Matt grabbed my brother by the shoulders. “You don’t want to be on my bad list,” he growled.

“Down, boy!” Luke said. “I’m your friend. Lizzy and I —”

“We know things about Panic Park!” I shouted. “Things you don’t know.”

The kids glared angrily at us. I could feel the tension in the air. Matt held on to Luke’s shoulders.

“She’s lying,” Jillian insisted. “I’m reading her thoughts. I can’t tell why she’s lying. I just know she is.”

“Give me a chance!” I cried. “Let me tell you one thing about Panic Park — okay?”

“Go ahead,” Carly Beth said. “One thing.”

“The park doesn’t exist!” I said.

A short silence. Then they laughed.

“You’re totally crazy!” Jackson said.

Julie squinted at me. “If Panic Park doesn’t exist, how did eight of our friends travel there?”

“Enough!” Matt shouted. “Everyone shut up! We can’t stand here talking. These two kids are trying to keep us here so the Horrors can catch us.”

Matt lifted Luke off the ground.

Luke tried to kick him. But Matt was too strong.

“Let me down! Hey — give me a break!” Luke cried.

Julie, Jackson, and Carly Beth stepped up to me. Their faces were angry and threatening. “Tell us why you’re here,” Jackson demanded.

Before I could answer, they let out a shout.

We all turned to see a tall Horror come running out of the shadows. He was waving his big paws above his head as he ran.

Carly Beth gasped. Her face went pale.

“We’re caught!” Matt cried. He let my brother drop to the ground. “They’ve found us!”

Kids turned to run — then stopped.

“Byron!” Robby Schwartz shouted. “Hey, I don’t believe it! It’s Byron.”

The Horror was big and strong looking. He wore green overalls over his purple fur. The short yellow horns on top of his head caught the afternoon sunlight. His eyes kept darting from side to side.

“Byron — where have you been?” Matt stepped up to the big Horror.

“What’s going on?” Jillian asked.

“No time,” Byron replied, his big chest heaving. “You’re all okay? Did the others escape to Panic Park?”

“They’re gone,” Matt said. “We tried to follow them. But —”

“You don’t have much time,” Byron said. “The other Horrors are searching every inch of HorrorLand to find you. I’m the only one on your side. They’re very angry. Believe me, you don’t want them to catch you.”

“What do we do?” Carly Beth asked. “Can you get us out of here?”

Byron didn’t answer her. He was staring at Luke and me. “Who are you?” he demanded. “You’re not Very Special Guests.”

“We … we want to help these kids,” I stammered.

“We think they’re working for the Horrors,” Jackson told Byron. “They’re trying to keep us here.”

“We’re not working for anyone,” I said. “We know some things about Panic Park. We don’t think it’s safe.”

Byron shook his head. “You’re wrong,” he said. “Come with me. You’ll find out soon enough what’s safe and what isn’t safe.”

He gazed all around. Then he motioned for everyone to follow him.

“Where are we going?” Matt asked.

“I think I can get you out of here,” Byron replied. And then he added, “If we’re quick.”

Jackson hurried to catch up to Byron. “But why are you bringing Lizzy and Luke?” he asked. “We don’t want them with us.”

“Take them with you,” Byron said. “Better to keep them close.”

“But … but …” I sputtered. “Luke and I are on YOUR side!”

I could see that no one believed me.

“No problem. I’ll keep them close,” Jillian said. “And I’ll read their minds. We’ll know what these two are really thinking.”

A chill rolled down my back. I felt so strange. These kids didn’t know Luke and me. But they didn’t trust us — and they didn’t like us.

We have to prove ourselves to them, I thought. But — how?

The sun was still high above the trees. For some reason, the park had closed early that day. No one around. Food carts stood empty across Zombie Plaza.

The rides had all stopped. The music had been turned off. No voices anywhere. Just a deep, creepy silence — and the thud of our shoes on the pavement.

We trotted behind Byron past the carnival games area. I saw a Horror at the Head Toss game. He was setting his real-looking human heads on a shelf. He didn’t turn around as we jogged past.

Byron stopped suddenly and turned. He led us along the back of the games — to a tiny black building at the end of the path. The building had a single door and a flat roof. No sign.

We huddled in front of the door. No one said a word.

Did this little building really lead to Panic Park?

Byron grabbed the door handle and twisted it. “Locked,” he said. “No problem.”

He turned to Matt. “Use your key card. The Panic Park key card I gave you when you first arrived.”

Matt fumbled in his jeans pocket. He pulled out a gray plastic card.

“Hurry,” Byron urged. “They’ll be coming for you. I know they will.”

Matt gripped the plastic card and shoved it into a tiny slot on the side of the door. He grabbed the knob and turned it.

He pushed the door open.

Dark inside. I couldn’t see a thing.

“Hurry. Get in. Get in!” Byron said in a whisper. He gave Matt a gentle shove.

We scrambled inside. Down a narrow aisle.

So dark in there. The only light came from the open doorway.

What was this place?

I waited for my eyes to adjust.

Slowly, the room came into focus — and I gasped in surprise.