Read Spooksville 17: The Thing in the Closet Online
Authors: Christopher Pike
Spooksville 17: The Thing in the Closet (4 page)
Five
When Cindy came to, she found herself in a dark forest. She actually awoke lying on her back on the ground, on the grass of a small meadow enclosed by tall shaggy trees. Sitting up, she noticed that the sky glowed with a faint green light. It did not seem to be overcast, but there were no stars, no moon. In the distance she could see the outline of huge shapes that could have been mountains. There was the sound of running water but it was not close. It was not so dark that she could not move around, and yet everything looked slightly blurred. She wondered if it was her own eyesight but when she blinked and rubbed her eyes it made no difference.
She was in a no-man's land.
At least the thing that had grabbed her was nowhere to be seen. She shuddered at the memory of it, although she could not remember it well. Its attack on her had been a blur as well. She vaguely recalled a bulbous body, huge green eyes, grasping hands and a slobbering mouth filled with sharp teeth. It had rushed towards her at incredible speed and then she had blacked out. Or maybe she had screamed and then blacked out. She wondered if anyone had heard her being attacked; if Adam and her other friends were looking for her right now.
But where was she for them to look?
At the rear of her closet?
No, the thing that had grabbed her had definitely emerged from this strange realm. But what it wanted with her she could not imagine. She was just grateful that it had not harmed her.
Cindy stood up and looked around, brushing off her pyjama bottoms.
There was a sound behind her, in the woods.
She whirled and saw a thin, elfish-looking boy. His ears were pointed and his skin glowed with a faint green colour. He wore a simple brown tunic and a grey cloak that reached to his knees. In the leather belt around his waist hung a long silver sword. He stared at her with large green eyes as his right hand rested on the hilt of the blade. Over his shoulder he carried a long bow and a crude bag of arrows. He was slightly taller than her and appeared well-muscled despite his slight frame. His expression was rather intense; he did not look happy to see her.
'You are awake,' he said in a soft clear voice. 'I have been waiting.'
'You speak English,' she said in surprise.
'I speak whatever you speak.'
'What do you mean?'
He let go of his sword and touched the side of his head. 'It comes to me, what to say to you.'
'You mean, you can read my mind?'
'No.'
'Then you knew how to speak English before you met me?'
'No.'
'I don't understand,' Cindy said.
'You are human. Humans are slow to understand.'
Cindy felt mildly insulted. 'What are you?'
'I am Zeta. You are in the realm of Cetine.'
'But how did I get here?'
He paused to look past her. He seemed to frown.
'I can only assume you were brought here by a Shadow,' he said. 'I chanced upon you while you were in its arms.' He paused and touched his sword again. He gestured to the trees on the other side of the small meadow. 'I slew it.'
'Why did you kill it?'
'It was in my way. It would have killed you.'
Cindy grimaced. 'Really?'
He nodded. 'It would have boiled you alive and then eaten your brains. The Shadows love human brains. For them they are a delicacy.'
Cindy felt sick to her stomach. 'Thank you for rescuing me. But where do these Shadows come from?'
'They haunt this part of Cetine. They have always been here.' His voice took on a note of disapproval. 'Most people are wise enough not to enter these lands.'
'I didn't plan on coming here at all. I am from Spooksville, I mean Springville. Do you know where that is?'
'Are you from planet Earth?'
'Yes.'
He nodded. 'I know where Earth is.'
'Good. Do you know how I can get back there?'
'You cannot get back. Earth is on the other side of the Curtain.'
'What Curtain?'
He gestured to the weird sky. 'The Curtain of Dreams.'
Cindy began to worry. 'But I have to get back. I have homework to do tomorrow. I have a family, a mother and little brother. I don't belong in this place.'
He turned away. 'That is not my concern.'
'Wait! Where are you going?'
He paused. 'I am returning to Centrae.'
'What is that?'
'The capital of Cetine. It is where Furma lives, the High Lord of all Cetine.'
'Who is this Furma?'
'I just told you. Who are you?'
