later.
I quickly pulled on my coat and ran upstairs for my backpack. My stomach was grumbling and growling. I was used to at least a glass of juice and a bowl of cereal for breakfast.
Oh, well
, I thought,
I’ll buy an extra-big lunch.
A few seconds later, I headed out the front door and around the side to the garage to get my bike. I pulled up the garage door — and stopped.
I froze, staring into the garage.
My dad’s car. It was still in the garage.
He hadn’t left for work.
So where was everyone?
19
Back in the house I phoned my dad’s office. The phone rang and rang, and no one answered.
I checked the kitchen again for a message from Mom or Dad. But I couldn’t find a thing.
Glancing at the kitchen clock, I saw that I was already twenty minutes late for school. I needed a late-excuse note, but there was no one to write it for me.
I hurried back outside to get my bike.
Better late than never,
I thought. I wasn’t exactly frightened. I was just puzzled.
I’ll call Mom or Dad at lunchtime and find out where everyone went this morning,
I told myself. As I pedaled to school, I began to feel a little angry. They could’ve at least told me they were leaving early!
There were no cars on the street and no kids on bikes. I guessed that everyone was already at school or work or wherever people go in the morning. I got to school in record time.
Leaving my bike in the bike rack, I adjusted my backpack on my shoulders and ran into the school. The halls were dark and empty. My footsteps echoed loudly on the hard floor.
I dropped my coat into my locker. When I slammed the locker door, it sounded like an explosion in the empty hallway.
The halls are kind of creepy when they’re this empty,
I thought. I jogged to my classroom, which was just a few doors down from my locker.
“My mom forgot to wake me, so I overslept.”
That was the excuse I’d planned to give Sharon as soon as I entered. I mean, it wasn’t just an excuse. It was the truth.
But I never got to tell Sharon my reason for being late.
I pulled open the door to the classroom — and stared in shock.
Empty. The room was empty.
No kids. No Sharon.
The lights hadn’t been turned on. And yesterday’s work was still on the chalkboard.
Weird,
I thought.
But I didn’t know then how weird things were going to get.
I froze for a moment, staring into the empty, dark room. Then I decided that everyone must be at an assembly in the auditorium.
I turned quickly and made my way to theauditorium at the front of the school, jogging down the empty corridor.
The door to the teachers’ lounge was open. I peered in and was surprised to find it empty, too.
Maybe all the teachers are at the assembly
, I thought.
A few seconds later, I pulled open the double doors to the auditorium.
And peered into the darkness.
The auditorium was silent and empty.
I pushed the doors shut and began to run down the hall, stopping to look into every room.
It didn’t take me long to realize that I was the only person in the building. No kids. No teachers. I even checked the janitors’ room downstairs. No janitors.
Is it Sunday? Is it a holiday?
I tried to figure out where everyone had gone, but I couldn’t.
Feeling the first stirrings of panic in my chest, I dropped a quarter in the pay phone next to the principal’s office and called home.
I let it ring at least ten times. Still no one home.
“Where
is
everyone?” I shouted down the empty corridor. The only reply came from my echoing voice.
“Can
anybody
hear me?” I shouted, cupping my hands around my mouth. Silence.
I suddenly felt very frightened. I had to get out of the creepy school building. I grabbed my coat and started to run. I didn’t even bother to close the locker door.
Carrying my coat over my shoulder, I ran outside to the bike rack. My bike was the only bike parked there. I scolded myself for not noticing that when I arrived.
I pulled on my coat, arranged my backpack, and started for
I quickly pulled on my coat and ran upstairs for my backpack. My stomach was grumbling and growling. I was used to at least a glass of juice and a bowl of cereal for breakfast.
Oh, well
, I thought,
I’ll buy an extra-big lunch.
A few seconds later, I headed out the front door and around the side to the garage to get my bike. I pulled up the garage door — and stopped.
I froze, staring into the garage.
My dad’s car. It was still in the garage.
He hadn’t left for work.
So where was everyone?
19
Back in the house I phoned my dad’s office. The phone rang and rang, and no one answered.
I checked the kitchen again for a message from Mom or Dad. But I couldn’t find a thing.
Glancing at the kitchen clock, I saw that I was already twenty minutes late for school. I needed a late-excuse note, but there was no one to write it for me.
I hurried back outside to get my bike.
Better late than never,
I thought. I wasn’t exactly frightened. I was just puzzled.
I’ll call Mom or Dad at lunchtime and find out where everyone went this morning,
I told myself. As I pedaled to school, I began to feel a little angry. They could’ve at least told me they were leaving early!
There were no cars on the street and no kids on bikes. I guessed that everyone was already at school or work or wherever people go in the morning. I got to school in record time.
Leaving my bike in the bike rack, I adjusted my backpack on my shoulders and ran into the school. The halls were dark and empty. My footsteps echoed loudly on the hard floor.
I dropped my coat into my locker. When I slammed the locker door, it sounded like an explosion in the empty hallway.
The halls are kind of creepy when they’re this empty,
I thought. I jogged to my classroom, which was just a few doors down from my locker.
“My mom forgot to wake me, so I overslept.”
That was the excuse I’d planned to give Sharon as soon as I entered. I mean, it wasn’t just an excuse. It was the truth.
But I never got to tell Sharon my reason for being late.
I pulled open the door to the classroom — and stared in shock.
Empty. The room was empty.
No kids. No Sharon.
The lights hadn’t been turned on. And yesterday’s work was still on the chalkboard.
Weird,
I thought.
But I didn’t know then how weird things were going to get.
I froze for a moment, staring into the empty, dark room. Then I decided that everyone must be at an assembly in the auditorium.
I turned quickly and made my way to theauditorium at the front of the school, jogging down the empty corridor.
The door to the teachers’ lounge was open. I peered in and was surprised to find it empty, too.
Maybe all the teachers are at the assembly
, I thought.
A few seconds later, I pulled open the double doors to the auditorium.
And peered into the darkness.
The auditorium was silent and empty.
I pushed the doors shut and began to run down the hall, stopping to look into every room.
It didn’t take me long to realize that I was the only person in the building. No kids. No teachers. I even checked the janitors’ room downstairs. No janitors.
Is it Sunday? Is it a holiday?
I tried to figure out where everyone had gone, but I couldn’t.
Feeling the first stirrings of panic in my chest, I dropped a quarter in the pay phone next to the principal’s office and called home.
I let it ring at least ten times. Still no one home.
“Where
is
everyone?” I shouted down the empty corridor. The only reply came from my echoing voice.
“Can
anybody
hear me?” I shouted, cupping my hands around my mouth. Silence.
I suddenly felt very frightened. I had to get out of the creepy school building. I grabbed my coat and started to run. I didn’t even bother to close the locker door.
Carrying my coat over my shoulder, I ran outside to the bike rack. My bike was the only bike parked there. I scolded myself for not noticing that when I arrived.
I pulled on my coat, arranged my backpack, and started for
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