3. Into the Locker

INTO THE LOCKER 3 Sam had a pit in his stomach the size of a basketball. Last week, Mr. Nekobi had told him that Eerie Elementary fed on students. And Sam had seen this with his own eyes— when the stage had tried to swallow his friends. Now Lucy was missing! Could the school have eaten her?

"Follow me!" Ms. Grinker called out. Then she began marching the students out through the big double doors. Sam grabbed Antonio from the end of the line. The two friends stayed behind as their classmates headed outside. Then Sam said, "Lucy's missing! She went to her locker and now she's gone!"

Antonio turned to look at Lucy's locker. He, too, knew what horrible things Eerie Elementary could do. He gulped and said, "Maybe she's just messing with us. You know, hiding in her locker..." Sam and Antonio crept toward Lucy's locker. Sam's heart pounded. He wrapped his fingers around the half-open door. The metal felt warm in his hand. Sam held his breath. Then he yanked the door open. Lucy was not inside.

But something else was: Nasty, slimy goo dripped down the inside of the locker. It was glowing. It looked like neon boogers mixed with bulldog slobber. Antonio touched it. It was sticky and wet. "Eww!" he said. He flicked his hand, splashing goo on the floor. "Antonio," Sam said slowly, "the locker ate Lucy!" "We should tell Mr. Nekobi!" Antonio said. Sam shook his head. "There's no time. I have to go in after her. I'm the hall monitor. It's my job to protect the students especially Lucy!" Antonio gulped. "Then I'm coming with you."

Sam nodded. He reached into Lucy's locker and brushed aside her gym clothes. There was a strange hole in the back wall of the locker. More glowing goo dripped from the hole. Sam could see a narrow tunnel through the hole. "Are you ready?" Sam asked. Antonio shook his head. "Not really." Sam swallowed. "No time to be scared," he said. "It's time to rescue Lucy." Sam climbed through the hole. Antonio followed. Together, they crawled into the darkness, down into the depths of the school.