The Creature from Club Lagoona by R.L. Stine Read Free Book Online Page A

like crazy. He grabbed the other kid by the arm and pointed at the tentacle. Then both of them started swimming furiously. Desperately.
    But it was useless.
    The tentacle danced around them playfully. Then it struck. It whipped around both the divers so tightly, they were lashed together.
    It dragged them straight down into the drain!
    A moment later they were gone!

10

    H orrified, I stared at the drain. One minute two kids played at the bottom of the pool. The next minute they vanished!
    My entire body went stiff with fear. And then I felt the force of the drain pulling me toward it.
    If I didn’t do something fast, I’d be sucked in too!
    Terror shot me into high gear.
    I planted my feet firmly on the rough pool bottom. I squatted down like a frog in my flippers. I pushed as hard as I could and kicked my legs.
    I zoomed straight up. I heard the whirring sound again and felt the force from the drain weaken.
    The drain must be sliding shut! I realized.
    I escaped!
    I broke through the surface with a splash. I gaspedfor air. I spotted Neal on the other side of the pool. I paddled furiously toward him. I had to warn him. We had to get out of the pool!
    With the help of the flippers, I was beside Neal in an instant. “You’ve got to listen to me, Neal,” I begged. “We’re in danger!”
    Neal gasped. “What are you talking about?” he demanded.
    Before I could explain, Barry blew his whistle.
    â€œOkay, you two, time to get into the deep end,” Barry shouted.
    â€œWhat?” My voice shook with fear.
    I had to tell Barry what I had seen. The terror in the deep end. I turned to face him.
    â€œThat’s right, Tadpole. The deep end,” Barry repeated slowly. He stared at us, his eyes gleaming.
    My whole body trembled. I realized something—something horrifying!
    Barry knows. He knows exactly what’s waiting for us in the deep end of the pool!
    â€œBet you two Guppies can’t swim all the way down to the bottom and touch the drain,” Barry teased.
    My mouth opened to shout a warning. But before I could get a word out, Neal tucked and disappeared underwater.
    No!
    I had to stop him!
    I gulped some air and pushed hard off the side.
    I spotted Neal just ahead of me. He swam straight down, heading for the drain.
    I kicked hard and stretched my arms to make big strokes. I was gaining on him. A few more strokes and I’d be able to grab his foot.
    I nearly swallowed water with my next stroke. The noise was back! The whirring sound that meant the drain was sliding open.
    And Neal was swimming right for it!
    I strained every muscle to catch up. I snagged his flipper and held tight.
    The drain finished sliding open. The whirring noise stopped.
    The force of the drain dragged us down. As we were pulled closer, water whipped around like a whirlpool.
    I lost my grip on Neal.
    We tumbled and whirled. Spinning in smaller and smaller circles. Faster and faster.
    We were headed straight down the drain!
    As we tumbled helplessly through the water, Neal latched on to my ankle. He gripped me so tightly, it hurt. I glanced down.
    It wasn’t Neal!
    It was—the tentacle!
    It curled around me, pulling me down into the open drain. I clutched the side of the drain, but my fingers slid off.
    Then I saw Neal. He circled above me, whippedaround in the whirlpool. The tentacle hadn’t grabbed him.
    I reached down to my ankle and grabbed the slimy thing. I squeezed as hard as I could. Suddenly it let me go!
    I was free!
    I tried to scramble out of the drain. But then the tentacle grabbed me around the shoulders. I felt something slam against my back. Neal and I were lashed together in the powerful grip of the tentacle.
    It dragged us down into the drain into a long, twisting tunnel. We hurtled through, slamming against the sides.
    My lungs burned.
    Air! I need air! I thought desperately. My chest is going to explode!
    Dark spots whirled around me, closing in on me.
    I’m