The Secret of Skull Island

by Zack Norris

  The men stopped talking. Their footsteps grew fainter as they walked away.

  “Weird,” said Cody. “Maybe that falling chandelier wasn’t an accident. So many things have gone wrong at the inn …”

  “You think the pirate ghost is causing trouble?” Otis snorted. “Aunt Edith is just stressed. She’s worried about nothing.”

  He couldn’t have been more wrong. At the inn on Calavera Island, there was plenty to worry about.

  [Chapter Three]

  Rae and the twins were still yawning when Maxim dropped them off at the dojo. They were all so excited about the trip to Calavera Island that they had hardly slept. As they took off their shoes, Cody and Otis filled Rae in on what they had overheard.

  “Poor Aunt Edith,” she said. “It’s hard enough just starting a new business, but all those accidents must have her really frazzled.” She shook her head.

  “Then you don’t think it’s the pirate’s ghost?” Cody asked.

  “Not really,” she said, while Otis let out an exasperated sigh. Rae smoothed the front of her gi. Wearing the karate uniform always made her feel proud. “Anyway, we can’t think about it now. We’ve got to focus on class.”

  The three of them had learned that the mental part of karate was more important than learning to fight. In fact, the sensei had taught them to avoid a fight whenever possible. But learning to focus and breathe under stress was something they could apply to any situation in life. Now, as junior black belts, they knew it well.

  The three waited for the sensei to enter. Soon the master appeared and instructed them to line up. Then he gave the command, “Mokuso,” meaning, “close your eyes and meditate.”

  Otis, Cody, and Rae closed their eyes. All thoughts of the upcoming trip and pirate treasure left their minds. The class had begun.

  Time passed quickly as they moved through their warm-up exercises. Next, they practiced their stances and then the katas—sequences of moves that imitated fighting. Then they paired up to practice techniques of blocking and kicking. Soon they were bowing their good-byes at the closing ceremony.

  After class, Maxim and Mr. Carson whisked every-one to the airport. On the plane, Rae and the twins told the two men that they wouldn’t be able to relax until they finally got to the island. Then they promptly fell asleep and stayed asleep until the plane landed.

  *

  As the Carsons, Maxim, and Rae struggled up the walkway toward the inn through the pouring rain, they didn’t know that someone was watching them with binoculars. When Bobo saw Cody, Otis, and Rae he gritted his teeth.

  Kids. That’s just great, he thought. He tossed the binoculars on the bed and began pacing furiously. Always gotta poke their runny little noses into everything. Why? They’re always asking, “Why, why, why?” It’s not enough that I’ve got to get rid of adults, now I’ve got to pay attention to kids, too. Who would have thought anyone would bring kids?

  He clenched his fists at his sides. He’d have to be nice to them. They mustn’t suspect a thing.

  Bobo lifted the binoculars and took another look. “Aw, what’s the matter with me?” he muttered, embarrassed. “They’re just kids.”

  He had no idea how much he’d underestimated them.

  [Chapter Four]

  It was nearly evening before Otis and Cody got their first sight of Calavera Island. They were exhausted and hungry. Their connecting flight had been delayed for hours.

  The Carsons, Rae, and Maxim were the only passengers on the tiny plane. Near the end of the flight, the sky had grown dark. As if they came out of nowhere, ominous clouds suddenly filled the sky.

  By the time the plane landed, the rain had begun. When the group finally reached the inn, a storm was in full force. The soggy travelers headed up the walk toward the inn.

  Wind lashed the palm trees and lightning cracked though the sky, illuminating the ancient mansion with an eerie glow. The huge arched windows seemed to stare out with threatening eyes.

  The boys shouldered their bags and trudged up the walkway, so bedraggled that they didn’t bother hurrying through the rain. They exchanged glances. Each knew what the other was thinking. This place sure looked desolate … and creepy.

  As soon as they reached the front door, it opened with the bone-chilling creak heard in old horror movies. But the boys forgot about their creepy thoughts when they saw the tall woman with waist-length white hair and sparkling eyes.

  “What’s up, Aunt Edith?” they asked together.

  “We’ll talk about it later,” their aunt said hurriedly. “You all have to get up to your rooms and get dried off. Then come on down to dinner. You must be starving.”

