I can’t turn off the light!”
13
Beyond the shimmering wall of yellow light, Zack’s outstretched hand came
clearly into my view. The dark chain dangled from his hand like a dead snake.
“It broke off!” he was crying, sounding very alarmed.
I stared through the light at the chain, feeling myself hovering beside Zack,
floating, fading.
Somewhere far in the distance, April was screaming. I couldn’t make out her
words.
Lefty stood frozen in the center of the room. It seemed strange to see him
standing so still. He was always moving, always bouncing, running, falling. But
now he, too, stood staring at the chain.
The light shimmered brighter.
I saw sudden movement.
Someone was crossing the room. I struggled to focus.
It was Erin. She was dragging a large cardboard box across the floor. The scraping sound it made seemed so far away.
Feeling myself being pulled away, I struggled to watch her. She pulled the
box next to the mirror. Then she climbed up onto it.
I saw her reaching up to the lamp. I saw her staring into the light.
I wanted to ask her what she was doing, but I was too far away. I was
floating off. I felt so light, so feather light.
And as I floated, the yellow light spread over me. It covered me. Pulled me.
And then with startling suddenness, it was gone.
And all was darkness.
“I did it!” Erin proclaimed.
I heard her explaining to the others. “There was a little bit of chain left
up there. I pulled it and turned off the light.” Her eyes darted frantically
around the room, searching for me. “Max—are you okay? Can you hear me?”
“Yeah. I’m okay,” I replied.
I felt better. Stronger. Closer.
I stepped up to the mirror and searched for my reflection.
“That was scary,” Lefty said behind me.
“I can feel myself coming back,” I told them.
“What was his time?” Zack asked April.
April’s features were tight with worry. Sitting against the wall, she looked pale and uncomfortable. “Five forty-eight,” she
told Zack. And then quickly added, “I really think this stupid competition is a
big mistake.”
“You beat my record!” Zack groaned, turning to where he figured I was
standing. “I don’t believe it! Almost six minutes!”
“I’m going for longer than that,” Lefty said, pushing past Zack and stepping
up to the mirror.
“We have to fix the chain first,” Erin told him. “It’s too hard to keep
climbing up on a box to pull that little piece of chain.”
“I felt pretty strange at the end,” I told them, still waiting to reappear.
“The light grew brighter and brighter.”
“Did you feel like you were being pulled away?” Erin asked.
“Yeah,” I replied. “Like I was fading or something.”
“That’s how I started to feel,” Erin cried.
“This is just so dangerous,” April said, shaking her head.
I popped back.
My knees buckled and I almost fell to the floor. But I grabbed the mirror and
held myself up. After a few seconds, my legs felt strong again. I took a few
steps and regained my balance.
“What if we couldn’t turn off the light?” April demanded, climbing to her
feet, brushing the dust off the back of her jeans with both hands. “What if the chain completely
broke and the light stayed on? What then?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“You broke my record,” Zack said, making a disgusted face. “That means I have
to have another turn.”
“No way!” Lefty shouted. “It’s my turn next!”
“None of you are listening to me!” April cried. “Answer my question. What if
one of you is invisible and the light won’t go out?”
“That won’t happen,” Zack told her. He pulled a string from his pocket.
“Here. I’m going to tie this tightly to the chain.” He climbed up onto the box
and began to work. “Pull the string. The light goes out,” he told April. “No
problem.”
“Which one of us is going to be first to get invisible and then go outside?”
Erin asked.
“I want to
13
Beyond the shimmering wall of yellow light, Zack’s outstretched hand came
clearly into my view. The dark chain dangled from his hand like a dead snake.
“It broke off!” he was crying, sounding very alarmed.
I stared through the light at the chain, feeling myself hovering beside Zack,
floating, fading.
Somewhere far in the distance, April was screaming. I couldn’t make out her
words.
Lefty stood frozen in the center of the room. It seemed strange to see him
standing so still. He was always moving, always bouncing, running, falling. But
now he, too, stood staring at the chain.
The light shimmered brighter.
I saw sudden movement.
Someone was crossing the room. I struggled to focus.
It was Erin. She was dragging a large cardboard box across the floor. The scraping sound it made seemed so far away.
Feeling myself being pulled away, I struggled to watch her. She pulled the
box next to the mirror. Then she climbed up onto it.
I saw her reaching up to the lamp. I saw her staring into the light.
I wanted to ask her what she was doing, but I was too far away. I was
floating off. I felt so light, so feather light.
And as I floated, the yellow light spread over me. It covered me. Pulled me.
And then with startling suddenness, it was gone.
And all was darkness.
“I did it!” Erin proclaimed.
I heard her explaining to the others. “There was a little bit of chain left
up there. I pulled it and turned off the light.” Her eyes darted frantically
around the room, searching for me. “Max—are you okay? Can you hear me?”
“Yeah. I’m okay,” I replied.
I felt better. Stronger. Closer.
I stepped up to the mirror and searched for my reflection.
“That was scary,” Lefty said behind me.
“I can feel myself coming back,” I told them.
“What was his time?” Zack asked April.
April’s features were tight with worry. Sitting against the wall, she looked pale and uncomfortable. “Five forty-eight,” she
told Zack. And then quickly added, “I really think this stupid competition is a
big mistake.”
“You beat my record!” Zack groaned, turning to where he figured I was
standing. “I don’t believe it! Almost six minutes!”
“I’m going for longer than that,” Lefty said, pushing past Zack and stepping
up to the mirror.
“We have to fix the chain first,” Erin told him. “It’s too hard to keep
climbing up on a box to pull that little piece of chain.”
“I felt pretty strange at the end,” I told them, still waiting to reappear.
“The light grew brighter and brighter.”
“Did you feel like you were being pulled away?” Erin asked.
“Yeah,” I replied. “Like I was fading or something.”
“That’s how I started to feel,” Erin cried.
“This is just so dangerous,” April said, shaking her head.
I popped back.
My knees buckled and I almost fell to the floor. But I grabbed the mirror and
held myself up. After a few seconds, my legs felt strong again. I took a few
steps and regained my balance.
“What if we couldn’t turn off the light?” April demanded, climbing to her
feet, brushing the dust off the back of her jeans with both hands. “What if the chain completely
broke and the light stayed on? What then?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“You broke my record,” Zack said, making a disgusted face. “That means I have
to have another turn.”
“No way!” Lefty shouted. “It’s my turn next!”
“None of you are listening to me!” April cried. “Answer my question. What if
one of you is invisible and the light won’t go out?”
“That won’t happen,” Zack told her. He pulled a string from his pocket.
“Here. I’m going to tie this tightly to the chain.” He climbed up onto the box
and began to work. “Pull the string. The light goes out,” he told April. “No
problem.”
“Which one of us is going to be first to get invisible and then go outside?”
Erin asked.
“I want to
Similar Books
