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{\*\generator Msftedit 5.41.15.1515;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp20 \nowidctlpar\sa200\sl276\slmult1\f0\fs24 Fuzone presents\'85\par
\pard\nowidctlpar\sa200\sl276\slmult1 MR MIDNIGHT\par
\pard\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp20 \nowidctlpar\sa200\sl276\slmult1 #61 \endash  Deathmaster\par
\pard\nowidctlpar\sa200\sl276\slmult1 I manually copied this book from the real book itself. It took days and sometimes even weeks for me to do this.\par
I hope you enjoy this book. Pass it around if you like. Sharing is caring.\par
\pard\nowidctlpar Find more Mr Midnight stories at http://readmrmidnight.weebly.com/\par
\pard\keep\keepn\nowidctlpar\s2\sb200\sl276\slmult1\cf1\b\f1\fs26\line\f2 Chapter 1\par
\pard\nowidctlpar\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\f1\fs22\par
\f0\fs24 What would you do if you found a strange letter in your bag at school?\par
Did I say \i strange?\i0\f1\par
\f0 More like evil!\par
A letter so \i terrifying\i0 , and so full of \i hate\i0 , that your heart almost stopped beating?\par
Well, that\rquote s exactly what happened to me. I was in class, and I opened my bag to take out a book, when my fingers brushed against a piece of paper.\par
I knew that it hadn\rquote t been there when I packed my bag the night before. And I also knew that my bag hadn\rquote t left my sight all morning.\par
 I frowned, wondering what it was and how it had got there.\par
So I pulled it out, unfolded it, and read the words that would change my life forever.\par
TO: NINA HU\par
\i You will die.\par
You will pass from your world into mine.\par
You will be taken from the world you know, from all the familiar people you love, and nothing will ever be the same again.\par
You will see horrors and evil beyond anything you have ever imagined.\par
I will choose the time and the place for your departure. Your fate is in my hands.\par
You have no choice but to \i0 OBEY \i me.\par
Signed:\par
\i0 DEATHMASTER\par
My scream shattered the quiet of our classroom.\par
 I fell back against my seat, my hands trembling, and the paper slipped from my fingers.\par
A babble of noise erupted around me.\par
I guess by now you know who I am. My name is Nina Hu, I\rquote m a schoolgirl, and my horrors were just beginning\'85\par
At the next desk, my best friend, Chelsie Chua, dropped her pen with a squeal and peered at me over her glasses in horror.\par
\ldblquote\i Nina!\i0\rdblquote  she cried out. \ldblquote\i What is it?\i0\rdblquote\f1\par
\f0 Behind me, I heard Darren Tan scramble to his feet to see what had happened.\par
\ldblquote\i Hey, what\rquote s up, Nina?\i0\rdblquote  he shouted. \ldblquote\i Did you see a snake?\i0\rdblquote\par
Our teacher was calling for silence as he ran across the room. Poor Mr Quek! I\rquote d never seen him look so startled, so \i frazzled!\i0\f1\par
\f0\ldblquote Nina! What happened?\rdblquote  he demanded. \ldblquote Are you ill?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote\i The\'85 the letter,\i0\rdblquote  I said feebly, pointing to where I\rquote d dropped the piece of paper.\par
But it wasn\rquote t there.\par
I leaped up in panic, searching under my desk for it.\par
But the only thing there was \endash  the floor.\par
The letter had completely VANISHED!\par
\pard\keep\keepn\nowidctlpar\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 2\par
\pard\nowidctlpar\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\f1\fs24\par
\f0 Mr Quek was staring at me as I got up and tumbled back into my seat.  \ldblquote Nina, \i what\i0  letter? What are you talking about?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote It was in my bag,\rdblquote  I tried to explain, squeezing the words out of my throat. \ldblquote A letter\'85 A \i horrible\i0  letter\'85\rdblquote  I let out a choked groan. \ldblquote It said I was going to \i die\i0\'85\rdblquote\par
Mr Quek\rquote s eyebrows shot up. He glanced under my desk, then straightened up.\par
When he met my gaze, his eyes told me that he didn\rquote t believe me.\par
\ldblquote I can\rquote t see any letter, Nina,\rdblquote  he said patiently, sounding like he was trying to calm a raving loony. \ldblquote What did it look like?\rdblquote\par
I shrugged, my mind spinning. I mean, \i what a dumb question!\i0  A letter looks like a letter, right? Hadn\rquote t Mr Quek seen a letter before?\par
\ldblquote It was just a piece of paper, and it said I was going to die and I couldn\rquote t do anything to stop it,\rdblquote  I babbled, hearing the first giggles from the rest of the class.\par
Mr Quek clapped his hands for silence, then turned back to me.\par
\ldblquote Are you sure?\rdblquote  he asked sternly.\par
He was standing over me, his hands clasped behind his back, one foot tapping the floor.\par
\ldblquote Are you quite sure the letter said that?\rdblquote  he asked in a steely voice.\par
\ldblquote Yes, Mr Quek.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote So where is it now, Nina? How could a letter just\'85 disappear?\rdblquote\par
I shrugged. In a small, thin voice, I said the only thing I could think of: \ldblquote I don\rquote t know.\rdblquote\par
Mr Quek\rquote s gaze scanned the class. \ldblquote Does anybody know anything about this? Did any of you put a nasty letter in Nina\rquote s bag?\rdblquote\par
Nobody spoke.\par
\ldblquote This is a very serious matter,\rdblquote  Mr Quek said. \ldblquote It is not funny to write anonymous letters.\rdblquote\par
And then the bell rang for lunch, and moments later everyone bolted for the door.\par
\pard\keep\keepn\nowidctlpar\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 3\par
\pard\nowidctlpar\sa200\sl276\slmult1\cf0\b0\f1\fs24\par
\f0 By the time I reached the cafeteria, I felt like a pop star. Everyone was mobbing me, shoving me, asking me questions.\par
\ldblquote Nina, where did the letter come from?\rdblquote  asked my friend Dashwin.\par
\ldblquote I don\rquote t know!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote It must have been someone very sneaky,\rdblquote  Dashwin said, then tried to cheer me up. \ldblquote But don\rquote t worry about it, Nina. I won\rquote t let anyone hurt you.\rdblquote\par
Then the Lims rushed up to me.\par
\ldblquote Who\rquote d want to kill you, Nina?\rdblquote  asked Donovan.\par
\ldblquote I think it was a joke,\rdblquote  said Delaney. \ldblquote Everybody likes you, Nina.\rdblquote\par
Then Jerrick Teo and Jeremy Teong came up. They sit across the aisle from me in class. We call them JT1 and JT2.\par
