ldblquote I mean, we can\rquote t just let it float away!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote But there\rquote s a body in it!\rdblquote  Wei Wah shouted. \ldblquote I don\rquote t want to see a dead body! And if the water\rquote s got inside, the body will be soggy!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Nicholas is right,\rdblquote  argued Kyna. \ldblquote If we can reach it and drag it ashore, we should. There must\f1  \f0 be a law about throwing coffins off bridges. It\rquote s not fair to the dead.\rdblquote\par
As though in answer to our wishes, the coffin suddenly swung toward the bank. I heard a sinister sucking sound as I stepped farther into the reeds. The next moment, I felt the ground giving way beneath my weight. Thick black mud oozed around my knees.\par
\ldblquote Be careful, Nicholas!\rdblquote  screamed Kyna.\par
I tried to balance myself in the mud, reaching out for the nearest gold handle. My fingers were within millimeters of grabbing it.\par
\i Too late!\i0\f2\par
\f0 The coffin was swept from my grasp, and went sailing back out into the middle of the river.\par
I almost joined it. My arms flailed helplessly, and my shoes were trapped in mud and waterlogged debris. Kyna seized my just in time as I toppled toward the surging water. She dragged me onto solid ground.\par
Wei Wah\rquote s shout split the night.\par
Without warning, the lid of the coffin had popped open. We screamed out in shock, expecting at any moment to see a grisly corpse go floating down the river.\par
\i But it didn\rquote t.\i0\f2\par
\f0 Water rushed into the open coffin. For a moment, the coffin wallowed in the surging river. Then, one end rose up in the air, and slowly, majestically, the coffin slid beneath the surface \endash  a wooden \i Titanic\i0 , going to its doom.\par
The swirling current spun the lid in crazy circles as it vanished downstream.\par
But something was still missing\'85\par
\ldblquote WHERE\rquote S THE BODY\i ?\i0\rdblquote  yelled Wei Wah.\par
\pard\keep\keepn\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 3\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\fs22\par
\f0\fs24 Kyna gaped at the spot where the coffin had sunk. Her voice sounded like a guitar string that needed tuning. \ldblquote It must still be in the coffin.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Either that,\rdblquote  I speculated, \ldblquote or the coffin was empty.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Nobody buries empty coffins,\rdblquote  scoffed Wei Wah. \ldblquote There are \i always \i0 bodies in them.\rdblquote\f2\par
\f0 Kyna show him an impatient glance. \ldblquote\i Derr!\i0  But this coffin wasn\rquote t buried. It was tossed off a bridge.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Well, I don\rquote t get it,\rdblquote  grumbled Wei Wah.\ldblquote If there was no body in the coffin, why throw it away?\rdblquote\par
Kyna shrugged. \ldblquote Maybe they thought the coffin was bad luck.\rdblquote\par
Wei Wah fired her a scornful stare. \ldblquote Hello! Show me the coffin that\rquote s good luck!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Well, you know what I mean,\rdblquote  Kyna snapped back. \ldblquote Or maybe it was the wrong size. Like it was too small for the body. Or the body was too big for the coffin.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote\i Huh?\i0\rdblquote\par
Wei Wah and Kyna were always starting arguments. I held up a hand for silence as I pulled out my mobile phone.\par
\ldblquote Nicholas, what are you doing?\rdblquote  Kyna asked. \ldblquote Who are you calling?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote The police.\rdblquote\par
Wei Wah\rquote s eyebrows shot up. \ldblquote Why?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Because we saw a coffin dumped in a river.\rdblquote  I punched in the emergency number. \ldblquote That\rquote s police business.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Only if there\rquote s a murdered body in it,\rdblquote  he retorted.\par
\ldblquote Maybe there was, and it\rquote s still inside, and now it\rquote s at the bottom of the river.\rdblquote\par
I heard a voice in my ear. \ldblquote Police emergency. Hello? Who\rquote s calling, please?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I want to report a sunken coffin,\rdblquote  I began.\par
\pard\keep\keepn\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 4\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\fs22\par
\f0\fs24 It took a while to convince the police that (a) it wasn\rquote t a hoax call, (b) I wasn\rquote t a loony, and (c) I really had seen a coffin being thrown into a river.\par
The first police officers arrived a few minutes later.\par
\ldblquote Well, where\rquote s the body?\rdblquote  one of them demanded.\par
\ldblquote There isn\rquote t \endash  wasn\rquote t \endash  one,\rdblquote  I replied, and told them everything we had seen.\par
They heard our story in skeptical silence, and we walked them back along the river. When they saw the coffin lid snagged in some debris around the next bend, they moved into action.\par
More police cars and vans arrived, and police divers entered the river. Then I called my parents, and they called Kyna\rquote s and Wei Wah\rquote s parents. And then the newspaper reporters and TV news crews arrived. Soon the peaceful riverbank was as crowded as a shopping mall.\par
The senior police officer surveyed the scene, then continued questioning us.\par
\ldblquote Did you get a clear look at the car?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote We just saw the top of it,\rdblquote  I said. \ldblquote It was black.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote And big , and long,\rdblquote  added Wei Wah.\par
\ldblquote What make of car was it? What model?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote It was up on the bridge, and we were down here,\rdblquote  Kyna explained. \ldblquote We couldn\rquote t see much of it, sir, just the top.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Can you describe the men you saw?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote It was too dark for us to see their faces,\rdblquote  I answered. \ldblquote We just saw their heads and shoulders.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote But there were definitely two of them,\rdblquote  Wei Wah told him.\par
\ldblquote Definitely,\rdblquote  agreed Kyna. \ldblquote Only two. Unless there were others in the car who didn\rquote t get out.\rdblquote\par
A shout from the river sent us running to the water\rquote s edge. The divers were hauling the empty coffin ashore.\par
\ldblquote Looks to be brand new, sir,\rdblquote  one of them called. \ldblquote But there was no sign of a body down there.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote A \i body\i0\'85\rdblquote  My mother looked at me and shuddered. \ldblquote Nicholas, I don\rquote t think it\rquote s safe for you to go jogging anymore. Not with the dead bodies everywhere.\rdblquote\par
Dad rolled his eyes. \ldblquote Didn\rquote t you hear what he said \endash  there \i wasn\rquote t\i0  a body down there.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote But there \i might\i0  have been,\rdblquote  she argued.\par
Then another officer rushed across. \ldblquote Sir, we\rquote ve checked on stolen coffins. There was one report of a burglary at a funeral company this morning. An undertaker said someone broke in overnight and took a coffin.\rdblquote\par
The senior officer snapped out orders. \ldblquote Get him to identify this coffin, see if it\rquote s his. And tell those divers to search the next part of the river. I want that body found!\rdblquote\par
But it wasn\rquote t.\par
And after the police took our statements, we were free to go home.\par
And so that was the end of our Big Adventure.\par
Well, at least that\rquote s what I thought as I waved good-bye to my friends.\par
\ldblquote See you at school tomorrow!\rdblquote  I called.\par
The truth was, it was only just beginning\'85\par
\pard\keep\keepn\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 5\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\fs22\par
\f0\fs24 Dinner was\'85 well, torture! Mum kept on about jogging not being safe, while Dad kept on about people who steal coffins from undertakers.\par
\ldblquote If those men had seen you, Nicholas\rdblquote  \endash  Mum pointed her chopsticks at me like an accusing finger \endash  \ldblquote Who knows what they might have done!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote If those men had seen Nicholas, they wouldn\rquote t have done anything,\rdblquote  Dad scoffed. \ldblquote Anyone who steals a coffin is either playing a practical joke or they\rquote re loony.\rdblquote\f2\par
\f0\ldblquote But some loonies are dangerous,\rdblquote  Mum insisted.\par
\ldblquote Dangerous loonies don\rquote t drive big black cars,\rdblquote  Dad retaliated.\par
\ldblquote Do you know what I think?\rdblquote  I began. \ldblquote I think \endash\ldblquote\par
\ldblquote I think those men were dumping the coffin in case they got caught with it,\rdblquote  Dad went on.\par
