Hello there, R. L. Stein Story Club members. I'm Ivy, your ghostly host and keeper of those

strange and spooky tales from the hidden vault of R. L. Stein. Today is yet again another

chilling tale. This haunted techie tale story club members might make you go offline for a long time.

It's one I call the Ghost Inside.

Sage Straub pulled her new laptop out of her backpack.

She couldn't believe the deal she'd gotten on it.

She almost felt sorry for the guy who had sold it to her outside of school.

Almost. The laptop looked brand new, and it was a major brand. Sage had bought it for $175, which was a 90%

markdown compared to the normal price. She really could not believe her luck. Not that Sage was that

lucky. Every kid in her fifth grade class

had their own computer, it seemed. They all posted what they did on classbook, a school app,

every day. Sage never had a computer before. She didn't even have a smartphone. She'd asked for one

forever from her parents, but they just told her to use the computer lab at school, which wouldn't cost a penny.

After Sage saved her money from a few birthdays, she was going to buy a top-of-the-line laptop and phone,

and she was prepared to pay the price.

But then, this guy wearing a ragged overcoat showed up outside school wanting $200 for the computer.

Sage was pretty sure the laptop was stolen,

and the guy was trying to sell it for some quick cash. So she talked the desperate guy down

to $175, then they walked to the ATM machine together. That had made her a little nervous.

The guy looked sick and had yellow fingers. There was grime under his long nails.

Sage did not want to touch the raggedy man's hand when she gave him the money.

But as soon as she handed him the cash, he vanished, and she had her new laptop.

...