\ldblquote So did I,\rdblquote  said JT2. \ldblquote And I saw you drop it when you screamed. But I didn\rquote t see where it went.\rdblquote\par
By then I was quivering with terror. Darren and Chelsie grabbed my arms and steered me toward an empty table.\par
\ldblquote Are you hungry, Nina?\rdblquote  asked Chelsie.\par
I shook my head. \ldblquote I couldn\rquote t eat a thing. I think I\rquote d throw up.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Nina, why don\rquote t you check your bag again?\rdblquote  Darren suggested. \ldblquote Maybe someone stole something and left that letter in there to fool you.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Or maybe they put more than one letter in your bag,\rdblquote  Chelsie whispered.\par
I scooped my bag into my lap and tugged on the zipper. It was very stiff and always made a loud, squeaky noise. Once my bag was open, I searched through it. Nothing was missing. And there were no more letters!\par
I pulled the noisy zipper around again until my bag was closed, and dumped it between my feet.\par
\ldblquote That zipper needs oiling or something,\rdblquote  said Darren, staring at it.\par
\ldblquote That\rquote s one of the things I don\rquote t understand,\rdblquote  I said, my shoulders slumping. \ldblquote If anyone had even \i tried\i0  to open my bag, I\rquote d have heard the zipper, right?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Unless you were away from your bag,\rdblquote  Chelsie argued.\par
\ldblquote I wasn\rquote t. I packed it myself last night. And then this morning on the bus, it was beside me all the way to school. And in class, it never left my side.\rquote\par
Darren was still staring at my bag. \ldblquote So what yo\rquote re saying is \endash\ldblquote\par
\ldblquote What I\rquote m saying is that nobody could have opened my bag without me knowing.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Then that means the letter just \i got there\i0\f1 ,\f0\rquote  Darren said, fixing me with a curious look.\par
\ldblquote What do you mean?\rdblquote  I asked. A chill rippled down my spine.\par
\ldblquote Well, if nobody put it in your bag, and if it just vanished when you dropped it in class, then it must be\'85 well, you know, \i ghostly\i0 .\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Darren, ghosts don\rquote t write letters,\rdblquote  I bleated.\par
\ldblquote I didn\rquote t say they did.\rdblquote  Darren looked around, then dropped his voice. \ldblquote What I\rquote m saying is that if someone, or something, has the power to make a letter appear then disappear, well, maybe they \i also\i0  have the power to kill you.\rdblquote\par
\pard\keep\keepn\nowidctlpar\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 4\par
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\f0 For a moment I thought I was going to faint. I felt my body falling, but Chelsie seized my arm and saved me. She glared at Darren.\par
\ldblquote Stop saying things like that,\rdblquote  she snapped. \ldblquote Can\rquote t you see you\rquote re scaring Nina? The letter wasn\rquote t ghostly. Or supernatural.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m not trying to scare Nina. I\rquote m just trying to solve a mystery.\rdblquote  He leaned across the table. \ldblquote Nina, we\rquote ve got to find out who the letter was from. Like, did it have a signature?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote It just said who it was from\rdblquote  \endash  I shuddered when I spoke the word out loud \endash  \ldblquote Deathmaster.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What?\rdblquote  Chelsie\rquote s hand flew to her mouth.\par
\ldblquote Who\rquote s that?\rdblquote  demanded Darren, his eyes wide.\par
I trembled as I met his worried gaze. \ldblquote How would I know? It just said I had to \i obey\i0  him.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote\i Obey him?\i0\rdblquote  Chelsie echoed. Her jaw went slack.\par
\ldblquote But why would you obey someone who wants to kill you?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I don\rquote t know.\rdblquote  I brushed hair from my forehead. \ldblquote  I don\rquote t want to talk about it anymore. I think it was just a sick joke, OK?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I don\rquote t think it was,\rdblquote  Darren said.\par
\ldblquote Darren, please don\rquote t say things like that,\rdblquote  I pleaded.\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m trying to get to the truth,\rdblquote  he said firmly. \ldblquote You don\rquote t have any enemies, do you?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote No, of course I don\rquote t.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Then Deathmaster \endash  whoever or whatever he is \endash  isn\rquote t anyone at school. He\rquote s not a student. And he\rquote s not a teacher. Therefore, he must be someone with\'85 well, \i special powers\i0 .\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Can\rquote t we talk about something else?\rdblquote  Chelsie moaned.\par
But Darren pressed on. \ldblquote Nina, tell us about the letter,\rdblquote  he said.\par
\ldblquote It was just a letter,\rdblquote  I mumbled.\par
\ldblquote Was it printed?\rdblquote  Darren asked. \ldblquote Or written by hand?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I can\rquote t remember.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You\rquote ve got to try,\rdblquote  he insisted. \ldblquote I\rquote m sure I\rquote d remember something as terrible as that letter.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Does it matter?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Well, it might give us a clue. I mean, if the message was written by hand, we might be able to help you recognize the writing.\rdblquote\par
I closed my eyes, shutting out the sounds of the cafeteria, trying desperately to remember. The words danced before my mind.\par
\ldblquote Printed, I think.\rdblquote  Then my eyes flew open. \ldblquote No, printed by hand. In ink. In \i pale\i0  ink.\rdblquote\par
Chelsie squeezed my arm. \ldblquote What color ink was it?\rdblquote\par
I closed my eyes for a moment, focusing my mind on the letter. \ldblquote It was very pale. Red\'85\rdblquote  I hesitated, and my eyes opened again. \ldblquote No, not red, but pink. Pale pink. Like the color of\'85 of \i old blood\i0 .\rdblquote\par
Chelsie gasped, but Darren\rquote s eyes lit up. \ldblquote Ah, now we\rquote re getting somewhere. So the letter was printed by hand in pale, faded, blood-colored ink.\rdblquote\par
Then I sat up straight as though lightning had shot down my spine.\par
