hoisted myself up to the hole. It was the entrance to a tunnel! It had to be the one that Neal and I had hurtled through after we were sucked down the drain. It made sense, because I was nearly back at the spot where weâd all found one another. Carefully, I pulled myself into the tunnel. I had to find out if I was right. Maybe I had found the way out! I crawled forward in the dark, cramped space. I knew I was surrounded by deep water on both sides. I tried not to let that thought get to me. I wanted to turn back. I couldnât see a thing. I started to sweat and feel trapped in the dark tunnel. I stopped crawling. I took a few deep breaths, trying to control the panic building up inside of me. Then I saw it. A tiny point of bluish light! There was definitely a light up ahead. It had to be the end of the tunnel. I began crawling again, faster now. I wasnât going toturn back. Wherever this tunnel led, I was nearly there. I stopped to wipe the sweat off my forehead. It dripped into my eyes and burned. Then I heard a noise. I listened hard. It sounded like the whirring noise in the bottom of the Atlantis pool! But the whirring was drowned out by another sound. A low rumbling. What was it? The rumbling grew louder and louder. I glanced back. Nothing but darkness. I couldnât even see the end where Iâd started. I faced forward again. Then I saw it. Through the long, dark tunnel, light from the other end reflected on something. Something racing toward me. Water! A gigantic wall of water! Rushing right at me!
14
M y scream echoed down the tunnel. I tried to back up. I could see the water coming at me. I could hear it rushing. I could even smell it. I scurried backward. But it was hopeless. There was nothing I could do. I took a deep breath and ducked my head under my arms. Whoosh!!! The wall of water slammed into me. Water rushed into my face. I clamped my eyes shut. The water poured into my ears and up my nose. It threw me up against the top of the tunnel. My head pounded as if Iâd been punched. I twisted and turned, hurtling backward, spinning out of control, tumbling and whirling. Iâm going to drown! I thought in terror. Iâm going to drown in this tunnel. Suddenly I felt a big bump. I sped over the ridge of the tunnel entrance. I flew through the air in a jet of water! I pulled myself into a ball. Wham! I lay still for a moment, trying to catch my breath. Then I opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was a coconut. I was right back at where I landed with Neal! Back at where we found ourselves after being sucked down the drain in the Atlantis pool. But where was the water? I dug through the dirt and found a small drain. The water must get out through that, I realized. My whole body ached. I checked quickly for injuries. Just a couple of nasty scratches. I scrambled to my feet. I had to find the others. I had to tell them what I found. This tunnel must be the only way out. But it was useless if we couldnât get past the rushing waves of water. Well, I reasoned, I found the exit. Let someone else figure out how to handle the water problem! Smack! I spun around at a sound. My eyes widened. âNo!â I whispered hoarsely. The huge green tentacle pressed against the wall. Sluurp. Sluurp. Sluurp. Sluurp. The creature was back! The tentacle crawled its way up the wall. The awful noises grew louder and faster as the tentacle picked up speed. Slurp! Sluurp! Slurp! Sluurp! My head tilted back as my eyes gazed up and up and up. The huge green tentacle waved in the air above me. Green slime streamed off it. The suckers opened and closed. They wanted to grab something. They wanted to grab me! I flattened myself on the ground and closed my eyes. Whap! I felt something hit my back! It had me! The creatureâs suckers latched on to my body. They tugged my skin, pulling at it with an awful popping and sucking sound. The tentacle pinned my arms to