CHAPTERONE

Jul
i
eWant
saHol
i
day

I
t'
sahot,sunny
,lazydayi
nJuneandJul
ieThomasispaint
ingout
sidei
nthegar
den.Shest
ops
f
orawhiletodri
nksomelemonadeandhavealookatTeenAdvent
ure,
amagazinefor
t
eenager
s.

Themagaz i
nehasphot
osandstori
esaboutout
doorsport
sandther
earesomeadvert
isements
forsummercampsandstudyhol
idays.Jul
i
etur
nsthepagesandnoti
cesanadv
ert
isementfora
placecal
l
edHoll
yHow.

Theadvert
isementiscol
orf
ulandexcit
ing.Ther
earepi
ctur
esofsometeenager
sinboat
sand
other
sareswimmi ngint
helake.Ther
ear emorephot
osofpeopl
ecli
mbingandpony-
ri
ding.

Ther
ear
ebeaut
if
ult
reesandf
lower
sar
oundt
hecamp.Ther
ear
efor
est
sont
hehi
l
lsneart
he
l
ake.

Allt
hepeopleinthepi
ctur
esar
esmi
l
ing.They
'r
ehav
ingagoodt
ime.Jul
i
ethi
nks,
"Thatl
ooks
l
ikeafunplace.
"

Sher
eadst
headv
ert
isement
.Itsay
s:

"St
ayatHollyHownearbeauti
fulConi
stonWateri
ntheLakeDist
ri
ct.Swi
m,boat
,cl
i
mb,
andgo
pony-
ri
ding!Vi
sitt
hebeaut
if
ultownsandhist
oricsi
tesnear
by.
Thef
oodi
sexcel
l
entandt
her
oomsar
ecozyandcomf
ort
abl
ewi
thbeaut
if
ulv
iews.
..
"

"
Hmmm...t
hisi
saver
yni
cepl
ace!
"Jul
iethi
nks."
Anditi
sn'
tveryexpensi
ve.Icangowi
thDi
ana.
Wecanmakesomenewf
ri
endsandhaveagoodtimether
e."

Herbr
otherPaul
comesi
ntot
hegar
den.

"
Hey
,Mi
nni
eMouse!Howar
eyou?
"heshout
sandpul
l
shi
ssi
ster
'sear
s.

"
Don'
tcal
lmeMi
nni
eMouse.Ihat
ethatname!
"say
sJul
i
e.

Juli
eandPaul don'
tlookl
ikeasisterandabr ot
her.Jul
iehasbrownhairandgreeneyes.Sheis
notverytal
landshehasbr acesonherteeth.Sheissensit
iveandi
ntel
l
igent.Shel
ikespaint
ing
andisespecial
lygoodatpainti
nglandscapes.Sheisveryshyandshedoesn'thavemany
fr
iends.

Herbr
otherPaulhasalotoff
ri
ends.Hei
stal
l
,bl
ondandat
hlet
ic.Hi
sfav
our
it
espor
tissoccer
,
andheli
kesswimmi ngandboat
ing.

Hei
sverypopul
ar.Ever
yonewantsPaulinthei
rteam atschool
.Somet
imesJul
i
efeel
sabi
t
j
eal
ousofhi
m.Ev er
ythi
ngiseasyforPaul
.

Whatareyoureadi
ng?"asksPaul
.HelooksoverJul
ie'
sshoul
der."
Ineedahol
idayafterthe
examsandthismagazinehassomegoodideas.There'
salovel
yyout
hhostel
calledHol l
yHow.
Theyhavealotofout
doorsport
s.Icanpai
ntl
andscapes,andIcanmakenewf r
iends,"says
Juli
e.
"
Thatsoundsf
un.Wher
eisi
t?"asksPaul
,l
ooki
ngatt
hephot
os.

"I
t'
sintheLakeDi
str
ictnearConistonWater
,"r
epl
i
esJuli
e."It
hinki
t'
sabout70ki
l
omet
ersf
rom
here.Lookatt
hephotos,Paul
-itlooksl
i
keabeautif
ulpl
ace!"

"
Hmmm.
..
,
"say
sPaul
,"Coni
stonWat
er.
"Hescr
atcheshi
shead."
Iknowt
hatname.
..
"
CHAPTERTWO

TheMy
ster
yofConi
stonWat
er

Latert
hatdayJuli
eissitt
ingonthesofai
ntheli
vi
ngroom r
eadi
ngabook.Herbrot
herPaul
is
l
yingontheruginfrontofthecoff
eetabl
e,wat
chingt
enni
sontheTV.Suddenl
yhejumpsup.

"
NowIr
emember
,"hesay
s."
Ther
eisamy
ster
yaboutt
hatl
ake,
Coni
stonWat
er.

