Forget the Forgotten

Chapter Eight

"You're crazy!" exclaimed Jacob. "You think someone died here? I don't believe it!"

"Has that Colby fellow told you all this?" Amelia asked.

Nick nodded. "And he was stone-cold sober. So I believed him."

Amelia believed Nick, too. At first she thought it was one of his weird jokes, but he seemed too serious for that.

"Why don't we take a look around?" Nick suggested. "I'd like to take a look around this maze."

"Why not?" said Tom. "Well, it's better than all of us being up there. I bet Grey will never find us here."

"And that means we'll all have detention again next Saturday," mumbled Jacob.

"It means we can come back down here," Nick added.

Jacob rolled his eyes.

"I want to get out of here," whimpered Veronica.

"Then it's two against two," Nick added. "Now it's up to you, Am."

Everyone was staring at her. Amelia took a look into one of the dark tunnels. She would have liked to know where it led. She wanted to explore the entire maze that lay beneath Oak Park. But the fear of her fall was still in her bones and she felt all shaky.

Her ankle hurt like hell, even though she could already put weight on it again. And from her bruised elbow and knee, blood was running down.

But now that she knew where she was and how to get out, she suddenly didn't feel so bad anymore.

"I think we ought to have a look," she said. "If the corridors are just disgusting and musty, we'll just come back here and climb back up."

Jacob moaned.

Nick's face lit up in a triumphant grin. He dropped to his knees and started digging through the garbage on the floor. When he got up again, he had a few pieces of wood and a rotten piece of cloth in his hand.

"What are you doing?" hissed Veronica.

"I'm making us some torches," Nick replied, wrapping the cloth around the pieces of wood. "My lighter's almost out."

Amelia watched in amazement as Nick made three torches in a very short time. Then he rummaged around in his coat pocket and uncovered a small container of lighter fluid.

Amelia gasped for breath.

"What's that for?" Jacob asked. "Are you some kind of firebug?"

"What I do in my spare time is none of your business," Nick replied, soaking the fabric in the liquid.

Amelia had a strange feeling in her stomach. Nick was kind of scary. Who carries lighter fluid around with them all the time?

She watched him closely. He held the lighter under the torches that slowly came to life. It burned weakly and produced a lot of smoke.

"Better than total darkness," Nick said. Then he passed one torch to Tom and the other to Amelia. The third he kept for himself. Jacob complained loudly, but Amelia just ignored him.

She looked into the tunnel that led from this room, but nothing was visible except total darkness. Every single one of them was full of possibilities. Amelia wanted to explore them all. She was incredibly excited.

"Which one shall we take?" Nick asked.

"The one on the right," Jacob said.

"Why?" Veronica wanted to know.

"Why not?" returned Jacob.

Amelia held her torch tighter. The others seemed equally tense. It's now or never.

Nick turned to Amelia, who stood directly behind him and whispered, "Are you sure you can do this with your ankle?" Amelia nodded quickly and noticed her cheeks warming. He took care of her. Amelia felt Veronica's look on her back, but she didn't turn around.

"Off to the party," cried Nick.

And then they entered the tunnel.

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