Chapter 9
Damon lost count of how many steps they’d taken. “We must be a hundred feet underground,” he whispered to Jaden. Jaden didn’t respond.
Moments later, the steps ended in a big, empty chamber. Jaden covered his mouth and nose with the top of his shirt. “Ugh,” he said. “It stinks like your grandpa’s place down here.”
Damon came down the last steps and stood behind Jaden. “It does, doesn’t it?” he said. But he didn’t cover his nose. He just smiled.
Jaden turned and faced him. “What are you so happy about?” he asked. He spun and waved at the empty room. “There’s nothing here. No treasure. Nothing.”
“Not nothing,” Damon said, smiling. “We’re here now.”
“Since when did you get a sense of humor?” Jaden asked, rolling his eyes. He pulled his shirt tighter to his face. “What is that horrible smell?”
“It’s the smell of death,” Damon said. He walked across the hard floor toward him. “And success.”
Jaden took a step back, toward the steps. “What are you talking about?” he asked.
From the shadows, a figure stepped forward. “Who’s there?!” Jaden cried out.
“You’ve done well, Damon,” the man said.
Jaden shot a glance at Damon. “What is your grandpa doing here?!” he asked.
Jaden shined his cell phone’s light in Damon’s face. His features had changed. His ears seemed longer, and his teeth looked sharper. His mouth seemed bigger, too. Or maybe he was just smiling.
“You, Jaden, will be our next sacrifice,” Damon said. “Grandpa is getting old again. It’s time for him to feed.”
Jaden screamed.
“Ah, that wonderful sound,” Grandpa said. His voice sounded like gravel. “It reminds me of our last victim.”
“Wha-what?” Jaden stammered.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Grandpa asked.
Damon grinned. His smile seemed monstrous now. “That other boy in the picture you had,” Damon said. “He was our last victim. He kept us the same ages for the last 70 years.”
Grandpa chuckled. His voice was distorted and gruff. “And now,” he said, “you will help us live another 70 years.”
“I changed my mind, I don’t want the treasure,” Jaden whimpered. “I just want to go home.”
Damon laughed. “There is no treasure,” he said. A strange, purple glow surrounded him. “And you can’t leave — not after all the trouble we went through to get you here.”
Jaden backed up until he bumped into the wall. Damon and his grandpa crept toward Jaden, their mouths were open wide.