A Night in Terror Tower
Page 8
They immediately began to glow.
“Edward — again?” I cried.
A smile crossed his lips. His dark eyes lit up excitedly. “I lifted them from Morgred’s robe when he hugged me.”
“Do you remember the spell?” I demanded.
Edward’s smile faded. “I — I think so.”
I could hear the Executioner outside the door. The heavy treading of boots on the stone stairs.
“Edward — please hurry!” I urged.
I heard the bolt slide outside the door.
I heard the heavy wooden door begin to slide open.
Edward struggled to stack the glowing stones one on top of the other. The one on top kept slipping off.
Finally, he held all three in a small tower in his palm.
The door slid open a few inches more.
Edward held the glowing stones high. And called out, “Movarum, Lovaris, Movarus!” followed by the year we had come from.
The glowing stones exploded in a flash of white light.
The light faded quickly.
I glanced around.
“Oh, Edward!” I wailed in disappointment. “It didn’t work! We’re still in the Tower!”
Before my stunned brother could reply, the door swung all the way open.
33
And there they stood. A tour group.
I didn’t recognize the tour leader. She was a young woman dressed in layers of red and yellow T-shirts and a short skirt over black tights.
I grinned at Edward. I felt so happy, I didn’t think I would ever stop grinning!
“You did it, Edward!” I cried. “You did it! Your spell did work!”
“Call me Eddie,” he replied, laughing gleefully. “Call me Eddie, okay, Sue?”
The spell had worked perfectly. We were back in the twenty-first century. Back in the Tower — as tourists!
“This tiny tower room is where Prince Edward and Princess Susannah of York were held as prisoners,” the tour guide announced. “They were held here and sentenced to death. But they were never executed.”
“They didn’t die up here?” I asked the tour guide. “What happened?”
The tour guide shrugged. “No one knows. On the night they were to be murdered, the prince and princess vanished. Disappeared into thin air. It is a mystery that will never be solved.”
Members of the tour group mumbled to each other, gazing around the small room.
“Look at the thick stone walls,” the tour guide continued. “Look at the barred window so high above. How did they escape? We will never know.”
“I guess we know the answer to the mystery,” someone whispered behind me.
Eddie and I turned to see Morgred grinning at us. He winked. I saw that he was wearing a purple sports jacket and dark gray trousers.
“Thanks for bringing me along,” he said happily.
“We had to bring you, Morgred,” Eddie replied. “We need a parent.”
Morgred raised a finger to his mouth. “Hush! Don’t call me Morgred. I’m Mr. Morgan now, okay?”
“Okay,” I said. “And I guess I’m Sue Morgan. And this is Eddie Morgan.” I slapped my brother on the back.
The tour group started out of the tower room, and we followed. Eddie pulled the three white stones from his jeans pocket and began juggling them.
“If I hadn’t borrowed these from your robe,” he told Mr. Morgan, “that tour guide would be telling a very different story — wouldn’t she!”
“Yes, she would,” the sorcerer replied thoughtfully. “A very different story.”
“Let’s get out of here!” I cried. “I never want to see this tower again.”
“I’m starving!” Eddie exclaimed.
I suddenly realized I was starving, too.
“Shall I perform a food spell?” Mr. Morgan suggested.
Eddie and I each let out a loud groan. “I think I’ve had enough spells to last a lifetime,” I said. “How about we go to Burger Palace for some good old twenty-first-century hamburgers and fries!”
BEHIND THE SCREAMS
A NIGHT in
TERROR TOWER
CONTENTS
About the Author
Q & A with R.L. Stine
Fright Gallery: The Lord High Executioner
The Smell of Medieval London
Rats!
The Scariest Cities in the World
Teaser
About the Author
R.L. Stine’s books are read all over the world. So far, his books have sold more than 300 million copies, making him one of the most popular children’s authors in history. Besides Goosebumps, R.L. Stine has written the teen series Fear Street, the funny series Rotten School, as well as the Mostly Ghostly series, The Nightmare Room series, and the two-book thriller Dangerous Girls. R.L. Stine lives in New York with his wife, Jane, and Minnie, his King Charles spaniel. You can learn more about him at www.RLStine.com.
Q & A with R.L. Stine
Morgred sends Sue and Eddie back into the fifteenth century. What time period would you visit if Morgred gave YOU three white stones?
R.L. Stine (RLS): I would go way back to the time of the cavemen, because I bet they told the BEST scary stories every night!
You did a great job of setting the scene in London, past and present. What inspired you to write this story? Did a visit to London have anything to do with it?
RLS: You guessed it. I got the idea for this book when I visited the Tower of London in the United Kingdom and based the tower in my story off of the real thing. I remember the tower very clearly: I climbed a narrow, creepy stairway, and at the top I entered a tiny, dark room. I got a chill when I was told that two very young princes had been prisoners in that room until they were put to death. I never forgot that story or the creepy feeling of being inside that tower.
The rat scene in the sewers under Terror Tower in Chapter 11 is pretty intense! What animal do you think is the creepiest, the rat or something else?
