Vampire's Breath
3.
I feel my heart beating fast. I'm not scared. But my body started to tingle. A cold tingling. Excitement, I guess.
Cara and I both pointed our flashlight beams at the coffin in the middle of the floor. Circles of light bounce up and down on dark wood. Our hands are shaking.
"I've never seen a coffin before" murmured Cara myrrh.
"I don't either" I admit. "Except on TV" Light reflected off the polished wood.I saw
brass handle at both ends of long box. "What if someone dies in it?" How to ask in a small voice.
My heart is soaring again. My skin is even tingling
colder.
"I don't know" I whispered. "Who will be buried in the secret chamber under my house?"
I raised my flashlight and swept it around the room.
Four empty walls. Smooth and grey. No windows No closets. The only door leads back to the tunnel
A hidden room at the end of a winding tunnel. A coffin in a hidden basement... "I'm sure Mom and Dad don't know anything
about this," I said to Cara. I took a deep breath and
make my way closer to the coffin.
"Where are you going?" How to demand sharply. He was leaning near the open door. "Let's go check it out" I replied, ignoring mine
heart's pounding. "Let's look inside."
"Gee!" Crying way. "I. uh. I don't think.
we should."
I turned to him. The light from my flashlight caught his face. I saw his chin shake. His dark eyes narrowed into the coffin. "You scared?" i demand. I can't keep a
grinning from spreading across my face. Fearlessness
anything yet? This is a moment to remember!
"Imust be!" his insistence. "I'm not afraid. But I
I thought maybe we should take your parents." "Why?" my many. "Why do we need my parents to open the old crate?"
I kept the light on his face. I saw his chin
vibrate again. "Because you didn't just go around opening the coffin" he replied. He crossed his arms tightly in front of him.
"Well .. if you don't want to help me, I'll do it myself" I said. I turned to the coffin and brushed mine handed the lid. Polished wood feels smooth and cool. "No-wait!" Crying way. He rushed to be by my side. "I'm not afraid. But. This could be a big mistake."
"You're scared" I told him. "You're so scared."
"I don't!" his insistence.
"I saw your chin shake. Twice," I told him.
"So?"
"So you're scared."
"Impossible." He sighed in disgust. "I'll prove it to you." He handed me the flashlight. Then he grabbed the lid of the coffin with both hands and began to open it.
"Gee. It's really heavy" he said. "help
i'm."
A shivering feeling ran down my back.
I flicked it and put the flashlight on the floor. Then I put both hands on the lid of the coffin.
I leaned forward. Start pushing.
Cara and I both pushed with all my might The heavy wooden lid didn't move at first. But then I heard a creaking sound as it started to lift.
Slowly, slowly, it lifted in our hands. Leaning over the open coffin, we pushed him, until he stood up straight and stopped.
We take the lid off.
I closed my eyes. I don't really want to look-
sided.
But I have to.
Good, I told myself. I let out a sigh of relief. But then Cara leaned over and picked up the flashlight from the floor. He slipped mine into my hand.
We pointed our lights at the coffin and stared
inside, the coffin was coated in purple velvet. Velvet shines under the light of our flashlight. We swept our flashlights up and down inside the coffin.
"That-that's empty!" Stuttering way. "No, no," I answered.
My light was locked on the object at the foot of the coffin. Blue speck on purple velvet.
As I moved closer, it became a focus.
A bottle. Blue glass bottle. "Squeen!" Exciting Cara. Now he sees it too
"Yes. It's really weird," I agree.
We both moved to the foot of the coffin to take a better look. I pressed the side of the coffin while leaning near the bottle. My hands are freezing now.
How to get past me and take that bottle. He held it under the white light from the flashlight, and we both studied it carefully The bottle was round and deep blue. It fits easily
it's in Cara's hands. The glass is smooth. The bottle is covered with a blue glass stopper.
Way shake. "It's empty" he said gently. "A blank bottle in the coffin? Sure
freaky!" my yelling. "Who left it here?" "Hey, there's a label." How to point to a small piece of paper glued to glass. "Can you read it?" tanyakanya. He raised a blue bottle to my face The little label had faded, looking old-fashioned
letters on it. I squinted my eyes. Those words had been rubbed until it stayed just a little.
I held my lamp steady and finally succeeded
see the words: "VAMPIRE BREATH."
"Huh?" The mouth opened in surprise. "Did you say Vampire Breath?"
1 nodded. "That's what it says."
"But what is it?" she asked. "What is Vampire Breath?"
"Beats me," I replied, staring into the bottle. It's "I've never seen it advertised on TV!" How not to laugh at my jokes.
My
n
He turned the bottle in his hand. He's looking for more information. But the label only had two words printed on it: "VAMPIRE BREATH"
I turned on my lamp back to the coffin to see if .we had missed anything in it. I swept the light back and forth. Then I leaned to the side and rubbed my hand against the purple velvet. It felt smooth and soft When I looked back at Cara, she slipped
the flashlight is under his arm. And he's twisted
put a glass stopper on top of the bottle.
"Hey what are you doing?" I cried.
"Open it" he answered. "But the peak stu
and I can't seem to"
"No-" I shouted. "Stop!"
His dark eyes flashed. He locked them up
Mine. "Fear, Freddy?" "Yes. I mean-no!" i stammered. "A-uh-I agree with you, Cara. We have to wait for my parents to come home. We have to show this t
them. We can't just open the coffin and take out the dan-" bottle"
I gasped as he pulled the plug. I'm not scared or anything. I'm just not weak
to do something stupid. "Give me that!" I'm yelling. I won for th
vials. "Imust be!" He turned around to prevent me
got it. And the bottle fell out of his hand.
We both watched him fall to the floor. It landed on his side. Bounced once. Is rest But the top of the glass is dislodged.
Cara and I both stared at the bottle. Not breathing.
Waiting.
Wanted to know what would happen.