\ldblquote Nina! What is it?\rdblquote  Chelsie squealed.\par
\ldblquote I\rquote ve just remembered something else,\rdblquote  I told her. \ldblquote About the paper.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What about the paper?\rdblquote  Darren asked eagerly.\par
\ldblquote It felt strange. And kind of old. Really old.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Like that paper we have in art class \endash  The one we use for writing scrolls \endash  \i parchment\i0 , right?\rdblquote  Darren queried.\par
I snapped my fingers. \ldblquote Yes! It was like the letter had been written in blood, a long, long time ago\'85\rdblquote\par
\pard\keep\keepn\nowidctlpar\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 5\par
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\f0 For a while my friends were silent. Chelsie stared at me curiously, her head on one side. Darren met my gaze, deep in thought, and for an instant I thought I could see his mind processing what he\rquote d heard.\par
Then he swung into action.\par
\ldblquote You\rquote re giving us lots of valuable clues. I\rquote d better write them down before I forget them,\rdblquote  he said.\par
He reached for his schoolbag and fished around inside. When he pulled out a pen and a piece of paper, my eyes fastened on the paper.\par
\ldblquote Where did you get that?\rdblquote  I gasped.\par
He glanced at the paper and shrugged.\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s scrap paper,\rdblquote  he said. \ldblquote I always keep it in my bag. Why?\rdblquote\par
Then his eyebrows shot up as he examined the paper more closely. \ldblquote It\rquote s parchment!\rdblquote  he cried.\par
Chelsie snatched it from him excitedly. \ldblquote It must be a letter \endash  just like the one Nina got.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Nobody\rquote s been near my bag,\rdblquote  Darren snapped, trying to snatch it back.\par
But Chelsie had already unfolded it. Her mouth sagged, and her eyes bulged.\par
\ldblquote Darren,\rdblquote  she said in a strangled voice. \ldblquote It\rquote s from him! It\rquote s the Deathmaster!\rdblquote\par
She passed the letter across the table, and Darren held it open for us to read:\par
TO: DARREN TAN\par
\i You think you can escape death, but you can\rquote t.\par
When I am ready, I will claim you as my own.\par
You will be unable to prevent my final victory over your life.\par
You will face endless death and blackness of pain forever.\par
Be warned.\par
You have no choice but to \i0 OBEY \i me.\par
Signed:\i0\f1\par
\f0 DEATHMASTER\par
Darren\rquote s face went slack. His hand trembled. \ldblquote I don\rquote t understand,\rdblquote  he said hoarsely. \ldblquote How did it get into my bag?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s just like the letter I got,\rdblquote  I whispered. \ldblquote Deathmaster can put messages anywhere he likes.\rdblquote\par
Chelsie pointed at the lettering. \ldblquote It\rquote s printed, just like the way you said yours was written, Nina. And you\rquote re right \endash  the ink is weird too. It doesn\rquote t look like ink. It looks kind of like\'85 \i thin blood\i0 .\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote An old person\rquote s blood,\rdblquote  added Darren breathlessly.\par
\ldblquote Or a letter that was written a long time ago,\rdblquote  I suggested. \ldblquote And that\rquote s why the ink is so faint. It\rquote s faded.\rdblquote\par
Darren wiped perspiration from his forehead. \ldblquote Well, one thing\rquote s for sure. It\rquote s not from anyone at school. I mean, nobody I know uses words like that.\rdblquote\i  \f1\par
\i0\f0 I took the letter from Darren and studied it carefully.\par
\ldblquote And the paper isn\rquote t parchment either,\rdblquote  I said, fingering the paper. \ldblquote It\rquote s too thick. Too heavy.\rdblquote  I tried to tear off a corner but couldn\rquote t. \ldblquote I\rquote ve never seen paper like this, have you?\rdblquote\par
Chelsie let out a cry. \ldblquote Maybe the paper wasn\rquote t made here.\rdblquote\par
Darren shot her a startled glance. \ldblquote What do you mean?\rdblquote\par
Chelsie\rquote s cheek flushed. She replied in a small voice, \ldblquote It sounds crazy, I know, but maybe it came from a \i different world\i0 .\rdblquote\par
We gaped at her.\par
\ldblquote And if the paper \i did\i0  come from a different world,\rdblquote  she went on, \ldblquote then maybe Deathmaster does too, and that\rquote s why he can put things in people\rquote s bags without them knowing.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You think Deathmaster is an\'85 an \i alien?\i0\rdblquote  I almost swallowed the word.\par
\ldblquote Either an alien\rdblquote  \endash  Chelsie\rquote s cheek blazed crimson \endash  \ldblquote or a \i ghost\i0 .\rdblquote\par
Darren pounded on the table with his fist. \ldblquote But why is he picking on us? And what does he mean by\'85 \lquote You have no choice but to OBEY me?\rquote\rdblquote\par
I was staring at the letter when a sudden gust of wind whipped around me. It tore the paper from my grasp and carried it high into the air.\par
A moment later, it was gone.\par
\pard\keep\keepn\nowidctlpar\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 6\par
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\f0 We were on our feet at once, trying to figure out where the letter had gone.\par
\ldblquote That\rquote s the second time that\rquote s happened,\rdblquote  Chelsie said in a hollow tone. \ldblquote First your letter vanished, Nina, and now Darren\rquote s has!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote The letters \i always\i0  vanish,\rdblquote  muttered Darren. \ldblquote But \i why?\i0\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s like deathmaster doesn\rquote t want anybody else to see them,\rdblquote  I speculated.\par
\ldblquote That is just so creepy,\rdblquote  Chelsie commented. \ldblquote He gives you a letter, then takes it back!\rdblquote\par
Darren swung around to face us. \ldblquote And I think I know why! It\rquote s been taken back so we can\rquote t trace the paper. And we can\rquote t identify the ink or the printing.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote So maybe I\rquote m right,\rdblquote  Chelsie said grimly. \ldblquote Maybe he is an alien or something weird like that.\rdblquote  She hesitated, then tensed. \ldblquote And that would explain something else. He put your names on those letters. And he knew whre to find you. Doesn\rquote t that mean he has some kind of strange power?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You mean he\rquote s \i spying\i0  on us?\rdblquote  I asked.\par