RLS: Rats are pretty creepy, but the creepiest animal I’ve ever heard of is the earwig. The earwig is a worm that can climb inside a person’s ear. Once it’s inside, it can only go in one direction—deeper and deeper into your ear until it goes right into your brain.
You’ve said all writers should read as much as they can. You must love reading fiction because your stories are always so imaginative. Do you enjoy reading nonfiction as much as fiction?
RLS: I don’t read much nonfiction. Reality is way too scary for me!
The ending of Goosebumps HorrorLand #12: The Streets of Panic Park was so unexpected and awesome! Is this really the end for HorrorLand?
RLS: Can you keep a secret? Book #12 is the end of one HorrorLand adventure—but it’s not the end of HorrorLand! Another terrifying adventure is about to begin in Goosebumps HorrorLand #13: When the Ghost Dog Howls. I don’t want to reveal too much, but I will say this: When you pick up Goosebumps Horrorland #13, you’ll take a little horror home with you!
To find out if R.L. Stine’s dog can detect ghosts, grab a copy of the new collector’s edition of GOOSEBUMPS: WELCOME TO DEAD HOUSE and LOOK in the back of the BOOK.
Fright Gallery: The Lord High Executioner
FIRST APPEARANCE A Night in Terror Tower
OTHER APPEARANCES ON TV/DVD Goosebumps: A Night in Terror Tower, Parts 1 & 2.
ORIGINS The Lord High Executioner is part of an ancient family of executioners who have handed down the tricks of their gruesome trade from generation to generation. He has executed everyone from the common criminal to the queen and has the complete trust of the king. He is also the head of Terror Tower.
SPECIAL POWERS The ability to travel through time. Pure ruthlessness.
WEAKNESSES Swarms of rats. Underestimating how smart children are.
LIVING OR DEAD? Living
FAVORITE PHRASE “You will come with me now.”
HOBBIES AND INTERESTS Sharpening his ax. Making chopped salads.
LAST SEEN Roaming the hallways
of Terror Tower … in the year 2343!
* * *
The Smell of Medieval London
For a brief moment, R.L. Stine transported us back to medieval London, filled with dirt roads, straw piles, mooing cows, clucking chickens and … DISGUSTING SMELLS! London was the stinkiest place on the planet during the Middle Ages. Even King Edward III complained about it. What made it so smelly? Here are a few funky factors:
OPEN SEWAGE
In medieval London, everyone tossed their waste (that’s kitchen waste AND bathroom waste—shudder) into the open gutters that ran like streams along both sides of every city street. All of this sewage found its way into London’s main river, the Thames. There’s nothing like a fresh river breeze—UGH!
THE LATEST FASHION
The poor people who lived in London (and almost everyone was poor) wore the same clothes day after day after day and even slept in these same clothes at night. This made for some foul-smelling fashion— P.U.!
BATH TIME!
How often do you bathe? No matter what your answer, it is sure to be waaaaaay more frequently than your average medieval Londoner, who would only bathe once a month … if that! Bathing was not something that people did regularly—it was too much work!
THE SWEET STENCH OF SUCCESS
Business was booming in London, but success came with a price—pollution! Tanneries are factories where animal hides and wool are made into everything from socks, blankets, belts, shoes, and more. There was a very large number of tanneries packed into a very small space in medieval London. Leather and wool was boiled, which released an unbearable odor throughout the city. And where did all the animal guts end up? Usually in the river Thames. Anyone ready for a swim?
RATS!
Brown rats. Black rats. Sewer rats. Wharf rats. Beady eyes. Scaly, long tails. High-pitched, TERRIBLE squeaks! For many, rats are the creepiest creature out there, worse even than the lowly cockroach.
Ever wonder why rats give people the creeps? It all started with the BLACK PLAGUE, a DISEASE that swept through medieval Europe in the fourteenth century, killing nearly 20 million people. The disease was spread by fleas that were carried by rats. Even though fleas spread the disease, and humans were dirty and unhealthy (see THE SMELL OF MEDIEVAL LONDON), rats were forever labeled diseased and disgusting. Hey, man—don’t shoot the messenger!
There are other factors as well. For instance, rats are NOCTURNAL, like other creepy creatures. Rats can INFEST areas that have a large amount of food, and can get into almost any food supply thanks to the fact that they can squeeze their bodies into the smallest of crevices. Examples of a rat’s appetite can be found all over the world, from India, where swarms of rats DESTROY whole fields crops, to New York City. A restaurant was recently closed in New York City after it was overrun by rats. When other restaurants in the area were inspected, more than 10% showed signs that rats had been there, too!
So it’s clear that rats like our food, but would they ever eat a human? About 50,000 people a year are BITTEN by rats. It’s not that rats are hungry for human flesh. Rather, rats smell food on a person and mistake it for a meal and then try to take a bite. While a rat’s sense of smell and taste is fantastic, its eyesight is not. Think of this the next time you pass out on a couch after gorging yourself on junk food. A rat might come out of the shadows, sniff your fingers, and take a bite. OUCH!
A group of rats (like the one that attacked the Lord High Executioner) is called a pack or mischief of rats.