Agir
ldiedt
hereafewyearsago.It
hinkshewasabout16,thesameasyouJuli
e.Somepeopl
e
sayyoucanseeheratni
ghtonthelake,
alit
tl
ewhi
tefigur
eboatingal
lal
one.

Andt
her
ewassomet
hingaboutasi
l
verl
ocket
,butIcan'
tremembert
hedet
ail
s..
."Paul
stops.

Hi
ssi
ster
'sf
acei
swhi
te."
What
'
sthemat
ter
,Mi
nni
eMouse?Ar
eyouscar
ed?
"hesay
s,l
aughi
ng.

"St
opit!Idon'
twantt
ohearthis!Youjustwantt
ofr
ight
enme.Youdon'
twantmet
ogo,
"say
s
Jul
ie."
I'
m notgoi
ngtoli
stentoy ou!
"

"
Okay,
"saysPaul
."I
'
m onlywarni
ngyou.Whenyou'
reswi
mminginthecoldl
akeatConi
ston
Wat
erallal
one,
Juli
e,andyouhearastr
angevoi
ce,
andtheghostoft
helakecomesaft
eryou.
..
"

Hej
umpsonJul
i
esuddenl
yandhi
tsherwi
thacushi
on."
Boooh!
"heshout
s.

Jul
i
escr
eams."
Aaaah!Getl
ost
,Paul
.You'
rehor
ri
ble.Leav
emeal
one!
"

Jul
i
eandPaul
'
spar
ent
scomei
ntot
her
oom.
"
Stopi
t,y
out
wo!
"say
sMrThomas."
What
'st
hemat
ter
?Whyar
eyoumaki
ngal
lthi
snoi
se?
"

"
Paul
ist
ryi
ngt
ofr
ight
enme,
"say
sJul
i
e.Shel
ooksatherbr
other
.Hesi
tsandsmi
l
esather
.

"
Now,
Paul
,
"say
sMr
sThomas."
Don'
tfr
ight
eny
oursi
ster
!Whatar
eyout
alki
ngabout
?"

"Mom,"saysJul
ie."
IwanttogotoHoll
yHowatConistonWat er
.CanIgo, pl
ease?Please?I
wanttotakeavacati
onbefor
eschoolst
art
sagai
n-completechange,somewhereinthe
count
rysi
de.AndIcanpaintt
her
e.Therear
ebeaut
iful
treesandf l
owers.Here,
lookatthe
adver
ti
sement."

MrandMr
sThomasr
eadt
headv
ert
isement
.

"
Itdoesl
ookni
ce,
dear
,"say
sJul
i
esmom."
Yes,
all
right
,youcango.ButPaul
mustgowi
thy
ou.
"

"
What
!"cr
iesJul
i
e.

"
Yes,
"say
sherdad,
"Youmustbot
hgo.You'
ret
ooy
oungt
ogoal
one,
Jul
i
e."

"
ButI
'
m goi
ngt
oaskDi
anat
ogowi
thme.Idon'
tneedPaul
,
"say
sJul
i
e.

"
No,
sor
ry,
Jul
i
e.I
fPaul
doesn'
tgo,
thennei
therofy
oucango,
"repl
i
esMr
sThomasf
ir
mly
.

"
That'
sfi
newit
hme!"saysPaul
."Iwantt
otakecar
eofmyl
i
ttl
esi
ster
.Sheneedspr
otect
ion
f
rom t
heghostoft
helake!
"hel
aughs.
"Idon'
tbel
iev
einanylakeghosts!
"shout
sJul
i
e.Sher
unsov
ert
oPaul
andpusheshi
m ont
othe
armchair
.Paull
aughsandlaughs.

"NowPaul,stopteasi
ngyoursi
ster
,"say
sMrsThomas."
I'
m goi
ngt
ocal
lthey
out
hhost
eland
bookyourplaces.Youcangonextweek."

"
Oht
hanks,
Mom!You'
regr
eat
!"r
epl
i
esJul
i
e.

MrandMrsThomasl
eavether
oom.Paull
ooksathi
ssisterandsmi
l
es."
Wel
l
,doy
ouwantme
t
ogowithyouandDi
ana?
"heasks."
Icanbeyourpr
otect
or!"

Jul
i
ethi
nksf
oramomentaboutt
hest
oryoft
heghostgi
rl
.

"
Cani
tbet
rue?
"sheasksher
sel
f."
Isi
tsaf
e?"

ToPaul
shesay
s,"
Okay
,okay
,comewi
thus,
ifMom say
syoumust
!"

Jul
iedoesn'
ttellhi
m,butsecr
etl
yshei
shappyherbr
otherwant
stogo.Af
teral
l
,twocanf
ight
ghost
sbetterthanone!