Chapter 25

chapter twenty-five I sink to the floor. My chin falls to my chest, my arms go limp, and my head spins like a manic merry-go-round.

I've failed. I look at my friends. Sweat pours from Dirk's pale face. I failed. I failed. June says something, but I don't hear her. Every sound seems to be a mile away. It's like I'm listening to the world from underwater. I pride myself on being a cool, calm, never- panicked hero—but right now I'm way far from that. "Is it stuffy in here?" I ask. I feel my mouth moving, but I don't hear myself speaking. I see June's face. She's shaking me, trying to help. I look to Dirk. He has his eyes shut tight and his hands wrapped around his knees. He's rocking back and forth. Stale air in the garage. I smell oil and sawdust. I smell melted plastic. I smell gasoline. Need water. Need something cold. June snaps her fingers in my face.

I can barely see her. It's like looking at something through 120-degree heat—wavy and out of focus. Then a whistle. High-pitched, cutting through the air. June whistling. Why? I shut my eyes again. Sink back against the bars. And then something cool and wet on my face. Water? It brings me to. Wakes me up. Snaps me out of it. I gasp for air, sucking in a huge breath. I see Rover. His big tongue out, licking me. Cooling me. Sounds come back. It no longer feels like I'm drowning in dread. June is in my face, looking me over. "Jack? Jack, you all right?" "Yes," I say slowly. "Yes, I'm OK. Sorry—just —a little freaked there for a second. Felt like the world was closing in around me." "You good?" June asks. "I'm good." "You ready to figure a way out of here?" "I'm ready."

Dirk grabs the bars and shakes. They won't break. They won't bend. Instead... My camera clanks off my head. It turns on as it hits me, bringing up the pic of us with Thrull and Bardle. It was just a month ago, but it feels like ages. I thought we had monster allies. But no—just more monster enemies. Well, one monster enemy: Thrull. "Are the other monsters bad?" June asks, like she's thinking what I'm thinking. "I don't think so. I was suspicious of Bardle. But it seems Thrull's the real villain, if he's planning to feed the rest of them to .e...c. the Ancient once it comes to Earth."

"Then we'll just have to trust the rest of them. Because we need help." June holds up the camera and taps the image of Bardle. "Rover, can you find this guy?" Rover's big monster eyes narrow. His head lifts. He looks at me. I nod. "Please, Rover. Please." Rover turns and darts through the garage door. June looks at me. "Fingers crossed." "Fingers and toes," I reply. An hour passes. No Rover. No Bardle. "How will the world end, do you think?" June asks. "This .e...c. guy. What will he do?" I shrug. "Maybe he'll be like a Tasmanian devil thing, raging across the planet...." "Maybe he'll sit on a big throne," June says. "And hold a big dance-off for his approval." "I'm less worried about the end of the world," I say, shaking my head, "and more worried about the end of Quint."

June leans close. She takes my hand. "Jack," she says. "We're going to get Quint back. We're going to stop Thrull." I bang my head against the bars. "It's been more than an hour. Thrull is probably halfway through his evil ceremony right now. Bet he's all mumbo-jumboing, like—" ZURGLE BURBLE SKTL SPLURG TURTLE!! "Jack," June says. "Stop." I sigh. "What does it matter? I can't be goofy? We're DONE, June."