\ldblquote He \i must\i0  be!\rdblquote  Chelsie exclaimed. \ldblquote Otherwise how would he know your names, and what school you go to?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote But what does he \i want?\i0\rdblquote  Darren demanded. \ldblquote Why would someone with special powers send weird letters to schoolkids like us?\par
\ldblquote Well, we know he wants us to obey him,\rdblquote  I reasoned. \ldblquote He keeps telling us we have no choice but to obey him. It\rquote s like he\rquote s trying to scare us into doing what he wants!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote But what \i does\i0  he want us to do?\rdblquote  Darren asked angrily. \ldblquote Why doesn\rquote t he just come straight out and tell us?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Maybe he will,\rdblquote  I argued, \ldblquote when we\rquote re scared enough.\rdblquote\par
\pard\keep\keepn\nowidctlpar\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 7\par
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\f0\ldblquote\i Nothing!\i0\rdblquote  Chelsie squealed a few minutes later.\par
After Darren and I had found those letters in our schoolbags, I\rquote d said to her, \ldblquote Chelsie, maybe you should check your bag.\rdblquote\par
Her face darkened. \ldblquote Nina, you don\rquote t think Deathmaster sent me a letter too, do you?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You\rquote re our friend,\rdblquote  Darren reminded her. \ldblquote If he\rquote s spying on us \endash\ldblquote\par
He didn\rquote t have to say any more.\par
Chelsie unzipped her bag and searched it warily. Books, notebooks, pens, a ruler, a pair of unwashed socks, a comb, and a mirror piled up on the table until her bag was empty.\par
A smile of relief flooded her face.\par
\ldblquote\i Nothing!\i0\rdblquote  she squealed.\par
\ldblquote You are \i so\i0  lucky,\rdblquote  I told her, squeezing her hand.\par
\i Well,\i0  I thought, \i Deathmaster has targeted only Darren and me!\i0  But why? What made us so important to him? And what was he going to make us both do?\par
A shudder passed through my body.\par
I heard the bell ringing for class. It seemed to be coming from a place far away.\par
I pushed myself to my feet, wishing the day had never begun.\par
Later that afternoon, Chelsie and I went upstairs to the school library to work on our history project. As we climbed the stairs, Chelsie took my hand.\par
\ldblquote Nina, I don\rquote t know what to say. You and Darren have both had those sick letters, but I haven\rquote t. I feel kind of bad about it.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You mustn\rquote t. It\rquote s just our bad luck, I guess.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I don\rquote t care who Deathmaster is, or what he is, I promise I\rquote ll help you,\rdblquote  she said fiercely. \ldblquote We\rquote ve got to stick together!\rdblquote\par
I squeezed her hand and thanked her. \i It was great to know I had a friend like Chelsie.\i0\f1\par
\f0 In the library, we were led to a shelf of books in the corner. \ldblquote You\rquote ll find what you want here,\rdblquote  the librarian said before returning to her desk.\par
We left our bags on the nearest table and searched along the row of books. No sooner had Chelsie chosen one than she gaspd in horror.\par
I spun around. A folded sheet of paper had been tucked into the book she was holding. Her eyes were fixed on it, her lips trembling.\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s from him!\rdblquote  she whispered. \ldblquote It\rquote s the same weird paper!\rdblquote\par
We sat down at the table, and she opened the letter. Deathmaster\rquote s message was printed by hand in the same faded pink ink, the color of old blood:\par
TO: CHELSIE CHUA\par
\i I have not forgotten you.\par
You too will cross over into my world at a moment of my choosing.\par
Say farewell to all you know and hold dear.\par
Your departure into death has been planned. Every detail has been taken care of. How I look forward to the day when you become mine.\par
You have no choice but to \i0 OBEY \i me.\par
Signed:\par
\i0 DEATHMASTER\par
Chelsie\rquote s hand was trembling, her gaze held hypnotically by the evil message.\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s just like the letters you and Darren got,\rdblquote  she whispered in a hollow voice. \ldblquote He wants me to obey him!\rdblquote\par
I stared at the letter. \ldblquote How could Deathmaster have known we were coming to the library?\rdblquote  I wondered numbly.\par
\ldblquote And how could he have known \i which\i0  book to put the letter in?\rdblquote  Chelsie asked. Her eyes met mine. \ldblquote It\rquote s spooky\'85 it\rquote s like he knows where we\rquote ll be and what we\rquote ll do before \i we\i0  do!\rdblquote  Her terror intensified. \ldblquote You know what this means, Nina, don\rquote t you? He\rquote s not \i human!\i0  He \i must\i0  be a ghost or alien!\rdblquote\par
I began folding the letter.\par
\ldblquote We\rquote ve got to show it to Darren before Deathmaster makes it disappear like the others,\rdblquote  I said urgently.\par
Suddenly I pulled my hands away.\par
The letter was becoming too hot to touch.\par
Seconds later, it burst into flames.\par
By the time the startled librarian had reached our table, the letter was nothing more than a pile of smoldering ash.\par
\pard\keep\keepn\nowidctlpar\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 8\par
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\f0\ldblquote  Nina Hu! How dare you light fires in the library!\rdblquote  the librarian shrieked. \ldblquote You could burn down the whole school.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Miss Clara, we didn\rquote t light a fire,\rdblquote  I tried to explain, but she was in no mood to listen.\par
\ldblquote You don\rquote t expect me to believe that the fire just started by itself, do you?\rdblquote  Her eyes blazed angrily behind her thick glasses.\par
\ldblquote Well\'85 it did\'85\rdblquote\par
I sank back into my chair. I knew she wouldn\rquote t believe a word I said. In fact, I still couldn\rquote t believe what had happened myself.\par
Chelsie jumped to my defense.\par
\ldblquote Miss Clara, there was a piece of paper in one of the books,\rdblquote  she began. \ldblquote That\rquote s what caught fire.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Paper doesn\rquote t set itself alight,\rdblquote  Miss Clara said adamantly, hands on hips. \ldblquote It needs silly girls like you to make it catch fire. Now, open your schoolbags!\rdblquote\par