  She showed the group to their rooms. The boys couldn’t help noticing that their aunt seemed anxious and distracted. It was a change from her usual cheerful enthusiasm. In fact, they had never seen her act that way.

  *

  Half an hour later they were seated around the dining room table with the other guests, who had arrived days earlier. There weren’t many—only six of them—two women and four men, all about the same age as Mr. Carson.

  “Everybody, please join me in welcoming our new guests—my family. This is Hayden Carson, my nephew; his sons, Cody and Otis; and their cousin Rae Lee. Hayden’s sister married Rae’s father while she was visiting Hong Kong,” she said pleasantly. “Rae was born two years later. It’s such a romantic story.”

  “I think that’s enough information, Aunt Edith,” Rae said, rolling her eyes.

  Aunt Edith chuckled. “They’ve brought along their good friend Maxim Chatterton. Would all of you please introduce yourselves and add a bit of information?” She gave everyone a big smile, but it didn’t match her eyes. Cody and Otis thought her cheerfulness seemed forced. What was wrong with Aunt Edith?

  “Before we start, I have something to tell you,” Aunt Edith said. The smile on her face tightened. “Our wonderful cook was called away on family business.”

  “Just like the guide? Why is all the help leaving the place?” asked one of the guests, a man of about thirty-five with blond hair and blue eyes and a heavy, fake-looking tan. The twins didn’t like his tone. There was something nasty about it.

  Aunt Edith just shrugged. “Until I find someone else, I’ll be preparing the meals. Tonight we have a lovely cream of mushroom soup and a casserole. I hope you’ll enjoy the meal.”

  Aunt Edith nodded to a young woman with dark hair and eyes who had been standing quietly near the kitchen doorway. “Go ahead and begin serving the soup, Inez,” she said. “Now, let’s all introduce ourselves.”

  “I’m Cody Carson,” Cody blurted eagerly. “And I—”

  “Hold on, Cody,” Mr. Carson cut in. “Never the shy one,” he said with a chuckle. “I’d like to hear from the folks who’ve been staying here on the island first.”

  Aunt Edith turned to the man with the fake tan. “All right, then. Why don’t you start, Mr. Cordell?”

  “Why, sure.” The man cleared his throat. He looked up at the ceiling as he spoke. Then he pushed his water glass out in front of his plate.

  “I’m Steve Cordell, and I’m a real-estate broker from California. The business is always go, go, go, so I came here to take it easy. That’s about it.”

  “What’s the price per square foot for an apartment out there?” asked Otis, his eyes boring into the man.

  Cody gulped. Since when was Otis interested in real estate? Suddenly he realized what Otis was up to. He was trying to find out if the man was lying.

  “Um—well, I’m surprised you’re interested,” Mr. Cordell said. “We can’t price apartments like linoleum tile. Knowing how much an apartment is worth comes with experience,” he said quickly.

  Maxim stared at Otis, his mouth set in a thin line. He also realized what Otis was up to. He shook his head slowly. Otis got the message: no more questions.

  The gray-haired man next to Steve Cordell scratched his chin. “I’m Eric Barber from Indiana,” he said. He pulled his ear and s
hifted in his chair. “I own a shoe store.”

  For some reason the woman next to Mr. Barber glared at him before she introduced herself. “I’m Helen Wallace from Virginia,” she said, twirling a piece of her brown bob. She looked down at her plate and shrugged. “I’m a retired librarian, and I love to ski.”

  When Ms. Wallace was silent for a moment, the woman next to her spoke up. “I’m Muriel Esposito,” she said, “and I own a little sewing shop in Maryland.” Her brown ponytail swished as she turned to Mr. Carson and smiled. “I’m a great fan of your work. I just love your paintings!”

  “Agreed!” said the man on her right enthusiastically. His name was Sam Keller, and he was pale with red hair and green eyes. Keller couldn’t stop tapping his foot as he told them that he worked in a post office in New Jersey.

  Lastly, a man with thinning dark hair and brown eyes introduced himself as Albert McNab. “I own a little corner grocery store in Brooklyn, New York,” he said with a grin that lit up his face like sunshine. “It’s the first chance I’ve had to get away in years. Mr. Carson, I’ve admired your paintings, too.”

