Off the Wall by P.J. Night Page B

said.“We can see for sure that Daria’s not here. There’s no place she could be hiding.” She sighed. “We’ll have to look somewhere else. Lucy, you’ve been here a lot. Do you have any idea what kind of exhibits Daria would like?”
    â€œShe’s kind of mean,” said Lucy. “If this museum had a torture chamber, I’m sure she’d love it. But it doesn’t. Maybe she went to the costume exhibit.”
    â€œFine,” said Jane.
    The moods of the three girls did not improve when they got lost taking a “shortcut” that Lucy suggested. Instead of leading them to the Costume Hall, her route led them to the Hall of Rocks and Minerals.
    â€œWe could check out that baseball-size pearl while we’re here,” said Lucy hopefully. “Also, they have a magnet thing where you can stick to the ceiling.”
    â€œI don’t think so,” said Jane.
    â€œMe either,” said Megan.
    As the girls trudged along, Jane gradually became aware of a noise that didn’t belong. It was soft, almost gentle—a scraping or brushing, or maybe someone dragging something.
    I must really be tired, she thought. I’m starting to imagine things.
    But why would her imagination dream up such a boring sound?
    Whshhhh . . . whshhh . . .
    Almost like a shuffling sort of step . . .
    â€œWhat’s that noise?” Megan asked. “That—that brushing sound.”
    â€œI hear it too,” said Lucy. “I thought I was imagining things.”
    â€œThat’s what I thought too,” said Jane. “But if we all hear it . . .”
    Whshhh . . . whshhh . . . whshhh . . .
    It seemed to be coming from close by, but Jane couldn’t tell exactly where. It was much, much worse to know that she wasn’t imagining it.
    â€œDo you think someone is sweeping the floor?” asked Lucy quietly.
    â€œMaybe,” Megan answered equally quietly. “Maybe the cleaning crew works late. Like really late. But whatever it is, we’ve got to get out of here before they find us.”
    â€œOkay,” said Lucy. “Don’t run, Megan. Just walk fast. Running would be too loud.”
    The sound was louder now, closer. It was terriblenot knowing where it was coming from—and not being able to run away from it. Jane had to press down on her thighs to keep from dashing away. But where could they escape to?
    Now they were coming toward the end of the hall, which branched off in two directions. “Which way?” Megan whispered.
    â€œLeft. No, wait! I’m always wrong! Go right !” said Lucy.
    Try as she might, Jane couldn’t slow herself down. In fact, she was walking faster and faster. So were Lucy and Megan. Hearts pounding, they rounded the corner . . .
    And ran smack into the mummy.

CHAPTER 9
    A shredded, festering mummy. Its face hidden, its arms outstretched, its bandages dragging on the floor behind it.
    No one remembered Lucy’s warning about walking, not running. All three girls wheeled around and raced back the way they had come.
    â€œOh no oh no oh no oh no.” Megan was half sobbing next to Jane. Jane wanted to tell her to save her breath, but she couldn’t waste her own breath on talking.
    She looked quickly back over her shoulder and shuddered. The mummy was running too—a stiff-legged, awkward run like something straight out of a bad horror movie.
    But something seemed a little off. As frightened as she was, Jane couldn’t help remembering the trick with the fly mask that Lucy had played on her earlier that evening. Still, it wouldn’t make sense to stop running. To give up on hope.
    These thoughts all flashed through Jane’s mind in an instant. Her legs were still pounding along. From behind her, she could hear the mummy lurching closer. And then, out of the blue, it started laughing.
    Laughing in a voice that