10 TUNNEL VISION

CHAPTER 10 TUNNEL VISION Rip held up his arms, ready to say weeeee! as the coaster rolled into the tunnel. But he didn't say weeeeeee. He didn't even say woo. He just made a sound like a balloon losing air. "That was some dip," Rip said. "I've ridden shopping carts faster than this!"

Alexander looked around. The tunnel walls were painted to look like a cave, with fake, rubbery rocks all around. Suddenly—CLACK! The coaster came to a stop. "What happened?" asked Nikki. SHUFF. SHUFF. There was a sound like footsteps up ahead. "Did you hear that?" Alexander whispered. He craned his neck to see around the bend. A second track branched off to the left, but the footsteps seemed to be coming from another direction.

CLONK! The lights went out. "Whoa!" said Rip. The three friends leaned in close to one another. SHUFF. SHUFF. SHUFF. The footsteps were coming closer. "Nikki," whispered Alexander, "what can you see with your night-vision?" "Someone's coming this way," whispered Nikki. She gasped, then shouted: "Dottie!" "Hey!" Dottie called back. "Who turned out the lights?" Alexander unzipped his backpack. "Hang on, Dottie!" he shouted. "I've got a flashlight!" He flicked it on. Dottie ran over to the coaster. "What are you doing down here?" asked Rip.

"Well, Mr. Hoarsely ran off," said Dottie. "So I turned to head back for lunch. But then I saw a bunny by this ride! I tossed my backpack into a parked coaster car and chased the bunny down here. But I lost it after 99 hops!" "See, Salamander?" Rip said. "There was never a ghost—or a monster!" Alexander turned back to Dottie. "Did you see glowing red BRUGHMMMMMMMMM! A deep rumble shook the tunnel. Alexander saw something move, just to his left. He swept his flashlight along the wall, and stopped when the light hit a creepy-looking rock.

Actually, it wasn't a rock. It was a floating body made of dark, twisted rags. A grinning skull bobbled on top of the body. The creature drifted toward the coaster car. Its red, glowing eyes lit up the tunnel. "The whirly-wisp!" said Alexander.