1Annie and Jack raced back up the winding stairs and down the long hallway.

2They hadn’t gone far when they heard shouting behind them.

3Dogs barked in the distance.

4“They’re coming!” Annie cried.

5“In here!” said Jack. He shoved open a door off the hallway and pulled Annie into a dark room.

6Jack pushed the door shut. Then Annie shined her flashlight around the room. There were rows of sacks and wooden barrels.

7“I’d better look in the book,” said Jack. “Give it to me!” Annie gave him the flashlight and his backpack. He pulled out the book and started tearing through it.

8“Shhh!” said Annie. “Someone’s coming.”

9Jack and Annie jumped behind the door as it creaked open.

10Jack held his breath. A light from a torch danced wildly over the sacks and barrels.

11The light disappeared. The door slammed shut.

12“Oh, man,” whispered Jack. “We have to hurry. They might come back.”

13His hands were trembling as he flipped through the pages of the castle book.

14“Here’s a map of the castle,” he said. “Look, this must be the room we’re in. It’s a storeroom.” Jack studied the room in the book. “These are sacks of flour and barrels of wine.” “Who cares? We have to go!” said Annie. “Before they come back!” “No. Look,” said Jack. He pointed at the map. “Here’s a trapdoor.” He read aloud:

15This door leads from the storeroom through a secret passage to a precipice over the moat.

16“What’s a precipice?” said Annie.

17“I don’t know. We’ll find out,” said Jack. “But first we have to find the door.”

18Jack looked at the picture carefully. Then he shined the flashlight around the room.

19The floor of the room was made up of stones. The trapdoor in the picture was five stones away from the door to the hall.

20Jack shined the light on the floor and counted the stones. “One, two, three, four, five.”

21He stamped on the fifth stone. It was loose!

22He put the flashlight on the floor. He worked his fingers under the thin sheet of stone and tried to lift it.

23“Help,” Jack said.

24Annie came over and helped him lift the stone square out of its place. Underneath was a small wooden door.

25Jack and Annie tugged on the rope handle of the door. The door fell open with a thunk.

26Jack picked up the flashlight and shined it on the hole.

27“There’s a little ladder,” he said. “Let’s go!” He clipped on the flashlight and felt his way down the small ladder.

28Annie followed.

29When they both reached the bottom of the ladder, Jack shined the light around them.

30There was a tunnel!

31He crouched down and began moving through the damp, creepy tunnel. The flashlight barely lit the stone walls.

32He shook the light. Were the batteries running down?

33“I think our light’s dying!” he said to Annie.

34“Hurry!” she called from behind.

35Jack went faster. His back hurt from crouching.

36The light got dimmer and dimmer.

37He was desperate to get out of the castle before the batteries died completely.

38Soon he reached another small wooden door. The door at the end of the tunnel!

39Jack unlatched the door and pushed it open.

40He poked his head outside.

41He couldn’t see anything in the misty darkness.

42The air felt good. Cool and fresh. He took a deep breath.

43“Where are we?” whispered Annie behind him. “What do you see?” “Nothing. But I think we’ve come to the outside of the castle,” said Jack. “I’ll find out.”

44Jack put the flashlight in his pack. He put the pack on his back. He stuck his hand out the door. He couldn’t feel the ground. Just air.

45“I’m going to have to go feet first,” he said.

46Jack turned around in the small tunnel. He lay down on his stomach. He stuck one leg out the door. Then the other.

47Jack inched down, bit by bit. Until he was hanging out the door, clinging to the ledge.

48“This must be the precipice!” he called to Annie. “Pull me up!” Annie reached for Jack’s hands. “I can’t hold you!” she said.

49Jack felt his fingers slipping. Then down he fell.

50Down through the darkness.

51SPLASH!