by R. L. Stine
I nodded. “Are you going with them or anything?”
“No,” he replied. He waved to some guys across the hall. “I have to go home and walk the dog.”
“Think the dog could wait a little while?” I asked. “I know it sounds crazy. But there’s a room in the house I have to explore. And I’d really like someone to come help me.”
He snickered. “You’re scared?”
“No way,” I said. “It’s just…well…” I tugged his arm. “Come on. It won’t take long. I promise.”
We stepped into a cold, gray day. Low clouds floated over the houses and trees, threatening snow. The air felt damp and heavy.
As we walked to Jada’s house, I told Stan everything. I told him about Jada getting dressed in the middle of the night. And about the hidden room she disappeared into.
“It’s a total mystery,” I said.
“Did you ask her about it?” Stan asked.
“Yes, the first time,” I replied. “She said she didn’t get up. She said I was dreaming. And she was really angry that I asked.”
Stan scrunched up his face. I could see he was thinking hard. “Weird,” he muttered. “It’s too weird.”
We reached the house. I pulled out the door key Aunt Janet had given me. We stepped inside. The warm air felt good on my frozen face. “Anyone home?” I called.
I knew my aunt and uncle were at work.
I pulled Stan to the stairs. We didn’t stop to take off our coats or backpacks.
I led the way up the stairs, down the hall to the bookcase at the end.
“The room is hidden behind these shelves,” I said, whispering even though no one was home. I suddenly felt frightened. I couldn’t explain why.
Did I really want to know what was in the secret room?
Stan stared at the bookcase. “Wow! You mean the bookcase moves? How cool! Maybe it’s some kind of secret passage!”
I pulled a book from the bottom shelf. Nothing happened. I pulled another book out. “There must be a button to push or something,” I said. “It was too dark last night. I couldn’t really see what Jada did.”
Stan stepped up beside me. We both started lifting books out one at a time.
“Here. I think I found it,” I said. I pointed to a small black lever hidden behind a large atlas. I pushed the lever down.
And heard the hum. And watched the bookshelf start to slide to the left.
“Yessss!” I cried, pumping my fist in the air.
Stan’s eyes grew wide as a dark wooden door appeared behind the bookcase. “Whoa. This is like a movie or something!” He turned to me. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Not really,” I answered, my voice trembling. “But I have to. I have to know what Jada is doing at night.”
I grabbed the door handle. “Are you coming in with me?”
“Okay,” he whispered. “Let’s go.”
19
I pulled open the door. The room behind it was totally dark.
I took a step inside and swept my hand over the wall, searching for a light switch.
Stan stepped in behind me. He huddled so close, he bumped into me.
“Okay!” I found the switch and clicked it on. A bulb hanging from the ceiling flashed on.
Blinking against the bright yellow light, I glanced around.
The room was not much bigger than a closet. It was completely bare, no furniture at all. The ratty brown carpet had a long tear in it. The gray paint on the walls was peeling.
A window on the wall across from us was covered by a wide black shade. A single wooden shelf was built into the wall next to the window. It appeared to have something resting on it.
Stan pulled off his ski cap and shoved it into his coat pocket. His brown hair was matted to his forehead.
“Why would Jada come in here?” he asked. “It’s just an empty closet.”
I shrugged. “Beats me. I’m totally confused. I thought we’d find something really interesting.”
I stepped past Stan and crossed to the shelf on the wall. I saw a dark pile of cloth folded neatly on the shelf.
No. Not cloth.
I pulled part of it down and unfolded it. A long blue-black cloak.
I held it out in front of me. “Check this out, Stan. It’s like a cape with a hood.”
“Weird,” he said, studying it. He pulled the rest of the stuff off the shelf. “Look.” He held up a pair of black tights. Long, silky black gloves. An oval-shaped blue pendant on a chain. And then a mask. A black mask with two cat-eye holes cut into the front.
“Must be some kind of Halloween costume,” he said.
I took the mask from him and rolled it around in my hands. “Why would anyone leave a Halloween costume back here in a hidden room?” I asked.
I slid the mask under the hood of the cloak. And then another idea struck me. “It looks like some kind of superhero costume,” I said. “The Masked Cape Person!”
Stan still had the black tights in his hand. “Yeah. Well, I guess that’s what superheroes wear, right? Tights and a cape?”
I raised the cloak in front of me. “Do you think this is Jada’s? Think she wears this stuff?”
Stan shook his head. His face was knotted in confusion.
I laughed. “Maybe Jada has a secret life that no one knows about. Maybe she sneaks in here at night and puts on this costume, and pretends to be the Masked Cape Person!”
Stan shook his head. “This is just too weird,” he said again.
And then his expression changed. His eyes went wide. He suddenly turned pale. “Selena—” he whispered, staring at the mask in my hand.
“What? What’s wrong?” I asked.
“What if—what if that’s a burglar costume?”
I let out a gasp. “Excuse me?”
“It looks like something a burglar might wear,” Stan said. “And didn’t they say on the news—”
“That the person who has been robbing houses in Elmwood wore a mask and a cape?” I cut in.
Stan nodded excitedly.
