7 A Secret Passage

　　Annie and Jack raced back up the winding stairs and down the long hall way.

　　They hadn’　t gone far when they heard shouting behind them.

　　Dogs barked in the distance.

　　“They’re coming!” Annie cried.

　　“In here!” said Jack. He shoved open a door off the hallway and pulled Annie into a dark room.

　　Jack pushed the door shut.　Then Annie shined her flashlight around the room. There were rows of sacks and wooden barrels.

　　“I’　d better look in the book，” said Jack. “Give it to me!”

　　Annie gave him the flashlight and his backpack. He pulled out the book and started tearing through it.

　　“Shhh!” said Annie. “Someone’s coming.”

　　Jack and Annie jumped behind the door as it creaked open.

　　Jack held his breath. A light from a torch danced wildly over the sacks and barrels.

　　The light disappeared. The door slammed shut.

　　“Oh， man，” whispered Jack. “We have to hurry. They might come back.”

　　His hands were trembling as he flipped through the pages of the castle book.

　　“Here’s a map of the castle，” he said. “Look， this must be the room we’re in. It’s a storeroom.” Jack studied the room in the book.

　　“These are sacks of flour and barrels of wine.”

　　“Who cares? We have to go!” said Annie. “Before they come back!”

　　“No. Look，” said Jack. He pointed at the map. “Here’s a trapdoor.

　　”

　　He read aloud：

　　This door leads from the storeroom through a secret passage to a precipice over the moat.

　　“What’s a precipice?” said Annie.

　　“I don’t know. We’ll find out，” said Jack. “But first we have to find the door.”

　　Jack looked at the picture carefully. Then he shined the flashlight around the room.

　　The floor of the room was made up of stones. The trapdoor in the picture was five stones away from the door to the hall.

　　Jack shined the light on the floor and counted the stones. “One， two， three， four， five.”

　　He stamped on the fifth stone. It was loose!

　　He put the flashlight on the floor. He worked his fingers under the thin sheet of stone and tried to lift it.

　　“Help，” Jack said.

　　Annie came over and helped him lift the stone square out of its place.

　　Underneath was a small wooden door.

　　Jack and Annie tugged on the rope handle of the door. The door fell open with a thunk.

　　Jack picked up the flashlight and shined it on the hole.

　　“There’ s a little ladder，” hs said. “Let’s go!”

　　He clipped on the flashlight and felt his way down the small ladder. Annie followed.

　　When they both reached the bottom of the ladder， Jack shined the light around them.

　　There was a tunnel!

　　He crouched down and began moving through the damp， creepy tunnel. The flashlight barely lit the stone walls.

　　He shook the light. Were the batteries running down?

　　“I think our light’s dying!” he said to Annie.

　　“Hurry!” she called from behind.

　　Jack went faster. His back hurt from crouching.

　　The light got dimmer and dimmer.

　　He was desperate to get out of the castle before the batteries died completely.

　　Soon he reached another small wooden door. The door at the end of the tunnel!

　　Jack unlatched the door and pushed it open.

　　He poked his head outside.

　　He couldn’t see anything in the misty darkness.

　　The air felt good. Cool and fresh. He took a deep breath.

　　“Where are we?” whispered Annie behind him. “What do you see?”

　　“Nothing. But I think we’ve come to the outside of the castle，” said Jack. “I’ll find out.”

　　Jack put the flashlight in his pack. He put the pack on his back. He stuck his hand out the door. He couldn’t feel the ground. Just air.

　　“I’m going to have to go feet first，” he said.

　　Jack turned around in the small tunnel. He lay down on his stomach. He stuck one leg out the door. Then the other.

　　Jack inched down， bit by bit. Until he was hanging out the door， clinging to the ledge.“This must be the precipice!” he called to Annie. “Pull me up!”

　　Annie reached for Jack’s hands. “I can’t hold you!” she said.

　　Jack felt his fingers slipping. Then down he fell.

　　Down through the darkness.

　　SPLASH!

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