2. Just the Beginning

JUST THE BEGINNING 2 The plaque hung at a crooked angle. It was about to fall! Sam's heart was pounding. "Watch out!" he shouted. Antonio and Lucy spun around. "What is it?" Lucy asked. "The plaque—" Sam began to say. Antonio and Lucy looked up. They could see the heavy stone would fall in seconds!

"Everyone! Off the steps! Quickly!" the three friends shouted. Students and teachers ran. No one knew what was happening— they just knew the hall monitors said to MOVE! Sam watched the plaque tumble from its place above the door. It seemed to happen in slow motion— like a scene from a movie. He dove out of the way!

The plaque shattered against the steps. A wrinkled hand reached out to help Sam. Sam looked up and saw Mr. Nekobi, the old man who took care of the school. Mr. Nekobi had chosen Sam to be hall monitor. He had told Sam the terrible truth about Eerie Elementary! It was a secret Mr. Nekobi had only shared with Sam, Antonio, and Lucy. Principal Winik burst out the front doors. "Is everyone safe?" he asked. He looked very worried.

Sam nodded. "Everyone's okay." Students were standing up and brushing themselves off. No one was badly hurt. "This is not good," Principal Winik said nervously. "I'll get these front steps cleaned up," Mr. Nekobi said. "Enough milling around!" Ms. Grinker barked. Ms. Grinker was Sam, Antonio, and Lucy's third-grade teacher. She shuffled her students into the building.

Sam, Lucy, and Antonio helped students step over the broken plaque. "The school day just started and Orson is already up to no good!" Antonio said. "Maybe Orson had nothing to do with this," Lucy said. "The school is old. Maybe the plaque fell on its own." "Possibly...," Sam said. He eyed the strange, monstrous school. It was just a building— but it looked tired. It looked more run-down than usual. Orson Eerie is planning something big, Sam thought, and that falling plaque was just the beginning...