“But that’s totally insane!” I cried. “Jada a burglar? That’s too stupid, Stan. She’s a twelve-year-old girl, like me. She doesn’t put on a costume and sneak out in the middle of the night to rob houses.”
I moved to the window and tugged on the shade until it slid up. Gray light washed into the room. The window had been left open a crack.
I peered outside. A high tree branch rested right outside. It would be easy for someone to climb out this window onto the tree branch—and then climb down to the ground.
What was I thinking?
“You are so not right,” I told Stan. “No way my cousin is a burglar!”
Stan nodded. “Yeah. It’s a stupid idea. Don’t ever tell Jada I said it.”
He started to fold up the tights. “I don’t think we solved the mystery, Selena.”
“We made the mystery even more mysterious,” I said. I tugged down the shade. Then I started to fold the cloak.
“Hey—is anybody home?” a voice called.
Stan and I both gasped.
Jada’s voice. From downstairs.
We were caught!
20
Stan and I both dove for the door. We reached it at the same time and bumped each other hard.
I heard Jada’s footsteps on the stairs.
“Hurry—go!” I gave Stan a push. Then I stumbled out of the little room behind him.
“Selena—are you home?” Jada called.
“Yes. I’m up here!” I shouted.
I turned to the shelf and pushed the lever up. Would the bookcase slide closed before Jada saw us?
Stan ran down the hall and stopped Jada at the top of the stairs. “Hey—what’s up?” he asked. He was trying to sound normal and calm, but his voice cracked.
The bookcase slid shut.
I breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to join them.
“What are you doing here?” Jada asked Stan. Her blond hair was a mess, standing up
all around her face. Her cheeks were bright red.
“He—he came to see you,” I chimed in.
“That’s right,” Stan agreed. “I forgot you were going ice-skating with Cindy.”
“What happened?” I asked. “How come you’re home so early?”
“Too windy,” Jada replied. She tried to brush down her hair with both hands. “Too windy and too cold. We’re going to try again Saturday afternoon.”
She and Stan disappeared downstairs. I went into the bedroom and started up the computer.
The night before, I had emailed Mom and Aunt Rose. I wrote that I couldn’t reach them on the phone. I pleaded with them to call me as soon as possible. I emailed Beth too, asking her why she had acted so weird.
Now I stared at the monitor screen. All three messages had been returned. Undeliverable, the computer said.
“What is going on?” I cried. I could feel tears brimming behind my eyes.
I picked up the phone and called Information. I asked for my mom’s number. I was desperate. It couldn’t be disconnected. It couldn’t!
The operator said the listing had been removed. I made her check three times.
Removed.
I can’t take this, I thought. I can’t take this anymore. This is Crazy!
I was frantic to talk to my aunt and uncle. But they didn’t come home. Jada told me Aunt Janet had called to say that she and Uncle Will were having dinner in town and going to a movie.
Jada and I shared a frozen pizza. She talked to friends on the phone as we ate. She didn’t say a word to me. Then she disappeared to her room.
Later, I watched a sitcom on TV for a while, a rerun of Sabrina. Anything to take my mind off things. But I couldn’t concentrate on it.
Go upstairs and ask Jada about the secret room! I ordered myself. Just do it!
I took a deep breath. All day, I had been practicing what I’d say. But I ran through it in my mind one more time:
“Jada, I don’t want you to think I’m a horrible snoop or anything. But I found out about the secret room. And I saw the costume inside. I’m really sorry if it’s a big secret. But I have to know. What is it all about?”
With those words repeating in my head, I pulled myself up the stairs. And stepped into our room.
“Jada, I have to talk to you,” I said.
21
“Jada?”
She was gone.
I stood in the doorway, my eyes searching the room. The beds were unmade. The computer had been left on. A pile of Jada’s clothes blocked the door to the closet.
I stepped back into the hall. “Jada? Are you up here?” I shouted.
No reply.
She didn’t say she was going out. And I hadn’t heard her leave the house.
“Jada?”
I trotted down the hall to the bookcase. I put my ear against it and listened. No sound from the tiny room.
I hurried back downstairs. Checked the living room. Then made my way to the kitchen.
No sign of her.
I cupped my hands around my mouth and called one more time.
No. Jada had left.
“Weird,” I muttered. I pulled a Coke from the fridge and returned to my chair in front of the TV. The show clattered on, lots of shouting voices and loud audience laughter.
It was all a blur to me.
I don’t know how much time passed. Finally, I realized I had to snap myself out of my daze. “Maybe I’ll read a book,” I decided.
I clicked off the TV and climbed out of my chair. I started up the stairs to find a book—when the phone rang.
I darted into our room and picked up the phone. “Hello?”
“Selena? Oh, thank goodness!” Jada’s voice at the other end. But she sounded so strange.
“Jada? What’s wrong?” I asked, pressing the phone to my ear.
“I—I can’t answer any questions,” she replied. “I’m desperate. You’ve just got to listen to me!”
“Okay, okay,” I murmured. My heart started to thud. “Go ahead.”
“I have only a second, Selena,” she whispered. “They—they’re coming back.”