But after she\rquote d searched through our bags and we\rquote d turned out our pockets, she looked confused.\par
\ldblquote\i Something\i0  must have set it on fire,\rdblquote  Miss Clara mumbled.\par
\ldblquote Maybe the piece of paper had been in that book too long and kind of got hot,\rdblquote  Chelsie rambled.\par
\ldblquote Chelsia Chua! There is definitely no such thing as spontaneous combustion in my library!\rdblquote  Miss Clara almost screamed. She stared at the ash on the table. \ldblquote Stay where you are while I clean up the mess.\rdblquote\par
She returned a moment later with a small dustpan and broom. She tried to sweep the ash into the dustpan, but it clung stubbornly to the table.\par
\ldblquote How odd,\rdblquote  she remarked.\par
She set down the dustpan, her gaze locked on the pile of ash. Reaching out her hand, she touched it with her fingers.\par
With a squawk of horror, she withdrew her hand. Her fingertips were covered with a thick, black, sticky substance like oil.\par
We left her there and headed down to our classroom. Chelsie\rquote s trouble gaze met mine.\par
\ldblquote Nina, I was right,\rdblquote  she said hoarsely. \ldblquote That paper wasn\rquote t paper. Well, not like any paper \i we\i0  have.\rdblquote\par
I almost lost my footing on the stairs. \ldblquote You think it came from somewhere else?\i  Like another planet?\i0\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Well, you saw it. It looked like melted plastic or something.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote But it couldn\rquote t be,\rdblquote  I protested.\par
\ldblquote It was something we don\rquote t have,\rdblquote  Chelsie insisted. \ldblquote Some kind of paper that aliens use. And when it burns, it turns into black goo.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote If you\rquote re right, then Deathmaster comes from somewhere else,\rdblquote  I said, forcing down the urge to scream.\par
\ldblquote If I\rquote m right, Nina,\rdblquote  Chelsie said in a small voice strained with terror, \ldblquote then Deathmaster has more power than we thought. And that means we may have no choice. We may \i have\i0  to obey him!\rdblquote\par
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\f0 After our final lesson that afternoon, we took Darren aside. We found a quiet place under the stairs where we could talk without being overheard.\par
I began by telling him everything that had happened in the library.\par
\ldblquote It caught fire?\rdblquote  His jaw dropped. \ldblquote How could he make it do that?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I don\rquote t know,\rdblquote  I told him. \ldblquote I could feel the paper getting hotter nad hotter, and then it just burst into flames.\rdblquote\par
Then Chelsie described what had happened when Miss Clara tried to clean up the mess.\par
\ldblquote It wasn\rquote t ordinary ash,\rdblquote  she said. \ldblquote It was black and sticky.\rdblquote\par
Darren leaned back against the wall. \ldblquote So if it wasn\rquote t ordinary ash, the paper wasn\rquote t ordinary paper,\rdblquote  he breathed.\par
\ldblquote Chelsie is sure that Deathmaster is an alien,\rdblquote  I said.\par
\ldblquote He\rquote s really freaky,\rdblquote  she burst out. \ldblquote He seems to know everything we do, even before we do it.\rdblquote\par
Darren was silent for a moment before he looked at us. \ldblquote Do you think we\rquote re the only ones in the school getting these letters?\rdblquote  he wondered out loud.\par
Chelsie shrugged. \ldblquote How can we find out?\rdblquote  she asked.\par
\ldblquote I don\rquote t know,\rdblquote  Darren admitted. \ldblquote I suppose we can\rquote t go around asking people they\rquote ve had letters from Deathmaster. They\rquote ll think we\rquote re nuts.\rdblquote  His jaw  tightened. \ldblquote But if we \i are\i0  the only ones he\rquote s sending messages to, that means we\rquote re in\'85 well, \i danger\i0 , I guess, and nobody else knows.\rdblquote\par
I tried to control my alarm. \ldblquote Then we\rquote ve got to do something about it. Don\rquote t you think we should talk to our parents?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote But would they believe us?\rdblquote  he countered. He let out a loud, angry sigh. \ldblquote That\rquote s why Deathmaster is so clever. He makes the letters disappear or burn as soon as we\rquote ve read thm. We can\rquote t show them to anyone else. We can\rquote t prove they ever existed.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What about the police?\rdblquote  asked Chelsie.\par
\ldblquote What about them?\rdblquote  Darren answered with a wave of his hand. \ldblquote Without the letters, no one is going to believe us. They\rquote ll all be like Mr Quek. They\rquote ll say we\rquote re making it up.\rdblquote\par
Then he stopped. \ldblquote Hey, there\rquote s something we haven\rquote t thought about,\rdblquote  he said.\par
\ldblquote What?\rdblquote  I asked.\par
\ldblquote Maybe we won\rquote t get any more letters.\rdblquote  His face brightened. \ldblquote Maybe we\rquote ll never hear from him again.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Do you really believe that?\rdblquote  probed Chelsie.\par
\ldblquote Well, what if those letters were just some kind of sick joke?\rdblquote  Darren retorted.\par
\ldblquote What if they weren\rquote t?\rdblquote  I challenged. \ldblquote What if he really wants us to do something for him? What if he\rquote s going to make us obey him?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Then he\rquote ll have to write more letters and tell us what it is.\rdblquote  Darren hesitated. \ldblquote Or he\rquote ll have to appear in person and tell us.\rdblquote\line We gaped at him.\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s bad enough getting his letters,\rdblquote  Chelsie blurted out, \ldblquote but I don\rquote t want to \i see\i0  him. I don\rquote t even want to \i think\i0  about what he looks like.\rdblquote\par
We picked up our bags and walked to the bus in silence.\par
\pard\keep\keepn\nowidctlpar\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 10\par
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\f0 After my friends got off the bus, I rode on alone to my apartment block. I gazed out the window at all the familiar streets and buildings that I saw every day of my life. The shops, the signs, the scurrying people. All the things that I took for granted would always be there.\par
