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Freddie groaned and another chair fell over.

“Wait,” Ellery called. “Let me get a flashlight!” He felt for the right drawer, found the flashlight, and switched it on. The powerful bright LED beam spotlit Freddie climbing to his feet amidst the toppled chairs and table.

From down the hall everyone in the library seemed to be yelling at the top of their voices. Watson continued to bark hysterically.

He’s here...

But even as that terrifying idea formed, Ellery questioned it.

How could he be? How would that be possible?

By the time Ellery and Freddie reached the doorway of the library, the screaming had stopped—that had been Lenny, not Tosh—but Lenny was crying, “I saw a face. I’m telling you.There was a face in the window!”

Ellery swung his flashlight over the group standing in the middle of the library. Oscar put his hand up as the beam hit his eyes. Chelsea, still seated on the sofa, looked absolutely petrified. Tosh was hugging Lenny, trying to quiet her. And Flip...

Flip stood near the bookcases at the far end of the room.

“Lenny, there are no windows in this room!” Ellery had to raise his voice to be heard.

But heard he was, because the noise stopped as abruptly as if he’d yanked the plug from a sound system.

Not counting Watson, of course, who continued to bark his outrage at being startled from his deep sleep.

“You were dreaming, Lenny,” Tosh said. “You fell asleep on the couch.”

“W-w-what?” Lenny faltered. She stared around the walls of bookcases in bewilderment. “I couldn’t have!”

“You sure did.” Flip’s shadow moved to join the others in the circle of light. He grinned at Lenny. “There’s not a window in this entire room. There isn’t even a mirror.”

“Jeeeeez,” Oscar sat down on the sofa, smoothing his hands over his glossy black hair. “Did my hair just turn white?”

“Are you kidding? Do you even have a single gray hair yet?” Flip asked.

Arf! Arf! Arf!

Chelsea snapped, “Watson, shut up!”

“He’s stuck in a loop,” Ellery said. “Watson, come here, pal. It’s okay.” He glanced back at Freddie who still stood behind him. “Areyouokay?

Freddie’s shadow sounded uncharacteristically subdued. “I think I broke your kitchen.”

“That’s okay. I’m sure that kitchen’s survived worse—” Ellery gasped as Watson sprang into his arms, and the flashlight beam swung wildly up, illuminating the painted eyes of the mermaid figurehead above them.

Watson frantically licked Ellery’s chin and jaw.

Ellery dodged the tongue. “I know. I know, buddy. Lenny, could this be what you saw?” He pointed the flashlight upwards.

The others gasped. Flip started to laugh. “I was thinking the exact same thing. She sleeps with her eyes half open. Which, by the way, is very creepy, girl.”

Lenny stared up, open-mouthed, at the mermaid. Then she shuddered, and let out a shaky giggle. “It was so real in my dream.”

Everyone relaxed, laughing nervously, teasing her. Lenny cast another uneasy glance about the room. Shadows from the firelight danced against bookshelves. “I’m sorry, you guys. I never have nightmares.”

“It’s all the caffeine and rich food,” Tosh told her.

Chelsea said, “Yeah, that’s it. We’ve all had too muchcaffeineto drink.”

Flip teased, “What kind of witch is afraid of her own dreams?”