There is at least one rat per person in New York City—that’s 8.2 million people and 8.2 million rats. Some experts think there could be as many as 9 rats per human in New York City, for an astounding total of almost 74 MILLION RATS!
THE SCARIEST CITIES IN THE WORLD
Medieval London, with its Black Death, open sewage, frightening executions, poverty, and shocking crime, was one disgusting and frightening town! And today, much of London’s history and hauntings still makes for creepy late-night walks filled with dark and mysterious corners. Does that make it one of the world’s scariest cities? Not quite … but here are a few haunted contenders that could vie for the title SCARIEST CITY IN THE WORLD.
TRANSYLVANIA HEIGHTS, ROMANIA
This is a town where everyone always looks pretty drained. Why so gloomy? What’s gotten into them? Perhaps it’s not what’s gotten into them, but what’s being taken out….
FRIGHTFUL FACT Transylvania Heights has a thriving wooden stake and coffin industry.
DES MOANS, IOWA
Life in this town was brought to a grinding halt after an experiment gone bad turned most of the residents into zombies. The few remaining living are forced to scavenge for their meals—all while dodging the zombies, who are trying to scavenge for brains.
FRIGHTFUL FACT There are currently 20 zombies for every human in Des Moans. Experts believe that the population will be all zombie sometime in 2014.
FANGFORT, GERMANY
Experience the European lifestyle in the heart of Germany! There’s one thing you might have to get used to, though—the hairiness of your fellow residents! Oh, and they like to bite … you! Especially when the moon is out.
FRIGHTFUL FACT Silver bullets have been outlawed in Fangfort since 1957—at about the same time a large number of fire hydrants were installed on the city streets.
LOS DIABLOS, CALIFORNIA
The city on the other side of the tracks from Los Angeles, Los Diablos lives up to its name, “The City of Devils.” Temperatures are always hotter (400 to 500 degrees hotter), which makes weekend barbecues a breeze.
FRIGHTFUL FACT Los Diablos holds the record for world’s fastest-melting ice cream cone: 10.5 seconds.
Editor’s Note: OK, so we totally made up all of these cities. And we had a lot of fun doing it!
NOW, STEP RIGHT UP AND CREATE SOME SCARY CITIES OF YOUR OWN!
STEP 1: Think of a scary city name.
Take the name of a place or person from a scary movie or book you like and turn it into a city name. We took the region of Transylvania, featured in Dracula, and made a city out of the name—Transylvania Heights. Try others like Slappy Village or Jellyjamville.
STEP 2: Think up a funny story.
Try writing about what makes the town scary without giving away the entire story. For instance, we talk about how hairy and nippy the residents of Fangfort are without actually saying that they’re werewolves.
STEP 3: Think up a funny fake fact.
It should be related to the story—population statistics, facts about industry, silly moments in the town’s history, world records, or any other fake fact.
Think up a few scariest cities and share them with a friend, then have your friend think of a few. Remember, it’s not just about being scary … be scary AND funny!
HAVE A FRIGHTENING GOOD TIME!
Add more Goosebumps to your collection!
Here’s a chilling preview of
WHEN THE GHOST DOG HOWLS
An all-new adventure begins
in the world’s scariest theme park!
1
“Andy, trade popcorn bags with me,” Marnie said. She made a grab for my bag.
I swiped it away from her and spilled popcorn all over my lap. “Marnie — give me a break,” I said with a groan. “Why do you want mine?”
“Yours looks like it tastes better,” she said.
“Huh?” I squinted into my popcorn bag. “They’re exactly the same.”
“Then you don’t mind trading — right?” She laughed.
My cousin, Marnie Myers, may be the grabbiest person in the world. And she always wants everything that’s mine. But at least she has a sense of humor.
I like her laugh. She’s twelve, the same age as me. But she laughs like a little kid.
She looks younger than me, too. In fact, even though we’re cousins, we don’t look anything alike.
She’s short and thin. She has a narrow face with straight brown hair down to her shoulders and big green eyes.
Dad says I could be a middle linebacker. I guess that’s his polite way of saying I’m big and maybe a little chubby. I have a round face with short black hair and brown eyes.
Dad says I always have a worried look. I don’t think he’s right. But yes, kids are always asking me, “Hey, Andy, what’s wrong?” when nothing is wrong.
Marnie and I get along really well — except when she’s grabbing my popcorn or taking handfuls of French fries off my plate at lunch.
I handed her my popcorn. “Well? Aren’t you going to give me yours?”
She shoved my hand away. “I have to taste them both first.”
We were in HorrorLand Theme Park, sitting in the Haunted Theater, waiting for the show to start. The theater looked like a creepy, old haunted house in a horror movie.
The auditorium was dark, except for flickering candles on the walls. Thick cobwebs hung down from the balcony. Creepy organ music played. A skeleton usher stood in the aisle, holding a flashlight.
Suddenly, jagged lightning bolts flashed on the black curtain across the stage. And thunder boomed over the auditorium.
Behind us, a little kid started to cry. “This is too scary!” he wailed. “I don’t like it!” His parents stood up, pulled him to the aisle, and led him out.