Goosebumps_Series_2000_16_-_Th
Goosebumps(RSeries2000No.16THEMUMMYWALKSbyR.l.STINE
Copyright1999byParachutePress,Inc.
BOOKJACKETINFORMATIONGoosebumpsNo.16APPLEFICTIONOnesmallstepformummy...WelcometothenewmillenniumoffearGoosebumps(RSERIES2000
Ididn'tseeaflightattendantasI
steppedintotheplane.Butmyseatwaseasy
tofind.Itwastheveryfirstseatinthefrontrowofthefirst-classsection.
Ifiddledwiththeseatbelt.ThenI
rememberedtheenvelopemymomhadgivenme.Didmymomanddadwritemealetter?
Itoreopentheenvelopeandpulledoutasheetofpaper.MyheartskippedabeatasIgazedinshockattheshortmessage:WEARENOTYOURPARENTS.SCHOLASTICINC.RL4008-012
THEMUMMYWALKS
"You'llbefine,Michael,"Momsaid.It
wasthehundredthtimeshesaidit!
Wewalkedpastthelinesofpeopleinfrontoftheticketcounters.Everyoneintheairportseemedtobeinadesperatehurry.
Iwatchedayoungcoupleruntowardthegates.Theirsuitcasesbouncedontinywheelsbehindthem.
Amanandwomanstoodnearthesecurity
station,pawingthroughtheircarry-onbags,arguingloudly.
"Ithoughtyouhadthetickets.Igavethemtoyouthismorning!"
"No.Youidiot--Itoldyoutobringthem!"AsMom,Dad,andIhurriedpast,I
sawalittlegirlsittingontopofastackofsuitcases,crying.Herparentswerepleadingwithher,begginghertostop.
Dadcarriedmycanvasduffelbag.He
turnedtotalktome--andstumbledoveraluggagecart.
Ilaughed.
Dadlookedsofunny.
Whydideveryonehavetobesotense?Daddroppedmyduffelbagontothe
conveyorbelt.Wewalkedthroughthesecuritygate.Dadsetoffthebuzzer.
Rollinghiseyes,hetookhiskeysfromhis
pocketandtriedagain.Thistimehemadeitthrough.IwatchedmybagontheTVscreen.When
itwentthroughtheXray,Icouldseeeverythinginthebag.Itwastotallycool!
Hepickedupmybag,andwewalkeddownthelonghalltothegate.MomandDadwerewalkingsofast,Ihadtojogtokeepup."AuntSandrawillbetheretomeetyouinOrlando,"Momsaid."You'llseeherassoonasyougetofftheplane."
"Iknow,Iknow,"Igroaned.
Howmanytimeshadwegoneoverthisplan?Atleastathousand!
I'dspentthelasttwoweeksthinkingaboutallthethingsIwantedtodoinOrlando.Of
course,DisneyWorldwasatthetopofthelist.ButIwantedtospendalotoftimeatSeaWorldtoo.
I'mreallyintofishandlifeunderthesea.WhenMomandDadtookmesnorkelingintheBahamaslastsummer,Itotally
freaked.Imean,there'sthiswholebeautifulworld
downtherewithalltheseamazingcreatures!Itwasliketravelingtoanotherplanet.
DadsaysI'dmakeagoodastronaut.HesaysI'marealexplorer.Andhe's
right.Ilovegoingtonewplaces,discoveringnewthings.
SowhyaretheymakingsuchabigdealaboutmeflyingtoOrlandobymyself?
Wereachedthegate.Dadsetdownthebag.Heglancednervouslyathiswatch.Momsqueezedmyarm."Don'tworry,"shesaid.
"I'mnotworrying!"Iinsisted."Whatis
yourproblem?I'mtwelveyearsold,youknow!"MomandDadexchangedglances.Mombit
herbottomlip.Shehadalreadychewedallherlipstickoff.
"LastboardingcallforFlight501
toPittsburgh,"awoman'svoiceblaredon
theloudspeaker."Flight501isboardingthroughGate45."
"You'veneverflownbyyourselfbefore,"Dadsaid."We'vealwaysbeenwithyou."
"I'mnotworried,"Iassuredthemagain.
"It'snottoohard.Ijustsitinmyseat,andinacoupleofhoursI'llbeinOrlando."
Ilaughed."Thepilotshavetodoallthework.Notme."
MomandDaddidn'tlaugh."You're
sittinginFirstClass,"Momsaid."Soyou'llbecomfortable."
"That'scool,"Ireplied."ThisguyatschooltoldmetheyserveicecreamsundaesinFirstClass."
"Maybe,"Dadsaid,glancingathiswatch
again.Heraisedhiseyestothegate."Timeforyoutoboard."
Momletoutalittlecryandwrappedherarmsaroundme."Haveagood,safetrip,Michael,"
shewhispered,pressinghercheekagainstmine.Whenshepulledback,Isawthatshehadtearsinhereyes.
