The pumpkins were sitting on thick black dirt and were surrounded by frowning scarecrows. The sky was pitch black as we approached the pumpkin patch with only moonlight to guide us. We glanced up at the scarecrows looking scarier the closer you got. Their frowning faces stared at me with their arms outstretched. ''Now I know how crows feel.'' Liza said. ''I'm not afraid of no bundle of sticks and hay.'' Nora said. ''That stupid thing doesn't even work.'' Alice said. We all glanced at a different scarecrow surrounded by crows pecking at the leather jacket on the scarecrow. Nora, Liza, Alice and me all were at a different house last fall. I remember that frightening journey from the beginning to the very end. I bet my friends did too. I pulled out the stone that healed Liza's leg. Whenever I pick it up, I feel a surge of energy as if it were healing my soul. ''My clothes!'' We all looked at Alice. Her clothes were dripping and the color was coming off of them. ''Get in the Tjaden house!'' I shouted. Everyone rushed to the Tjaden house. Black mud splattered on my pants and shoes. Once we all got to the porch of the Tjaden house, we started wiping some of the mud off with dead leaves. All of a sudden, I heard a creak and a moan. ''This is just like the house we went to last fall.'' I said to myself. Last fall we heard a yowl and a hiss. I heard the creak and a moan again. ''Let's go inside now.'' Alice said. ''The porch is leaking. So we all strutted into the Tjaden house. ''BRRR!'' Nora yipped. ''It's cold in here!. She was right. The pumpkin patch was a spring day compared to the Tjaden house. ''SO COLD!'' Liza whined. Then Alice said, ''Oh pa-lease! It'll keep the rain off!'' ''She's right.'' I said to Liza and Nora. It's either you're wet, or cold.'' They both nodded. Liza sighed leaning against the wall. ''OW! she yipped. We all looked at her with confused looks on our faces. ''HOTT! she slammed her hand in a little puddle on the stone floor. ''OMG Liza are you okay? Nora yipped. ''Touch the wall and you'll find out. Liza said quietly. Nora hesitated, then she stepped forward and touched the wall. ''Yowww!'' Nora screamed blowing on her hand. Then I strutted up and touched it. ''OWWWWW'' I yelped loudly. We all glanced at Alice waiting for her to touch it. ''Point taken.'' she said quietly, taking a few steps back. While licking my finger, I couldn't help but notice a dim light. Very dim but noticeable. I stared at it for a while, then Alice spoke up,'' I don't get it. Why is the air cold, but the wall hot?'' We all thought for a moment and came up with nothing. ''Let's get out of here.'' Nora said in a whimpery voice. ''I'm cold and hot!'' I said agreeing. ''I'm not staying overnight in a haunted house again''. I reached for the doornob, and let out a squeal when I touched it. ''It's hot!'' ''What!'' Nora yipped. She touched the handle. ''Yowsa!'' Nora shouted. ''It is hot!'' ''NOOO!'' Liza screamed. then we all heard it, a creak and a moan. It repeated, getting louder every time. ''What was that? Alice asked. Then I saw a staircase. ''I wonder where that leads.'' Liza said following my gaze toward the stairs. She trotted over to the stairs and we followed right before the creaking stopped. We kept heading up the stairs. While shivering, the stairs were endless! When we got to the top, we saw sheets on furniture, and crows pecking a piece of leather on a sheeted bed. We all wandered around. I saw a jack-o-lantern, but it was still lit. ''Strange.'' I whispered. Then I saw what the crows were pecking at. A leather jacket. Then we all heard a moan. I studied it. Then, the jack-o-lantern rose up, connected to a bundle of hay, with clothes on. ''Now I am afraid of a bundle of sticks and hay.'' Nora said. I just then realized what it was. A scarecrow. The scarecrow stood up. All of the crows flew away, leaving a half pecked pumpkin and a torn leather jacket on the scarecrow. It came strutting over to me, his cold stare burning into my eyes. It kept moaning. ''That was the moan we heard earlier!'' Liza said. Then I made some words out of the moans. ''destroy!'' Then the healing stone fell out of my pocket. I picked it up and the scarecrow shouted, ''NOOOO!'' then it disappeared, leaving a stone and a door in its place. I picked up the stone and blue dust swirled around the room. When the dust disappeared, the temperature was normal! ''The air is normal!'' I said excitedly, twirling around. We all whooped with joy. I touched the doorknob, and it was normal! ''WHOO HOO! I hollered. I burst out the door knowing that we had found a weather stone.
THE END