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file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Lisa/Desktop/R.L.%20Stine/Goosebumps%2005%20-%20<strong>Curse</strong>%20<strong>of</strong>%20<strong>the</strong>%20Mummy's%20Tomb.txt<br />
It took me a while to reply. Then, all I could say was, "Sorry." I began to picture <strong>the</strong> same thing, and<br />
ano<strong>the</strong>r wave <strong>of</strong> nausea swept over me.<br />
"We can't just sit here," I said. "We have to escape." I tried to ignore <strong>the</strong> thick, sour smell.<br />
"Huh? How?"<br />
"Let's try to push up <strong>the</strong> lid," I said. "Maybe if we both push toge<strong>the</strong>r . . ."<br />
I counted to three in a low whisper, and we both flattened our hands against <strong>the</strong> c<strong>of</strong>fin top and pushed up<br />
as hard as we could.<br />
No. The lid wouldn't budge.<br />
"Maybe he's locked it or put something heavy on top <strong>of</strong> it," Sari suggested with a miserable sigh.<br />
"Maybe," I replied, feeling just as miserable.<br />
We sat in silence for a while. I could hear Sari breathing. She was sort <strong>of</strong> sobbing as she brea<strong>the</strong>d. I<br />
realized my heart was racing. I could feel my temples throbbing.<br />
I pictured <strong>the</strong> long hook that Ahmed would use to pull our brains out <strong>of</strong> our heads. I tried to force <strong>the</strong><br />
thought out <strong>of</strong> my mind, but it wouldn't go away.<br />
I remembered being a mummy two Halloweens ago, and how <strong>the</strong> costume unraveled in front <strong>of</strong> my<br />
friends.<br />
Little did I know <strong>the</strong>n that I'd soon have a mummy costume that would never unravel.<br />
Time passed. I don't know how long.<br />
I realized I had been sitting with my legs crossed. Now <strong>the</strong>y were beginning to fall asleep. I uncrossed<br />
<strong>the</strong>m and stretched <strong>the</strong>m out. The mummy case was so big, Sari and I could both He down if we wanted<br />
to.<br />
But we were too tense and terrified to lie down.<br />
I was <strong>the</strong> first to hear <strong>the</strong> scrabbling sound. Like something climbing quickly around inside <strong>the</strong> mummy<br />
case.<br />
At first I thought it was Sari. But she grabbed my hand with her icy hand, and I realized she hadn't<br />
moved from in front <strong>of</strong> me.<br />
We both listened hard.<br />
Something near us, something right next to us, bumped <strong>the</strong> side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> case.<br />
A mummy?<br />
Was <strong>the</strong>re a mummy in <strong>the</strong> case with us?<br />
Moving?<br />
I heard a s<strong>of</strong>t groan.<br />
Sari squeezed my hand so tightly, it hurt, and I uttered a sharp cry.<br />
Ano<strong>the</strong>r sound. Closer.<br />
"Gabe — " Sari whispered, her voice tiny and shrill. "Gabe — <strong>the</strong>re's something in here with us!"<br />
20<br />
It's not a mummy, I told myself.<br />
It can't be.<br />
It's a bug. A very large bug. Moving across <strong>the</strong> c<strong>of</strong>fin floor.<br />
It's not a mummy. It's not a mummy.<br />
file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Lisa/Deskto...%2005%20-%20<strong>Curse</strong>%20<strong>of</strong>%20<strong>the</strong>%20Mummy's%20Tomb.txt (45 <strong>of</strong> 51)3/18/2009 3:04:28 AM