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."What are we waiting for?" Dee said and vaulted onto the steps.Then shegrabbed for the railing-as soon as her foot touched a step, the wholestaircase had started moving with a jerk.It was a wheezing, groaning,shivering escalator."Oh, geez," Michael said."I hate to tell you this, but when I was a kid Iwas scared of escalators.I was afraid they might catch the end of my muffleror something-""You don't wear mufflers," Audrey said and shoved him on."Mike, if you're scared of escalators, then this one is probably your fault,"Jenny said, stepping on behind him."Remember, he gets it all from us."As they neared the top, Jenny found they were riding directly toward amirror.In fact, she discovered when she looked down the hall-after helpingMike jump off the escalator at the strategic moment -there were mirrorseverywhere.The hallway downstairs had been dark-this one was exactly the opposite.Lightbounced and rainbowed off the mirrors lining the zigzagging walls until Jennysaw colored streaks even with her eyes closed.In fact, the mirrored wallszigged and zagged so sharply that it was impossible to get a clear view formore than a few feet.You had to veer alternately right and left to follow thehallway's path, and anything in the bend before you or behind you wasinvisible."All right, who put these here?" Dee demanded."Are my legs really that short? Or are these trick mirrors?" Audrey asked,pivoting.Michael made one effort to straighten his wrinkled gray sweats and then gaveup.Jenny's own reflection made her uncomfortable.She seemed to hear Julian'sPage 73 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlvoice in her mind: "Eyes as green as cypress and hair like liquid amber."That wasn't what she saw.Just now Jenny saw a girl with flushed cheeks,whose hair was clinging to her forehead in little damp curls, whosetissue-linen blouse was beginning to go limp, and whose flowing cotton skirtwas dusty and grass-stained."Right or left-take your pick," she said, glancing up and down the hallway."Left," Dee said firmly, and they went that way, zigging and zagging with theacute turns.The mirrors were disconcerting.Everywhere Jenny looked her image was thrownback at her, and thrown from mirror to mirror so that she saw herself comingand going, reflected to infinity on all sides.Stay in this place long enoughand you might forget which one is really you, she thought.As in the other hallway, there were no deviations from the pattern, nothingto distinguish any part of it from any other.It was especially nerve-rackingnot being able to see more than one turn behind you, and not knowing whatmight be waiting around the next turn ahead.Images of the Creeper and theLurker went through Jenny's mind."Dee, slow down," Jenny said as Dee's long, light step took her out of sightfor the third time.Dee was navigating the corridor like a skier on a slalom,plunging in and out of the sharp turns, while the rest of them walked withhands outstretched to help them tell reflection from reality."No, you guys hurry up-" Dee's voice was responding from the next bend, andthen there was a flash.It seemed to reflect from everywhere at once, but Jenny thought it came fromahead.She and Audrey and Michael stood frozen for a moment, then hurriedforward.Dee was standing, hands on her hips, in front of a door.It was mirrored likethe walls, but Jenny figured it had to be a door because there was a redbutton like an elevator button beside it.When she looked hard she coulddistinguish the door's outline from the mirror around it.Above the red button was a blue light bulb, round as a clown's nose."It just appeared," Dee said and snapped her fingers."Like that.In thatflash."From the turn ahead they heard whimpering."Summer!" Jenny, Dee, and Audrey exclaimed simultaneously.It was Summer, huddled in the next bend, her spun-sugar curls resting on herfolded arms, her legs drawn beneath her china blue shirtdress.She looked upwith a little hysterical cry at their approach."Is it really you?""Yes," Jenny said, kneeling.She was a little frightened by the expression inSummer's eyes."Really, really you?"Page 74 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Yes.Oh, Summer." Worriedly, Jenny put her arms around the smaller girl andfelt her trembling."I've been alone here so long, and I kept seeing myself, and then sometimes Ithought I saw other people, but when I ran toward them they weren't there___""Who have you seen?" Jenny asked."Sometimes Zachary-and sometimes him.He scares me, Jenny." Summer buried hersmall face in Jenny's vest.He scares me, too, Jenny thought.She said, "There's nothing to be frightenedof now.We're really here.See?"Summer managed a watery smile."Poor sun Bunny, Michael said.I guess it must be your nightmare next.""Good job, Mr.Tactful," Dee said under her breath.They explained about the nightmares to Summer.She wasn't as disturbed asJenny thought she might be."Anything to get out of here," she said."I know.I've only been here twenty minutes, and I hate the place already,"Dee said."Anybody for claustrophobia?"In front of the door Jenny hesitated with her finger on the button."I don'tsuppose you want to tell us what you drew for your nightmare," she said.Shedidn't have much hope; none of the others had told."Okay," Summer said readily."It was a messy room.""A messy room?" Michael said."Oh, horror.""No, really, Summer," Audrey said with a briskly adult air."It'll help ifyou tell us."Dee flashed an amused ebony glance at her."I did tell you.It's a messy room.""It's all right, Summer," Jenny said gently."Well deal with it when we getthere." She pushed the red button.The blue light went on.The door slid open.It was a messy room."You see," Summer said.It was Summer's bedroom, only more so.Ever since Jenny had known Summer, herroom had been messy.Summer's parents were refugees from the sixties, andeverything in their house was slightly frayed or weathered, but as Michaelsaid, Summer herself had clutter down to a fine art.When you visited her youusually couldn't see the handmade tie-dyed curtains at the window or thebright patchwork quilt on the bed, because of the things hanging from them orpiled up in front of them or scattered on top of them.In the room behind the mirrored door, Jenny couldn't even see the bed.Therewas a small clear space in front of the closet-everything else was obscured byPage 75 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlpiles of junk
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