\ldblquote But their fingerprints would be all over it,\rdblquote  Mum interjected.\par
\ldblquote That\rquote s why they dumped it in a river,\rdblquote  Dad countered. \ldblquote Do you think fingerprints are waterproof?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote How would I know?\rdblquote  Mum looked blank, then turned to me. \ldblquote Anyhow, Nicholas, I think you shouldn\rquote t go jogging without your father being there.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote\i What?\i0  I don\rquote t want to go jogging!\rdblquote  Dad protested. \ldblquote When I come home from work I want to relax, have dinner, and watch TV. The last thing I want to do is get all hot and sweaty jogging!\rdblquote\par
\i Oh boy!\i0\f2\par
\f0 Anyhow, as I finished my rice in silence, I decided the whole thing had been some kind of sick joke. There \i hadn\rquote t\i0  been a body in the coffin. And there \i wasn\rquote t\i0  a body in the river.\par
I helped Mum clear away the bowls and plates, then went to my bedroom to finish my homework. I had to sets of multiple-choice questions I\rquote d been dreading, but I couldn\rquote t put them off any longer.\par
No sooner I had closed the door than I wrinkled my nose.\par
\i What was that awful smell?\i0\f2\par
\f0 I sniffed the air.\par
The smell of damp drifted up my nostrils.\par
\i Damp. And decay.\i0\f2\par
\f0 And when I took a step toward my desk, I almost went skidding across the room. My foot had touched something \endash  \i wet!\i0\f2\par
\f0 I looked down.\par
A little pool of water had gathered on the tiles.\par
I took another step.\par
\i Another\i0  little puddle of water!\par
How did water get onto my bedroom floor? I mean, it had been as dry as bone before dinner.\par
When we\rquote d come back from the river, I\rquote d showered after my jog and dried myself thoroughly in the bathroom for dinner. So the water on the floor hadn\rquote t come from \i me!\i0\f2\par
\f0 But who else could have left it there?\par
Not Mum, that\rquote s for sure. There was no way she\rquote d come in and mopped the floor \endash  she\rquote d been cooking in the kitchen. And anyhow, she mops the floor on\fs22 ly on Sunday.\par
\fs24 So where had it come from?\f2\par
\i\f0 Maybe my room was leaking!\i0\f2\par
\f0 When I kneeled down for a closer look, I gasped.\par
There weren\rquote t just two little puddles on my floor, there was a whole trail of them \endash  like a trail of wet footprints.\par
I stared at them in disbelief.\par
Who \endash  or \i what\i0  \endash  \i had dripped water all over my room?\i0\f2\par
\pard\keep\keepn\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\fs28 Chapter 6\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\fs22\par
\f0\fs24 Wet footprints?\par
In my bedroom?\par
\i Nicholas Low\i0 , I told myself, \i get a grip!\i0\f2\par
\f0 Nobody \endash  repeat, NOBODY \endash  could have been in my room while we were having dinner. It was impossible.\par
\i Totally\i0  impossible!\par
It was all that talk about bodies and coffins and rivers. I was imagining things. The water wasn\rquote t there at all. And neither was that stink of damp and decay.\par
But when I took another step forward, the tiles were still wet and slippery. And that horrible smell still filled my nostrils.\par
So it wasn\rquote t my mind playing tricks. Which meant that something, or someone, was haunting me.\par
\i Nicholas\i0 , I thought, \i don\rquote t let yourself get spooked.\i0\f2\par
\f0 You\rquote ve got homework to do. So \endash  \i do it!\par
\i0 I made my way across the slippery tiles to my desk. Even my chair had water on it, as though someone dripping wet had been sitting on it.\par
I wiped it dry with an old tee shirt and sat down. I reached for the multiple-choice questions and picked up my pen.\par
Now, for the first question...\par
\ldblquote\i Nicholas... go back...\i0\rdblquote\par
I froze.\par
I thought I\rquote d heard something. A soft sound, nothing more than a whisper behind me. The back of my neck tingled, as though a cold hand had just touched it. And that cloying damp smell had just grown \i stronger!\i0\f2\par
\f0 I swung around in my chair.\par
Nobody was there.\par
\ldblquote\i Nicholas\'85 go back\'85 you must go back\'85\i0\rdblquote\par
This time I was sure! It \i had\i0  been a whisper! And I could tell it was a \i man\rquote s voice\i0 , sounding thin and strangled. And he \i was\i0  in my room talking to me! And yet \endash\par
\endash  and yet the room was brightly lit. There was nowhere anyone could hide. And I couldn\rquote t see any mysterious shadows, any ghastly shapes, anything weird like that. But I knew \i he\i0  was there!\par
My eyes darted around, probing every corner. \ldblquote Where are you?\rdblquote  I asked. \ldblquote What do you want?\rdblquote\par
No answer.\par
I leaped up and flung open my cupboard, but nobody was hiding inside. I kneeled down and peeked under my bed, but nobody was there either.\par
My heart was pounding. I got to my feet, casting my gaze around the room. I thought I heard a sound. A movement.\par
Then the light flickered off and on. Now I \i knew\i0  I wasn\rquote t alone!\par
\ldblquote Who are you?\rdblquote  I asked through gritted teeth, fighting the urge to scream. \ldblquote Where are you?\rdblquote\par
When the voice came again, it was even softer, as though from a distance, as though it was leaving.\par
\ldblquote\i Nicholas\'85 you must go back to the river\'85\i0\rdblquote\par
\pard\keep\keepn\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 7\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\fs22\par
\f0\fs24\ldblquote Nicholas, I saw you on TV last night,\rdblquote  shouted my classmate Nurin Batrisya on the bus to school the next morning.\par
I had just climbed on board with Kyna and Wei Wah, and suddenly I was the center of attention. Everyone stared at me.\par
\ldblquote You were down by the river with the police,\rdblquote  Batrisyia went on. \ldblquote One empty coffin, but no dead body. How exciting!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote It was nothing, just a practical joke, that\rquote s all,\rdblquote  I told her, heading to the back of the bus.\par
\ldblquote No it wasn\rquote t!\rdblquote  Batrisyia shook her head. \ldblquote It was a sign from the dead! Who was in that coffin, Nicholas? You\rquote ve got to find out and tell us!\rdblquote\par
\i A sign from the dead!\i0  The words sent a shudder through my body.\par
More questions followed me as I made my way down the aisle: \par
\ldblquote What did the coffin look like?\rdblquote  called Tristy Marta.\par
\ldblquote Do you think the body is still there?\rdblquote  Qaiser Mikhail wanted to know.\par
\ldblquote It must be! How can a dead body swim?\rdblquote  shouted Hoiye Tang.\par
Soon the whole bus was in an uproar.\par
I fell into a seat beside Kyna and Wei Wah. My shirt was sticking to my back, and I couldn\rquote t stop shaking. All those questions had made me remember my invisible visitor the night before!\par
Kyna leaned closer, staring at me. \ldblquote Nicholas, you don\rquote t look very well,\rdblquote  she said. \ldblquote Are you OK?"\par
\ldblquote Something happened,\rdblquote  I mumbled. \ldblquote Last night\'85 in my room\'85\rdblquote  I stopped, unable to speak. My heart felt like it had caught in my throat.\par
\ldblquote What happened?\rdblquote  Kyna demanded, her eyes now wider.\par
I swallowed. \ldblquote There were wet footprints all over my floor\'85 and a funny smell\'85 and I heard a voice\'85\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Whose voice was it?\rdblquote  Wei Wah asked urgently.\par
\ldblquote I don\rquote t know,\rdblquote  I admitted hopelessly. \ldblquote I couldn\rquote t see him.\rdblquote\par
Wei Wah stared at me in horror. \ldblquote Well, what did he \i say?\i0\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote He kept whispering the same\'85 about going back to the river!\rdblquote  I could hear his voice again, echoing around in my head. \ldblquote He said, \lquote You must go back to the river.\rquote\rdblquote\par
Kyna stiffened in fear. \ldblquote But why did he say that?\rdblquote\par
Our eyes met. \ldblquote I don\rquote t know\'85\rdblquote  I hesitated. \ldblquote Maybe it\rquote s like Batrisyia said\'85 it was a sign from the dead.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote But how can the dead send signs?\rdblquote  Wei Wah protested. \ldblquote They\rquote re dead.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Maybe they can,\rdblquote  I countered. \ldblquote Maybe\'85 maybe what I heard in my room was the man who\rquote d been in the coffin. That\rquote s why my floor was all wet. He\rquote d come from the river to ask for my help!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote But, Nicholas, the coffin was \i empty,\i0\rdblquote  Wei Wah reminded me. \ldblquote There wasn\rquote t any dead man inside.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Then who was in my room?\rdblquote  I challenged, locking eyes with Wei Wah. \ldblquote Somebody was there. He even turned my lights off and on!\rdblquote\par
