The Bridge to Never Land by Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson Read Free Book Online Page A

Aidan.
    “We look for clues,” said Sarah.
    “Clues?”
    “There has to be something. Magill got us this far. Somehow he’ll let us know what to do.” She pointed to her right. “We’ll start this way.” Shouldering the backpack, Sarah started into the tunnel, swinging her flashlight back and forth, the beam painting bright lines across the dark stone. She’d gone no more than fifteen feet when she stopped suddenly, her flashlight aimed at the tunnel ceiling directly overhead.
    “There it is,” she said.
    Aidan, joining her, looked up. Sarah’s light was shining on the image of a star, drawn in faded white paint. Next to it was an arrow, pointing in the direction they’d been moving.

    “Let’s go,” said Sarah.
    “Wait,” said Aidan.
    His sister looked at him impatiently and snapped, “What?”
    “I just…I’m wondering if this is a good idea. We’re getting farther and farther from where we came in.”
    “We’re also getting closer and closer to whatever Magill’s leading us to.”
    “Yeah, but…”
    “But what?”
    “I just don’t like this, that’s what.”
    “So what do you want to do? Stay here?”
    Aidan looked back into the blackness of the tunnel.
    “No,” he said. “Not alone.”
    “Then come on.” She turned and started walking again, Aidan following unhappily. They walked for several minutes in silence, Sarah sweeping her flashlight beam continuously over the walls and ceiling, Aidan glancing back often, the only sound in the tunnel the echoes of their scuffling footsteps. After about fifty yards the tunnel was intersected by another, branching off to the left. On the ceiling they found another painted star and arrow, this time pointing to the left. With her heel, Sarah drew an arrow into the dusty floor, pointing back to where they’d come from.
    The new tunnel was slightly smaller, but still cavernous.
    “How far do you plan on going?” said Aidan.
    “That’s up to Mister Magill.”
    “But I mean, if we don’t find something…at some point we’re going to turn back, right?”
    “Listen,” she said, swinging her flashlight beam toward Aidan’s face, “if you don’t—”
    Aidan screamed.
    Sarah jerked violently, nearly dropping the flashlight.
    “Do not do that!” she said. “What is wrong with—”
    “I saw eyes!” interrupted Aidan, breathless, terrified. “We have to get out of here now.”
    “What are you talking about? What eyes?”
    “Yellow eyes. Right when you moved your flashlight, I saw them. Over there!” He shined his flashlight ahead. They both looked, but the flashlight revealed only the empty tunnel, fading into blackness.
    “There’s nothing there,” she said.
    “There was. I’m telling you. A pair of yellow eyes, close to the ground.”
    “You imagined it, ’cause you’re scared.”
    “Okay, listen,” said Aidan. “We’ll both turn off our lights.”
    “And that’s going to accomplish what?”
    “Then I’ll turn mine back on. But this time we’re both looking straight ahead.”
    “Aidan…”
    “Just turn off your light, okay?”
    Sarah sighed and switched off her flashlight, as did Aidan. They now stood in total blackness.
    “I really don’t see what—”
    “Shh!” Aidan hissed. “Just wait.”
    Ten seconds passed. Twenty.
    Aidan turned on his light, the beam filling the long tunnel.
    Nothing. Cobwebs, some dust swirling in the air, but no yellow eyes.
    “Satisfied?” she said.
    “No. I saw something.”
    “Or not,” said Sarah, starting into the branch tunnel. Aidan had no choice but to follow; the last thing he wanted now was to be alone. After a few minutes they came to another branch tunnel, and then another, but there were no star-and-arrow markers so they kept going straight. At the third tunnel, branching right, they found a marker directing them to the right; at the next branch they went left. Aidan glanced back constantly as they moved deeper and deeper into the dark labyrinth.
    “Sarah,” he