روزی در سرزمین وحشت فصل 09

One Day at Horrorland - Chapter 9

I was so stunned, I didn’t say anything. I watched him run off, moving awkwardly in the bulky Horror costume, his purple tail dragging over the pavement behind him.

“What did he want?” Clay called. He and Luke were nearly up to the House of Mirrors entrance.

“He—he said we should get out while we can,” I stammered, running over to them. I lost them for a moment in the blinding sunlight reflected off the glass building.

Luke laughed. “These Horror guys are great!” he declared. “They really try to scare you in this place!” Behind his glasses, Clay’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “He was kidding—right?” he asked quietly. “I mean, it was just a joke, wasn’t it?” “I don’t know,” I told him. “I guess so.” I watched the Horror disappear quickly behind a tall, blue, pyramid-shaped building.

“That’s his job,” Luke insisted. “He goes around scaring people all day.”

“Maybe he was really warning us,” Clay murmured, staring at me.

“No way!” Luke declared. He gave Clay a hard slap on the back. “Stop looking so gloomy all the time. This is a great place! You like to be scared, don’t you?” Clay’s expression remained worried. “I guess,” he replied uncertainly.

I started to tell Clay I was sure it was just a joke, but Luke interrupted. “Hurry up! Let’s check out the House of Mirrors. Let’s have some fun before Mom and Dad show up and make us leave.” He dragged Clay toward the entrance, and I followed. We passed another no pinching sign as we made our way to the shimmering glass building.

Outside the entrance, I stopped to read the yellow-and-green sign. It read: HOUSE OF MIRRORS. REFLECT BEFORE YOU ENTER. NO ONE MAY EVER SEE YOU AGAIN!

“Hey—wait up!” I called to the boys. They had already hurried inside.

I stepped in and found myself in a narrow, dark tunnel. My eyes were still filled with the bright glare from outside. I couldn’t see a thing.

“Luke, Clay—wait up!” I shouted. My voice echoed through the low tunnel. I could hear them laughing up ahead.

I jogged blindly, ducking my head because the ceiling was so low. Finally, my eyes adjusted to the darkness.

The tunnel ended, and I found myself in a narrow corridor with mirrored walls and a mirrored ceiling.

“Oh!” I uttered a low cry. I could see my reflections—dozens of them. I seemed to surround myself!

I stopped for a moment and adjusted my long black braid. It was always coming loose. Then I called again to the boys, “Where are you? Wait up!” I could hear them giggling somewhere up ahead. “Try and find us!” Luke called. More giggling.

I made my way quickly through the mirrored walkway. The walls curved to the right, then the left. My reflections followed me, stretching deep into the mirrors, dozens and dozens of me, getting smaller and smaller, stretching to infinity!

“Hey—don’t get too far ahead!” I cried.

I heard them giggling. Then I heard a rumble of footsteps that seemed to come from the other side of the mirrored wall.

I followed the corridor, walking slowly, carefully, until I saw a narrow opening up ahead.

“Wait right there. I’m coming through!” I called.

I started through the opening and—BONK!—hit my forehead on solid glass.

“Ow!” I cried out as the pain jolted across my forehead, then down the back of my neck, all the way down my spine.

I raised my hands to the glass and waited for my dizziness to fade away.

“Lizzy, where are you? Try to find us!” I heard Luke call.

“I hit my head!” I shouted, rubbing my forehead.

I could hear him and Clay laughing. Their voices seemed to be behind me now. I turned back, but there were only mirrors behind me. No opening.

My head still ached a little, but the dizziness had gone away. I started walking again, more carefully this time. I kept both hands out in front of me so I wouldn’t bump into anything again.

I turned a corner and stepped into a different room. To my surprise, the floor in this room was a mirror. The walls, the ceiling, the floor—were all mirrors. I felt as if I were standing inside a mirrored box.

I took a few careful steps. It felt so weird walking on my own reflection.

I could see the tops and the bottoms of my sneakers as I walked. It made it really hard to walk. I kept having the feeling that I was going to fall into myself!

“Hey, guys—where are you?” I called.

No reply.

I felt a sharp stab of fear in my stomach.

“Luke? Clay? Are you there?” I saw the mouths of my reflections move as I called out, dozens of mouths. But only one voice came out, my voice, tiny and shrill.

“Luke? Clay?”

Silence.

“Don’t fool around, guys!” I shouted. “Where are you?”

Silence. No reply.

I stared at the dozens of reflections on all sides of me. They all looked very frightened.

“Luke? Clay?”

Where had they gone?