فصل 17

A Night in Terror Tower - Chapter 17

He moved forward quickly, his face hidden in the shadows.

Eddie and I were trapped, our backs pressed against the curtained, glass door.

As the caped man drew near, his features came into view. His eyes were dark and cold. His mouth was locked in a menacing snarl.

He raised his palm to Eddie. “Give them back,” he demanded.

Eddie’s eyes bulged in surprise. “Huh? Give what back?” he cried.

The caped man kept his palm in front of Eddie’s face. “Give them back—now!” he bellowed. “Do not play games with me.” Eddie’s expression slowly changed. He glanced at me, then turned back to the caped man. “If I give them back, will you let us go?” I was totally confused. Give what back? What was Eddie talking about?

The caped man uttered a short, dry laugh. It sounded more like a cough. “Do you dare to bargain with me?” he asked my brother.

“Eddie—what is he talking about?” I cried.

But Eddie didn’t reply. He kept his eyes locked on the shadowy face of the caped man. “If I give them back, will you let us go?” “Hand them back—now,” the big man replied sharply, leaning menacingly over Eddie.

Eddie sighed. He reached into his pants pocket. And to my shock, he pulled out the three smooth, white stones.

My brother the pickpocket had struck again. “Eddie—when did you take those?” I demanded.

“In the sewer,” Eddie replied. “When he grabbed me.”

“But, why?” I asked.

Eddie shrugged. “I don’t know. They seemed important to him. So I thought—” “They are important!” the caped man bellowed. He grabbed the stones from Eddie’s hand.

“Now will you let us go?” Eddie cried.

“Yes. We will go now,” the man replied, concentrating on the stones.

“That’s not what I said!” Eddie exclaimed. “Will you let us go?” The man ignored him. He piled the stones one on top of the other in his palm. Then he chanted some words, words in a foreign language that I didn’t recognize.

As soon as he chanted the words, the hallway began to shimmer. The doors began to wiggle and bend, as if made of rubber. The floor buckled and swayed.

The caped man began to shimmer and bend, too.

The hallway throbbed with a blinding, white light.

I felt a sharp stab of pain—as if I had been hit hard in the stomach.

I couldn’t breathe.

Everything went black.