16

I stared at my reflections as horrifying thoughts swept over me.

Had the boys really disappeared?

Had they fallen into some kind of trap? Were they lost in the maze of glass and mirrors?

HorrorLand was too scary, I decided. It was fun to be scared. But it was too hard to tell whether the scares here were for fun — or for real. Were there dangers in this place? Or was it all a big, scary joke?

"Luke? Clay?" I called to them in a trembling voice, turning all around, searching for an exit.

Silence.

Then I heard a muffled giggle.

Then I heard whispering voices. Nearby.

Another giggle, louder this time. Luke's giggle.

They had been playing a little joke on me. "Hey, you're not funny!" I screamed angrily. "Really! Not funny!"

I could hear them both burst out laughing. "Come and find us, Lizzy!" Luke called.

"What's taking you so long?" Clay added.

More giggling. It seemed to come from just up ahead.

Sliding my hands along the mirrors, I followed the hallway around to the right. I had to duck my head to slip through a narrow opening between the mirrors.

I found myself in another small room surrounded by mirrors above and below and on all sides. The mirrors were tilted at strange angles so that my reflections appeared to bounce off each other as I moved.

"Where are you? Am I getting closer?" I called.

The light grew dim as I made my way through this room. My reflections darkened. The shadows grew longer.

"We can't see you!" Clay called.

"Hurry up!" Luke shouted impatiently.

"I'm going as fast as I can!" I screamed. "Just don't move, okay? Stay in one place."

"We are!" Luke called back.

"How will we ever get out of here?" I heard Clay ask him in a low voice.

"Ow!" I bumped my head again on a section of clear glass.

I pounded my fist angrily on the glass.

This wasn't any fun, I decided. It was too painful.

"Hurry up!" Luke called from somewhere nearby. "It's boring waiting here for you!"

"I'm coming," I muttered, rubbing my poor, aching forehead.

I turned a corner and stepped into a wider room. No mirrors here. The walls were all glass. I stopped to gaze around — and there was Luke.

"Finally!" he cried. "Why couldn't you find us?"

"I kept hitting my head," I told him. "Let's get out of here. Where's Clay?"

"Huh?" Luke's mouth dropped open in surprise. He spun around, searching for his friend. "He was standing right here," he said.

"Luke — I'm in no mood for any more dumb jokes," I said sharply. "Clay, where are you hiding?"

"I'm not hiding. I'm over here," Clay called.

I took a few steps closer to my brother, and Clay came into view. He was standing in deep shadows behind a glass wall, his hands pressed against the pane.

"How'd you get over there?" Luke asked Clay.

Clay shrugged. "I can't find a way out."

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