13. Worm Mouth

13 WORM MOUTH SWISSHH!! The big red curtains swooshed shut. The audience gasped. They could no longer see the stage. A closet door banged open behind Sam. Then the floorboards lifted up to form a slide. Ms. Grinker and the other students tumbled backward into the closet.

From offstage, Mr. Nekobi yelled, "Sam! It's happening!" He ran toward Sam. But the curtain ropes grabbed hold of him. The ropes flung Mr. Nekobi inside the closet, too. The door snapped shut. Next, the lights went out. Only one spotlight stayed on. It was pointed at Sam, Lucy, and Antonio. The audience can't see the stage, and the teachers and students are trapped in the closet! Sam thought. I'm the only one who can save everyone!

The chair mouth began to climb up out of its hole in the floor— like a worm coming up out of the ground!

Lucy and Antonio began kicking and screaming. "What is that?!" Lucy yelled. Antonio thrashed on his wire, trying to get away from the huge teeth. As he swung, his lucky peanut butter and jelly sandwich slipped from his pocket. It fell down into the giant mouth. The sandwich splattered against the chair teeth.

Sam got an idea. "I'll be back!" he shouted up to his friends. "Don't leave us, Sam!" Lucy cried. She was fiddling with her wire, trying to untie herself. "Just trust me," Sam said. He leapt over the giant mouth. Everyone in the audience gasped as Sam jumped out from behind the closed curtain. He sprinted out of the dark auditorium and into the hallway.

When Sam reached the end of the hall, he pushed open the lunchroom door. It was quiet and dark, but as soon as Sam stepped inside, the lunchroom came alive. The chairs shook. The long tables buckled up and down, and the ceiling lamps swung. A deep moaning sound came from a speaker on the wall. Eerie Elementary was howling. MMMUURRRGHHHHHHHH!!!