The mystery of Harper House

If you'd asked twelve-year-old Danny Carter about his summer plans two weeks ago, he'd have shrugged and said, "Nothing much." After all, summers on Maple Street were pretty much the same every year: hot days, melted popsicles, and trying to dodge chores. But this summer? This summer was shaping up to be the most epic one yet-and not necessarily in a good way.

It all started with a dare.

"Bet you won't do it," said Tommy Greene, grinning wide like the Cheshire Cat. Tommy was Danny's best friend, but he had a knack for getting them both into trouble.

Danny squinted at the old, abandoned house at the end of the street. Everyone in the neighborhood called it the Harper House, though nobody really knew why. It had been empty for as long as Danny could remember, its peeling paint and broken shutters giving it a spooky, forgotten vibe.

"You're chicken," Tommy teased, flapping his arms and making clucking sounds.

"I'm not chicken," Danny shot back, though his voice wavered a little.

"Prove it."

Danny swallowed hard. The dare was simple enough: go up to the house, touch the front door, and run back. Easy, right? Except for the fact that the Harper House was rumored to be haunted.

"C'mon, Danny," urged Sarah, Tommy's little sister, who had tagged along. She was holding a half-eaten bag of Skittles and looked way too excited for her own good. "You're not scared, are you?"

"I'm not scared!" Danny said, louder this time, as if saying it out loud would make it true. He took a deep breath, wiped his sweaty palms on his shorts, and started walking toward the house.

The gravel crunched under his sneakers as he approached. Up close, the house was even creepier than it looked from the street. The windows were dark and empty, like hollow eyes, and the porch sagged in the middle, threatening to collapse under the slightest weight.

"Danny, don't forget to knock!" Tommy called out, laughing.

Danny rolled his eyes. No way was he knocking. He wasn't that stupid. He stepped onto the creaky porch, heart pounding in his chest, and reached out to touch the door. His fingers had barely brushed the wood when-

SLAM!

The door swung open, making Danny jump back so fast he tripped over his own feet and landed on the porch with a thud.

"Danny!" Sarah screamed.

But it wasn't a ghost or a monster standing in the doorway. It was a girl. A girl about their age, with wild red hair, freckles, and a mischievous grin.

"Who are you?" she asked, hands on her hips.

Danny blinked up at her, too stunned to answer. Behind him, Tommy and Sarah ran up the porch, their curiosity getting the better of them.

"I thought this place was abandoned!" Tommy blurted out.

The girl shrugged. "It's not. My name's Hazel. My dad just bought this place. We moved in last week."

Danny felt his cheeks burn. He'd just made a fool of himself in front of the new girl.

"Uh, sorry for, you know, trespassing," he mumbled, scrambling to his feet.

Hazel's grin widened. "No worries. I've been watching you guys from the window. You're pretty brave, coming up here."

Tommy elbowed Danny. "See? I told you it wasn't haunted."

"Yeah, right," Sarah muttered. "You were just as scared as Danny."

Hazel laughed. "You guys are funny. Want to come inside?"

The three of them exchanged nervous glances. The Harper House-or whatever it was called now-still gave off major creepy vibes. But Hazel didn't seem scared, so maybe it wasn't so bad.

"Sure," Tommy said, always the first to jump into anything.

Danny hesitated but followed. What could go wrong?

As it turned out, a lot.