my legs off the side of the slide and was happy to find solid ground. I eased myself up and put my arms out in front of me to feel my way forward. Within two steps I had reached a wall. I slid my hands along the cold stone surface feeling for any sort of light switch or door.
I could find neither.
I was about to bravely scream for help when the sound of a match being struck scratched behind me. Every hair on my neck stood up and froze. A soft glow filled the room and I spun quickly, throwing my hands up to protect myself from whatever it was. When nothing assaulted me, I slowly put my arms down and gazed at the light.
“You!”
The old, pale man with the sword was standing there holding a lit candle and staring right at me. The light glowing up into his shadowy face made him look like an ancient Boy Scout about to tell a ghost story. That wasn’t really necessary, seeing how I was already completely spooked. We were standing in a narrow room with a brick floor and stone walls. I could see the end of the slide and there was a tiny table in the opposite corner behind the old man. I could also see a ladder on the wall.
“What are you doing here?” I asked nervously, stepping back.
Whitey hung his head and shook it slowly. He looked like someone who had just been caught doing something he shouldn’t.
“I don’t understand,” I huffed. “Who are you?”
“There isn’t time for questions,” he insisted.
It was just like a grown-up to say something like that. In the time it had taken for him to say that he could have just answered my question.
“You must listen,” he continued.
I nodded, slowly looking around for some way to escape.
“Where’s that stone?” he asked.
“I thought you said there’s no time for questions.”
He moved one step closer and growled, “Listen, Beck, I am ill at ease.”
“Maybe you need some sun,” I offered kindly.
“I must know where that stone is.”
“I destroyed it.”
“That’s a lie.”
“Well, it’s gone.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t understand.”
“I really don’t,” I said honestly, trying to back up as far as I could.
“In seven days it will be too late and that stone will hatch, regardless of where you have put it.”
“How . . . ?”
“Listen,” he interrupted. “It will produce a queen. And you must tend it or it’ll be a perverted mess of a dragon with a mind of its own and no way to stop it.”
“That’s not true.”
“Yes, I’m afraid it is,” he said, his chin quivered in the
candlelight. “You’re the only one who can hatch it and destroy it.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“You have the book,” he insisted.
“ The Grim Knot ?”
He nodded.
“I’ve already read it,” I informed him.
“I’ve heard there’s more to it than words.”
“I don’t even . . .”
“Stop,” he snapped. “You have started the ending by bringing those dragons to life, but now you have to finish it. You must plant it within seven days or she will destroy everything.”
“She?”
“The queen,” he growled impatiently. “Find the stone, nurture it as it grows, and then destroy her when she is born.”
My mind was racing as fast as my body had been while falling down the slide. None of my thoughts made sense and I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know who to believe. I had trusted Milo and he had turned out to be an old creepy magician. How did I know that this old man wasn’t just someone weird in disguise? Maybe he was like the opposite of Milo. Instead of coming to me friendly-looking and turning ugly, he had started off ugly and mean but was going to turn friendly and then be nice to me.
Like I said, none of my thoughts made sense.
“In the hospital you said the dirt would turn on me,” I reminded him.
“You have neglected your task. You’re a Pillage. The soil’s angry,” he explained.
“Really?”
I couldn’t see him clearly because of the way the candle-light was
I could find neither.
I was about to bravely scream for help when the sound of a match being struck scratched behind me. Every hair on my neck stood up and froze. A soft glow filled the room and I spun quickly, throwing my hands up to protect myself from whatever it was. When nothing assaulted me, I slowly put my arms down and gazed at the light.
“You!”
The old, pale man with the sword was standing there holding a lit candle and staring right at me. The light glowing up into his shadowy face made him look like an ancient Boy Scout about to tell a ghost story. That wasn’t really necessary, seeing how I was already completely spooked. We were standing in a narrow room with a brick floor and stone walls. I could see the end of the slide and there was a tiny table in the opposite corner behind the old man. I could also see a ladder on the wall.
“What are you doing here?” I asked nervously, stepping back.
Whitey hung his head and shook it slowly. He looked like someone who had just been caught doing something he shouldn’t.
“I don’t understand,” I huffed. “Who are you?”
“There isn’t time for questions,” he insisted.
It was just like a grown-up to say something like that. In the time it had taken for him to say that he could have just answered my question.
“You must listen,” he continued.
I nodded, slowly looking around for some way to escape.
“Where’s that stone?” he asked.
“I thought you said there’s no time for questions.”
He moved one step closer and growled, “Listen, Beck, I am ill at ease.”
“Maybe you need some sun,” I offered kindly.
“I must know where that stone is.”
“I destroyed it.”
“That’s a lie.”
“Well, it’s gone.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t understand.”
“I really don’t,” I said honestly, trying to back up as far as I could.
“In seven days it will be too late and that stone will hatch, regardless of where you have put it.”
“How . . . ?”
“Listen,” he interrupted. “It will produce a queen. And you must tend it or it’ll be a perverted mess of a dragon with a mind of its own and no way to stop it.”
“That’s not true.”
“Yes, I’m afraid it is,” he said, his chin quivered in the
candlelight. “You’re the only one who can hatch it and destroy it.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“You have the book,” he insisted.
“ The Grim Knot ?”
He nodded.
“I’ve already read it,” I informed him.
“I’ve heard there’s more to it than words.”
“I don’t even . . .”
“Stop,” he snapped. “You have started the ending by bringing those dragons to life, but now you have to finish it. You must plant it within seven days or she will destroy everything.”
“She?”
“The queen,” he growled impatiently. “Find the stone, nurture it as it grows, and then destroy her when she is born.”
My mind was racing as fast as my body had been while falling down the slide. None of my thoughts made sense and I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know who to believe. I had trusted Milo and he had turned out to be an old creepy magician. How did I know that this old man wasn’t just someone weird in disguise? Maybe he was like the opposite of Milo. Instead of coming to me friendly-looking and turning ugly, he had started off ugly and mean but was going to turn friendly and then be nice to me.
Like I said, none of my thoughts made sense.
“In the hospital you said the dirt would turn on me,” I reminded him.
“You have neglected your task. You’re a Pillage. The soil’s angry,” he explained.
“Really?”
I couldn’t see him clearly because of the way the candle-light was
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