Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen Everyone stares at me... My arms tremble. I gently set the radio down. I take a shaky step back. I'm scared of the thing. June's mouth hangs open as she realizes what's happening—then she makes a squeaking sound and races toward the radio.

REPEAT, WE WILL TRY ONE MORE TIME TONIGHT AT 10 P.M.. That said, the last broadcast is at 10 p.m. tonight. And it's 7 p.m. right now. That's only three hours away. And we still can't hear too good. What's the deal? Quint scratches his head for a moment, then looks up—eyeing the massive rides that tower over us. "Blast..." he says. "All this metal and electricity is interfering with the signal. We must reach a higher altitude." "The Thunder Coaster's big peak is the highest spot in the park," June says. "What about that?"

"A superb suggestion!" Quint exclaims. "The Thunder Coaster! Ingenious, June." I don't speak. I'm still too stunned. Too overwhelmed. They begin racing toward the Thunder Coaster. And that's when I hear the horrific sound of skeletal wings beating the air. The sound snaps me out of my frozen weirdness feeling, and I'm reaching out, grabbing Quint, and shouting, "Guys, take cover!" I pull Quint, and June and Dirk follow. We dive inside the Fun Land Fried Dough Golden Oil Gazebo, tumbling over a counter, slamming into a mound of stale popcorn. Ants march over the kernels. An instant later, a shadow sweeps over the ground. The King Wretch. The monster soars above the park, circling twice before swooping downward and perching atop the Ferris wheel. The Ferris wheel creaks and bends under the King Wretch's weight. But the monster doesn't move.

Everyone knows what this means: as long as the King Wretch is there, we're trapped. We'll miss the radio broadcast. And not just any radio broadcast: the last radio broadcast. Everything my friends worked so hard for will be ruined. The thing that is most important to them—it's in danger of being lost. The silence among my friends is deafening. And the worst part? It's MY fault! I brought my buddies here! Me! I did that! And the King Wretch is here because of me. It's my head he filled with weirdo king dreams! It's my skull that he stuffed that horrible nightmare inside! It's me he wants! June breaks the silence. "It doesn't look like we're going anywhere," she says with a sigh. "So, you want to talk now, Jack? Or do you want to go back to tantrumming like a little kid?" I sink into the mound of popcorn. My heart is racing and sweat is dripping off me, mixing with the cool bite in the air. My stomach is twisted into pretzel knots. And I'm red-faced.

Not with anger anymore—it actually felt good to let out a full-blown freak-out. Now I'm red with embarrassment—but I swallow that down. Finally, I let it all out... "Look. I know I've been crazy obsessed with this whole fun thing. It's, like, first you found that radio. We heard those people. And I felt you slipping away... I've been trying so hard to convince you to stay, but..." "But what?" June asks. "But it was all for nothing." Quint scoots toward me. "I get it, Jack," he says. "You're afraid that if we get in contact with other people, we might find our families. And you'll be alone." "But you'll never be left alone," June says. I swallow. I can feel my nose starting to drip and my eyes watering. My lip is even trembling, which is just the most embarrassing—'cause that's always followed by blubbering and blubber snot. "I won't?" "You won't be alone at all!" June says. "You'll have your video games and your action figures and

your chewed bubble gum collection and your lucky boxers and—" "Wha—?" "GOTCHA!" June giggles, then she pounces forward and throws her arms around me. Quint leans over and Dirk comes in, enveloping us all. A long, tight hug—and then we all sink back into our popcorn pit... No matter what, we're always going to be an awesome team of awesome friends. Whatever comes next, the four of us will handle it together. You guys are such woes and I love you.