Kyna scowled. \ldblquote Nicholas, are you sure you didn\rquote t have a nightmare?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Of course I\rquote m sure,\rdblquote  I snapped. \ldblquote I\rquote d just started my homework when he spoke to me. And what\rquote s even more weird, he knew my name!\rdblquote\par
Wei Wah was silent for a moment. When he looked at me, his expression was grim. \ldblquote Nicholas, there\rquote s only one thing we can do. We\rquote ll have to do what he wants. We\rquote ll have to go back to the river!\rdblquote\par
\pard\keep\keepn\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 8\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\fs22\par
\f0\fs24\ldblquote No way!\rdblquote  I growled. \ldblquote It\rquote s bad enough hearing some weird voice in my room, but to go and do what he said \endash  that\rquote d be cuckoo!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote But maybe it\rquote s important,\rdblquote  Wei Wah persisted. \ldblquote Don\rquote t you want to find out?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I do.\rdblquote  Kyna agreed.\par
No matter how much I argued, my friends finally convinced me. I \i had\i0  to go back to the river, and they would come with me!\f2\par
\f0 The only question was, \i how?\i0\f2\par
\f0 You see, we\rquote d all been grounded.\par
\ldblquote My mum thinks we were lucky those two we saw didn\rquote t murder us,\rdblquote  I told my friends in the school cafeteria at lunchtime. \ldblquote She\rquote s banned me from jogging for life.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Same here,\rdblquote  Kyna said. \ldblquote After what happened yesterday, my mum told me I couldn\rquote t go jogging ever again.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote So how can we all go back to the river?\rdblquote  Wei Wah asked gloomily.\par
But by the time we returned to our apartment block after school that day, we had worked out a plan.\par
\ldblquote We haven\rquote t been banned from going out, have we?\rdblquote  I said on the bus ride home. \ldblquote We\rquote ve only been banned from jogging, right?\rdblquote  My friends nodded. \ldblquote Right. So, we won\rquote t jog down to the river. We\rquote ll \i walk\i0  there.\rdblquote\par
Kyna looked at me and grinned. \ldblquote We\rquote ll just say we\rquote re going for a walk. We just won\rquote t say \i where\i0\f2 ,\f0 that\rquote s all.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote That\rquote s pretty neat,\rdblquote  Wei Wah said with a nod. \ldblquote And we \i are\i0  going for a walk, so we won\rquote t be telling lies, will we? We\rquote ll be telling the truth, or most of it.\rdblquote  He hesitated. \ldblquote Well, \i half\i0  of it.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote That means we won\rquote t wear our jogging stuff,\rdblquote  cautioned Kyna. \ldblquote Just wear whatever you\rquote d wear if you were going for a walk. OK?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote OK,\rdblquote  I agreed.\par
\ldblquote OK,\rdblquote  Wei Wah said, and gave her a thumbs-up sign.\par
Within half an hour, we were back downstairs, dressed in jeans and tee shirts, looking as though we were going for a stroll to the burger restaurant.\par
We thought we were being so clever!\par
\i If only we\rquote d known the fate that awaited us\'85\i0\f2\par
\pard\keep\keepn\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\fs28 Chapter 9\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\fs22\par
\f0\fs24 We made our way through our estate until we reached the street that bordered the nature reserve. As we entered, the late afternoon sun was sinking behind the treetops.\par
Soon, tall stands of vegetation surrounded us, a barricade of trees and vines. Shadows slanted across the path. The sound of the rushing river grew louder.\f2\par
\f0 It looked the same as it did whenever we jogged \endash  quiet and peaceful, the kind of place you could escape your stress. So how come the flesh on my arms was prickling now? And why could I feel flutters in the pits of my stomach?\par
\ldblquote Nicholas, did the dead man say exactly where he wanted to meet you?\rdblquote  Wei Wah asked.\par
\ldblquote All he said was I had to go back to the river,\rdblquote  I snapped, trying to control my nerves. \ldblquote And I didn\rquote t say he was dead. I said \i maybe\i0  he was dead. Anyhow, he was invisible.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Sorry, I was just asking a question,\rdblquote  Wei Wah grumbled, giving me a curious stare.\par
Kyna surveyed the darkening forest. \ldblquote Well, this is where we always jog. We come down through here and then run along the riverbank.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Let\rquote s do what we always do,\rdblquote  I suggested. \ldblquote Then he\rquote s sure to see us.\rdblquote  I paused, trying to keep fear out of my voice. \ldblquote That\rquote s if he\rquote s even here.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote He\rquote ll be here,\rdblquote  Wei Wah grunted, still staring at me. \ldblquote Otherwise why would he go to your room and tell you to come back?\rdblquote\par
When we reached the river, my gaze swept over the frothing current fringed by tall reeds. \i Did the water look deeper and blacker today?\i0  I wondered. \i Were the reeds thicker and darker today, as though they had a secret to hide?\i0  A shiver traced my spine as we started walking along the path. In the distance, the old bridge loomed against the sunset. A sinister atmosphere seemed to hang over the place like a morbid cloud.\par
\i Nicholas Low\i0 , I thought, \i you\rquote re spooking yourself!\par
\i0 I forced myself to keep walking and forget my fear. \i There\rquote s nothing to worry about. Nothing weird is going to happen.\i0  As a famous person once said, you have nothing to fear except fear itself!\par
Kyna stopped suddenly and looked around. Her voice was a ragged whisper.\par
\ldblquote I\rquote ve the funniest feeling.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What about?\rdblquote  I asked, flashing her a smile I didn\rquote t mean.\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m not sure,\rdblquote  she said, folding her arms around herself. \ldblquote It\rquote s almost like, well, you know \endash  like there\rquote s death in the air.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote But nobody died down here,\rdblquote  argued Wei Wah. \ldblquote All we saw was a coffin being dumped in the river. We didn\rquote t see a body, and the police didn\rquote t find one.\rdblquote  He glared at Kyna, then at me. \ldblquote You two are terrible. Kyna, you\rquote re as scared as Nicholas!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m not scared,\rdblquote  I lied. \ldblquote And neither is Kyna.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m not scared,\rdblquote  Kyna said. \ldblquote I just want to go home.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You\rquote re spooking yourselves,\rdblquote  Wei Wah scoffed.\par
I was about to laugh and tell him we weren\rquote t spooked when I heard a rustling sound in the reeds behind me.\par
Wei Wah\rquote s scream pierced the twilight. \ldblquote\i Nicholas! Look out!\i0\rdblquote\par
I spun around as something sprang out of the reeds and flew at me.\par
\pard\keep\keepn\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 10\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\fs22\par
\f0\fs24 I caught a glimpse of rotting flesh, of sunken eyes, of a face contorted with agony. The strange creature, draped in the torn, mud-streaked remains of a white shroud, landed in front of me. Its withered hands pressed against my chest. The smell of decay was suffocating.\par
Kyna screamed.\par
\i It was a corpse, dripping with water.\i0\f2\par
\f0 And when it spoke, I recognized its voice at once. I\rquote d heard it in my room the night before.\par
\ldblquote Nicholas, you must stay!\rdblquote\par
I tried to escape its long, bony fingers, but they clung to my shirt with immense strength.\par
Wei Wah had picked up a branch from the side of the path. He wielded it like a sword.\par
\ldblquote Keep away!\rdblquote  he yelled.\par
One of the creature\rquote s arms left its body, flew through the air, and seized the branch. With a screech, it hurled the branch far into the swirling river.\par
Wei Wah staggered back, his eyes wide with terror.\par
\ldblquote\i You\rquote re a ghost!\i0  Only a ghost could do that!\rdblquote\par
Kyna let out a squeal. The creature\rquote s arm flew back and rejoined the body.\par
\ldblquote No, he\rquote s \i not\i0  a ghost,\rdblquote  she blurted out. \ldblquote He\rquote s got a \i body!\i0\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote But not a body as you know it,\rdblquote  the creature told her. \ldblquote I am one of the eternally damned!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Who are you?\rdblquote  I demanded, my gaze locked on the strange form in the tattered shroud. My stomach twisted itself into an icy knot. \ldblquote Were you in that coffin when it was dumped in the river yesterday? Is that why you came to my room last night?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Nicholas, that coffin was mine!\rdblquote  the creature shrieked. \ldblquote It was meant for me! Those two men took my body out of it when they stole it.\rdblquote\par
