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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 />
The words repeated in my mind.<br />
I didn't have too long to think about it. Whatever it was crept closer.<br />
"Hey!" a voice whispered.<br />
Sari and I both shrieked.<br />
"Where are you guys?"<br />
We recognized <strong>the</strong> voice immediately.<br />
"Uncle Ben!" I cried, swallowing hard, my heart pounding.<br />
"Daddy!" Sari lunged over me to get to her fa<strong>the</strong>r.<br />
"But how?" I stammered. "How did you get in here?"<br />
"Easy," he replied, squeezing my shoulder reassuringly.<br />
"Daddy — I don't believe it!" Sari wailed. I couldn't see in <strong>the</strong> blackness <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> closed c<strong>of</strong>fin, but I think<br />
she was crying.<br />
"I'm okay. I'm okay," he repeated several times, trying to calm her down.<br />
"How did you get out <strong>of</strong> that case and into this one?" I asked, totally confused and amazed.<br />
"There's an escape hatch," Uncle Ben explained. "A small opening with a doorway. The Egyptians built<br />
hidden doorways and escape hatches into many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir mummy cases. For <strong>the</strong> corpse's soul to be able to<br />
leave."<br />
"Wow," I said. I didn't know what to say.<br />
"Ahmed is so caught up in his ancient curse mumbo jumbo, he's forgotten about this little detail," Uncle<br />
Ben said, I felt his hand on my shoulder again. "Come on, you two. Follow me."<br />
"But he's out <strong>the</strong>re — " I started.<br />
"No," Uncle Ben replied quickly. "He's slipped away. When I climbed out <strong>of</strong> my case, I looked for him.<br />
I didn't see him anywhere. Maybe he went somewhere else while he's waiting for <strong>the</strong> tar to get hot<br />
enough. Or maybe he decided to just leave us in <strong>the</strong> mummy cases to suffocate."<br />
I felt a bug sli<strong>the</strong>r up my leg. I slapped at it, <strong>the</strong>n tried to pull it out from inside <strong>the</strong> leg <strong>of</strong> my jeans.<br />
"Out we go," Uncle Ben said.<br />
I heard him groan as he turned in <strong>the</strong> enormous c<strong>of</strong>fin. Then I could hear him crawling to <strong>the</strong> back.<br />
I saw a small rectangle <strong>of</strong> light as he pushed open <strong>the</strong> hidden door in <strong>the</strong> back <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> case. It was a very<br />
small escape hatch, just big enough for us to squeeze through.<br />
I followed Uncle Ben and Sari out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> case, flattening myself to crawl out <strong>the</strong> small opening, <strong>the</strong>n<br />
dropping onto all fours on <strong>the</strong> chamber floor.<br />
It took a while for my eyes to adjust to <strong>the</strong> brightness.<br />
The red flames still danced over <strong>the</strong> pit <strong>of</strong> bubbling tar, casting eerie blue shadows on all four chamber<br />
walls. The mummies stood as before, frozen in place around <strong>the</strong> room, shadows flickering over <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
faceless forms.<br />
As my eyes began to focus, I saw that Uncle Ben had an enormous, dark bruise on <strong>the</strong> side <strong>of</strong> his head.<br />
A wide ribbon <strong>of</strong> dried blood streaked down his cheek.<br />
"Let's get out <strong>of</strong> here before Ahmed comes back," he whispered, standing between us, one hand on each<br />
<strong>of</strong> our shoulders.<br />
Sari looked pale and trembly. Her lower lip was bleeding from her chewing on it so hard.<br />
Uncle Ben started toward <strong>the</strong> rope ladder in <strong>the</strong> center <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> chamber, but <strong>the</strong>n stopped. "It'll take too<br />
long," he said, thinking out loud. "Come on. To <strong>the</strong> tunnel. Hurry."<br />
All three <strong>of</strong> us started jogging toward <strong>the</strong> tunnel in <strong>the</strong> corner. Looking down, I saw that my stupid<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 (46 <strong>of</strong> 51)3/18/2009 3:04:28 AM