Cara – Ghost Girl on a Class Trip: Cara the Ghost Girl, #3

By Ralf Leuther

Jonathan is hugely excited. He’s about to go on a class trip to an old castle. And the best part: his glowing green friend Cara, the ghost girl, is coming too! What with their disorganised teacher Mr Bierbacher and Cara’s ghost pranks, it’s going to be great fun. But it soon becomes clear that the castle is haunted! What Jonathan can’t grasp is that the person who’s most afraid is Cara! What kind of ghoulish spectre can make even a ghost girl scared?

• Language: English
• Publisher: BadPress
• Release date: May 26, 2021
• ISBN: 9781071527719

Book preview

Cara – Ghost Girl on a Class Trip

Chapter 1

Time to go!

And you haven’t forgotten your thick socks? Jonathan’s mother called from the kitchen.

No, mum, Jonathan replied, irritated.

He was well prepared. His backpack stood travel-ready next to his desk. He’d checked its contents at least five times in the last hour.

And the cough syrup?

I’ve packed it, Jonathan confirmed.

Night frosts aren’t unusual in September, Jonathan’s father chimed in from his study. The probability that the temperature will fall below zero at night in that part of Brandenburg is 32.7 percent.

Jonathan’s father knew a lot about things like that. He worked as a mathematician for a large insurance company.

Jonathan had the feeling his parents were as excited about his class trip as he was. Jonathan would spend a whole week with his class and his two teachers, Ms Mettman and Mr Bierbacher, at Habichtstein Castle near Wusterhausen. His first proper class trip!

At that moment the doorbell rang. Jonathan’s dog Tobi barked excitedly.

I’ll get it, called Jonathan, dashing to the door.

It must be Cara! His father was going to drive them to the train station together.

Jonathan was just about to open the apartment door when he suddenly burst out laughing.

A small hand pinched his belly. It was coming right through the door itself.

Hey! Stop it! cried Jonathan, chortling.

A girl’s grinning head pushed itself through the door.

Have you got the giggling disease? Cara said to her friend, tickling him thoroughly once more. I think you’re far too sick to go on a trip.

Tobi leaped around the girl, barking joyfully.

Get out of the door, will you, Jonathan finally managed to snort.

He was afraid his parents might suddenly appear in the hallway. They had no idea who Cara really was. Namely, a 275-year-old, green ghost girl. Only Jonathan knew that.

Hello, Cara, called Jonathan’s mother, poking her head out of the kitchen.

Quickly, so Jonathan’s mother wouldn’t notice, Cara pulled her left foot out of the door. Hello, she replied, like a completely normal, friendly girl.

And she looked like one too. She had disguised her green skin, which glowed in the dark, under a thick layer of makeup. Instead of her ghost dress, she was wearing jeans and a jumper.

Are you excited about the class trip too? Jonathan’s mother wanted to know.

Am I ever! My left big toe was tingling all night, said Cara.

Jonathan was sure this wasn’t true. Because, as a ghost, Cara experienced much more exciting things every day than a class trip. For example, going through walls, doing the most insane ghost magic, and getting up to all sorts of ghost mischief.

Is your uncle feeling better? asked Jonathan’s mother.

Cara’s ghost uncle, Somnus, was the manager of the apartment building. Officially, he lived together with Cara in a neighbouring apartment. But actually, he spent most of his time in his ghostly home in a canal under Berlin’s Alexanderplatz.

Yes, his headaches are almost gone, Cara reassured her.

That wasn’t quite the truth either. Cara’s uncle wasn’t sick, he was sleeping in his canal hideout. And for him, a nap could last a good year or two.

We need to get moving soon, said Jonathan’s father. He was going to drive them both to the train station, where they would meet up with the rest of the class.

I’ll get my backpack, cried Jonathan, dashing off again.

But you’ve still got more than an hour, his mother reassured him.

But the probability that we’ll have a breakdown in our old car is still 1 to 3227, Jonathan’s father added. And if we leave now, if there was an emergency we could still get there on the bus.

Well, then, I suppose it’s high time you left, said Jonathan’s mother, smiling. She knew there was no point arguing with her husband about numbers.

Half an hour later, Jonathan and Cara stood on platform number eleven at the Berlin Central Station. There was still no one else there from their class. Jonathan’s father was searching for a parking space.

The platform was pretty empty. There was only one train, destined for Warsaw, waiting to depart. All the passengers had already got on, and there were just a few people standing in front of the carriages, waiting to wave goodbye to someone.

An old lady in a fur coat went past Cara and Jonathan with hurried footsteps. A small pug was trotting along behind her. The woman was pulling it after her so quickly that it was panting heavily.

Poor thing. It’s completely out of breath, said Jonathan sympathetically.

Cara nodded and pointed her finger at the pug. A moment later it was floating through the air. Like a helium balloon that the old lady was pulling along behind her on the dog leash. The little dog was able to cover the remaining distance along the platform quite comfortably. Once the old lady reached the stairs leading down to the main hall of the station, Cara waved her finger downwards. The pug landed on the ground with a small hop and then ran on normally.

At that moment, a bald man with thick glasses appeared at the top of the steps to the platform. It was Jonathan and Cara’s general studies teacher, Mr Bierbacher. He was carrying an old leather suitcase in his hand.

Hello, Mr Bierbacher! We’re here! yelled Cara, hopping back and forth and waving.

But Mr Bierbacher didn’t notice her. The teacher was bright red in the face and running as though his life depended on it. He glanced at his watch. Then, without looking left or right, he headed for the train that was preparing to leave the platform. But it wasn’t the one they were supposed to take to Wusterhausen in half an hour, it was the express train to Warsaw.

Mr Bierbacher leaped onto the train. A few seconds later the door closed behind him. Through the door glass they could see a triumphant smile on Mr Bierbacher’s face. As though one of his general studies experiments had finally been successful.

A whistle sounded. The train slowly began to move off. Direct to Warsaw. And that was a long way from Wusterhausen.

Mr Bierbacher! yelled Jonathan from the platform,