Wei Wah stared at the hideous thing before us. \ldblquote Why did they do that?\rdblquote  he asked.\par
\ldblquote They were gangsters. They wanted my coffin for another purpose.\rdblquote  The creature grew more demented. \ldblquote I heard them talking about it. They were going to murder someone and seal their victim\rquote s body in my coffin. So the person they killed would be buried as me, under my name, and nobody would know that a murder had been commited.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I don\rquote t understand,\rdblquote  Kyna said. \ldblquote If the gangsters need your coffin for someone else\rquote s body, why did they throw it off the bridge?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Because after they stole my coffin, they got a phone call. The person they were going to kill had left town.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote And so they didn\rquote t need your coffin anymore?\rdblquote  I asked.\par
The creature eyed me bitterly. \ldblquote Exactly. And they knew they had to get rid of it quickly. That\rquote s why they came down here and threw it off the bridge. They thought it would sink and never be found. But by then, it was too late for me \endash  the damage had been done.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What damage?\rdblquote  Wei Wah asked warily.\par
\ldblquote They\rquote d left my human body back at the undertaker\rquote s, but my spirit was in the coffin. And because they had separated my spirit from my body \i before\i0  I could be buried, I was damned.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What do you mean \lquote damned\rquote ?\rdblquote  Kyna asked in a trembling voice.\par
\ldblquote When a spirit is wrongly separated from its body, it takes a form of its own. And because my coffin was destroyed, my spirit has nowhere to rest\'85 NOWHERE!\rdblquote\par
\pard\keep\keepn\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 11\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\fs22\par
\f0\fs24 I gazed at the shrouded form, the face distorted by rage, the eyes sunken in the rotting flesh of the creature\rquote s cheeks. The stench of damp and decay hung in the air between us.\par
My question escaped through numb lips. \ldblquote If you\rquote re a spirit, and this body isn\rquote t yours, whose is it?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Those like me who are damned are taken to a special place in the Other World. It is called Punishment, a place full of corruption and decay where our spirits are housed. That is where The Punishers give us the decomposed remains of others in which to live. We are sentenced to spend eternity like this \endash  as spirits attached to rotting bodies that were never our own.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote But that\rquote s not fair, is it?\rdblquote  Wei Wah burst out indignantly. \ldblquote It wasn\rquote t your fault that your body and spirit were separated.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Fair or not, it doesn\rquote t matter. The Other World has its own rules. If your body and spirit do not arrive together, The Punishers will house your spirit in a corpse of their choosing. That is what I was told. And that is what they did.\par
\ldblquote I still don\rquote t understand why you came to my room last night,\rdblquote  I said. \ldblquote Why did you ask me to come back to the river?\rdblquote\par
The creature\rquote s eyes glittered in its grotesque face. \ldblquote Because, Nicholas, you are the only one who can help me now.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote\i I am?\i0\rdblquote  I cried. My throat tightened. \ldblquote\i How?\i0\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I told The Punishers what had happened to me. How those men stole my coffin. The Punishers did not believe my story. They said that no corpse had ever had its coffin stolen, not in a thousand years. They said I had to prove it was true. And you\rquote re the only one who can help me do that.\rdblquote  A bony finger jabbed at my heart. \ldblquote You must get my coffin back. Bring it back here. Let me return to it. Let The Punishers see that I spoke the truth.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote But it\rquote s too late,\rdblquote  I argued. \ldblquote The police took it away as evidence. They\rquote ll never give it to me. No way. Anyhow it\rquote s ruined. It\rquote s been in the river. And by now, your human body has probably been buried in a new coffin.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You must do as I say,\rdblquote  shrieked the creature. \ldblquote Do you want me stay like this forever? My spirit living in some else\rquote s corpse? Hiding in the reeds? Stinking like this river?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You\rquote re crazy!\rdblquote  snapped Kyna. \ldblquote Even if Nicholas could get a coffin, how could he bring it here? He can\rquote t drive a car!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote And he can\rquote t put a coffin in a taxi!\rdblquote  Wei Wah added. \ldblquote And there\rquote s no way Nicholas can carry it by himself, not all the way down here!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Then you must help him, both of you!\rdblquote  shouted the creature. \ldblquote I will hold you accountable.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote But you haven\rquote t even told us your name,\rdblquote  I protested. \ldblquote If we don\rquote t know your name, how can we be sure we bring the right coffin? Maybe the police have lots of coffins they\rquote re investigating.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Lam. My name is Lam. And I will be waiting here. Always. Until the end of time I will be here. The Punishers won\rquote t let me stay anywhere else.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I still think you\rquote re being crazy,\rdblquote  Kyna argued.\par
The creature ignored her. It leveled its eyes directly at mine. \ldblquote Nicholas, if you know what is good for you, you and your friends \i must\i0  bring my coffin here.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote And if we can\rquote t?\rdblquote  I challenged him.\par
\ldblquote Then I will take all of you with me.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Where?\rdblquote  demanded Wei Wah.\par
\ldblquote To The Punishers. I will destroy you all, and my spirit will take over your bodies. Then I won\rquote t be damned. \i But you will be\'85\i0\rdblquote\par
\pard\keep\keepn\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 12\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\fs24\par
\f0 We burst out shouting at him, but our protests were wasted.\par
Lam\rquote s spirit rose from the ground and flew back into the reeds. We saw the grass thrashing wildly as the spirit headed for the river. A moment later came the sound of a splash as it flung itself into the surging current.\par
None of us spoke.\par
It were as though we had been handed a death sentence.\par
Kyna broke the silence.\par
\ldblquote That is so sick,\rdblquote  she said bitterly. \ldblquote We shouldn\rquote t have come down here. It\rquote s all your fault, Wei Wah.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote My fault? \i Why?\i0\rdblquote  he growled.\par
\ldblquote It was your idea to come down today,\rdblquote  she snapped.  \ldblquote If it hadn\rquote t been for you, we\rquote d be safe at home \endash\ldblquote\par
\ldblquote Hey, what are we arguing about?\rdblquote  I stepped between them. \ldblquote If we hadn\rquote t come down to the river, he would have come to my room again.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Lam is mad,\rdblquote  Wei Wah snarled, kicking a stone to one side. \ldblquote How can we get his coffin back? The cops will never give it to three kids. Anyhow\rdblquote  \endash  he kicked harder, and a second stone went sailing into the reeds \endash  \ldblquote I don\rquote t trust him.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Neither do I,\rdblquote  said Kyna, crossing her arms. \ldblquote All that stuff about Punishers. I mean, do they really punish people like that in the Other World?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote How would I know?\rdblquote  I responded with a shrug. \ldblquote I\rquote ve never been there.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote And I don\rquote t want to go there,\rdblquote  Wei Wah said. \ldblquote Not if it\rquote s full of Punishers and people like Lam. It sounds dumb, if you ask me.\rdblquote\par
We retraced our steps along the path and out of the nature reserve. I never wanted to see the place again!\par
\ldblquote What are we going to do?\rdblquote  Kyna wondered out loud.\par