“Who?” I cried. “Jada—are you in trouble?”
“I can’t explain.” She was whispering so low, I could barely hear her. “I’m in terrible trouble. I’m being held prisoner.”
“What?” I shrieked.
“You’ve got to hurry,” Jada whispered. “You’re the only one who can help. Listen to me!”
My throat was suddenly so dry, I couldn’t swallow. “I am,” I choked out. “I’m listening.”
“Upstairs,” Jada said. “There’s a secret room. At the end of the hall. It’s hidden behind the bookshelf.”
I don’t believe it! I thought. She’s telling me about the hidden room.
But why?
“There’s a lever behind the big atlas,” she continued breathlessly. “Pull the book out, and you’ll see it.”
“Okay,” I said. “Then what?”
“The shelf will slide open. Go inside the room. Can you hear me?”
“Yes. Just barely,” I replied.
“I have to whisper,” she said. “I can’t let them hear me. They’re so dangerous. I—I don’t know what they plan to do with me.”
“Who?” I cried. “Who is it?”
“Listen. Go into the room,” Jada continued. “You’ll see a costume on a shelf. Put it on.”
“Huh?” I cried.
“Please—don’t ask questions. They’re coming back any second,” Jada whispered. “Put on the costume. The mask and everything. Put it on and hurry over here as fast as you can.”
She whispered an address.
My mind was spinning. I felt dizzy and sick.
“But how can I help?” I asked. “How can I rescue you?”
“Just walk into the house, Selena. When they see you in the costume, they’ll run. Trust me. You can do this. Just hurry.”
Jada gasped. “I hear them coming back. Hurry! I’m so scared!”
22
I stood for a long while with the phone still pressed against my ear, staring at the wall. Then I dropped the phone to the desk.
I’m not going to fall for this, I decided.
I’ve fallen for every one of Jada’s tricks. But not this time.
I know what this is about. She wants me to put on the costume and come running over to one of her friend’s houses. When I come bursting in, they’ll all have a big laugh at the geek in the stupid costume.
Well…no way. No way, Jada. How dumb do you think I am?
I gazed down at the phone. Once again I heard Jada’s whispered voice in my ear. So terrified. So desperate.
I shuddered. Was Jada that good an actress?
She really did sound scared.
What if this was real? What if it wasn’t a joke?
Jada had been sneaking out in the middle of the night. What if she had gotten herself into some major trouble?
“Maybe Jada was telling the truth,” I told myself.
Yes. There was a chance that she really was being held prisoner. And that she was counting on me to rescue her. A chance that I was her last hope.
I have to follow her instructions, I decided. I can’t let something awful happen to Jada just because I didn’t believe her.
My legs felt as wobbly as Jell-O. But I forced myself down the hall to the bookcase. I tugged the big atlas off the shelf. It fell from my trembling hands and thudded to the floor.
I didn’t bother to pick it up. I pressed the lever down. Heard the hum start up—and watched the bookshelf slide away.
I didn’t wait for it to move all the way. I pulled open the hidden door and burst into the tiny room.
My hand fumbled for the light switch. I found it and clicked on the light.
“Hurry, Selena. Hurry,” I urged myself on.
I grabbed the costume off the shelf. The black tights fell to the floor. I picked them up and started to pull them on.
No
. Oh, no. They’re not going to fit, I realized.
These are Jada’s, and she’s six inches taller than me, and so skinny.
I tugged them up. They were twisted, and I had to turn them as I pulled. To my surprise, they fit perfectly.
I grabbed the cloak and slid it over my shoulders. My hands were trembling so hard, it took me four tries to fasten the laces around my throat.
Hurry. Hurry.
The oval pendant was heavier than I’d imagined. I slid the chain over my head and pulled the pendant into place.
The silky black mask slid from my hands. I picked it up and turned it until I found the front.
The eye holes were cut so narrow, shaped like cat eyes. Would I be able to see?
I tugged the mask down over my face. I struggled to adjust it over my hair. Then I twisted it until the eye holes were in front of my eyes.
The long black gloves were still on the shelf. I pulled them down and started to slide one on.
They’re probably way too small, I thought. Jada has such tiny, slender hands.
But to my surprise, the gloves also fit perfectly.
Done. The costume was complete.
There was no mirror in the little room. So I couldn’t see how I looked. But it didn’t matter. Jada’s whispered words repeated in my ear.
“Just walk into the house, Selena. When they see you in the costume, they’ll run.”
I pushed the long cape behind me and ran out of the hidden room. I pressed the lever, sliding the bookcase back into place.
I tore through the hall, then down the stairs. The TV was still on in the living room. I pulled open the front door and leaped out.
A dark, moonless night. The cold air hit my face as I started to run to the street. Trees swayed in the strong gusts. A few doors down, I heard a baby crying. The lights went off in the house across the street.
Dead leaves crackled under my thudding boots. I stayed along the hedges, in the shadows, away from the street. I didn’t want anyone to see me in this weird costume.
What would they think?
I was breathing noisily, wheezing as I ran. I struggled to force back my panic. But I’d never been so terrified in all my life.