Wiggling their bodies through the narrow space, the sisters struggled to keep up with the woman who called herself “Double H”. The last thing they wanted to do was lose sight of the lone lead they had in determining their father’s whereabouts.
However, keeping close to Double H was no easy feat. She had led the sisters into the narrowest of corridors, which was apparently used for servicing some of the school’s heating, plumbing, and electrical aspects. Double H had no trouble navigating the close quarters, thanks to what was surely abundant practice in the matter, but Maria and Sara were newcomers to the experience.
The concrete walls were lined with numerous pipes and wires and vast pieces of ductwork, leaving little room for the girls to pass through. The tools they had brought with them banged off of metal objects in the tight area, and they kept getting hung up on various objects.
Regretfully, they realized they were going to have to leave their backpacks behind, because they kept getting snagged. With no time to waste, they quickly shrugged them from their shoulders and left them on the floor.
Once free of their backpacks, the girls were able to pick up the pace and get closer to the elusive Double H, who was slinking ahead through the service corridor.
The overhead lighting of this area was questionable at best, consisting of a single, bare light bulb that flickered in a disconcerting manner. By its intermittent illumination, the sisters could just barely see where they were going and what they were touching. They caught glimpses of Double H’s black cape as it whirled in the corridor ahead of them, and they sought to catch up.
“I know we don’t really have any choice in the matter, but that doesn’t mean I like this,” Sara muttered uneasily, as she continued wiggling forward, ducking beneath ducts and dodging pipe valves. “I don’t like it one bit.”
“Neither do I. We’ll have to be extra vigilant and keep an eye on one another’s back. There’s no telling what we’re getting into here… I just hope Dad’s okay,” Maria said.
“You’re right… just stay alert. We can’t trust this lady, whoever she is,” Sara warned, though she knew her sister hardly needed to be reminded.
As they continued making their way through the corridor, there suddenly came the noise of a great disturbance above the girls, causing their hearts to leap and their breath to catch.
In the mess of pipes and ductwork that was layered near the ceiling of the service corridor, there was a flurry of activity. Something was up there. There were scraping sounds, like that of claws on a metal surface, and various thwumps and thwocks.
It sounded like something was scuttling around, right over their heads.
“What was that?” Maria asked as she grabbed onto her sister’s shoulders.
Sara had tensed up, her eyes directed at the ceiling. “Just hold still…” She readied the hammer she held in one hand, bracing herself for a well-placed swing… just in case, as Double H had said.
In the flickering light of the narrow corridor, it was hard to see anything with absolute clarity. As the sisters stared at the ceiling, their attention riveted by whatever was making the racket, they saw something pass overhead.
It was a dark blur of movement, and the sisters gasped as it moved into their field of vision. Before they could process what it was, it had vanished among a network of pipes and wires, scuttling and scraping as it went.
“By the beard of Archimedes,” Sara whispered.
From the place where the thing had disappeared, a fading giggle could be heard, drawing chills from the sisters. They shuddered and reached for each other’s hands, clenching them tight, drawing comfort from the reassurance that they would not face these curious horrors alone.
“Kind of creepy, huh?” Double H asked.
She had come back toward the girls, and now stood just before them. With eyes glued upward, Maria and Sara had not even noticed Double H, and they jumped when she spoke.
“Don’t do that!” Sara admonished the caped weirdo.
Apparently oblivious, Double H furrowed her brow and asked, “Do what?”
“Sneak up on us like that!” Sara exclaimed. “What do you think I’m talking about? Isn’t it spooky enough down here, without you doing that?”
“Oh, sorry. I realized you two were lagging behind, and when I heard that mecha-monkey scrambling around, I figured I’d better come back to make sure you were okay,” Double H said.
“So that was one of these so-called gremlins?” Maria asked.
“Yep,” Double H answered. “Nimble little rascals. They can squeeze into just about any space.”
“Are they dangerous? That thing kind of gave me the willies,” Sara admitted, suppressing a shudder.
“Uh… not... usually,” Double H said slowly, as if considering the question a great deal before answering.
“Well, that’s not a very confidence inspiring answer,” Maria muttered.
Double H turned on her heels and once more began to delve into the darkened depths of the service corridor. “Come on! Stay close to the Phantom, and you’ll be just fine. But like I said, it can’t hurt to keep those tools handy… uh, you know. Just in case.”
Chapter Nineteen
The Workshop of Wonders