The Creature from Club Lagoona (8 page)

My heart pounded faster as I approached the spot where the creature had been. I didn't want it to find me, so I dropped to my knees and began to crawl through the bushes.

I found the glass and decided to go to the right. I scanned the surface of the glass. I didn't even know what I was looking for. An opening. A door. Anything that wasn't just flat, smooth glass.

I crawled slowly, feeling every bit I could reach. I peered up along the wall, straining to see what was above me.

Every now and then a fish swam past. I tried not to freak out when I saw something.

I knew the creature could appear at any time. I knew it could latch on to the glass and heave its huge tentacle-tongue right over the side.

But I had to go on. It was up to me.

After about twenty minutes, I'd turned two corners. I realized there was probably only one more wall to explore.

I was beginning to doubt that there was an exit. Maybe we'd just been thrown into the tank by the creature. Maybe it was storing us there until it was hungry. I thought of lobsters I'd seen in restaurants, swimming in tanks, waiting for a hungry diner to pick them out and eat them.

Now
we
were the lobsters!

I paused and glanced around. I realized I was nearly back where I'd started.

I knew the others would have missed me by now. But I had to go on. Everyone's life depended on it.

As I turned the last corner, I spotted a huge green
sea turtle. It was swimming up to the wall, butting its nose softly on it.

I watched it swim around, as if it were trying to get in.

It went way up the wall. I could see its yellow undershell as it paddled up.

It kept butting its pointed snout on something.

I squinted hard.

High up the glass wall—there was a huge hose connected to the tank. Where the tank met the hose I could just make out—an opening!

I found an old dead palm tree and dragged it to the wall. I leaned it against the glass. It reached the hole!

I shinnied up slowly. As I got closer, I could see that on the other side of the glass the hole connected to a long black tube. The tube was so long that it twisted around the corner of the tank and out of sight.

Could it lead to the drain in the Atlantis pool?

My heart started pounding again. But this time it was with hope, not fear.

When I'd nearly reached the top, the sea turtle swam away quickly. It ducked under the tube and vanished around the corner.

I froze. Something must have frightened it away.

I was almost too afraid to look. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a shimmering object moving toward me.

“On the count of three,” I ordered myself.

The thing kept coming my way.

“One. Two. Three!” I shouted. I whipped my head around.

And stared into the face of a big fat eel!

“Ha!” I was so relieved it wasn't the creature that I laughed out loud. I felt the tree tip.

“Whoa!” I clutched the tree, steadying myself.

I was never so glad to see an eel in my life!

I hoisted myself up to the hole. It was the entrance to a tunnel! It had to be the one that Neal and I had hurtled through after we were sucked down the drain. It made sense, because I was nearly back at the spot where we'd all found one another.

Carefully, I pulled myself into the tunnel. I had to find out if I was right.

Maybe I had found the way out!

I crawled forward in the dark, cramped space. I knew I was surrounded by deep water on both sides. I tried not to let that thought get to me.

I wanted to turn back. I couldn't see a thing. I started to sweat and feel trapped in the dark tunnel.

I stopped crawling.

I took a few deep breaths, trying to control the panic building up inside of me.

Then I saw it. A tiny point of bluish light!

There was definitely a light up ahead. It had to be the end of the tunnel.

I began crawling again, faster now. I wasn't going to
turn back. Wherever this tunnel led, I was nearly there.

I stopped to wipe the sweat off my forehead. It dripped into my eyes and burned.

Then I heard a noise. I listened hard.

It sounded like the whirring noise in the bottom of the Atlantis pool! But the whirring was drowned out by another sound. A low rumbling.

What was it?

The rumbling grew louder and louder.

I glanced back. Nothing but darkness. I couldn't even see the end where I'd started.

I faced forward again. Then I saw it. Through the long, dark tunnel, light from the other end reflected on something. Something racing toward me.

Water!

A gigantic wall of water!

Rushing right at me!

M
y scream echoed down the tunnel.

I tried to back up. I could see the water coming at me. I could hear it rushing. I could even smell it.

I scurried backward. But it was hopeless.

There was nothing I could do. I took a deep breath and ducked my head under my arms.

Whoosh!!!

The wall of water slammed into me.

Water rushed into my face. I clamped my eyes shut. The water poured into my ears and up my nose.

It threw me up against the top of the tunnel. My head pounded as if I'd been punched. I twisted and turned, hurtling backward, spinning out of control, tumbling and whirling.

I'm going to drown! I thought in terror. I'm going to drown in this tunnel.

Suddenly I felt a big bump. I sped over the ridge of the tunnel entrance. I flew through the air in a jet of water!

I pulled myself into a ball.

Wham!

I lay still for a moment, trying to catch my breath. Then I opened my eyes.

The first thing I saw was a coconut.

I was right back at where I landed with Neal! Back at where we found ourselves after being sucked down the drain in the Atlantis pool. But where was the water? I dug through the dirt and found a small drain. The water must get out through that, I realized.

