Nathan’s mother had made noise about himgrowing up and getting his first job.His father had lectured about learning thevalue of money and the importance of responsibility.
Nathan had nodded politely and thought aboutfree ice cream and free rides.
Except the ride made Nathan sick.Maybe it wasthe ice cream,he thought.Maybe there’s a reason people don’t eat ice creambefore lunch. Wayne had thought it was funny when they’d all ordered ice creamfirst thing that morning.He’d shaken his head,grinning.
“This beats Graveyard School,”Jeep hadsaid,attacking his cone.
“Gravevard School,huh?That’s what you call theeducation joint in this town?”Wayne had shaken his head again.”Sounds like agood idea for aride.”
“I don’t think you’d make munch money aroundhere on a ride like that,”Jason had said,uncharacteristically serious.
For a moment allthree kids had been silent,contemplating the year they’d just spent trying tostay alive.Except for the old graveyard crouched menacingly on the hill behindthe school,Grove Hill School seemed ordinary enough---but only to parents,whodidn’t belive that the principal was really a monster,that horrors lurkedbehind every door including the one to the bathroom,and that the teachers werebarely human.
“Don’texaggerate,”they said.
“Ha,ha,”theysaid,”Good imagination.”
“Go to school,”theysaid,”Education is important.”
He didn’t haveto think about school for a whole summer.No worries.No horrors.
Just fun,and areally cool job at Vampire Park.
The Tunnel ofBlood.Frankenstein’s Castle.The Minotaur’s Mad Maze…
After a year atGraveyard School,a summer at VampirePark was as easy and fright freeas,well,a stroll in the amusement park.
I’m notafraid,thought Nathan,and felt a little better.He ran to catch up with Jeep andJason.
“Are youfollowing us?”Jason demanded.
Maria rolled hereyes as she and Stacey got in line behind the three boys.”Yeah.That’s how Iplan to spend my summer.”
“We’re notfollowing you,”said Stacey.”We saved thebest ride for rast.”
“I think you justput it off ‘cause you’re scared,”Jason said.
“Hey,”Mariasaid.”Just because you’re scared doesn’t mean---“
“Scared?Me?Ofthe Tunnel of Blood?I don’t think so,”Jason said.He handed his ticket to theride’s operator and marched to the very first seat.Jeep walked over and satbeside him.
Nathan followed.
So did Staceyand Maria.The guy taking tickets slammed the enormous gate that separated the Tunnel of Blood from therest of the world and jumped up to the edge of the platform where the tracksinto the Tunnel began.
He strolled downthe line of cars,took tickets from Jeep and Jason,paused to frown atNathan,alone in his seat.”I like to have two people perseat,”he said.
Nathan shrugged.
The rideoperator looked over his shoulder at another customer who had taken upresidence in a seat at the end of thetrain.He called,”You.Come sit with him.”
“For whatreason,may I inquire?”a cool,imperious voice asked.
Nathan twisted to look over his shoulder and sawJordie Flanders,the Human Computer and his class at Graveyard School. He lookedaround and realized that everyone on the ride was from Graveyard School.It was practically a class reunion.
The ride guytowered over Jordie,huge and menacing in avaguely vampirean outfit thatincluded black jeans,a black cape lined with red satin, and a black muscleshirt. Jordie was unfazed. She looked up at the operator unblinkingly .Her facewas an emotion-free zone.
“Because I saidso,”the man said.”You wanna rede on Fang Gore’s rede,you do what Fang Goresays.”He tapped his chest with a narrow index finger to emphasize his point.
Jordie cockedher head and considered his words for a moment.
Yhe man scowled.
Nathan gulped.Fang lived up to his name.He had large,pointed incisors.Gold ones.
“Verywell,Mr.Gore,”said Jordie.”Since itseems that you are obtusely obstinate on this point,I’ll take the seat.”
“Mr.Gore?Mr.Gore?Youtrying to be funny?”the man said.
Jordie ignoredhim as she brushed by to sit next to Nathan.”Certainly not,”she said,andsettled in beside him.
His eyesslits,Fang collected Jordie’s ticket,then Maria’s and Stacey’s,before flicking the button that clamped everybody inplace with safety bars. He walked the row of cars once more to make certaineveryone was locked in securely.
“This isn’t aride for the weak of heart.This isn’t a ride for the easily frightenen,”heintoned.”This is the one, the only Tunnel of Blood.There is no other rede likeit in the United States,no other ride like it in the world…”
“Blah,blah,blah,”saidJason,twisting his thick neck on his thick body to make a face at Fang.
Fang stopped .Heraised his black slash eyebrows.”You’ve ridden the ride before?”
“Not yet,”saidJason.”But I’ve had plenty of experience with other haunted-house rides.”
Everyone nodded.”Aandschool,”Jeep said under his breath.
Fang smiled.”TheTunnel of Blood isn’t like other rides.It’s different.
“How?”Mariaasked.
Fang smiled morebroadly.The cold canine teeth flashed in his mouth like macabre jewelry.
The principal ofGraveyard School was rumored to have afang---but no one had ever been able to prove it.
Now here wassomeone with two very obvious ones.
Suddenly Nathanfelt uneasy again.
Fang said,” Because I’ve taken an ordinary ride and made a few uniqueadditions. Eliminated a few …old-fashioned…special effects.I think you’ll find this trip much more,shall wesay,interesting.”
He smiled.Nathanstared at the hideous gold fangs.
He decided maybehe didn’t want to ride through the Tunnel of Blood after all.But before Nathancould do anything,Fang grabbed the lever that started the train.”Enjoy the ride,”he said,and pulledthe switch.