The Real McCoy & Other Ghost Stories (PDF)

## Dominoes One: The Real McCoy & Other Ghost Stories ### Before Reading * ** Matching the pictures with the names: ** 1. The ghost of an astronaut 2. An Australian ghost 3. The ghost of an animal 4. A Scottish ghost 5. A bus-driving ghost 6. The ghost of a grandfather * ** What do the ghosts...

## Dominoes One: The Real McCoy & Other Ghost Stories ### Before Reading * ** Matching the pictures with the names: ** 1. The ghost of an astronaut 2. An Australian ghost 3. The ghost of an animal 4. A Scottish ghost 5. A bus-driving ghost 6. The ghost of a grandfather * ** What do the ghosts in the stories do? Tick three boxes: ** a. Buy things in a supermarket b. Send messages on a computer c. Throw things onto the floor d. Sit in a garden e. Run after people with a sword f. Drive a plane ### The Real McCoy * *"It isn't true!"* said Gordon. * Gordon and his friends - Duncan, Fiona and Heather were in a very old castle in the west of Scotland. The castle was now Fiona's uncle's hotel. Fiona and her friends were there for the weekend. After dinner, they sat in the *living room* and talked. * *"It isn't true,"* Gordon said again. *"There isn't a real ghost here."* * *"There is a ghost, Gordon,"* said Fiona. *"Look at that picture of Lord McCoy by the door. He died in the bedroom next to the stairs and his ghost walks there every night, they say. Nobody sleeps there now."* * They looked up at Lord McCoy. He was in a *kilt*, or Scottish skirt. His face was white, his eyes were a cold blue and there was no smile on his thin red mouth. Under Lord McCoy's picture there was a big, old *sword*. * *"He doesn't look very nice,"* said Heather. * *"He had three wives and they all died young,"* said Fiona. *"Perhaps he killed them!"* * *"Look at his eyes,"* said Duncan. *"They look angry."* * *"He's an old man in a picture, that's all,"* said Gordon. *"The ghost is a stupid story for visitors. It makes the hotel more interesting."* * *"OK. Gordon. So why don't you sleep in Lord McCoy's bedroom tonight?"* Duncan laughed. * *"That's a good idea! Do it, Gordon!"* said Fiona. * *"Are you scared, Gordon?"* asked Heather. * *"No, I'm not,"* Gordon answered. *"I'm going to do it! I'm going to sleep in Lord McCoy's bedroom. It's nearly eleven o'clock. Let's go upstairs now!"* * The four friends went up the stairs. Gordon opened the door of Lord McCoy's room and they all looked in. The only things in the dark room were a big, old bed and two chairs. Gordon went into the room and sat down on the bed. *"It's a nice bed. I can sleep very well here. Goodnight, everybody! See you in the morning!"* he said. * Duncan, Fiona and Heather said goodnight, closed the bedroom door and went downstairs again. * *"Gordon is going to see a ghost tonight!"* said Duncan when they were back in the *living room*. * *"What? But there isn't really a ghost,"* said Heather. *"The Lord McCoy story isn't true, you know."* * *"I know! Gordon's going to see me!"* said Duncan. *"I'm going to be Lord McCoy. I'm going to wait for two hours. Then I'm going to go to McCoy's room and have a laugh!"* * *"Oh, yes! I want to see this!"* laughed Fiona. * *"Me too!"* said Heather. *"Wake us up at one o'clock, Duncan. We want to go with you!"* * Soon after that, the three friends went to bed. * Gordon was on the bed in Lord McCoy's room. The room was cold and the big, old bed wasn't very nice. It was very dark. The rain hit the window. Gordon remembered the face of Lord McCoy in the picture. After half an hour, Gordon's eyes closed and he slept. * But in his sleep, Gordon saw Lord McCoy once more. He came towards Gordon and he laughed. He had a big *sword* in his hand. Gordon was *scared*. He wanted to run but he couldn't move. Gordon could see McCoy's white face. It came nearer and nearer. McCoy's sword was over his head now. Gordon wanted to *scream*. He opened his mouth but he couldn't speak. * Suddenly Gordon woke up. His mouth was open and he felt very thirsty. He felt *scared*, too. Then he laughed. It was only a *dream*. He must forget the stupid stories about old McCoy. * The