\ldblquote Well, we can\rquote t call the police,\rdblquote  Wei Wah grumbled.  \ldblquote They\rquote d just laugh at us.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I think we have to be very clever,\rdblquote  I began, as an idea formed in my mind. It wasn\rquote t a great idea, but at least it was a starting point. \ldblquote The reason I wanted Lam\rquote s name is so we can track down the undertaker\rquote s the coffin was stolen from.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Why?\rdblquote  asked Kyna.\par
\ldblquote I want to find out what happened to Lam\rquote s human body. Has it been buried already? Or have they delayed his funeral until the police return the coffin?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote But that coffin was ruined in the water,\rdblquote  Kyna pointed out. \ldblquote How can they use it for a funeral?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I know, but hey, what if Lam\rquote s relatives can\rquote t afford to buy a new one?\rdblquote  I reasoned. \ldblquote See, what I\rquote m thinking is, if Lam\rquote s body \i hasn\rquote t\i0  been buried, we could bring his spirit back to the undertaker\rquote s and he could be buried with his body. Then his body and spirit would be united again.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote That\rquote s smart,\rdblquote  agreed Wei Wah enthusiastically. \ldblquote It\rquote d be easier to take the spirit to the to the coffin than the coffin to the river!\rdblquote  Then he hesitated. His voice quavered. \ldblquote But what if the funeral \i is\i0  over? What if Lam\rquote s body has \i already\i0  been buried? And what if Lam\rquote s coffin \i isn\rquote t\i0  with the cops anymore\'85 what if it\rquote s six feed under?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Then we\rquote re back to square one.\rdblquote  Kyna shivered.\par
\ldblquote I don\rquote t want to think about that.\rdblquote  I checked my watch as we walked through the streets leading back to our block. \ldblquote Look, it\rquote s almost dinnertime. Why don\rquote t you guys come back to my place for dinner? Then we can make some phone calls and trace that undertaker.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Isn\rquote t it too late to do that?\rdblquote  Wei Wah asked with a frown. \ldblquote Most companies shut at five o\rquote clock, don\rquote t they?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I think undertakers are always open,\rdblquote  I said. \ldblquote I mean, a lot of people die at midnight, or in the early hours of the morning, so undertakers have to have someone on duty to handle the inquiries.\rdblquote\par
We walked on in silence, and just as we reached our block, Wei Wah turned to share a doubtful glance with Kyna and me. \ldblquote I still think Mr Lam\rquote s spirit isn\rquote t being honest with us,\rdblquote  he said.\par
\ldblquote About what?\rdblquote  I asked. \ldblquote About The Punishers?\rdblquote\par
Wei Wah shrugged. \ldblquote About everything. He gave me the creeps, and not just because he\rquote s ugly and spooky. His whole story didn\rquote t make sense. All that stuff about gangsters and killing someone.\rdblquote  He let out a sigh and jabbed the elevator button. \ldblquote There\rquote s more going on here than meets the eye.\rdblquote\par
\pard\keep\keepn\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 13\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\fs24\par
\f0\ldblquote Did you have a good walk?\rdblquote  Mum asked when she met us at the front door.\par
\ldblquote Jogging is more fun,\rdblquote  I said. \ldblquote Walking takes forever!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Yes, but it\rquote s \i safer!\i0\rdblquote  she said as she headed back to the kitchen. \ldblquote I\rquote ll cook some extra chicken wings for your friends.\rdblquote\par
After our delicious meal, we took the phone book and went to my room. The list of undertakers and funeral directors covered four pages. I put my mobile on speakerphone and punched in the first number.\par
A moment later we heard solemn music playing and a deep voice said, \ldblquote Greetings is grief. You have reached A-Class Funerals. All our consultants are busy at present. Your call will be attended to shortly.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Yuck,\rdblquote  whispered Wei Wah.\par
The music stopped, and a sugary voice, falsely friendly, oozed over the speaker. \ldblquote Good evening. How can I assist you in your time of sorrow?\rdblquote\par
I cleared my throat and tried to make my voice sound older. \ldblquote I\rquote m calling for a friend whose uncle has just passed away, and someone told me I should call your company.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote How nice of them.\rdblquote  The sugary voice was dripping with glee. \ldblquote We are very proud of our reputation.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Well, they said you recently did a great funeral for a Mr Lam. Did you bury him?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote My dear sir,\rdblquote  said the voice, \ldblquote  I don\rquote t bury anyone. I\rquote m a consultant. Now, what was the name of the departed?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Lam. L-A-M,\rdblquote  I added, spelling it out.\par
We heard the flipping of pages.\par
\ldblquote We have a Lim. Would that be the deceased?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote No. I\rquote m sorry to have troubled yo.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Well,hat about your friend\rquote s uncle?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote He\rquote s feeling better now,\rdblquote  I said, and cut the call.\par
Then Wei Wah rang the next company. \ldblquote Excuse me,\rdblquote  he began, \ldblquote did you have a coffin stolen yesterday?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I beg your pardon?\rdblquote  spluttered a woman\rquote s voice. \ldblquote You sound like a kid. Is this some kind of practical joke?\rdblquote\par
And the line went dead.\par
It was a few calls later that Kyna got lucky. \ldblquote I\rquote m calling about Mr Lam\rquote s funeral,\rdblquote  she began.\par
\ldblquote Mr Lam\rquote s funeral has been delayed\rdblquote  said a man after a short silence.\par
\ldblquote That was because his coffin was stolen, right?\rdblquote\par
We heard a gasp on the line. \ldblquote Who is this?\rdblquote  the man demanded.\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s true, isn\rquote t it?\rdblquote  Kyna pressed on.\par
\ldblquote We had a robbery, yes. It was very\'85 unfortunate.\rdblquote  The man hesitated. \ldblquote Are you a reporter?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote No. But I saw what happened to the coffin.\rdblquote\par
There was another sharp intake of breath and a long silence. Then  was back on the line. \ldblquote I\rquote d like to met you,\rdblquote  he said sweetly. \ldblquote Why don\rquote t you come down to my office tomorrow? Then you can tell me everything you know.\rdblquote\par
\pard\keep\keepn\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 14\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\fs24\par
\f0\ldblquote FOO\rquote S FUNERALS\rdblquote  said the sign outside a brick building in a quiet back street in the warehouse district.\f2\par
\f0 We had made our way to the undertaker\rquote s after school. Kyna ad worked out which buses to take, and we knew we could be home in plenty of time for dinner.\par
Wei Wah pushed open the front door, and we stepped into a narrow lobby that stank of disinfectant.\par
Well, I thought it was disinfectant, but Kyna pinched her nose and whispered, \ldblquote\i Poo!\i0  I think that\rquote s embalming fluid.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You mean the stuff they us on dead bodies?\rdblquote  I croaked.\par
Wei Wah went across to the counter and pressed a bell. A moment later a door opened and a man stepped out. He was wearing a white uniform, the kind I\rquote d seen orderlies wear in hospitals.\par
His long face reminded me of a grumpy horse. His ears poked out from the sides of his head. Tufts of gray hair sprouted from his domed scalp like weeds around a gravestone. Hair protruded from his nostrils.\par
\ldblquote Are you Mr Foo?\rdblquote  Wei Wah asked.\par
The man nodded, looking us up and down as though sizing us up for coffins. \ldblquote You\rquote re the kids who called me last night?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m Wei Wah, and these are my friends Kyna and Nicholas. We saw your coffin being tossed into the river.\par
Foo stroked his pointed jaw with a hand the color of marble. \ldblquote By two men, if I\rquote m not mistaken.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote How did you know that?\rdblquote  I demanded sharply.\par
\ldblquote The police told me.\rdblquote\par
Instinct warned me he was lying.\par
Foo\rquote s eyes narrowed. \ldblquote Do you think you could recognize these men again?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote No,\rdblquote  said Kyna.\par
\ldblquote I don\rquote t think so,\rdblquote  I offered.\par
\ldblquote Easily,\rdblquote  Wei Wah claimed.\par
I gaped at him. \i There was no way Wei Wah had seen their faces!\i0  I wondered what he was up to.\par