Deathmaster had said he was going to take me away from the world I knew.\par
\ldblquote\i Nothing will ever be the same again\'85\i0\rdblquote\par
That\rquote s what he\rquote d said in his letter.\par
\ldblquote\i Nothing will ever be the same again\'85\i0\rdblquote\par
I shivered.\par
My world, my life as I knew it, would vanish forever, and not a single soul could help me.\par
\i But why?\i0\f1\par
\f0 Why had he chosen Chelsie, Darren and me?\par
That\rquote s the question my mind kept returning to.\par
Why us?\par
If he was as powerful as we believed, why had he chosen three schoolkids like us to terrorize?\par
What did he want us to do?\par
Why did \i we\i0  have to obey him?\par
Then a new thought began forming in my mind. If nobody could help us, maybe we could help ourselves.\par
\i Maybe there was a way we could trap Deathmaster!\i0\f1\par
\f0 I had no idea how we could trap an alien or ghost, but maybe we could find a way to keep his next letter before he destroyed it. If we could do that, then we\rquote d have something to show other people. \i Then we could get help!\i0\f1\par
\f0 I was still thinking about that when I arrived home.\par
Mum met me at the door with a happy smile.\par
\ldblquote Hi, Nina, guess what?\rdblquote  she asked. She held up an envelope. \ldblquote You got a letter today.\rdblquote\par
I stared at the envelope in her hand.\par
\ldblquote Well, aren\rquote t you going to open it?\rdblquote  she went on eagerly, fingering the envelope. \ldblquote It looks interesting. It must be an invitation to someone\rquote s birthday party.\rdblquote\par
I snatched the letter from her hand and ran to my room.\par
\i I knew it wasn\rquote t an invitation!\i0\f1\par
\f0 Deathmaster had printed my name and address in that same pale, blood-colored ink. Somehow he had been able to buy a postage stamp and mail this letter to me.\par
I threw down my bag and, with fumbling fingers, tore open the nvelope.\par
Inside was a single sheet of paper.\par
The same mysterious paper that Deathmaster always seemed to use.\par
And on it was printed one word:\par
SOON\par
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\f0 My scream split the air. Mum was at my door in seconds.\par
\ldblquote Nina, what is it? What happened?\rdblquote\par
I held out my hand to show her the letter.\par
\ldblquote Nina, what\rquote s the matter?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Look!\rdblquote  I said breathlessly.\par
She stared at my hand, her expression blank. I followed her gaze.\par
My hand was EMPTY!\par
And that made me scream again.\par
Mum rushed to my side. \ldblquote Nina, why are you screaming?\rdblquote\par
All I could do was stare at her mutely.\par
\ldblquote Was it the letter you received?\rdblquote  Mum asked. She cast her gaze over my desk. \ldblquote Where is it?\rdblquote\line\ldblquote It\rquote s gone,\rdblquote  I mumbled.\par
\ldblquote But I just gave it to you. How could you lose it so quickly?\rdblquote\par
My shoulders slumped. \ldblquote Mum, I didn\rquote t lose it.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Well, where is it?\rdblquote  she demanded.\par
\ldblquote It just\'85 vanished.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Nina, you look so pale. There must have been something in that letter that upset you.\rdblquote  Mum arched an eyebrow. \ldblquote Who was it from?\rdblquote\par
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. \ldblquote It was scary. It said I was going to die.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Nina, if anyone sent you a scary letter, your father and I will go to the police with it.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Thanks, Mum,\rdblquote  I said shakily, slipping into my chair.\par
\ldblquote I think you need a good night\rquote s sleep. Have you got much homework?\rdblquote\par
I nodded. Then I shook my head. Then I nodded again. My mind was reeling.\par
Mum retreated to the door. \ldblquote Nina, I\rquote ve got to finish cooking. Your father will be home soon. Are you \i sure\i0  you\rquote ll be all right?\rdblquote\par
When she left, I snatched up my mobile phone and called Chelsie. She answered on the first ring. Her voice was thick and tense. I told her about the letter.\par
\ldblquote Oh no!\rdblquote  Her voice cracked. \ldblquote You too. I got one as well.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What did it say?\rdblquote\f1\par
\f0\ldblquote It was the same as yours. Just that one word. \lquote Soon.\rquote  And then it kind of melted into nothing in my hand.\rdblquote  Fear strangled her words. \ldblquote What did he mean? Is he going to kill us \i soon?\i0\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I don\rquote t know.\rdblquote\par
\i But I did know.\i0\f1\par
\f0 Whatever he was going to do, he was going to do it soon.\par
I tried to comfort Chelsie, then called Darren.\par
\ldblquote Yes, that\rquote s what mine said too,\rdblquote  he told me when he heard about Chelsie and me. \ldblquote And then it just vanished into my hand. Like it kind of \i evaporated!\i0\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote We\rquote ve got to get help!\rdblquote  I shrieked.\par
\ldblquote But nobody will believe us,\rdblquote  he reminded me. \ldblquote We\rquote re on our own.\rdblquote  Then his voice brightened.  \ldblquote Anyhow, Deathmaster won\rquote t know where to find us tomorrow.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What do you mean?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Hey, have you forgotten? We\rquote ve got a field trip tomorrow. We\rquote re going to that science museum.\rdblquote\par
My spirits lifted immediately.\par
\i Yes!\i0  I thought, \i Darren\rquote s right\i0\f1 .\par
\f0 We\rquote d have a day away from school, away from our usual routine.\par
And we wouldn\rquote t be taking our schoolbags, so Deathmaster would have nowhere to leave his letters.\par
We\rquote d be going somewhere that Deathmaster didn\rquote t know about.\par
Somewhere he couldn\rquote t find us and torment us.\par
Well, that\rquote s what I thought.\par
Little did I know that we were going to the place that Deathmaster had selected many weeks before\'85\par
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\f0 We wandered through the science museum, our eyes goggling at all kind of displays. It was like stepping into future.\par
Our teacher Mr Quek led the way from one section to the next.\par
\ldblquote All these scientific wonders have a message for us,\rdblquote  he was saying. \ldblquote What do you think it is, Nina?\rdblquote\par
