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"Yeah, it will Just like your feet" Billy snorted out a laugh, and his cronies joined in

Tick couldn’t believe how idiotic this guy was, but held his face still and said nothing

"Here’s an early Christmas present for you, Ticky Stinkbottohter ended abruptly "Stay in your locker for three o into the bathroom and stick your head in a toilet Do that and on’t bother you until we get back from Christmas break Deal?"

Tick felt his stomach drop because he knew Billy would send a spy to make sure he did what he’d been ordered to do "With ht catch a cold on the way hoainst the locker, sending a uess it’s a good thing we don’t have school for teeks, now isn’t it?" He let go and stood back "Coo"

As they walked off, Tick lowered his head and stepped into his locker, closing the door behind him

A fewat his distorted ie in a ers and exaly as ever He felt hi into that state of depression he’d visited so often before he had resolved to quit letting the bullies rule his life

But then he thought of Mothball and Rutger, the letters and clues, and the way they all looet thosee suddenly appeared on the reflection of his face, like blackacross the mirror Startled, Tick reached out and touched it with his finger, but only felt the cool hardness of the glass In aout everything Tick took a step back, a shot of panic shooting through hi the wall and the sink,outward in all directions It took on substance, puffing out like black cotton, devouring the entire bathroo were covered now, dark smoke everywhere The room looked like the result of a five-alarh

Then, with a great whooshing sound, every bit of the strange smoky substance rushed to the exit of the bathroo ball of black smoke Tick’s heart stuttered to a stop as he realized what hovered between hile Wraith

Tick o The Wraith completely blocked the one and only exit out of the bathroo into the sao Mothball’s words about the creature cah his body

If any man, woht, their brain turns right to mush Nasty death, that

Tick turned to look for another way out A tinylet soht in, but other than that, there were only stalls and urinals He ran to the thin slat of aand grabbed the metal crank bar to open theHe twisted the bar clockwise and a horrible screech of lass slowly tilted outward

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew the Wraith would start its deathly cry soon He looked over his shoulder and saw theinto a wide, black abyss

Tick quickened his pace, cranking theas hard as he could It jammed when it reached the halfway point He pushed and pulled but the lever wouldn’t budge He beat against the glass with both fists, but ended up with bruised knuckles, leaving the dirty glass unbroken Desperate, he tried to squeeze through the ay, pushing one ar to see it was hopeless The crack was too thin