2. Gone!

GONE! 2 Sam raced out of the graveyard, down the street, and toward the school. As the three friends crossed the playground, they spotted a large plastic thermometer on a tree branch. "I forgot!" Lucy called to her friends as she ran. "We have that weather lesson today!" Antonio started skipping. "Class outside! This is going to be a good day." Sam hoped Antonio was right.

The three of them raced up the steps and into the school. Sam pulled on his hall monitor sash as they ran inside. "I'll never get used to wearing this ugly thing," said Sam. "Bright orange is totally your color!" joked Lucy. Their classmates were all lined up in the hallway. Ms. Grinker, their teacher, stood at the front of the line. "You're late!" Ms. Grinker barked. "Put away your backpacks and head to the back of the line."

As Sam and his friends walked to their lockers, Ms. Grinker called out, "We're going outside for our weather lesson now. Today's weather will be the hottest ever for late September 105 degrees!" Sam and Antonio put their backpacks away quickly. But Lucy was still at her locker. "Just one second!" Lucy said, digging through her backpack. "I need my sunglasses." "Hurry up, Lucy!" Sam said. He and Antonio hopped into line. "Hall monitor!" Ms. Grinker called to Sam from the front of the line. "Please make sure everyone is with us."

"Okay," Sam said. He turned to call Lucy, but when he looked down the hall, his heart just about stopped. Lucy's sunglasses lay on the floor. Her locker was open. The hallway was empty. A feeling of fear crept over Sam.... Lucy was gone.