Don't Close Your Eyes! by R.L. Stine Page A

meant?”
    “Could be,” Tara replied.
    “And where are you taking me?” I asked again.
    They both pointed to a small sign attached to a wooden fence post. I had to move closer to read the sign.
    DARK CAVERNS.
    “I remember these caverns from a field trip we took in second grade,” Tara said.
    I stared past the fence. But I could see only the shape of black hills against an even blacker sky.
    The wind fluttered my jacket. I zipped the zipper all the way to the collar. “What's so special about them?” I asked.
    “They're supposed to be the deepest, darkest caverns in the country,” Tara said.
    I stared at her. “You want me to climb into caverns?” I cried. “You know I'm allergic to caverns. They're dark and cold and … and … and they make me sneeze.” I held my nose. “I … I'm starting to sneeze already. Just being
close
to a cavern makes me sneeze!”
    Nicky and Tara waited for me to stop ranting. Then Tara said, “Don't you see? It's the darkest place on the darkest night.”
    “It has to work,” Nicky said, crossing his fingers on both hands. “It has to be right.”
    They both grabbed me and started pulling me toward the caverns.
    In a few minutes, we stood in front of an enormous cave entrance. Cut into the side of a steep hill, it rose high above our heads. A deep, black hole, blacker than the night, blacker than the sky.
    The darkest place on the darkest night.
    Holding on to my shoulders, my two ghost friends pushed me into the cavern entrance.
    “Uh … did anyone bring a flashlight?” I asked.

23
    THEWINDSTOPPEDAS we stepped into the cavern opening. But the air grew colder.
    The cold washed over me like a high ocean wave. I shivered and waited for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. But they
couldn't
adjust. I could see only different shades of black.
    “Damp in here,” Tara said, gripping my arm tighter. “It's kinda like walking into a refrigerator.”
    “Hope there aren't any bats,” Nicky said in a whisper.
    “Bats?” I said. “Why did you have to mention bats? Couldn't you keep that to yourself?”
    Nicky snickered. “Hey! Woke you up!”
    We walked side by side. The ground squished under my shoes, soft and muddy. We followed a narrow path that curved between two rock walls. The path sloped down sharply.
    I felt my shoes slide in the mud. Nicky and Tara held me up.
    “How far down do we have to go?” I asked.
    My voice echoed all around, repeating my question again and again off the high cavern walls.
    “Creepy,” I said.
    Creepy
…
creepy
…
creepy
… came the cavern's echoing reply.
    We walked in silence for a few minutes, edging our way slowly down. I could feel the mud ooze up over my ankles.
    I stopped and gazed back. I hoped to see the sky, but the cavern entrance was no longer in view.
    “What if we get lost in here?” I asked. “No one would ever find us.”
    “Max, stop scaring me,” Tara said.
    I gasped when I felt Inkweed stir inside my head. This time, he didn't slither. He felt like a strong breeze between my ears.
    Did the evil ghost realize what we were doing? Did he know we were taking him to the darkest place on the darkest night?
    Is that why I could feel him tense up inside me?
    Did he realize we were about to destroy him?
    I rubbed my nose. It was numb, totally frozen. My skin tingled from the damp cold. I looked down. I couldn't see my shoes.
    “Isn't this dark enough?” I asked, my voice echoing all around. I lowered it to a whisper. “It can't get any blacker than this.”
    “Okay. Let's give it a try,” Nicky said.
    “Give
what
a try?” I asked. “What do we have to do?”
    He sighed. “Just wait, I guess.”
    “Yeah. We're in the right place at the right time. So … we'll just wait until Inkweed dies,” Tara said.
    They guided me to a low, flat rock ledge at the edge of the path. I sat down and crossed my arms tightly in front of me, trying to warm up. My shoes tapped on the soft ground. I was so cold and nervous, I couldn't