Free Camp Nowhere by R. L. Stine Page B

Drew.
    His head poked out through a tiny window, his dark hair ruffling in the breeze. He raised his eyes to me and again repeated his plea. “I’m locked in. Help me. Hurry. You’ve got to hurry.”
    “Russell—what is going on?” Charlotte appeared beside me, and the others followed.
    “It’s Drew,” I said. “I—I don’t believe this! He’s been locked in this tiny shed!”
    “Oh, wow,” Erin muttered. Her eyes went wide with shock.
    Drew banged his fists on the walls inside. “Help me. I’ve been in here all day.”
    “But—but why?” I sputtered.
    “Why are you in there?” Erin demanded. “Who locked you in there?”
    “That counselor Will. He’s Uncle Brian’s buddy.Will heard me yesterday when I said I’d tell you the truth. He and Uncle Brian grabbed me late last night. They dragged me from my bunk and locked me in here.”
    “But—that’s crazy! Why?” Charlotte demanded.
    “They don’t want me to talk to you,” Drew said, his voice hoarse and frantic. “They didn’t think anyone would come down here. They figured they could keep me hidden here—until it was too late. Too late for you.”
    Marty grabbed my shoulder. “This kid isn’t making any sense,” he said. “I think we should leave him here.”
    “ No! ” Drew screamed. “I’m making sense. I’m not crazy! You don’t know the danger you’re in. You’ve got to listen to me.”
    I squinted at Drew through the pale light. His eyes were wild. He was spitting as he talked.
    “The other guys say he’s crazy,” I whispered to my friends. “And he looks kind of…dangerous.”
    “What if he isn’t crazy?” Charlotte whispered. “What if he’s trying to help us?”
    “Help us do what ?” Erin asked. She turned back to Drew. “What is this about? Tell us!”
    “I can’t,” Drew replied breathlessly. “There is no time. We have to get away from this camp. Listen to me . The danger is real. After we get away from here, I promise—I’ll explain everything.”
    “We’re leaving this camp tomorrow,” Charlottetold Drew. “Uncle Brian promised us—”
    “He’s a liar!” Drew cried. “Believe me. He’s not your friend.”
    “That’s not true,” Marty insisted. “He’s been trying to call our camp all day. He—”
    “On what phone?” Drew demanded. “That phone in his office is a fake. Did you see any phone lines out here? No. There are no lines. His phone isn’t hooked up to anything.”
    “But—” I started to object. My words caught in my throat. Was Drew telling the truth?”
    Drew slammed his hands against the inside of the shed once more. The thin walls shook. “Listen to me! Uncle Brian is not going to let you leave,” he said. “He is going to keep you prisoner here forever —like all of us.”
    “Prisoner?” David cried. “Are you totally nuts?”
    Drew pushed his head farther out the tiny square window. “I’m telling the truth,” he rasped. “Let me out. I’ll help you escape. We’ll help each other get away from this place. And then I’ll explain the danger. I promise. Hurry! They’ll be coming. Please—hurry!”
    I studied Drew’s face, trying to figure out if he was telling the truth. But I saw only fear there.
    I believe him, I decided.
    He’s telling the truth about Uncle Brian.
    If Uncle Brian was such a good guy, why did he have Drew locked up? What kind of a man wouldlock a kid in a tiny shed for an entire day?
    “Let’s do it,” I whispered to my friends. “He’s telling the truth. Let’s get him out of there.”
    I started to walk to the shed door. But Marty grabbed me and pulled me back. “No—wait,” he pleaded. “This kid is lying, Russell.”
    “Then why did they lock him up in there?” Charlotte asked.
    “I—I don’t know,” Marty answered. “But if we let him out…who knows what he’ll do?”
    “I’m telling the truth!” Drew insisted, frantically pounding the shed wall. “You’ll be prisoners forever. You’ll never see