  Steve Cordell’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve been wondering how a small-time grocery owner has the money to buy himself a Rolex watch,” he said, staring at the gold timepiece on McNab’s wrist.

  It was such a rude comment that everyone was shocked. But no one knew what to say.

  McNab didn’t look as if he were offended in the least. “Oh, I suppose that’s a reasonable thing to wonder,” he said with a smile at Cordell. “I’ve been very lucky with my investments in the stock market. Anyone can do the same, really. I’d be happy to help you start an investment portfolio, if you like.”

  “Nah, I don’t need any help,” muttered Cordell.

  By now Inez, the maid, had served everyone bowls of cream of mushroom soup. Cody looked down at his and bit his lip. He had never seen soup look so much like dishwater. He dipped his spoon and swallowed.

  Ugh! It took every bit of willpower that he had to stop from spitting it out. He looked at Otis and saw that his nose was wrinkled. Then he gazed around the table and saw that he wasn’t the only one who didn’t like the food.

  Maxim’s mouth was puckered as if he’d just bitten into a lemon. His face was beet red. Almost everyone else was grimacing, too.

  Only Aunt Edith and Mr. Carson seemed not to notice anything wrong. Both swallowed spoonful after spoonful of soup.

  The casserole was even worse. The guests pushed around their portions on their plates.

  The twins, Rae, Maxim, and Mr. Carson introduced themselves. Then Cody asked if anyone thought the place was haunted. That got everybody talking.

  “I definitely think so,” Muriel Esposito said, leaning forward. “I’ve heard footsteps in the hallway sometimes, but no one is there!”

  McNab nodded. “I believe it, too,” he said. “The other day I was walking in the garden, and all of a sudden footprints started appearing on the path just like somebody was walking beside me.” He paused and looked around the table. “But there wasn’t anybody there. Nobody I could see, anyway.”

  “Oh, this place is haunted, all right,” Barber agreed. “I’ve heard those footsteps in the hallway, just as Ms. Esposito has.”

  “Me, too,” said Ms. Wallace. She lifted up a forkful of casserole and examined it before returning it to her plate.

  “I heard the pirate talking,” said Steve Cordell. He rubbed his nose. “He was telling me to leave his treasure alone. He sounded pretty threatening. Maybe he’s the one who made the chandelier fall down.”

  “How could a ghost make a chandelier fall down?” Otis asked, looking darkly at Cordell. It seemed as if he wanted people to be scared.

  “Well, I think it’s all pretty frightening,” Sam Keller said in a hushed tone. He tapped his foot nervously. “I know it scares me.”

  When nobody said anything, the man threw up his hands. “Well? Come on now, isn’t anybody else scared?”

  McNab started to chuckle. His laughter was so contagious that most of the other guests joined in. “Y’know, I think it’s just a whole lot of fun. I always wanted to go to a haunted house. When I called up to book the place and Edith told me it might be haunted, I thought she was pulling my leg, but doggone it, the place is haunted all right. Hot dog!”

  Nearly everybody seemed to agree with him. They weren’t scared. In fact, they wanted to be in a place that was haunted. It was cool.

  “Maybe the ghost is the reason that the cook and the guide left,” Cordell said slowly. “Things have been going wrong here from the beginning. We didn’t have hot water for two days. Maybe that’s the ghost, too. It’s going to be hard to keep a staff.”

  “Well, I don’t think so,” said McNab. He threw his napkin down beside his plate. “We heard the cook and the guide left because of family business, and I believe what I was told. If I’m not scared of the ghost, why would they be?” He glared at Cordell. “It sounds to me like you’re trying to spoil the fun, and I, for one, don’t appreciate it.”

  An uncomfortable silence fell over the table. The twins were surprised that McNab had gotten angry. He was such a pleasant man. But they agreed with him about Cordell. He seemed determined to spoil the fun.

  “Oh, forget what I said,” McNab told everyone after a moment. “I guess I’m just tired.” He smiled his sunny smile once more.

  “Hardly anyone touched their food,” said Aunt Edith, her brow puckered with disappointment.

  “I think we’re all just too tired to eat,” replied Maxim. He was always a gentleman.