room felt colder than before. Suddenly, he heard a *noise*. What was it? Gordon listened carefully. He sat up. It was dark and he could see nothing. But there was a noise. He waited and listened. The noise wasn't there now. He closed his eyes again and slept. * This time, his *dream* was different. There were three young women in it. One of the women looked at something behind Gordon, *screamed* and began to run away. Then someone behind him laughed. Was it Lord McCoy's laugh? Gordon woke up suddenly. * Just then, he heard a new noise. This time it came from the door. Gordon sat up and looked towards it. He could see nothing, but he could hear the big old key in the door. Gordon listened and didn't move. *"Oh no! Someone's *locking* the door!"* he thought. * Now something moved at Gordon's feet. There was something on the bed! Gordon was very, very *scared* by now. The thing on the bed began to move slowly towards him. First it was on his feet and then it moved onto his legs...slowly. It was Duncan. * *"Are you all right, Gordon?"* * *"Duncan! It was you! Yes, I'm OK now. How did you do that thing with the key? That was very good!"* * Just then, Fiona and Heather arrived. * *"What a noise!"* said Heather. *"Gordon! What are you doing here? You didn't *wake us up*, Duncan! We didn't see you go into McCoy's room!"* * Duncan looked at the girls. His face was white. *"It wasn't me. I didn't wake up at one o'clock. But later I heard a lot of noise downstairs, so I came down."* * *"What?"* said Gordon. *"But it was you, Duncan. You came into my bedroom."* * *"No, I didn't."* said Duncan. * *"You *locked* the door, and ran after me with a *sword*."* * *"What sword?"* asked Duncan. *"What are you talking about?"* * *"Lord McCoy's sword! *Look up* there, under the picture!"* * They all looked under the picture of Lord McCoy. But there was no sword there now. * *"There's nothing there,"* said Fiona. * *"Look at the picture,"* said Heather. *"That sword wasn't there before!"* * They looked at the picture. On the right, next to the old man there was a table, and on it there was a big sword. * *"Yes, that's it,"* said Gordon slowly * Gordon *jumped out* of bed and ran towards the door. Behind him, someone laughed. Quickly, his hand found the key and he opened the door. He ran out of the room. There was someone behind him! He saw the sword over his head. He jumped down all the stairs to the door of the *living room*. Someone was behind him. He looked back. * The four friends *looked* at the picture without speaking. Lord McCoy *looked* back at them. There was a *smile* on his white face now - a very cold, dark *smile*. * *"So the ghost in my room was 'the *real McCoy* after all!"* said Gordon. ### Reading Check - Are these sentences true or false? Tick the boxes. - True or False - Fiona and her friends are at her uncle's hotel. - Her uncle is Lord McCoy. - Gordon *sleeps* in Lord McCoy's bedroom. - Gordon sleeps very well. - Duncan wants to visit Gordon in Lord McCoy's bedroom. - Duncan runs after Gordon with a sword. - Lord McCoy's picture *changes* after his visit to Gordon. - Gordon *does not* laugh at ghosts now. ### Word Work - Complete the sentences with the pairs of words in the bed: - *scream/dream* - *idea/stupid* - *woke up/locking* - *living room/uncle* - *scared/towards* - Complete the sentences: 1. Fiona's uncle ... had a castle with a big *living room*. 2. "The ... of ghosts is ...," said Gordon. 3. *When the ghost came ... him he felt very ...* 4. When he had the bad ... he wanted to ... 5. *Suddenly he ... "Someone's ... the door!" he thought.* ### Activities - Match the words with the pictures: - *castle*, *ghost*, *jump*, *key*, *stairs*,*sword* - Guess What: The next story is *Strange Messages*. It's about a girl called Anna. What happens in it? Complete the sentences: - Anna is a good *detective, student, * or *doctor*. - Julia is Anna's *teacher*, *sister*, or *best friend*. - Anna gets a computer from *her uncle*, *her mother*, or *her father*. - Anna's ghost is *bad*, *nice*, or *ill*. - At the end of the story Anna is *happy*, *famous*, or *afraid*.