12. Dead End

DEAD END 12 Sam was having trouble turning the giant wheel under water. And he was running out of air! If this plan doesn't work, my friends and I are in serious trouble! he thought. Sam pictured Lucy and Antonio and Mr. Nekobi. He pictured Ms. Grinker and all of his classmates. Eerie Elementary put them all in danger, and only he could save them. He was the hall monitor. He could feel the school. And he sensed now that he could beat the school! If only he could turn the wheel!

He could not fail. He would not fail! Sam used all his strength to give the wheel another tug. SCREECH! It worked! The wheel was turning. Then Sam saw a dial atop the water heater, labeled WATER SPEED. How did I not see that before? wondered Sam. As he turned the wheel, a small needle on the dial moved from green to red. The word DANGER was in the red section. Sam pressed his feet against the water heater and turned the wheel until the dial's needle was past the word DANGER. The water heater began shaking!

It's going to blow! Sam thought. I've got to get out of here! Sam turned and kicked with all of his might. He burst through the surface and gasped for breath. Antonio and Lucy were inside the pipe, waiting for him. Water rushed faster and faster through the pipes. All around Sam, the water was bubbling and splashing. The water heater shook. "Sam, what did you do?!" Antonio yelled. "I'm getting us out of here! We'll travel through the pipes!" Sam said. "I hope this works!" Lucy said, sticking out a hand. Sam grabbed ahold, and Lucy pulled him up,

He lay down behind Antonio and Lucy inside the big pipe. It was like the three of them were lying at the top of a water slide. But they weren't going on a fun zip down into a swimming pool. No— they were going to be rocketed, up, through Eerie Elementary! "Where will this pipe spit us out?" Lucy asked. Sam didn't answer. He had no idea where this pipe would take them. He just hoped it was somewhere above ground.

The pipe started really shaking. The water heater would blow at any moment and water would be blasted through the pipe! "Hold your breath!" Sam shouted. "Here we go—" BOOM! The water heater blew! There was a giant blast of warm water! Sam, Antonio, and Lucy were launched through the pipe.

VA-ZOOM! The three friends raced through the pipe at 100 miles per hour on a wave of water. Up ahead, the pipe split into two. Lucy shouted, "Sammmmmmmm!!!!"