Goosebumps #2: Stay out of the Basement

Margret and Casey are left alone with their dad, when their mom has to rush out of town to take care of a family member. Their dad is a biologist that was recently fired because of his work. One of their friends says she heard he was fired because one of his experiments killed someone, but they just tell her to shut up.

One day they sneak down to the basement where he’s been working and he freaks out. He warns them not to step foot in the basement. They sneak back downstairs and see a bunch of weird plants, including one that almost seems like it’s breathing. Margret is completely freaked out, but Casey thinks it’s kind of funny.

Before long, they start noticing that their dad is acting weird. One day he starts wearing a baseball hat and when it slips off, they see leaves growing out of his head. He promises that it’s a temporary thing and will clear up later. Then Margret sees him chowing down on a big bag of something, even though he never eats in front of him. Later she finds that it was a bag of plant food. The kicker is when she sees him cut himself and green blood pours out.

She tries telling her mom, but she’s too busy to really listen. Then his former boss Mr. Martinez comes by the house and disappears. Their dad says he left, but they find his tie in the basement. He says he got hot and took it off, but then they find some of his other clothes. When he goes to pick up their mom from the airport, they sneak back into the basement.

They keep hearing banging sounds coming from the closet and when they open it, they find a bunch of plants with human features. One plant has a green leg and another has arms. Casey starts closing the door, but she spots a human leg in the background. They find their dad tied up and gagged. When she removes the gag, he points out Mr. Martinez further back.

They drag them both out and hear a noise upstairs. It’s their dad, back with their mom. Both men swear that they are their real dad, but Margret doesn’t know what to do. The one with their mom is wearing a baseball hat, but they look identical. Capless dad calls her princess, but she isn’t sure if he really is her dad. She finally stabs the one in the hat and he bleeds green blood. Her real dad chops him with an axe and he breaks into plant parts.

Their dad explains that he was trying to create a super plant by mixing human DNA into the plants. He accidentally cut himself and plant DNA got inside him, creating the leaves on his head. Martinez is so impressed that he gives him his job back and they clean out the basement. Dad saves a few plants, but most are burned and killed. A few days later Margret is walking in the backyard and feels a flower brushing her leg. When she looks down, the plant whispers that it’s her real dad…