Free No Survivors by R.L. Stine

furry creaturebrush against her ankle. The scrape of little feet echoed down the tunnel. Lowering her light, she saw dozens of scrawny gray rats.
    The rats’ black eyes sparkled in the beams of light. Their long pink tails scraped the cave floor behind them.
    â€œI—I don’t like this,” Pam muttered. “Why are they so close to us?”
    â€œIgnore them,” April said, though the rats made her shudder. Just find Marlin and the other missing kids, she told herself.
    The tunnel led them to another chamber. April and Kristen swept their lights over the floor.
    The rats were moving with them, April noticed. They were milling around the girls’ ankles, making little chittering sounds.
    Half the rats split off from the others to form a line in front of the girls. April’s eyes widened as the line of rodents stood stiffly on their hind legs, scraping claws in the air.
    â€œWhat are they doing?” Pam asked. For once she sounded nervous.
    â€œDancing?” April couldn’t help teasing Pam. “Not funny,” Pam said.
    Kristen stared at the rodents. “This sounds crazy,” she said, “but I think they’re trying to stop us from going farther. They don’t want us to go into the next chamber. Like, they’re guarding it or something.”
    â€œYou’re right, that sounds crazy,” April said. In the next instant she regretted her words. As if on a signal, all of the rats suddenly reared up on their hind legs. And as April stepped deeper into the cave, the rats attacked.
    April screeched as she felt furry little bodies trying to climb up her legs.
    â€œGet them off me!” Pam shrieked.
    The rats were digging their claws into April’s legs. She could feel their hairless tails wrapping around her calves. She reached down and peeled the rodents off her.
    The rats were gross, but April was determined not to be stopped. “Just push them off and follow me,” she told Kristen and Pam.
    Stepping over more rats, she edged into the next chamber.
    A blast of cold air from deep in the cave made April gasp. “That smell—” she whispered.
    A sharp, sour smell floated over them. The odor of dead fish, rotting meat.
    The same odor I smelled in my room back home, April realized.
    The same disgusting smell.
    We’re very close to discovering something, she thought.
    The rats, the horrible odor—they are here to keep us away. But we are close now. Very close.
    Once again she cupped her hands around hermouth and called out. “Can anyone hear me? Is anyone there?”
    Something moved against the wall.
    A figure staggered out from the tunnel opening in the back.
    It staggered into the light—and all three girls screamed.

23
    â€œMarlin! It’s you l” April cried.
    The rats scattered as Marlin made his way across the cave floor to them.
    He looks so thin, April thought. And lifeless.
    â€œMarlin, what are you doing here? How long have you been here? What is going on? Are you okay?” The stream of questions burst from April.
    Before Marlin could answer, two more kids appeared in the tunnel opening. Dolores and Jared.
    They squinted in the dim light. They appeared very confused. They look dazed, as if they’d just woken up from a long sleep, April thought.
    â€œWho…who are you?” Marlin asked, squinting at them.
    â€œMarlin—you don’t remember Kristen and me?” April cried. “We were on your team.”
    Two more kids appeared behind them. Clark and Kendra. They too, stared out of the darkness as if they didn’t remember April, Kristen, or Pam.
    â€œAre you here to help the witch?” Kendra asked. “Are you here to give her the breath of life?”
    â€œWhat are you talking about?” Pam asked.
    â€œWe live here,” Marlin said. “We help her stay alive. She has to stay alive till her daughter returns.”
    â€œIs one of you her daughter?” Jared