The Third Evil

If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

The Shadyside Cheerleaders Thought the Evil Spirit Was Finally Gone.

They thought the horrible deaths had ended.

They thought the hot water could no longer scald them.

The spirit that had controlled both Jennifer Daly and Kimmy Bass had been battled by cheerleader Corky Corcoran. And Corky had won.

But something's still not right at spring cheerleading camp. The strange occurrences and terrifying accidents can mean only one thing …

THE EVIL SPIRIT NEVER LEFT!

But where is it now?

Books by R.L. Stine

Fear Street

ALL-NIGHT PARTY

BAD DREAMS

THE BEST FRIEND

THE BEST FRIEND 2: SPECIAL EDITION

THE BOY NEXT DOOR

THE CHEATER

COLLEGE WEEKEND

THE CONFESSION

THE DARE

DEAD END

DOUBLE DATE

THE FACE

FINAL GRADE

THE FIRE GAME

FIRST DATE

HALLOWEEN PARTY

HAUNTED

INTO THE DARK

KILLER'S KISS

THE KNIFE

LET'S PARTY

LIGHTS OUT

THE MIND READER

MISSING

THE NEW BOY

THE NEW GIRL

NIGHT GAMES

ONE EVIL SUMMER

THE OVERNIGHT

THE PERFECT DATE

THE PROM QUEEN

THE RICH GIRL

THE RUNAWAY

SECRET ADMIRER

THE SECRET BEDROOM

SKI WEEKEND

THE SLEEPWALKER

THE STEPSISTER

THE STEPSISTER 2

SUNBURN

THE SURPRISE PARTY

SWITCHED

THE THRILL CLUB

TRAPPED

TRUTH OR DARE

WHAT HOLLY HEARD

WHO KILLED THE HOME-COMING QUEEN?

THE WRONG NUMBER

WRONG NUMBER 2

Fear Park

THE FIRST SCREAM

THE LOUDEST SCREAM

THE LAST SCREAM

Fear Street Cheerleaders

THE FIRST EVIL

THE SECOND EVIL

THE THIRD EVIL

THE NEW EVIL

CHEERLEADERS: THE EVIL LIVES! (A Fear Street Super-chiller)

Fear Street Duet

FEAR HALL: THE BEGINNING

FEAR HALL: THE CONCLUSION

Fear Street Trilogies

The Cataluna Chronicles

THE EVIL MOON #1

THE DARK SECRET #2

THE DEADLY FIRE #3

99 Fear Street: The House of Evil

THE FIRST HORROR

THE SECOND HORROR

THE THIRD HORROR

Fear Street Saga

THE BETRAYAL #1

THE SECRET #2

THE BURNING #3

THE AWAKENING EVIL

CHILDREN OF FEAR

DANCE OF DEATH

DAUGHTERS OF SILENCE

FORBIDDEN SECRETS

HEART OF THE HUNTER

THE HIDDEN EVIL

HOUSE OF WHISPERS

THE SIGN OF FEAR

A NEW FEAR

Fear Street Super Chillers

BAD MOONLIGHT

BROKEN HEARTS

THE DEAD LIFEGUARD

GOODNIGHT KISS

GOODNIGHT KISS 2

HIGH TIDE

THE NEW YEAR'S PARTY

PARTY SUMMER

SILENT NIGHT

SILENT NIGHT #2

SILENT NIGHT #3

Other novels

HOW I BROKE UP WITH ERNIE

PHONE CALLS

CURTAINS

BROKEN DATE

A Parachute Press Book

If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

R. L. STINE

SIMON PULSE
New York London Toronto Sydney Singapore

SIMON PULSE An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com

First Simon Pulse edition October 2002

Copyright © 1992 by Parachute Press, Inc.

Originally published as an Archway Paperback October 1992

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

SIMON PULSE and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

FEAR STREET is a registered trademark of Parachute Press, Inc.

Manufactured in the United States of America

20  19  18  17  16  15

ISBN-13:978-0-671-75119-7

ISBN-10:0-671-75119-0

eISBN 978-1-439-12081-1

Team Spirit

M
iss Green's whistle echoed off the high ceiling of the gym. The cheerleaders stopped in midcheer as their advisor raised both hands to her head and pretended to tear out her frizzy brown hair. Her eyes were wide with exasperation.

Corky Corcoran sighed. That routine was going really well, she thought. Why did Miss Green stop us?

She cast a glance down the line of cheerleaders to her friend Kimmy Bass. Kimmy mopped her forehead with the sleeve of her T-shirt. She also appeared to be annoyed by the interruption.

It was warm for early April. The air in the gym felt hot and damp. Corky had her blond hair pulled straight back and tied in a high ponytail. She and the five other Shadyside High cheerleaders were dressed in Lycra shorts and loose-fitting T-shirts, which were
drenched in perspiration from the after-school practice.

“Hannah, do me a favor,” Miss Green said. “Step forward and show my
veteran
cheerleaders the proper way to do a round-off back tuck.”

Hannah Miles bounced forward obediently, a broad smile on her pretty face. “I like to start in this position,” she said, not at all embarrassed at being singled out. “You know—with my knees bent a little so I get more spring.”

A slender, graceful freshman, Hannah was the only new member of the Shadyside High squad after spring tryouts. She replaced Megan Carman, who was graduating in June.

Hannah had long, straight black hair that she wore in a single thick braid to her waist and dark brown eyes that were constantly flashing with excitement.

She performed her back tuck, flipping high off the floor and landing perfectly on both feet. Then, without a pause, she performed a second back tuck just as stylish as the first.

“How was that?” she asked innocently, straightening her T-shirt.

“She thinks she's really great,” Ronnie Mitchell whispered bitterly to Corky.

“She
is
great,” Corky whispered back. Hannah's making us all look like clumsy elephants, Corky thought. She watched Hannah flash Kimmy a smile as she rejoined the line of girls.

Kimmy and Debra Kern were co-captains of the
squad, and Hannah had started playing up to them, asking for advice and fishing for compliments.

We all know Hannah is good. Why does she have to show off all the time? Corky wondered. Then she had to admit to herself: I guess I'm a little jealous.

At the beginning of the year Corky and her sister Bobbi had been the stars, the flashiest, most enthusiastic, and talented cheerleaders on the squad. But so much had happened since then.

So much horror…

Bobbi was dead. And so was Corky's boyfriend, Chip.

Both of them murdered by an ancient evil spirit. An evil spirit that had inhabited two of the cheerleaders. First Jennifer Daly. Poor Jennifer, also dead. Then Kimmy.

Corky had rescued Kimmy from the evil.

Afterward Corky thought she could push away the terrifying memories by throwing herself into her cheerleading. By making herself go on with her life.

But sometimes it was hard. Hard to forget. Hard to go on. And hard to be just one of the squad members.

I'm not even co-captain, Corky thought, glancing unhappily at Debra.

I'm a better cheerleader than Debra, she thought. Everyone knows it.

But before spring tryouts Miss Green had explained her decision to Corky. “Corky, I'm afraid you just don't need the pressure of being co-captain,” she had said with genuine concern. “I mean, after…all that has happened.”

All that has happened.

Corky shook her head, tossing her ponytail, trying to shake away her bitter thoughts.

Debra's my friend, she told herself. There's no point in being jealous of her.

“Corky—did you hear one word I said?” Miss Green's husky voice broke into Corky's thoughts.

“Yes. Of course,” Corky lied, feeling her cheeks grow hot.