'My name is Cindy Makey.' She offered her hand. She didn't want him to run off and leave her, not with Shadows haunting the woods. Boy, they sounded awful. She hated even having a headache, never mind having someone actually eating her brains. But Zeta just stared at her hand and didn't take it. She added, 'Can I go with you?'
He considered. 'You will slow me down.'
'I am not so slow.' She added, 'You can't just leave me here.'
Why not?
'You said it yourself, the woods are full of Shadows. I might be attacked again.'
'That is not my concern.'
'But it has to be your concern. Look, you saved me the first time. Why won't you help me now?'
'I slew the Shadow who captured you because the beast crossed my path. Otherwise I would not have got involved.'
'But you waited nearby for me to wake up?'
'I was merely resting myself.'
'You would have just let it eat my brains?'
'Yes.'
Cindy was annoyed. 'You are not very friendly, you know that?'
'That does not concern me either.'
'What does concern you?'
'Returning to Centrae as swiftly as possible.'
'I need to go to Centrae with you. I need to meet this Furma character.'
'He is not a character. He is High Lord of all Cetine.'
'Yeah, I know that. I heard you the first time. I need to meet with him and see if he knows how to return me to Earth.' She paused. 'I assume he is really wise and all-powerful and stuff like that?'
Zeta hesitated. 'He is wise and powerful.'
'But?' From his tone, it sounded as if Furma might not be that friendly.
'I did not say the word "but".'
'But do you think he would be able to help me?'
'I do not know. I do not care.' Zeta turned to leave, stepping into the trees. 'If you wish to follow me, you may. But I will not slow down for you. You will have to keep up using your own power. And if we are attacked by Shadows, I will defend myself first and you second.'
Cindy scampered to catch up with Zeta. He walked briskly.
'At least you will try to defend me.' She teased, 'I think you must like me a little.'
'I do not care for humans at all.'
'Why not?'
'They look strange. They act strange.'
'Well, where I come from you would look kind of strange, with those pointed ears and all.
Have you ever thought of that?'
'No. I do not care what humans think.'
Cindy sighed. 'How far is it to Centrae?'
'By your standards, more than one day's hard hike.'
'Will we stop and rest between here and there?'
'You can stop and rest But I will not stop.'
'You really would just leave me to be eaten by the Shadows?'
'Yes.'
Cindy shook her head. 'You have a bad attitude, you know that?'
'You said that already. It is not my . . .'
'It is not your concern,' Cindy interrupted. 'Yeah, you said that already.'
Six
At George Sanders's house, the gang gathered outside his bedroom window and knocked stiffly on the glass. The little guy with the big nose and the awkward body took several seconds to answer. He had on red Christmas pyjamas. He even wore a red Santa cap that looked totally ridiculous on top of his bushy eyebrows. He was surprised to see them.
'What are you guys doing here?' he asked.
Sally took the lead. 'We have come to warn you.'
He looked worried. 'Are the aliens back?'
'No,' Sally said. 'It's much worse than that. You remember Cindy Makey?'
'The pretty girl with the blonde hair?'
'She's not that pretty. Anyway, she's been abducted by a horrible monster.'
George put his hand to his mouth. 'That is terrible. Have you called the police?'
'You cannot call the police in this town,' Adam said flatly.
'Why not?' George asked.
'Because they are all cowards that are afraid to leave the police station,' Sally explained.
'Listen, it is probably already too late for Cindy. We're pretty sure the monster has already had her for dinner. But the reason we are here is to try to save your life. You see, this monster is a very special kind of monster. It lives in people's closets.'
George trembled visibly. 'In Cindy's closet?'
Sally leaned closer and spoke in a confidential tone.
'It lives in any kind of closet,' she said. 'It could be in your closet right now. But it is only when you are afraid of it that it can get you. It is your fear of it that opens the doorway through which it can enter into this dimension and grab you. Once it has you nothing can save you. But all you have to do is stay cool and you will be all right.' Sally paused. That's what we came to tell you. But now we have to go.' She turned to leave, and so did the others. George looked panic-stricken.