Free No Survivors by R.L. Stine Page B

of her neck. She dropped to her knees under the weight of the web as the pain shot through her body.
    â€œApril, you led us in here,” Pam said. Her voice was angry and accusing. “And now we’re never going to get out!”

24
    April fought back tears. Pam was right. She had led them into the cave. It was because of her that they were trapped under the net—dinner for all these insects.
    â€œI’ll find a way out of here,” she told Pam and Kristen. “I won’t give up. I’ll get us out.”
    Something else stung her elbow. A line of red-hot fire ran through April’s arm. Her eyes shut against the pain of the insect sting, April rolled over. She heard a ping and felt the thick web stretch—then give way.
    She opened her eyes—and saw that she had rolled through a tear in the web.
    â€œHey—I’m out!” April cried.
    She hurried to pull the heavy cobweb off the others.
    Pam and Kristen stumbled out, rubbing at stings and bites.
    â€œHow did you do that?” Pam narrowed her eyes at April.
    April shrugged. “I—I don’t know. I guess I justrolled through a weak spot.”
    â€œWho cares? Let’s just go!” Kristen cried.
    They started running toward the tunnel.
    April couldn’t help turning back—and she saw that Marlin and the others weren’t following. “Come on! Hurry!” she called.
    Marlin didn’t respond. Maybe he’s too weak, April thought. Maybe he’s afraid he won’t make it. She grabbed his arm and pulled hard. “You’re coming with us. I can’t leave you here!”
    â€œLet go of me!” Marlin insisted, but April ignored him. She stared toward the tunnel on the right.
    â€œThat’s the wrong way,” Clark said. “It’s that tunnel.” He pointed in the other direction. “No. That way,” Jared argued.
    Pam slowed down and pointed to a third tunnel. “I think we came that way.”
    â€œWe couldn’t have,” Kristen said. “We—” She broke off, looking confused. “I’m not sure where we came in.”
    April suddenly felt dizzy. I’m all turned around, she realized.
    I don’t remember which way we came. I can’t tell one direction from another.
    They stood in the center of the chamber, arguing over which tunnel led out of the cave. Kristen kept sweeping her light from one opening to the other.
    April’s head was spinning. She let go of Marlin’s arm and dropped to the floor again. “So dizzy…”she murmured.
    â€œMe too,” Kristen said. Her eyes were rolling in her head. She dropped beside April on the dirt floor.
    A scorpion from the cobweb crawled toward them. Its pincers opened and closed. April tried to look away from the scorpion, but she couldn’t raise her head.
    Too dizzy. Too dizzy.
    â€œThe woman in the blue cloak,” April muttered. “She has us trapped here. She isn’t going to let us go.”
    â€œBut that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you,” Marlin said, standing over her, hands on his waist. “We don’t want to go. We want to stay here.”

25
    â€œAre you totally crazy ?” Kristen shrieked.
    â€œMarlin—what’s wrong?” April asked. “Why are you saying that?”
    â€œHe’s right,” Jared said, stepping in front of Marlin. “We have to stay here. This is where we belong.”
    April felt sick with fear as she heard the witch’s song again. She got out of the path of the scorpion, then pushed herself to her feet. The dizziness faded a little. Kristen was standing again too.
    â€œCome on! Come on! Stop wasting time!” Pam cried.
    Clark tightened his hands into fists. “We’re not going anywhere,” he said through gritted teeth. “We’re staying.”
    â€œBut—why?” Pam demanded.
    â€œThis is our home,” Marlin said. He too,