فصل 08

A Night in Terror Tower - Chapter 8

“Do not move!” the man bellowed, grabbing up the stone. He had a booming voice that thundered off the stone walls. “I warned you. You cannot escape me!” My brother’s eyes were bugging out of his head. But he didn’t have to be told twice to run!

“Stop!” the caped man bellowed. The booming voice followed us as we scrambled down, stumbling on the twisting, curving stairs, our hands trailing against the cold stone of the tower wall.

Down, down.

Turning so fast, my head spun. But I squinted into the dim light and forced myself not to be dizzy, not to fall, not to give in to the terror that rose up over me.

My camera fell out of my coat pocket. It clattered down the stairs. I didn’t stop to pick it up. It was broken, anyway.

“Keep going,” I urged Eddie. “Keep going! We’re almost out of here!” Or were we?

The climb down seemed so much longer.

Our sneakers slapped against the stone steps. But even louder were the heavy footsteps of the caped man behind us. His bellowed cries boomed down the narrow tower, echoed all around us—as if we were being chased by a hundred frightening men instead of one.

Who is he?

Why is he chasing us?

Why is he so angry?

The questions bounced through my mind as I scrambled frantically down, following the twisting stairs.

No time for answers.

The big, gray door rose up in front of us before we could stop.

Eddie and I both ran right into it.

“The exit! We—we’re here!” I stammered. I could hear the rumble of the man’s footsteps above us on the stairway. Coming closer. Closer.

We’re out! I thought. We’re safe!

Eddie shoved the door hard with his shoulder. Shoved it again.

He turned to me, his chin quivering in fright. “It’s locked. We’re locked in!” “No!” I screamed. “Push!”

We both lowered our shoulders and pushed with all our strength.

No.

The door didn’t budge.

The man lumbered closer. So close, we could hear his muttered words.

We’re trapped, I realized.

He’s caught us.

Why does he want us? What is he going to do?

“One more try,” I managed to choke out.

Eddie and I turned back to the door.

“Stay there!” the caped man commanded.

But Eddie and I gave the door one more desperate shove.

And it finally moved, scraping the stone floor as it slid open partway.

Eddie sucked in his breath and pushed through the opening first. Then I squeezed through.

Panting hard, we shoved the door shut behind us. The door had a long metal bar on the outside. I slid it all the way, bolting it. Locking the caped man inside.

“We’re safe!” I cried, spinning away from the door.

But we weren’t outside. We were in a huge, dark room.

And a cruel voice—in the room with us—a man’s voice, laughing softly—told me that we weren’t out of trouble.