My whole body ached. I checked quickly for injuries. Just a couple of nasty scratches. I scrambled to my feet.

I had to find the others. I had to tell them what I found. This tunnel must be the only way out.

But it was useless if we couldn't get past the rushing waves of water.

Well, I reasoned, I found the exit. Let someone else figure out how to handle the water problem!

Smack!

I spun around at a sound. My eyes widened.

“No!” I whispered hoarsely.

The huge green tentacle pressed against the wall.

Sluurp. Sluurp. Sluurp. Sluurp.

The creature was back!

The tentacle crawled its way up the wall.

The awful noises grew louder and faster as the tentacle picked up speed.

Slurp! Sluurp! Slurp! Sluurp!

My head tilted back as my eyes gazed up and up and up.

The huge green tentacle waved in the air above me. Green slime streamed off it. The suckers opened and closed. They wanted to grab something.

They wanted to grab me!

I flattened myself on the ground and closed my eyes.

Whap!

I felt something hit my back!

It had me!

The creature's suckers latched on to my body. They tugged my skin, pulling at it with an awful popping and sucking sound. The tentacle pinned my arms to my sides. It twisted around me.

Then it raised me high into the air.

Over the top of the terrarium.

I glanced down.

The hideous eye on top of the creature's huge head blinked at me. Its enormous scaly green body was dimly visible in the water.

It clutched me in its tentacle-tongue. But I could see that there were many other tentacles thrashing in the water below me!

My whole body went stiff with terror. I knew what was coming next.

It was going to eat me!

“N
oooooo!” I screamed. “You're not going to eat me!”

I kicked and wriggled in the tentacle. But its grip held me like a vise. It squeezed me so tight, I felt as if I were going to pop. I struggled against it with all my strength.

But the creature was so much stronger.

It lashed me violently through the air. The slimy suckers attached to my skin, pulling and twisting my flesh away from my bones! Each time the slippery suckers released me, a horrible wet
pop!
vibrated through me.

Then I noticed something. The gross slime oozing from the tentacle's suckers was like thick grease. My body was becoming slick and slippery.

Instead of pushing out against the tentacle, I tried slipping my arms up. I squirmed and wriggled like a worm on a hook. I twisted my body and slid my arms up my sides. Farther, farther.

Thwop!

I did it! I popped out of the creature's grip!

A moment later I landed with a thud on something hard. A coral reef! What luck! I would have a hard enough time fighting the creature on land! If I'd plopped into the water, I'd have been a goner for sure.

I stood up. My knees were scraped and sore from landing on the reef, but otherwise I was okay. I glanced around quickly. Was there any place to run? I had to put some distance between me and the creature!

Then I spotted a spray of water in the distance. It shot straight up in the air. I shaded my eyes.

Yes!
The water must be from the fountain in the center of Club Lagoona! I was near the island! Maybe I could get help!

I raced toward it, running carefully along a high ridge in the center of the reef. Water lapped up both sides.

The surface was uneven, making it difficult to run. I tried to avoid the huge jagged barnacles that grew along the ridge. My breath came in gasps as I darted along the reef, terrified that the creature might grab me any second.

Suddenly my foot hit a slippery patch. I tumbled into the water.

The saltwater made my scrapes burn. I kicked back to the reef and tried to hoist myself up. The reef sloped sharply into the cold water.

I kept slipping back in. Back in to where the creature might be lurking.

I could picture its massive green body. Its gaping mouth with its razor-sharp teeth. Its slimy scales and disgusting tentacles and suckers.

I could still hear the sound of Mark and his family being eaten. That sickening
Crunch!

I had to get out of the water!

I dog-paddled for a while along the side of the reef, frantically searching for a spot where I could haul myself back up.

Finally I found a place that wasn't so steep. I reached out with my arms. I kicked extra hard and pulled for all I was worth.

I made it! I was back up on the reef. Safe, at least for the moment.

I moved more carefully. I knew I had to watch out for the barnacles and the slippery patches.

I gazed toward Club Lagoona. I was nearly at the end of the reef. My mind raced. How will I attract attention? I thought frantically. How will I get help? Will I be able to find the huge tank I escaped from?

And where is the creature now?

I picked my way along the reef, knowing I'd soon have my answers.

I stumbled. The reef seemed to move slightly under my feet!

I tried to relax. I was exhausted and dizzy. I was imagining things.

I gazed straight ahead, hoping to see more land, a place to escape to. I noticed something new. The ground felt different under my feet. It seemed to be changing, getting softer.

Whoa!
The reef really moved!

It wasn't my imagination! Not at all.

I gazed at the ground, wondering what was going on. There were fewer barnacles, I realized. The reef seemed more even, almost smooth. I had to slow down as I continued on.

A sudden violent shake made me stop dead in my tracks. I dropped to my knees.

Several more shakes followed.

“What's happening?” I cried.

My voice sounded tiny and scared.

Then I knew! I was on a tiny coral reef island. I was in the middle of an earthquake!

I had to get off the island fast. I had to get to someplace more secure.