  The other guests hurriedly agreed. They yawned loudly and insisted that they were all exhausted. One by one they headed to their rooms, including Mr. Carson.

  “Well, I’m afraid I’m exhausted, too,” Aunt Edith said. “I’ll chat with you all tomorrow. Good night.” She plucked nervously at her sundress as she walked away.

  Finally, only Maxim, Rae, and the twins were left sitting at the table. Maxim let out a groan as soon as Aunt Edith was out of earshot.

  “What a dreadful, dreadful meal,” he cried. “Cream of mushroom soup, indeed! It was more like cream of washroom. And that casserole! A combination of chili squares and cheese chow mein.”

  The boys both doubled over, but Maxim cut their laughter short. He pointed a finger at Otis. “You’re obsessed with that book of yours. Don’t start cross-examining people again. You’ll be finding liars everywhere! Good night, kids.”

  “Well, I think there are plenty of liars here,” Otis said after Maxim was gone. “What a twitchy bunch! Did you see how that tan guy, Cordell, never made eye contact? Sure sign of a liar. And the way he put his water glass in front of him? The book says that liars put objects between themselves and others, as if they want to hide behind something.”

  Cody nodded. “Everybody was tapping and scratching and moving around. Except for Mr. McNab and Ms. Esposito. But I’m not sure that it means all the others were lying.”

  Otis tilted his head to one side. “I wonder if family business was the real reason the cook left. I have a feeling something is going on here, don’t you?”

  Cody shrugged. “Maybe. The place has a weird vibe, all right.”

  “Oh, come on now,” said Rae. “We’re on an island paradise and all you guys can think about is some kind of mystery. First it was buried treasure, and now it’s something weird going on.”

  As soon as the words were out of her mouth, a bloodcurdling shriek ripped through the air. Rae and the boys jumped up from the table and raced upstairs.

  They found all the guests gathered in the hallway, clad in pajamas. They were gawking at Aunt Edith, who was screaming at the top of her lungs.

  “It’s a cobra! Or a python! Or a copperhead!” she cried. “Right on my bed!”

  Everyone seemed frozen in shock. Cody and Otis tiptoed into her room. There, curled up on the blue cotton bedspread, was an orange and gold snake at least six feet long.

  [Chapter Five]

&n
bsp; It certainly looked like a deadly snake. It raised its head and looked at the boys.

  Otis looked the snake in the eyes. “This is no venomous snake,” he said firmly. “Cody, give me a hand.”

  Otis moved quickly and grabbed the snake behind the head. Then Cody grabbed the tail.

  As everyone stared, the boys hurried downstairs and outside with the snake. They walked a distance from the inn and set it free behind some trees. They both watched it slither away.

  “Well, that’s that,” Otis said, wiping his hands on his shorts. “I wonder where that thing came from.”

  Cody shrugged. “We’d better get back and explain why we grabbed it,” he said. “Everybody will be freaking out.”

  They were right. When they got back to the inn, everyone was downstairs waiting for them. Aunt Edith was sitting at the dining room table, shaking.

  “What on earth were you boys thinking, grabbing that snake?” she asked, her voice quivering. All of the color had drained from her face.

  “Yes, what in the world were you doing?” snapped their father.

  “That was a dangerous stunt,” said Maxim.

  Otis held up a hand for silence. “But the snake wasn’t venomous, so it wasn’t dangerous,” he said. “In fact, people keep snakes like that for pets. It was a corn snake. I know, because of helping out in the pet store, Pets Plus, for years. They sell corn snakes there. I’ve handled them many times, and I know one when I see one.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t realize it at first,” said Cody. “Otis is more into snakes than I am. As soon as he said it wasn’t venomous I knew it was a corn snake, though. They look a lot like copperheads, but they’re gentle.”

  “How could you be sure that it wasn’t dangerous?” asked Albert McNab.

  “Like I said, I’ve handled them lots of times. But besides that, there is an interesting fact about snakes,” Otis said. “You see, non-venomous snakes like this one have round pupils. Snakes with venom in their fangs have vertical pupils, like a cat does.”

  Otis glanced at Rae. “She’s the one who told me about it,” he said with a nod.