\ldblquote It was getting dark,\rdblquote  Kyna explained. \ldblquote They were up on the bridge with a long black car. The sun was behind them, so their faces were in shadow.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote But I got a clear look at them,\rdblquote  Wei Wah boasted. \ldblquote I\rquote d know them anywhere!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Is that what you told the police?\rdblquote  Foo asked in a low tone.\par
Wei Wah shrugged. \ldblquote Sure.\rdblquote\par
Foo stiffened. He beckoned us to follow him.\par
I nudged Wei Wah, whispering, \ldblquote Why did you say you could recognize those men when you know you can\rquote t?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You\rquote ll see,\rdblquote  was all he said.\par
Foo led us down the hall and unlocked a door. We stepped into a freezing cold room with tiled walls.\par
\ldblquote Hey, why have you brought us in here?\rdblquote  I asked suspiciously.\par
Kyna shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. \ldblquote Is this where you keep dead bodies?\rdblquote  she asked through chattering teeth.\par
Foo ignored Kyna and me. He turned to Wei Wah with a grim smile.\par
\ldblquote You said you could identify the two men,\rdblquote  Foo reminded him.\par
He crossed to a bank of refrigerated cabinets and pulled out two drawers. Each drawer was big enough to contain a human body. They slid out noiselessly on rollers.\par
\ldblquote Is that them?\rdblquote  he asked.\par
Our screams echoed off the steel cabinets and around the tiled walls. Wei Wah\rquote s face was drained of blood.\par
There, stretched out inside the two drawers, were two men is business suits. Both had neat round holes in the center of their foreheads.\par
Both were very, very dead.\par
\pard\keep\keepn\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 15\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\fs24\par
\f0 Wei Wah gawked at the two bodies. His lips worked soundlessly before a question finally came out.\par
\ldblquote Are they the men who dumped the coffin?\rdblquote\par
Foo rounded on him savagely. \ldblquote I thought you said you could recognize them.\rdblquote\par
Wei Wah shot him a sheepish glance. \ldblquote I said that just to see what you\rquote d do.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Well, I hope you\rquote re happy,\rdblquote  Foo snarled.\par
A question crawled up my throat like a cold, fat insect. \ldblquote Someone murdered them, didn\rquote t they?\rdblquote  My stomach rolled, and I clamped my jaws together.\par
\ldblquote They weren\rquote t murdered,\rdblquote  said Foo with a sneer. \ldblquote They were silenced.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote\i Silenced?\i0\rdblquote  echoed Kyna.\par
\ldblquote They were causing problems.\rdblquote\par
Wei Wah pointed at him. \ldblquote You\rquote re the one who killed them, didn\rquote t you?\rdblquote  he accused the undertaker. \ldblquote They stole your coffin and you shot them!\rdblquote\par
Foo eyed him harshly. \ldblquote You kids have trouble written all over you.\rdblquote  A gun appeared in his hand. \ldblquote I think it\rquote s time you were silenced too.\rdblquote\par
We shrank back against the wall. The tiles were as cold as death to my touch.\par
\ldblquote You can\rquote t do anything to us,\rdblquote  Wei Wah blurted out. \ldblquote If we\rquote re not home in half an hour, our parents will call the police.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote And did you tell your parents you were coming to see me?\rdblquote  Foo asked with a mocking smile. \ldblquote No. Of course you didn\rquote t. The police will never think of looking for you here.\rdblquote\par
Kyna swung her schoolbag at the undertaker, but he caught it with his free hand and tossed it into a corner.\par
\ldblquote Try anything like that again and you\rquote ll be the first to die.\rdblquote  He leveled the gun at Wei Wah. \ldblquote Now, kid, tell me exactly what you know.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote But I don\rquote t know anything,\rdblquote  Wei Wah said.\par
Foo\rquote s finger tightened on the trigger. \ldblquote Last chance. Five\'85 four\'85 three\'85\rdblquote\par
\pard\keep\keepn\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 16\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\fs24\par
\f0\ldblquote Don\rquote t shoot,\rdblquote  I yelled, my heart racing. \ldblquote We\rquote ll tell you everything we know.\rdblquote  I took a gulp of air and went on, \ldblquote Those two men stole your coffin because they were gangsters.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote They were going to kill someone and put his body inside it,\rdblquote  Kyna continued. \ldblquote And everyone would think the dead person inside the coffin was Mr Lam, and no one would ever know that a murder had been commited.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Then they got a phone call that said the man they had to kill had left town, so they didn\rquote t need the coffin anymore,\rdblquote  I added hastily.\par
\ldblquote And that\rquote s why they dumped it in the river,\rdblquote  Kyna concluded.\par
As Foo listened to our story, he looked more and more bewildered. His eyes widened in disbelief, his eyebrows riding high into his forehead.\par
Without warning, he rocked with laughter.\par
\ldblquote Who told you all that rubbish?\rdblquote  he demanded.\par
\ldblquote Mr Lam did,\rdblquote  Wei Wah said.\par
\ldblquote WHAT?\rdblquote  the undertaker roared.\par
His sneer was gone, his laughter evaporated. He took as step forward, his gun centimeters from Wei Wah\rquote s nose.\par
\ldblquote You\rquote re lying, boy. Lam couldn\rquote t have told you anything. Lam is DEAD!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s the truth,\rdblquote  Wei Wah cried out. \ldblquote He told us he wanted his coffin back.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote But the police have it,\rdblquote  snapped Foo.\par
\ldblquote But Mr Lam needs it \endash  so he can show it to The Punishers.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What Punishers?\rdblquote  Foo shouted in confusion. \ldblquote What are you talking about, boy?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote We met Mr Lam\rquote s spirit down by the river,\rdblquote  Wei Wah explained. \ldblquote Because his body and spirit weren\rquote t together when he entered the Other World, his spirit was sent to The Punishers. He told them his coffin was stolen, but they didn\rquote t believe him. That\rquote s why his spirit wants Nicholas to bring back his coffin.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote His spirit even came to my bedroom to ask for our help,\rdblquote  I went on. \ldblquote It left wet footprints all over the floor.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote And it looked hideous because it had a spirit body made of other people\rquote s decomposed corpses,\rdblquote  Kyna said. \ldblquote It smelt horrible.\rdblquote\par
Foo flew into a rage. \ldblquote Do you kids expect me to believe that?\rdblquote  he screamed. \ldblquote A ghost that wants its coffin back? I\rquote ve never heard anything so crazy!\rdblquote\par
He took one step across the room and pulled open another huge drawer.\par
Inside was the body of a small man, his face peeking out from beneath a shroud.\par
\ldblquote That\rquote s Lam,\rdblquote  he roared. \ldblquote He\rquote s not down by the river. He\rquote s here, body \i and\i0  soul!\rdblquote\par
\pard\keep\keepn\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 17\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\fs24\par
\f0 I took one look at the dead man\rquote s face. His flesh had not rotted, and his eyes were not sunken, but there was no mistaking the resemblance to the creature we had seen at the river. My flesh crawled.\par
\ldblquote Mr Lam\rquote s body might be dead, but his spirit is still alive,\rdblquote  I said.\par
\ldblquote Nicholas is right,\rdblquote  confirmed Kyna. \ldblquote We saw it!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I don\rquote t believe you. I think you\rquote re all nuts,\rdblquote  growled Foo. He waved his gun at the body in the drawer. \ldblquote That\rquote s Lam! He\rquote s dead! He can\rquote t talk to anyone!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote That\rquote s what you think,\rdblquote  said Wei Wah firmly. \ldblquote His spirit talked to \i us!\i0\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Well, if it did, it told you a pack of lies.\rdblquote  Foo fixed us with a menacing gaze. \ldblquote If you really want to know what happened, I\rquote ll tell you. Lam was an old friend of mine. We were both in prison many years ago. That\rquote s where we first met. I was losing money running this place, and he had lost a fortune gambling. So we decided to get rich \endash  rich enough to live the rest of our lives in luxury.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote How?\rdblquote  I wanted to know.\par
