13 - Piano Lessons Can Be Murder by R.L. Stine - (ebook by Undead) Read Free Book Online Page A

dread?
    Just nervous, I told myself.
    Shrugging away my feeling, I turned the cold brass doorknob and pushed open
the heavy door. It creaked open slowly. Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the
school.

 
 
15
     
     
    A long, narrow hall stretched before me. The hall was surprisingly dark.
Coming in from the bright, white snow, it took my eyes a long time to adjust.
    The walls were a dark tile. My boots thudded noisily on the hard floor. Piano
notes echoed through the hall. The music seemed to burst out from all
directions.
    Where is Dr. Shreek’s office? I wondered.
    I made my way down the hall. The lights grew dimmer. I turned into another
long hallway, and the piano music grew louder.
    There were dark brown doors on both sides of this corridor. The doors had
small, round windows in them. As I continued walking, I glanced into the
windows.
    I could see smiling instructors in each room, their heads bobbing in rhythm
to piano music.
    Searching for the office, I passed door after door. Each room had a student
and an instructor.
    The piano sounds became a roar, like an ocean of music crashing against the
dark tile walls.
    Dr. Shreek really has a lot of students, I thought. There must be a hundred
pianos playing at once!
    I turned another corner and then another.
    I suddenly realized I had completely lost my sense of direction. I had no
idea where I was. I couldn’t find my way back to the front door if I wanted to!
    “Dr. Shreek, where are you?” I muttered to myself. My voice was drowned out
by the booming piano music that echoed off the walls and low ceiling.
    I began to feel a little frightened.
    What if these dark halls twisted on forever? I imagined myself walking and
walking for the rest of my life, unable to find my way out, deafened by the
pounding piano music.
    “Jerry, stop scaring yourself,” I said aloud.
    Something caught my eye. I stopped walking and stared up at the ceiling. A
small, black camera was perched above my head.
    It appeared to be a video camera, like the security cameras you see in banks
and stores.
    Was someone watching me on a TV screen somewhere?
    If they were, why didn’t they come help me find the way to Dr. Shreek?
    I began to get angry. What kind of school was this? No signs. No
office. No one to greet people.
    As I turned another corner, I heard a strange thumping sound. At first I
thought it was just another piano in one of the practice rooms.
    The thumping grew louder, closer. I stopped in the middle of the hall and
listened. A high-pitched whine rose up over the thumping sounds.
    Louder. Louder.
    The floor seemed to shake.
    And as I stared down the dark hall, an enormous monster turned the corner.
Its huge, square body glowed in the dim light as if it were made of metal. Its
rectangular head bobbed near the ceiling.
    Its feet crashed against the hard floor as it moved to attack me. Eyes on the
sides of its head flashed an angry red.
    “No!” I cried, swallowing hard.
    It uttered its high-pitched whine in reply. Then it lowered its gleaming head
as if preparing for battle.
    I spun away, determined to escape.
    To my shock, as I turned, I saw Dr. Shreek.
    He stood just a few yards down the hall. Dr. Shreek was watching the enormous
creature move in on me, a pleased grin on his face.

 
 
16
     
     
    I stopped short with a loud gasp.
    Behind me, the creature was stomping closer, blasting out its angry whine.
    Ahead of me, Dr. Shreek, his blue eyes glowing with pleasure, blocked my escape.
    I cried out, preparing to be caught from behind by the silvery monster.
    But it stopped.
    Silence.
    No crashing of its heavy metallic feet. No shrill whine.
    “Hello, Jerry,” Dr. Shreek said calmly, still grinning. “What are you doing
all the way back here?”
    Breathing hard, I pointed to the monster, which stood silently, staring down
at me. “I—I—”
    “You are admiring our floor sweeper?” Dr. Shreek asked.
    “Your what ?” I managed to choke