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20<br />
“Erin—where are you?” I shouted.<br />
When she didn’t reply, I ran over to the string. Just as I grabbed it, I heard footsteps outside the<br />
room. A few seconds later, a can of Coke came floating through the door.<br />
“Miss me?” Erin asked playfully.<br />
“You scared us to death!” I cried, my voice squeaking.<br />
Erin laughed. “I didn’t know you cared.”<br />
“That wasn’t funny, Erin,” Zack said sternly. For once he was agreeing with me. “You really did<br />
scare us.”<br />
“I got thirsty,” Erin replied. The Coke can tilted up. We saw Coke start to pour out of it. The<br />
liquid abruptly disappeared as it flowed into Erin’s mouth.<br />
“I guess being invisible makes you really thirsty,” Erin explained. “So I slipped downstairs and<br />
got a Coke.”<br />
“But you should’ve told us,” April scolded, her eyes turned back to her watch. “Nine minutes.”<br />
“You shouldn’t go downstairs,” I added heatedly. “I mean, what if my mom saw you?”<br />
“Saw me?”<br />
“Well… you know what I mean,” I muttered.<br />
Erin laughed. I didn’t think it was funny.<br />
Why was I the only one taking this seriously?<br />
Erin beat Lefty’s record and kept going. When April called out twelve minutes, Zack asked Erin<br />
if she wanted to come back.<br />
No reply.<br />
“Erin? Are you goofing on us again?” I demanded.<br />
Still no reply.<br />
I could feel my throat tighten once again with fear. I walked over and pulled the string. My hand<br />
was shaking as I pulled it. I prayed silently to myself that Erin would return okay.<br />
The light went out. The three of us waited tensely for Erin to come back.<br />
After what seemed an endless wait, she shimmered back into view. She turned quickly away<br />
from the mirror, a triumphant smile on her face. “The new champ!” she declared, raising her fists in a<br />
gesture of victory.<br />
“You’re okay?” I asked, my feeling of fear refusing to leave.<br />
She nodded. “Just fine, worrywart.” She stepped away from the mirror, walking unsteadily.<br />
I stared at her. Something about her looked different.<br />
She looked perfectly okay. Not pale or sick-looking or anything. But something was different.<br />
Her smile? Her hair? I wished I could figure out what.<br />
“Max, pull the string.” Zack’s eager voice jerked me away from my thoughts. “Let’s go, man. I’m<br />
going for fifteen minutes.”<br />
“Okay. Get ready,” I said, glancing at Erin as I grabbed for the string. She flashed me a
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