\ldblquote We robbed a diamond warehouse,\rdblquote  said  Foo with a sly grin. \ldblquote We stole only the best diamonds, a handful of them, worth two million dollars. We hid them here. We knew they\rquote d be safe. After all, an undertaker is the last person anyone would suspect of a diamond robbery.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Very clever,\rdblquote  said Wei Wah sarcastically.\par
\ldblquote But then Lam tried to double-cross me. He hired those two gangsters you saw on the bridge. The idea was they would eliminate me so he could keep the two million dollars for himself. But they double-crossed \i him\i0 . They decided to kill both Lam \i and\i0  me, and help themselves to the diamonds.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What happened?\rdblquote  I asked.\par
\ldblquote They made Lam tell them where the diamonds were hidden, then they killed him. They wrapped his corpse up in a shroud so he would look just like another dead body and broke in here in the middle of the night.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Where \i were\i0  the diamonds hidden?\rdblquote  asked Kyna.\par
\ldblquote The safest place in the world,\rdblquote  smirked Foo. \ldblquote In a coffin with a false bottom.\rdblquote\par
Wei Wah snapped his fingers. \ldblquote And that\rquote s the one they stole?\rdblquote  he guessed.\par
\ldblquote Exactly. When they brought Lam\rquote s body in here, they stole the coffin.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Then why did you call the police?\rdblquote  Kyna asked, frowning. \ldblquote I mean, if the coffin had stolen diamonds in it, why did you report it missing?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I didn\rquote t. The robbery happened shortly after midnight. When my assistant arrived first thing the next morning, he saw the broken window and the smashed door and he knew there\rquote d been a robbery,\rdblquote  explained Foo. \ldblquote He knew nothing about the diamons. As soon as he discovered that a coffin was missing, the idiot called the police and reported a theft.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What happened then?\rdblquote  I questioned.\par
Foo smiled smugly. \ldblquote After the two men had taken the coffin away and searched it, they found it was empty.\rdblquote\par
Wei Wah frowned. \ldblquote But you just said the diamonds were hidden in it \endash  beneath a false bottom?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote They had been,\rdblquote  Foo said with a grin. \ldblquote But, you see, I didn\rquote t trust Lam. I thought he might try to double-cross me.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You said he was your friend,\rdblquote  I cut in.\par
\ldblquote There\rquote s no honor among thieves, surely you know that,\rdblquote  Foo said with a smirk. \ldblquote That\rquote s why I\rquote d taken the diamonds out of the coffin without him knowing. When I arrived at work the morning after the robbery, I saw his body in the shroud and heard that the coffin had been stolen. I put two and two together and knew \i someone else\i0  was after the diamonds. So I switched them to \i another\i0  hiding place. One that nobody would ever think of.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote So when the two gangsters didn\rquote t find any diamonds in the coffin, they got rid of it?\rdblquote  I asked.\par
\ldblquote They dumped it in the river \endash  and that\rquote s when you saw them. Then they came back here looking for me.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote And that\rquote s when you killed them?\rdblquote  Kyna guessed.\par
\ldblquote It was either them or me. They gave me no choice. I shot them and put them on ice,\rdblquote  he said with a grin. \ldblquote In the end it worked out well. Lam is dead, the two gangsters are dead, and I get to keep two million dollars\rquote  worth of diamonds.\rdblquote  He shrugged. \ldblquote The only problem I have now is what to do with you kids.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What do you mean?\rdblquote  Kyna blurted out.\par
\ldblquote Well, now that you know the truth, I can\rquote t very well let you leave, can I?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What are you going to do with us?\rdblquote  Wei Wah asked.\par
\ldblquote What do you think?\rdblquote\par
With his gun in one hand, Foo pulled open three more drawers. \ldblquote One for each of you kids. Who wants to be first?\rdblquote\par
\pard\keep\keepn\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 18\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\fs24\par
\f0 None of us moved. My mind was desperately searching for a way out. Escape \endash  we had to escape! \i If only one of us could get out and call the police \i0\endash\par
I think the undertaker read my mind.\par
He stepped to the door and locked it, pocketing the key. Slowly he paced back toward us, his eyes scanning us like a predator about to strike.\f2\par
\f0 Steadying the gun, he grabbed Wei Wah by the arm and dragged him across to the nearest drawer.\par
\ldblquote Let me go!\rdblquote  Wei Wah yelled.\par
\ldblquote Why should I? You\rquote re the one who lied to me,\rdblquote  Foo snarled, \ldblquote so you can go into the freezer first. It won\rquote t take long before you\rquote re frozen stiff.\rdblquote  He laughed at his own joke. \ldblquote A stiff who\rquote s frozen, get it?\rdblquote\par
Foo scooped Wei Wah off his feet and held him over the open drawer. Wei Wah was kicking and shouting.\par
\ldblquote Nicholas! Do something! Help me!\rdblquote  Wei Wah wailed.\par
I lunged forward, but Foo\rquote s gun swung in my direction. I skidded to a stop, staring at the little black hole in its ugly snout, expecting a bullet to come blasting out of it any second.\par
A heartbeat later, I wrinkled my nose.\par
My nostrils were suddenly filled with a familiar smell.\par
\i The stench of damp and decay!\i0\f2\par
\f0 It was growing stronger, and my stomach heaved. I covered my nose and mouth. Beside me, Kyna was gagging.\par
Foo looked around, startled.\par
\ldblquote What\rquote s that hideous smell?\rdblquote  he demanded. \ldblquote Where\rquote s it coming from?\rdblquote\par
Despite the revolting stench, I laughed.\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s Mr Lam!\rdblquote  I told him. \ldblquote His spirit is here\'85\rdblquote\par
\pard\keep\keepn\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 19\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\fs24\par
\f0\ldblquote Lam is DEAD!\rdblquote  Foo screamed.\par
Suddenly the drawer containing Lam\rquote s body began to vibrate.\par
Foo stared at it in horror. He dropped Wei Wah to the floor and clutched his gun with both hands.\par
\ldblquote What\rquote s happening?\rdblquote  he shrieked.\par
We raced across to the drawer. The body inside was jerking and shaking like it was coming back to life.\par
\ldblquote Mr Lam\rquote s spirit is in this room,\rdblquote  Kyna said. \ldblquote It wants to be united with his body!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s a trick!\rdblquote  Foo roared.\par
\ldblquote\i It\rquote s NOT!\i0\rdblquote  screeched a voice.\par
We wheeled around to find something materializing by the door.\par
At first it was no more than a shadow in the air, then, slowly, it became a shape growing clearer, thicker, recognizable.\par
And as it did, water pooled on the tiles beneath it. Water that stank of death and decay.\par
Until at last, hovering before us, was the creature from the river \endash  the same rotting flesh, the same sunken eyes, the same decomposed body in the mud-splattered shroud.\par
Foo\rquote s agonized cry became a howl.\par
\ldblquote My good friend Foo,\rdblquote  said Lam\rquote s spirit.\par
The undertaker\rquote s jaw went slack. \ldblquote Lam? No, I don\rquote t believe it!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You thought I was safely out of the way,\rdblquote  the spirit taunted. \ldblquote But I\rquote m not. I will never leave you until I get what I want!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You\rquote re DEAD!\rdblquote  Foo wailed, emptying his gun into the hideous creature.\par
The bullets passed through the spirit\rquote s face and shroud as it hurled itself across the room. Its long, bony fingers clutched Foo\rquote s white uniform.\par
Horror stretched Foo\rquote s face, distorting his features into a mask of fear. He staggered back, but the spirit did not release its grip.\par
\ldblquote Keep away!\rdblquote  the undertaker cried. \ldblquote Leave me alone! I didn\rquote t do anything to hurt you!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You should have listened to these kids,\rdblquote  Lam\rquote s spirit told him. \ldblquote You should have believed them. My spirit can\rquote t be destroyed.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What do you want?\rdblquote  Foo asked, his lips trembline.\par
\ldblquote The diamonds!\rdblquote  The ghost of Lam replied, its fingers curling around the undertaker\rquote s jacket, pulling the fabric taut. \ldblquote You tried to \i hide\i0  them from me!\rdblquote\par
Foo\rquote s fear vanished. \ldblquote You tried to \i steal\i0  them from me!\rdblquote  he retaliated. \ldblquote You double-crossed me!\rdblquote  You sent those two gangsters to take the coffin!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I want to know where those diamonds are!\rdblquote  Lam\rquote s spirit shrieked. \ldblquote Or you\rquote ll join me in eternity.\rdblquote\par
