Read Online Return of the Mummy by R. L. Stine - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: R. L. Stine
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move.
I lifted his hand and squeezed it. It felt warm but limp. “Uncle Ben? Wake up!” I shouted.
His eyes didn’t open. I lowered the hand back to the bottom of the mummy case. “He’s out cold,” I murmured.
Sari stood behind me, both hands pressed against her cheeks. She stared down at Uncle Ben, her eyes wide with fear. “I — I don’t believe this!” she cried in a tiny voice. “Dr. Fielding leftDaddy here to smother! If we hadn’t come along …” Her voice trailed off.
Uncle Ben let out a low groan.
Sari and I stared down at him hopefully. But he didn’t open his eyes.
“We have to call the police,” I told Sari. “We have to tell them about Dr. Fielding.”
“But we can’t just leave Daddy here,” Sari replied.
I started to reply — but a frightening thought burst into my mind. I felt a shudder of fear roll down my body. “Sari?” I started. “If Uncle Ben is lying in the mummy case … then where is the mummy?”
Her mouth dropped open. She stared back at me in stunned silence.
And then we both heard the footsteps.
Slow, scraping footsteps.
And saw the mummy stagger stiffly into the room.
21
I opened my mouth to scream — but no sound came out.
The mummy lurched stiffly through the chamber doorway. It stared straight ahead with its vacant, tarry eyes. Under the ancient layers of tar, the skull grinned at us.
Scrape. Scrape.
Its feet dragged over the dirt floor, trailing shreds of decaying gauze. Slowly, it raised its arms, making a terrifying cracking sound.
Scrape. Scrape.
My throat tightened in terror. My entire body began to tremble.
I backed away from the mummy case. Sari stood frozen with her hands pressed against her cheeks. I grabbed her arm and pulled her back with me. “Sari — get back! Get back!” I whispered.
She stared in terror at the approaching mummy. I couldn’t tell if she heard me or not. I tugged her back farther.
Our backs hit the chamber wall.
The mummy scraped closer. Closer. Staring at us through its vacant, blackened eye sockets, it reached for us with its yellowed, tar-encrusted hands. Sari let out a shrill shriek.
“Run!” I screamed. “Sari — run!”
But our backs were pressed against the wall. The mummy blocked our path to the doorway.
Moving stiffly, awkwardly, the ancient corpse dragged itself closer.
“This is all my fault!” I declared in a trembling voice. “I said the words five times. I brought it back to life!”
“Wh-what can we do?” Sari cried in a hushed whisper.
I didn’t have an answer. “Uncle Ben!” I shrieked desperately. “Uncle Ben — help us!”
But the mummy case remained silent. Even my frantic screams could not awaken my uncle.
Sari and I edged along the chamber wall, our eyes locked on the approaching mummy. Its bandaged feet scraped over the floor, sending up dark clouds of dust as it moved heavily toward us.
A sour smell rose over the room. The smell of a three-thousand-year-old corpse coming to life.
I pressed my back against the cold stone of the chamber wall, my mind racing. The mummy stopped at the mummy case, turned stiffly, and continued lurching toward us.
“Hey!” I cried out as an idea burst into my mind.
My little mummy hand. The Summoner.
Why hadn’t I thought of it before? It had saved us last year by raising a group of ancient mummies from the dead.
Could it also summon them to stop? Could it make them die again?
If I raised the little mummy hand up to Prince Khor-Ru, would it stop him long enough for Sari and me to escape?
It was only seconds away from grabbing us.
It was worth a try.
I reached into my back jeans pocket for the mummy hand.
It was gone.
22
“No!” I uttered a surprised cry and frantically grabbed at my other pockets.
No mummy hand.
“Gabe — what’s wrong?” Sari demanded.
“The mummy hand — it’s gone!” I told her, my voice choked with panic.
Scrape. Scrape.
The foul odor grew stronger as the ancient mummy dragged nearer.
I
I lifted his hand and squeezed it. It felt warm but limp. “Uncle Ben? Wake up!” I shouted.
His eyes didn’t open. I lowered the hand back to the bottom of the mummy case. “He’s out cold,” I murmured.
Sari stood behind me, both hands pressed against her cheeks. She stared down at Uncle Ben, her eyes wide with fear. “I — I don’t believe this!” she cried in a tiny voice. “Dr. Fielding leftDaddy here to smother! If we hadn’t come along …” Her voice trailed off.
Uncle Ben let out a low groan.
Sari and I stared down at him hopefully. But he didn’t open his eyes.
“We have to call the police,” I told Sari. “We have to tell them about Dr. Fielding.”
“But we can’t just leave Daddy here,” Sari replied.
I started to reply — but a frightening thought burst into my mind. I felt a shudder of fear roll down my body. “Sari?” I started. “If Uncle Ben is lying in the mummy case … then where is the mummy?”
Her mouth dropped open. She stared back at me in stunned silence.
And then we both heard the footsteps.
Slow, scraping footsteps.
And saw the mummy stagger stiffly into the room.
21
I opened my mouth to scream — but no sound came out.
The mummy lurched stiffly through the chamber doorway. It stared straight ahead with its vacant, tarry eyes. Under the ancient layers of tar, the skull grinned at us.
Scrape. Scrape.
Its feet dragged over the dirt floor, trailing shreds of decaying gauze. Slowly, it raised its arms, making a terrifying cracking sound.
Scrape. Scrape.
My throat tightened in terror. My entire body began to tremble.
I backed away from the mummy case. Sari stood frozen with her hands pressed against her cheeks. I grabbed her arm and pulled her back with me. “Sari — get back! Get back!” I whispered.
She stared in terror at the approaching mummy. I couldn’t tell if she heard me or not. I tugged her back farther.
Our backs hit the chamber wall.
The mummy scraped closer. Closer. Staring at us through its vacant, blackened eye sockets, it reached for us with its yellowed, tar-encrusted hands. Sari let out a shrill shriek.
“Run!” I screamed. “Sari — run!”
But our backs were pressed against the wall. The mummy blocked our path to the doorway.
Moving stiffly, awkwardly, the ancient corpse dragged itself closer.
“This is all my fault!” I declared in a trembling voice. “I said the words five times. I brought it back to life!”
“Wh-what can we do?” Sari cried in a hushed whisper.
I didn’t have an answer. “Uncle Ben!” I shrieked desperately. “Uncle Ben — help us!”
But the mummy case remained silent. Even my frantic screams could not awaken my uncle.
Sari and I edged along the chamber wall, our eyes locked on the approaching mummy. Its bandaged feet scraped over the floor, sending up dark clouds of dust as it moved heavily toward us.
A sour smell rose over the room. The smell of a three-thousand-year-old corpse coming to life.
I pressed my back against the cold stone of the chamber wall, my mind racing. The mummy stopped at the mummy case, turned stiffly, and continued lurching toward us.
“Hey!” I cried out as an idea burst into my mind.
My little mummy hand. The Summoner.
Why hadn’t I thought of it before? It had saved us last year by raising a group of ancient mummies from the dead.
Could it also summon them to stop? Could it make them die again?
If I raised the little mummy hand up to Prince Khor-Ru, would it stop him long enough for Sari and me to escape?
It was only seconds away from grabbing us.
It was worth a try.
I reached into my back jeans pocket for the mummy hand.
It was gone.
22
“No!” I uttered a surprised cry and frantically grabbed at my other pockets.
No mummy hand.
“Gabe — what’s wrong?” Sari demanded.
“The mummy hand — it’s gone!” I told her, my voice choked with panic.
Scrape. Scrape.
The foul odor grew stronger as the ancient mummy dragged nearer.
I
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