Cailynâs story.
âHis eyes were so weird,â Cailyn whispered. âI know I was only six, but I still remember them. They were so white . And they were staring right at me.
âI opened my mouth to call Traci, but it was like one of those nightmaresâyou know, the ones where you try to talk but you canât? I could only make this little croaking sound.
âHe lifted up his other hand, and I saw that he was holding a hammer. He held it up as if he was going to smash the windowâbut then all he did was tap the glass with it. Tap-tap-tap . Tap-tap-tap. â
âAnd while I was looking at the hammer, his other hand suddenly smashed through the glass. AND HE KILLED ME!â
As she shrieked the last words, Cailyn lunged at Graceâs throat.
Jane screamed. So did everyone else whoâd been listening to the story. Which made the rest of the girls in the Great Hall scream, even Daria. Which woke up Willow and Katherineâwho also screamed.
Abruptly the overhead lights came on. And a manâs voice yelled, âWhatâs going on? Whatâs the matter?â
Standing in the west doorway were two museumguards. Both were panting from having run so fast.
âUh-oh,â Lucy muttered. âBusted.â
Now the chaperones were both standing up. Even though the lights were on, Katherine was aiming her flashlight all around like a TV cop. âWhat happened, girls?â she asked.
Iâll get us out of this, Jane thought. She was very proud of how not-shy she was growing as the nightâs festivities went on.
She raised her hand. âItâsâitâs all my fault,â she said apologetically. âI get nightmares. I must have screamed in my sleep.â
Lucy chimed in loyally. âAnd then I heard her, and it made me scream. And then I guess everyone got scared.â
â You got scared,â said one of the guards. âI almost had a heart attack when we heard you. Try and keep it down for the rest of the night, okay?â
âWeâre so sorry, officers,â said Katherine, who still seemed to think she was in a TV show. âWe wonât let it happen again.â
âThanks,â the other guard said curtly.
âWell, girls,â Willow said sternly when the guardswere gone. âThat was an embarrassment. Youâre too old for this kind of thing. I want everyone to settle down now .â
âPeople canât help having nightmares,â Katherine pointed out. She looked kindly at Jane. âWould you like to move your sleeping bag over next to us, Jane? That might make things seem less scary.â
âUmâno, thatâs okay,â said Jane. âIâm fine. Really.â
âPlease stay fine,â said Willow. âIâm turning the lights off now, and I donât want to hear another sound until morning.â
She snapped off the lights.
For a few seconds there was total silence. Then Lucy whispered, âGood job, Cailyn.â
âYou have to admit it scared you,â Cailyn hissed back.
âQUIET,â Willow blared. âGo. To. Sleep.â
And now, at last, the Great Hall actually quieted down. There were a few more whispered giggles. A few rearrangements of sleeping bags and thumpings of pillows. Then, gradually, the room filled with the soft, even breathing sound of people falling asleep.
Jane was relieved. Now maybe Lucy and Daria wouldjust forget about settling their bet. Jane felt so comfortable just lying here. She could feel her eyelids getting heavy. . . .
And then Lucy nudged her in the side. âJane!â she whispered. âAre you awake?â
âNo,â said Jane sleepily.
âWell, be awake! We have to look for the mummy, remember? Dariaâs ready to go.â
Jane groaned. âCanât you and Daria just go together without me?â
âNo way!â whispered Lucy. âWe need you as a witness! Besides, it wonât