I stared at the two enemies, one human, one supernatural, and my chest tightened until I thought my ribs would be crushed. Kyna grabbed my wrist, her face drained of color.\par
But Wei Wah fearlessly stepped forward.\par
\ldblquote Mr Lam, you lied to us!\rdblquote  he accused the spirit. \ldblquote All that stuff about The Punishers! You don\rquote t want your coffin back! You just want the diamonds!\rdblquote\par
Lam\rquote s spirit flashed him a menacing look. \ldblquote Be quiet, kid. This has got nothing to do with you.\rdblquote\par
My anger flared when I heard that.\par
\ldblquote That\rquote s not true,\rdblquote  I yelled. \ldblquote You came to my room, you begged for my help, but you were lying the whole time.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I said be quiet!\rdblquote  the spirit screamed. \ldblquote I did need your help! I needed you to help my spirit move from the river. Because you agreed to help me, we established a bond between the living and the dead, and that let me follow you here!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I told you Lam wasn\rquote t to be trusted,\rdblquote  said the undertaker with a laugh. He tried to shove the spirit aside. \ldblquote You\rquote re not getting anything, Lam! And if you kill me, you\rquote ll never find those diamonds. You wouldn\rquote t know where to look! Not even these kids do!\rdblquote\par
For a moment, Lam\rquote s spirit was still. Then, slowly, deliberately, it lifted a hand to the undertaker\rquote s face. A long, bony finger ran down the side of Foo\rquote s cheek like a knife, leaving a straight line of fresh, wet blood. The undertaker howled in pain.\par
\ldblquote That\rquote s what we in the Other World call the \lquote kiss of death!\rquote\rdblquote  the spirit told him, as Foo struggled to free himself.\par
Again the finger traced a scar down the undertaker\rquote s face. Blood dripped onto his white uniform.\par
\ldblquote How many more kisses do you want, my old friend?\rdblquote\par
Foo\rquote s hands tried to protect his face, but Lam\rquote s long finger sliced across them like a blade.\par
The undertaker fell to his knees, screaming in agony. \ldblquote I\rquote ll talk! I\rquote ll tell you where they are!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Where?\rdblquote  the spirit hissed.\par
Foo pointed to the drawer containing Lam\rquote s body.\par
\ldblquote In there!\rdblquote  he whimpered. \ldblquote I stitched them into the flesh of your body!\rdblquote\par
\pard\keep\keepn\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 20\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\fs24\par
\f0 Wei Wah, Kyna and I stared down at the undertaker. He cowered on the floor, blood streaming down his cheeks and hands.\par
Lam\rquote s spirit swept down and dragged Foo across to the freezer drawer.\par
\ldblquote Show me!\rdblquote  the spirit demanded. \ldblquote Show me where the diamonds are!\rdblquote\par
We edged closer as Foo scrambled to his feet. He reached into the drawer and pulled back the shroud to reveal Lam\rquote s frozen body.\par
With a trembling hand, he pointed to a series of lumps in the corpse\rquote s frozen chest.\par
\ldblquote The diamonds are in there!\rdblquote  he croaked.\par
My gaze was fastened on the lumps. Each was the size of a golf ball. My stomach gave a sickening lurch.\par
\ldblquote Get them out!\rdblquote  ordered the spirit.\par
I heard Kyna gasp as Foo dug into his uniform pocket and produced a small surgical knife. His hand was shaking wildly.\par
\ldblquote Hurry!\rdblquote  the spirit screamed.\par
Wei Wah moaned a feeble protest. \ldblquote But that\rquote s your body in there\'85\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Do you think I care?\rdblquote  Lam\rquote s spirit snapped. \ldblquote I want those diamonds!\rdblquote\par
Scarcely able to breathe, we watched as Foo lowered the surgical knife to the corpse\rquote s flesh and sliced it open.\par
I thought I\rquote d throw up as he parted the flesh and poked his fingers inside. Kyna rocked on her feet, and Wei Wah gaped, his skin whiter than any ghost.\par
The undertaker pushed his fingers in deeper. A moment later, a glitterying diamond rolled out from inside the gruesome corpse.\par
\ldblquote The others!\rdblquote  yelled the demonic spirit. \ldblquote I want the others too!\rdblquote\par
Foo wiped perspiration from his brow with the back of his hand. Again he brought the knife down to the corpse\rquote s chest. He drove its tip into the frozen flesh.\par
Without warning, the corpse jerked.\par
\ldblquote IT\rquote S ALIVE!\rdblquote  cried the undertaker.\par
\pard\keep\keepn\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 21\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\fs24\par
\f0 The knife dropped from the undertaker\rquote s grasp.\par
It clattered to the floor as Lam\rquote s body stirred.\par
Our screams echoed around the tiled room as the corps sprang upright, its eyes casting around with a menacing glare.\par
Its hands appeared from beneath the shroud.\par
Too late, the undertaker tried to back away. The corpse\rquote s hands seized him and hurled him across the room. His skull crashed into a wall with a sciekning CRACK.\par
I looked from the living corpse to Lam\rquote s spirit.\par
\ldblquote You said your spirit and body should not be separated,\rdblquote  I said in a shaky voice.\par
\ldblquote I don\rquote t care about the next world or any other world!\rdblquote  the spirit screeched. \ldblquote I only want the diamonds!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You will never have them\'85\rdblquote\par
The corpse had spoken.\par
Kyna let out a fresh scream as the corpse\rquote s mouth twisted into a smile. And again we heard it speak, \ldblquote I will bring you back inside me, spirit, and together we will pass into the next world.\rdblquote\par
The corpse\rquote s hands closed around the grotesque spirit and pulled it into the drawer. The spirit wailed defiance.\par
It was the chance I\rquote d been waiting for.\par
I leaped into action. With all my strength, I rolled the drawer back into the wall, hearing it shut with a resounding clang.\par
Wei Wah darted across to where Foo\rquote s body was sprawled. He searched his pockets for the key.\par
We sprinted from the room, Kyna slamming and locking the door behind her.\par
\pard\keep\keepn\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 22\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\fs24\par
\f0 As the bus rumbled to a stop outside our apartment block, I let out a sigh. \ldblquote I never thought we\rquote d see home again.\rdblquote\par
Wei Wah grinned. \ldblquote We\rquote re late for dinner, but at least we\rquote re safe.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You\rquote re right,\rdblquote  I agreed, then hesitated. \ldblquote I suppose one day the police will find all the bodies in that freezer, and I guess they\rquote ll work out that Foo shot those two gangsters.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote And they might even find the diamonds inside Lam\rquote s body,\rdblquote  he speculated. \ldblquote But they\rquote ll never know we were there.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote No, you\rquote re wrong,\rdblquote  said Kyna, her face bleak.\par
\ldblquote What do you mean?\rdblquote  I asked her.\par
\ldblquote They \i will\i0  know we were there. Don\rquote t you remember? Mr Foo threw my schoolbag into the corner. I forgot all about it. IT\rdblquote S STILL THERE!\rdblquote\par
Two days later, the police came to our school.\par
Kyna\rquote s schoolbag had been found floating in the river near the bridge.\par
\ldblquote How did it get there?\rdblquote  she wondered out loud.\par
The police also told us that when they went to ask the undertaker more questions about the stolen coffin, he was nowhere to be found. His staff said he had vanished.\par
\ldblquote Not a trace of him,\rdblquote  the senior officer said. \ldblquote We searched the place from top to bottom. Nothing.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What about the freezer where they keep the dead bodies?\rdblquote  Wei Wah asked. \ldblquote Did you look in there?\rdblquote\par
The policeman shot him a suspicious glance. \ldblquote Of course we did. There was nothing there either. It was empty.\rdblquote  His eyes were piercing. \ldblquote Why do you ask? Do you know something I don\rquote t?\rdblquote\par
\pard\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp20 \sa200\sl276\slmult1 We didn\rquote t give Wei Wah a chance to answer. Kyna and I dragged him away before he could say another word.\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1 MR MIDNIGHT #61\par
Who Was In That Coffin?\par
\pard\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp20 \sa200\sl276\slmult1 END\par
\pard\sa200\sl276\slmult1 I hope you enjoyed the story, readers.\par
\pard Look out for the next story at http://readmrmidnight.weebly.com/!\f2\par
\f3\fs20\par
}