I hesitated. I hated it when teachers asked me questions like that!\par
\ldblquote They show us how far man has come,\rdblquote  I blurted out, my fingers crossed. \ldblquote And how much he knows.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote A good answer,\rdblquote  Mr Quek said. \ldblquote But more importantly, they also remind us how much we \i don\rquote t\i0  know\'85 of how many discoveries we have \i yet\i0  to make. And when we \i do\i0  make them, nothing will ever be the same again.\rdblquote\par
\i Nothing will ever be the same again\'85\i0\f1\par
\f0 The words struck a chord of fear in my mind.  But only for a moment. Soon the next section of the museum absorbed my attention.\par
We had entered a vast planetarium showing us the solar system, galaxies with stars I\rquote ve never heard of, and a wall of films recording manned spaceflights.\par
\ldblquote Hands up everyone who believes in aliens,\rdblquote  joked Mr Quek.\par
No hands went us. Everyone laughed, except us.\par
We passed through the planetarium into a huge room dominated by a life-size replica of a space capsule. A steel ladder led up to its door.\par
\ldblquote This is a replica of a capsule used in the American space program,\rdblquote  Mr Quek informed us. \ldblquote There is room for only three to go in at a time,\rdblquote  he explained.\par
\ldblquote So Nina, Chelsie, and Darren, you can be our first astronauts.\rdblquote\par
We climbed the ladder and entered the capsule. It was so cramped that we could hardly move.\par
\ldblquote Where\rquote s the toilet in this thing?\rdblquote  Darren asked.\par
\ldblquote There isn\rquote t one,\rdblquote  Chelsie giggled. \ldblquote They give you a tube and a bag instead!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Yuck!\rdblquote\par
Suddenly the lights flickered and died. The planetarium was plunged into darkness. We heard screams and shouts from outside.\par
\ldblquote Darren!\rdblquote  I yelled. \ldblquote What did you do?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I didn\rquote t touch anything,\rdblquote  he yelled back.\par
We could hear Mr Quek\rquote s voice calling out in the darkness. \ldblquote There\rquote s no need to panic. Stay where you are. It\rquote s only a power fault of some kind. The lights will come on again.\rdblquote\par
There were more screams and shouts, and ours were the loudest because the space capsule had begun to vibrate wildly.\par
\ldblquote It must be Deathmaster,\rdblquote  cried Darren.\par
\ldblquote He found us!\rdblquote  shouted Chelsie. \ldblquote He\rquote s here!\rdblquote\par
The capsule shook violently as an invisible force wrapped itself around us, pulling us into blackness.\f1\par
\pard\keep\keepn\nowidctlpar\s1\sb480\sl276\slmult1\cf2\b\f2\fs28 Chapter 13\par
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\f0 A voice was speaking.\par
\ldblquote You see, there are certain faults in the Earth\rquote s atmosphere, similar to the faults in the Earth\rquote s crust. It was through one of those faults that I knew I could reach you at the science museum. And a parallel fault connected me with your school. It was very simple, really. All I had to do was plant the seeds.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What seeds?\rdblquote  I heard Darren ask from somewhere in the black zone.\par
\ldblquote I had to prompt one of your teachers to organize a field trip. I planted a seed in his mind. He did the rest.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote And the letters?\rdblquote  Chelsie\rquote s voice sounded terrified.\par
\ldblquote They were nothing. They were merely projections from my mind into yours. Images that appeared to take a solid form. They didn\rquote t actually exist.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote But one of them caught fire in the school library,\rdblquote  Chelsie said.\par
\ldblquote You thought it caught fire. And you thought you saw that sticky substance. It was all in my mind, and therefore in yours, and the minds of those around you.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What about the letters you mailed to us?\rdblquote  I asked.\par
\ldblquote I projected them into the mind of your mailman, and in your case, Nina, into the mind of your mother. She thought she gave you a letter. You thought you read it. And you thought it vanished from your hand. As your teacher rightly told you, there is so much that man does \i not\i0  know.\rdblquote\par
Darren\rquote s questions penetrated the blackness. Try as I did, I couldn\rquote t see him!\par
\ldblquote Why do you have to reach us through faults in the Earth\rquote s atmosphere? I don\rquote t get it. Where are you? Are you an alien?\rdblquote\par
The voice of Deathmaster replied, \ldblquote I am not an alien, although I am not part of your world. I am in a place that you might call the Afterlife.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote So you\rquote re a ghost?\rdblquote  Chelsie asked.\par
\ldblquote No. In order to be a ghost, I would to have lived and then died. But I have never lived. The living are my toys. I manipulate them.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Like you manipulated us?\rdblquote  I screamed.\par
\ldblquote I am very good at manipulating people and events. Human life has always been a balance of good and evil. I manipulate evil.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote We\rquote re not your toys!\rdblquote  Chelsie screamed at him. \ldblquote And we don\rquote t care what you want us to do! We\rquote re not going to obey you.\rdblquote\par
Deathmaster laughed softly in the blackness. It was a sound that chilled my bones to the marrow.\par
\ldblquote Why can\rquote t we see you?\rdblquote  Darren shouted. \ldblquote Why are you hiding from us?\rdblquote\par
Deathmaster\rquote s words lashed out from the darkness. \ldblquote Darren, why are you in such a hurry to look upon the face of evil?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Show us who you are!\rdblquote  Darren retorted.\par
The blackness lifted like a mist.\par
And for the first time we were face to face with Deathmaster.\par
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\f0 DEATHMASTER!\par
I did not know where to look first!\par
The creature that occupied the cavern was shaped like a spider, its massive legs \endash  ach the thickness of a fully grown tree \endash  writhing in dozen different directions at once.\par
Its body was the size of a whale.\par
Several immense heads with clusters of glowing eyes were attached to its shiny black body, which pulsated like a bloated heart. The heads were rotating slowly.\par
