laugh!
Pouring from my open mouth. An evil, inhuman laugh. A laugh of victory.
Because Inkweed knew I couldn't last much longer. He knew I couldn't stay awake.
The darkness was pulling me … pulling me down into a deep sleep.
I couldn't fight it any longer. I stretched out on the flat rock ledge.
“Sorry, guys,” I whispered to Nicky and Tara, just in case they could hear me. “I have to sleep. I'm sorry. I let you down. I'm sorry….”
I curled up on the ledge, hugging myself for warmth.
But before I could close my eyes, a flash of bright light made me cry out. I struggled to a sitting position, blinking toward the light. And staredat two bright round eyes. Glowing yellow eyes floating rapidly toward me.
“Who—who are you?” I tried to scream, but my voice came out in a hoarse rasp.
“Who are you?” I tried again.
No answer.
The glowing yellow eyes shimmered like car headlights. They stared intensely at me as they floated closer. So bright, I covered my eyes with one hand.
“Who are you?” I found my voice and screamed now in my fright.
“What do you want? Who
are
you?”
25
I HEARDTHESCRAPE of footsteps. A murmured voice.
The eyes bobbed in the blackness, floating down from the cavern opening.
“Hello?” I called. “Please—answer me!”
I fought off my fear and jumped to my feet. I tensed my muscles, ready to run.
What kind of creature comes loping down into a cavern with glowing yellow eyes?
It had to be some kind of
monster!
Had Inkweed summoned a friend?
Half covering my eyes from the blinding glare, I watched the creature move down the path toward me.
And then I heard whispered voices, talking rapidly. The two eyes moved apart. The lights raised, beamed up to the cavern ceiling for a moment, then soared back down.
And I saw two figures standing in front of me. Two people holding flashlights.
At first, I could see only their outlines behind the glowing circles of light. Arms and legs. And then the lights moved again.
And I cried out. “Mom! Dad! How did you find me?”
26
THEYLOWEREDTHEIRFLASHLIGHTS “Max?” Mom called. “What are you doing here in the middle of the night?” Her voice echoed off the cavern walls.
“I—I—It's hard to explain,” I stammered.
And then I ran to her, threw my arms around her, and hugged her.
“You're in a lot of trouble,” Dad said.
I backed away from Mom. “You don't know the half of it,” I said. “You don't know what horrible trouble I'm in.”
“I need my sleep,” Dad growled. “I
like
my sleep. I don't want to be crawling around in freezing cold, dark caves in the middle of the night.”
I swallowed. “I know,” I murmured. I didn't know what else to say. I was so happy to see them. But I could see Dad getting angrier and angrier, about to explode.
I turned to my mom, tiny and thin and birdlike. In the dim circle of light from her flashlight, I could see that she was trembling.
“Did you follow me here?” I asked her. “How did you know I was down here?”
A strange smile spread over Mom's face. “Do you think I couldn't find my own son?”
“You're in trouble, Max,” Dad said, shaking his head. “You're in the biggest trouble of your life.”
“Please—take me home,” I said in a trembling voice. “Please—”
“Why don't you lie down on that rock?” Mom said, pointing with her light. “Lie down and go to sleep, Max.”
“Huh?” I stared at her.
“It's the best thing,” Dad said. “Go ahead, Max. Go to sleep. You need to sleep.”
“But, I can't—” I started. “You don't understand. I—I—”
Mom lowered her voice to a whisper. “Go to sleep, Max. Let Inkweed pour out.”
“Listen to your mother,” Dad said. “Let Inkweed out, Max.”
“I don't understand!” I cried. “How do you know about Inkweed?”
“We're your parents,” Mom said. “We know everything about you.”
“Go to sleep,” Dad said again. “You're very sleepy, Max. Let Inkweed out. Let
Pouring from my open mouth. An evil, inhuman laugh. A laugh of victory.
Because Inkweed knew I couldn't last much longer. He knew I couldn't stay awake.
The darkness was pulling me … pulling me down into a deep sleep.
I couldn't fight it any longer. I stretched out on the flat rock ledge.
“Sorry, guys,” I whispered to Nicky and Tara, just in case they could hear me. “I have to sleep. I'm sorry. I let you down. I'm sorry….”
I curled up on the ledge, hugging myself for warmth.
But before I could close my eyes, a flash of bright light made me cry out. I struggled to a sitting position, blinking toward the light. And staredat two bright round eyes. Glowing yellow eyes floating rapidly toward me.
“Who—who are you?” I tried to scream, but my voice came out in a hoarse rasp.
“Who are you?” I tried again.
No answer.
The glowing yellow eyes shimmered like car headlights. They stared intensely at me as they floated closer. So bright, I covered my eyes with one hand.
“Who are you?” I found my voice and screamed now in my fright.
“What do you want? Who
are
you?”
25
I HEARDTHESCRAPE of footsteps. A murmured voice.
The eyes bobbed in the blackness, floating down from the cavern opening.
“Hello?” I called. “Please—answer me!”
I fought off my fear and jumped to my feet. I tensed my muscles, ready to run.
What kind of creature comes loping down into a cavern with glowing yellow eyes?
It had to be some kind of
monster!
Had Inkweed summoned a friend?
Half covering my eyes from the blinding glare, I watched the creature move down the path toward me.
And then I heard whispered voices, talking rapidly. The two eyes moved apart. The lights raised, beamed up to the cavern ceiling for a moment, then soared back down.
And I saw two figures standing in front of me. Two people holding flashlights.
At first, I could see only their outlines behind the glowing circles of light. Arms and legs. And then the lights moved again.
And I cried out. “Mom! Dad! How did you find me?”
26
THEYLOWEREDTHEIRFLASHLIGHTS “Max?” Mom called. “What are you doing here in the middle of the night?” Her voice echoed off the cavern walls.
“I—I—It's hard to explain,” I stammered.
And then I ran to her, threw my arms around her, and hugged her.
“You're in a lot of trouble,” Dad said.
I backed away from Mom. “You don't know the half of it,” I said. “You don't know what horrible trouble I'm in.”
“I need my sleep,” Dad growled. “I
like
my sleep. I don't want to be crawling around in freezing cold, dark caves in the middle of the night.”
I swallowed. “I know,” I murmured. I didn't know what else to say. I was so happy to see them. But I could see Dad getting angrier and angrier, about to explode.
I turned to my mom, tiny and thin and birdlike. In the dim circle of light from her flashlight, I could see that she was trembling.
“Did you follow me here?” I asked her. “How did you know I was down here?”
A strange smile spread over Mom's face. “Do you think I couldn't find my own son?”
“You're in trouble, Max,” Dad said, shaking his head. “You're in the biggest trouble of your life.”
“Please—take me home,” I said in a trembling voice. “Please—”
“Why don't you lie down on that rock?” Mom said, pointing with her light. “Lie down and go to sleep, Max.”
“Huh?” I stared at her.
“It's the best thing,” Dad said. “Go ahead, Max. Go to sleep. You need to sleep.”
“But, I can't—” I started. “You don't understand. I—I—”
Mom lowered her voice to a whisper. “Go to sleep, Max. Let Inkweed pour out.”
“Listen to your mother,” Dad said. “Let Inkweed out, Max.”
“I don't understand!” I cried. “How do you know about Inkweed?”
“We're your parents,” Mom said. “We know everything about you.”
“Go to sleep,” Dad said again. “You're very sleepy, Max. Let Inkweed out. Let
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