Dadhuggedmetoo.Heclearedhisthroat,buthedidn'tsayanything.
"I'llbefine,"Itoldthemagain."I'llcallyoufromAuntSandra's."
Momhandedmeawhiteenvelope.
Dadpickedupmyduffelbagandwalkedmeuptothegate."You'reinseat1-A,"hetoldme.Hegavemetheduffelbagandpattedmeontheshoulder.
Iturnedandwavedtothem.Momwaswipingtearsoffhercheekswithbothhands.
"I'llbefine.Really!"Icalledtoher.
ThenIturnedandheadeddowntheboardingtunneltotheplane.
Wow,Ithought.Whyaretheysoweird?AmIthefirstkidinhistorytoflytoOrlandobyhimself?
Ididn'tseeanyflightattendantsas
Isteppedintotheplane.Butmyseatwaseasy
tofind.ItwastheveryfirstseatinthefrontrowoftheFirstClasssection.
Ijammedmyduffelbagintotheoverheadcompartment.ThenIdroppedintotheseat.Wow.Comfortable.
I'mgoingtoenjoythis,Idecided.
Ileanedintotheaisle,searchingforaflightattendant.Iwantedtoaskiftheyweregoingtoshowamovie.Noonethereyet.
Ifiddledwiththeseatbelt,tryingtoloosenit.Finally,Igotitrightandclickeditintoplace.Isettledbackagainstthesoftleatherseat.Andrememberedtheenvelopemymomhadgivenme.Ihadjammeditintomyjeanspocket.
Ipulleditoutandstudiedit.Aplainwhiteenvelope.
Wasitaletter?DidMomandDadwritemeanoteorsomething?
Itoretheenvelopeopenandpulledoutasheetofpaper.
Iunfoldedit,broughtitclosetomyface--andmyheartskippedabeatasIgazedinshockattheshortmessage:
WEARENOTYOURPARENTS.
"Huh?"
Igrippedthepaperbetweenmytwohandsandstaredatthewordsuntiltheyblurred.
"Thisisajoke--right?"Imurmuredtomyself.MomandDadwerealwaysteasingmebecauseIdon'tlooklikethem.They'rebothtallandblond.AndIhavedark-brownhairandbrowneyes,andI'mkindofshortandkindofchubby.
Butthiswasaverystrangejoke.
Ireadtheshortnoteagain.ThenIreaditoutloud:"Wearenotyourparents."
Itwaswritteninblueinkinalarge,loopingscript.Mydad'shandwriting.
Irealizedthatmyhandsweresuddenlytrembling.Ifoldedupthenoteandshoveditintomypocket.
"Weird,"Imuttered."Weird."
WhywouldMomandDadwritethat?Whatdoesitmean?
"Wearenotyourparents."
Ifitwasajoke,Ididn'tgetit.I'llaskAuntSandraaboutit,Idecided.OrmaybeI'llcallMomand
DadassoonasIgettoOrlandoandaskthemwhatitmeant.
"Wearenotyourparents."
Mystomachfeltalittlequeasy.Myheartfluttered.
Ileanedintotheaisleagain.Stillnoflightattendants.
Iraisedmyselfintheseatandglancedaroundthecabin.
NooneelseinFirstClass.Icountedfourrowsofemptygrayseats.
AmItheonlyoneflyingFirstClass?Iwondered.
Orlandoisapopularplace.Whereiseveryone?
Mythroatsuddenlyfeltdry.Iwanted
aglassofwater.Buttherewasnoonetoask.Iunclaspedtheseatbelt,letthebelt
droptothecushion,andstoodup.Thefloor
vibratedbeneathme.Icouldheartheenginewarmingup.
AheavyredcurtainseparatedFirstClassfromCoach.Imademywaytothecurtainandpusheditaside.
IpokedmyheadintotheCoachcabin.
Shaftsofsunlightpouredthroughthedoublerowsofwindows.
Empty.Noonethere.Noone.
"Hey--"Icalledout,squeezingthecurtaininmyhand."Hey--anyonehere?"Myvoicesoundedtinyinthebig,empty
cabin.Therumbleandwhineofthejetenginewastheonlyothersound."Hey--"
Iletthecurtaindropbackintoplaceandturnedbacktothefront."Anybodyhere?"Icalled."What'sgoingon?"Silence.
Nosignofanyone.
There'ssomemistake,Idecided.I'monthewrongplaneorsomething.
I'vegottogetoffthisplane.
Ireachedupandstartedtotugmyduffelbagfromtheoverheadbin.
IwasstilltuggingwhenIheardaloud,scrapingsound--thenaWHOOSHofair.
Igaspedastheairplanedoorslammedshut.
"Wait!Letmeoutofhere!"Icried."Letmeout!"
Idroppedmybagandlurchedtothedoor.
"Letmeout!"Icriedagain,shoutingovertheroaroftheengine."Hey--somebody!"Ipoundedonthedoor.
Andfellbackagainstthebathroomastheplane
