|
�Oh wonderful,� Ziz said sarcastically. �Does anyone have any flashlights?�
�I think there might be some in our room, Ziz,� Char said. �Want me to go get them?�
�Yeah,� Seth replied. �Here�s a flashlight that was just sitting here by the TV.�
Char turned the flashlight on. �Anyone want to come with me?�
Eddie and Gavin stood up. �We�ll come.�
The three unsteadily made their way up the stairs to Char and Ziz�s room.
�I think they�re in one of these drawers,� Char said, opening a drawer and feeling around for a flashlight. They set to work finding the flashlights. �Hey, Gav-have you found any flashlights?� Char asked.
�No,� Gavin replied. �Wait, hold on. I have one now.�
�Eddie, do you have one?� Char asked.
There was no reply.
Char turned around. �Eddie?�
�Boo!�
Char gasped and jumped back. �Eddie, don�t do that! That scared me!�
Eddie was holding two flashlights up to his face, giving him a shadowy, scary appearance. He grinned. �Sorry, I couldn�t resist.�
�Well, resist next time,� Char said.
�I�ll try,� Eddie replied. �Got any flashlights?�
�Yeah, I have about three,� Char said. �How many do you have, Gav?�
�Three, too.� Gavin appeared next to Char.
Char gasped and backed into Eddie�s chest. �Geez!! You guys just like scaring me today, don�t you?�
�Sorry. We should go back down no,� Gavin said.
Char jumped on Gavin�s back. �Okay, let�s go.�
Eddie cast a knowing smile at the two as they went back to the lounge.
�Finally! It�s about time you guys got back!� Kelly said as Char got off Gavin and started handing out flashlights.
�Is everyone okay in here?� Warren appeared in the doorway holding a Coleman lantern. Leslie was right behind him with another lantern.
�Yeah, we�re fine,� Robyn answered.
�You aren�t going to last long with those flashlights. Here�s a lantern.� Warren set his lantern on the table. �I�ll try to find more lanterns and stuff.�
�Don�t you need the lantern to find that stuff?� Ziz asked.
�I have Leslie�s lantern,� Warren said.
�Well, thanks, Warren,� Seth said.
�I�ll be back when I find more,� Warren replied and left the room with Leslie following him. Gloria, Sadie and Ethan walked timidly into the room.
�Can we hang in here for awhile?� Ethan asked, scanning the room. He smiled when he found Char.
Char seemed to shrink and Gavin put his arm around her.
With a sigh, Jenna said, �Yeah, I guess.�
Ethan crossed the room to sit next to Char on the couch, but Kelly and Gavin beat him to it.
�Don�t worry, we�ll take care of him, okay?� Kelly said in a low voice.
Char nodded. �So, what do we do now?�
�Tell stories?� Gloria suggested.
�What kind of stories?� Eddie asked.
�Scary,� Gloria replied.
�Yeah right. That�s the type of story to tell right about now,� Mo said.
�No, maybe it�s a good idea, Mo,� Seth said.
�Mo? Where are Larry and Curly?� Sadie asked sarcastically.
�Shut up, Sadie,� Jenna answered.
�Where�s Brent?� Robyn asked.
�I think he�s helping Warren find candles and stuff,� Leslie said quietly. No one had even noticed she had entered the room.
�We didn�t see you come into the room, Leslie,� Gavin said.
�I�ve been here for awhile,� Leslie said.
�Sorry for not noticing you.� Char sank further into the cushions of the couch when Ethan looked at her.
�It�s okay,� Leslie murmured.
�I�ll start a story,� Robyn said. �It was a snowy and dark night and the Ski Club was stuck high in the mountains. The power went out and they were all stuck in the dark. There was a crash-�
Robyn stopped when she heard a crash in the kitchen.
�What was that?� Mo asked, sitting up straighter.
�It�s probably just the cooks,� Leslie said.
�I�m gonna go check it out to make sure everything�s okay.� Seth stood up, but Jenna pulled him back down.
�No, Seth, don�t go,� Jenna said.
�Yeah, I�m sure the cooks just knocked something over,� Leslie said nervously.
�Okay.� Seth sat back down.
�So, anyway,� Robyn continued. �There was a crash that scared everyone. And-�
Warren came in and sat down.
�Is everything okay out there?� Kelly asked.
�Yeah, everything�s fine. Why?� Warren set down another lantern and a few candles.
�We heard a crash out there and we were wondering if something had happened,� Gloria replied.
�Oh. I ran into a rack of pans in the kitchen. One hit me in the head.� Warren rubbed a bump on his head.
�I thought Brent was with you,� Robyn said.
�He was, but he said he had a headache and wanted to go back up to his room and lie down for awhile,� Warren answered.
�He�s up in his room?� Robyn asked.
Warren nodded. �That�s what he said.�
�Well, I�m gonna go up and talk to him.� Robyn stood up and took a flashlight with her.
Robyn climbed the stairs and knocked on the door of Brent�s room. �Brent?�
There was no answer.
Robyn knocked again. �Brent?�
Still no answer. She opened the door and walked into the room. �Brent, are you in here?�
Robyn shined her flashlight around the room. He wasn�t there.
�Maybe he�s in the kitchen, getting something to eat. I�m kind of hungry, too,� Robyn said to herself. She went down the stairs and went into the kitchen. |
|
