The Magician's Bird Read Online Free Page B
Author: Emily Fairlie
discovery all on his own. He was going to enjoy every minute of it.
Bud got to his feet and dusted off his butt. Then he dug around in his pocket until he found his penlight keychain and tested it out. Bud grinned. The battery still worked. Not many situations called for a tiny little flashlight, so he wasnât that sure it would work. (Actually, he could only think of one time heâd actually used itâin the community pool locker room that time Pete Simpkins thought something had died in the bathroom drain. The flashlight beam hadnât revealed any dead things, but that didnât mean they werenât there. Something sure had stunk.)
Bud shone the light into the darkness of the passageway and took a tentative step forward. The light didnât help much, but it was something.
The passage was much clearer than Bud thought an abandoned passageway would beâthere wasnât any rubble or trash on the stone floor, and the walls seemed to be wood, not oozing, weepy concrete with gigantic spiders crawling on them. Which was definitely a plus.
The passageway turned up ahead, and instead of being cautious, Bud barreled around it and almost gave himself a concussion. Because right around the corner was a large wooden door.
Bud picked up his penlight from where heâd dropped it when heâd done a face plant into the wood and inspected the door. It was big. It was closed. And it looked creepyas all get-out. Although, to be honest, it couldâve been decorated with dancing bunnies holding balloons and barfing sparkly hearts, and it still wouldâve been creepy.
Heâd smacked into it pretty hard, and no one had opened the door, so that gave Bud a pretty good idea that there wasnât anyone on the other side. But there was only one way to be sure.
Bud shone the penlight on the crystal doorknob, took a deep breath, and reached down and grasped the knob. It turned in his hand. The door was unlocked. All he had to do was turn the knob completely and go inside.
----
Things to Consider Before Blindly Walking Through a Strange Door
by Bud Wallace, rising seventh grader
       1. If the door is closed, it could be for a reason .
       2. Maybe a really good reason, like rabid dogs inside, or venomous spiders .
       3. Plus, a penlight isnât much light. Exploring strange rooms is better when you have a big flashlight or camping lantern .
       4. Also, it really wouldnât be fair to explore without Laurie and Misti. They would be really upset. Theyâd probably cry .
       5. Good guys donât make girls cry .
       6. VERDICT: Probably best to put off exploring for the time being. Just to keep the peace with the ladies .
----
Bud hurried back around the corner and down the passageway just in time to hear Laurieâs voice.
âAre you still alive?â
Bud clambered over the broken slats of wood and poked his head up through the hole. âYouâre not going to believe this. I think Iâve found a secret room.â
Laurie didnât believe it. Most people fall through a floor and have traumas, injuries, gaping flesh wounds with lots of blood. Bud Wallace falls through a floor and finds a secret freaking room. It wasnât fair. But that didnât stop Laurie from launching herself through the hole and into the passageway, almost twisting her ankle on the low stairway in the process.
âAre those stairs? What is this place?â
Misti peered down at them through the hole. âI think this is actually a trapdoor. This piece here, next to the place Bud smashed, looks like a latch or something. . . .âMisti fiddled with something on the underside of the floor and then pulled. The whole floor panel above Bud and Laurie swung open.
âWell, thatâs great, Misti, but fat lot of good it does
Bud got to his feet and dusted off his butt. Then he dug around in his pocket until he found his penlight keychain and tested it out. Bud grinned. The battery still worked. Not many situations called for a tiny little flashlight, so he wasnât that sure it would work. (Actually, he could only think of one time heâd actually used itâin the community pool locker room that time Pete Simpkins thought something had died in the bathroom drain. The flashlight beam hadnât revealed any dead things, but that didnât mean they werenât there. Something sure had stunk.)
Bud shone the light into the darkness of the passageway and took a tentative step forward. The light didnât help much, but it was something.
The passage was much clearer than Bud thought an abandoned passageway would beâthere wasnât any rubble or trash on the stone floor, and the walls seemed to be wood, not oozing, weepy concrete with gigantic spiders crawling on them. Which was definitely a plus.
The passageway turned up ahead, and instead of being cautious, Bud barreled around it and almost gave himself a concussion. Because right around the corner was a large wooden door.
Bud picked up his penlight from where heâd dropped it when heâd done a face plant into the wood and inspected the door. It was big. It was closed. And it looked creepyas all get-out. Although, to be honest, it couldâve been decorated with dancing bunnies holding balloons and barfing sparkly hearts, and it still wouldâve been creepy.
Heâd smacked into it pretty hard, and no one had opened the door, so that gave Bud a pretty good idea that there wasnât anyone on the other side. But there was only one way to be sure.
Bud shone the penlight on the crystal doorknob, took a deep breath, and reached down and grasped the knob. It turned in his hand. The door was unlocked. All he had to do was turn the knob completely and go inside.
----
Things to Consider Before Blindly Walking Through a Strange Door
by Bud Wallace, rising seventh grader
       1. If the door is closed, it could be for a reason .
       2. Maybe a really good reason, like rabid dogs inside, or venomous spiders .
       3. Plus, a penlight isnât much light. Exploring strange rooms is better when you have a big flashlight or camping lantern .
       4. Also, it really wouldnât be fair to explore without Laurie and Misti. They would be really upset. Theyâd probably cry .
       5. Good guys donât make girls cry .
       6. VERDICT: Probably best to put off exploring for the time being. Just to keep the peace with the ladies .
----
Bud hurried back around the corner and down the passageway just in time to hear Laurieâs voice.
âAre you still alive?â
Bud clambered over the broken slats of wood and poked his head up through the hole. âYouâre not going to believe this. I think Iâve found a secret room.â
Laurie didnât believe it. Most people fall through a floor and have traumas, injuries, gaping flesh wounds with lots of blood. Bud Wallace falls through a floor and finds a secret freaking room. It wasnât fair. But that didnât stop Laurie from launching herself through the hole and into the passageway, almost twisting her ankle on the low stairway in the process.
âAre those stairs? What is this place?â
Misti peered down at them through the hole. âI think this is actually a trapdoor. This piece here, next to the place Bud smashed, looks like a latch or something. . . .âMisti fiddled with something on the underside of the floor and then pulled. The whole floor panel above Bud and Laurie swung open.
âWell, thatâs great, Misti, but fat lot of good it does
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