3. Sash Dash!

SASH DASH! 3 Antonio munched on one of his famous peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Lucy was opening her lunch bag as Sam plopped down beside his friends. Milk splashed when he set his tray down, but he barely noticed. "Buddy, you still have clay in your hair!" Antonio said.

Lucy flicked off the glob. "Sam, what really happened in art class?" Sam told them how the clay had attacked him. Lucy and Antonio were assistant hall monitors, so they were used to strange things happening at Eerie Elementary. "At first, it felt like when my grandma kisses me," Sam explained. "She pulls me in and won't let go! But the clay was sticky and I couldn't breathe!" "Wet grandma kisses are the worst!" Antonio said. "And that's not all," Sam added. "One of the paintings on Ms. Winter's wall came to life! A sunset became Orson Eerie's face!" Just then, Mr. Nekobi walked over. He had been mopping the floor nearby.

Mr. Nekobi was the old man who took care of Eerie Elementary. It was Mr. Nekobi who chose Sam to be a hall monitor. He had told Sam the truth about the school. "Sam, did you really see a painting come alive?" Mr. Nekobi asked. Sam nodded. Mr. Nekobi leaned in and whispered, "Orson Eerie loved painting. He painted beautiful portraits and landscapes. He even helped paint the walls of this school." Antonio shuddered. "Orson painted these walls?!" "Yes," Mr. Nekobi said. "There's a little bit of Orson in almost every part of this school." That gave everyone the chills.

Sam's forehead scrunched up. "Guys," he said. "I think we should take another look at Ms. Winter's classroom. I swear I saw Orson in one of those paintings." "Let's do it," Lucy said. "We have a few minutes until lunch is over." Antonio stood up. "Orson Eerie is up to something— and we've got to stop him!" "Good luck," Mr. Nekobi said as he pushed his bucket toward the kitchen. Sam threw on his hall monitor sash, and his friends followed him into the hall. But he stopped short. "What is it?" Antonio asked.

"I'm not sure...," Sam said. He looked down at his sash. SWOOSH! Sam was yanked forward. "Whoa!" he exclaimed. The shiny sash was tugging him down the hallway. He pawed at locker doors, trying to slow down. "The sash is pulling me!" "We're behind you, buddy! "Antonio yelled, running to catch up. The sash pulled so hard, it jerked Sam off his feet. Sam's sneakers banged the steps as he was pulled up a staircase. Sam soared past the computer lab, and then the sash flung him down a hall.

He heard Lucy calling from below: "Sam! Where did you go?" Sam shouted, "I'm upstairs! The fifth-grade hallway! Hurry!" Suddenly, Sam saw a brick wall in front of him. A dead end! Sam shut his eyes as BOOM! "Ow!" Sam yelled. He rubbed his nose and stepped back. The sash sagged. It had stopped pulling.