4. Music Room Mystery

MUSIC ROOM MYSTERY 4 Sam slid to a stop at the music room door. He peered through the window. Mr. Eerie was standing in the center of the room. He appeared to be speaking. But there was no one there. Is he talking to Orson? Sam thought. He couldn't hear through the door. Next, Mr. Eerie's eyes shot down to the floor. Something was happening...

The shaggy carpet threads started rising and twisting. Sam gasped. In moments, they grew as tall as overgrown grass! They quickly wrapped around both of Mr. Eerie's ankles like tentacles. Sam saw panic on Mr. Eerie's face— he was trapped! I have to do something! Sam thought. I don't know much about Mr. Eerie but I do know how powerful Eerie Elementary is! Sam threw open the door and burst inside. The teacher whirled around. "What are you—" He wasn't able to finish his sentence. The carpet-tentacles circled Mr. Eerie's wrists and tugged—

CRASH! He fell face-first to the floor. BA-RRANG! The classroom's grand piano suddenly jerked and jumped! The black-and- white keys looked like teeth. The piano opened, then snapped shut like a monstrous musical mouth. BANG! CLUNG! KRONK!

Oh no! thought Sam. The carpet-tentacles are dragging Mr. Eerie toward that monster! He'll be piano chow! Sam's eyes darted across the room. He spotted a recorder on the music teacher's desk and scooped it up. "I'm coming!" he shouted. Mr. Eerie cried out as the carpet-tentacles pulled him toward the piano. Sam raced forward, swinging the recorder like a sword. CHOP! SLASH! With each swing, Sam sliced through more of the strange carpet-tentacles. At last, he freed Mr. Eerie!

The piano keys banged, clanged, and then went silent. VOOSH! Something brushed against Sam's ankle. One carpet thread remained. It slithered like a ferocious snake. It snapped out, but Sam jumped up and squashed it. "Gotcha!" he said. Finally, the room was still. Mr. Eerie stared open-mouthed at Sam. "Can...? Could...?" He's in shock, Sam realized. "Are you okay?" he asked. Mr. Eerie didn't answer. "Who are you, really?" Sam asked. "Why are you here?"

Mr. Eerie simply scrambled to his feet and raced away. Now Sam knew one thing for certain: Mr. Eerie was somehow involved with the monstrous school. The school had revealed its powers to him. That was new. Aside from Mr. Nekobi, Lucy, Antonio, and Sam himself, no one else knew about the scary adventures that occurred within the walls of Eerie Elementary. RING! Recess. It was time to tell Antonio and Lucy that something very strange was going on with their substitute teacher. Sam rushed outside to the playground.