None of the heads and eyes were directly focused on us, though I sensed that each of them was observing our presence.\par
A slit in the creature\rquote s guts opened and closed like a fleshy mouth. Its breathing echoed around the cavern, an eerie, rhythmic sigh, like the moan of a breeze in a vast forest.\par
A web of steel bars, like a gigantic cage, enclosed the entire mass.\par
Each bar appeared at least a meter thick.\par
A heavy lock secured the bars in place. It looked to me that once the lock was open, the bars would spring apart.\par
None of us screamed.\par
The terrifying spectacle robbed us of all breath.\par
Deathmaster spoke.\par
\ldblquote As you can see, my enemies have me trapped and I am dying. That is why I have brought you here. You will find a key on the wall behind you. You must unlock the cag so I can be free again. You are the only one who can do it.\rdblquote\par
I gathered enough breath to say, \ldblquote After all you\rquote ve told us and done to us, why should we help you?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Because you have no choice but to obey me. If you do not do as I say, you will die with me.\rdblquote\par
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\f0 Darren stared at the mammoth creature. Sarcasm replaced shock.\par
\ldblquote Who said you\rquote re dying?\rdblquote  he challenged. \ldblquote You were still able to do all those things to us.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote With the last of my powers,\rdblquote  Deathmaster said. \ldblquote My death will be slow, as yours will be if you do not release me.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You said your enemies trapped you,\rdblquote  Chelsie said. \ldblquote Who are they?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Some forces for good,\rdblquote  Deathmaster sneered. \ldblquote They lured me into this place and snared me. But if they were good, as they profess themselves to be, how could they kill?\rdblquote\par
I turned and saw a golden key hanging from a hook on the wall. In the dim light, the key glowed as though it had a life of its own.\par
\ldblquote If we let you out, what will happen to us?\rdblquote  I asked.\par
Deathmaster\rquote s head revolved so that several eyes were focused on me. I felt as though I were being hypnotized and drawn into the cage with the monstrous creature.\par
\ldblquote You have my word you will not be harmed in any way,\rdblquote  he promised.\par
Chelsie grasped my hand. \ldblquote Once he\rquote s free he\rquote ll kill us,\rdblquote  she whispered. \ldblquote He doesn\rquote t care about us. He\rquote s evil.\rdblquote\par
Deathmaster had heard her. \ldblquote Then I say you are evil too,\rdblquote  he accused. \ldblquote You are no better than I am. How can I overcome my nature and do good if I am denied the chance?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Do you expect us to believe that?\rdblquote  I asked. \ldblquote One moment you say we\rquote ll day, the next you say you want to change your ways.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Then we must all die together. If you deny the chance to change the world, it will be on your conscience. But remember, Nina, because I know so much about evil, think how much good I could do.\rdblquote\par
Deathmaster fell silent.\par
And that was when I realized I was having trouble breathing.\par
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\f0\ldblquote Something\rquote s happened to the air,\rdblquote  I cried.\par
Chelsie tried to take a deep breath but couldn\rquote t. Suddenly she gripped my wrist. \ldblquote That\rquote s it! That\rquote s how they\rquote re killing Deathmaster,\rdblquote  she said. \ldblquote They\rquote re taking away his oxygen. He won\rquote t be able to breathe.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote And neither will we,\rdblquote  I pointed out, aware of the perspiration forming on my forehead.\par
Darren shook his head. He glared at the mammoth creature in the cage. \ldblquote No,\rdblquote  he said suspiciously, \ldblquote I think it\rquote s a trick. I think Deathmaster is the one who\rquote s stealing all the air! He\rquote s sucking it up somehow. He\rquote s trying to trick us into letting him out of there!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote No, he\rquote s not. Look!\rdblquote  I shouted.\par
We stared at Deathmaster. Death appeared to be claiming him.\par
He was slowly shrinking.\par
One by one his massive legs were withering.\par
His sleek black body was wrinkling.\par
An agonized moan escaped from his gruesome mouth.\par
\ldblquote Nina\'85 the key\'85\rdblquote  he pleaded with his last air.\par
I couldn\rquote t believe my eyes. Deathmaster reminded me of the spider that Dad had once sprayed with insect killer. The spider\rquote s legs had curled up, it\rquote s body shrinking into a black ball. The same was happening to Deathmaster. He was immobilized, slowly curling up to die.\par
\ldblquote He \i is\i0  dying!\rdblquote  Chelsie gasped. \ldblquote What are we going to do?\rdblquote\par
I fingered the key on the wall. Its golden surface was surprisingly warm to my touch \endash  the warmth of life, I thought.\par
\ldblquote Nina, don\rquote t! You mustn\rquote t,\rdblquote  warned Darren.\par
\ldblquote But if he dies, we\rquote ll die too,\rdblquote  I argued.\par
I made my decision.\par
I took the key from the wall with trembling fingers and flashed a glance at Deathmaster.\par
All his heads and eyes were directed at me. It seemed he was waiting for me to unlock the bars. He was trusting me to save him.\par
Instead, I turned to Darren and Chelsie.\par
\ldblquote Let\rquote s find a way out of here,\rdblquote  I said. \ldblquote And let\rquote s take the key with us.\rdblquote\par
Deathmaster suddenly sprang back to his mammoth size. With a deafening roar, he hurled himself against the steel bars with the force of a hurricane. The bars shook violently but held.\par
\ldblquote The key, Nina!\rdblquote  he bellowed. \ldblquote Open the lock, Nina! Let me out now!\rdblquote\par
But we had already left the cavern.\par
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\f0\ldblquote I thought you were going to let him out,\rdblquote  said Chelsie.\par
\ldblquote So did I,\rdblquote  agreed Darren.\par
\ldblquote No,\rdblquote  I told them. \ldblquote I wanted to test him. I wanted to see if he was telling the truth. The moment he saw I wasn\rquote t going to help him, he became evil again.\rdblquote\par
We were back in the space capsule, and the lights in the planetarium had been restored.\par
After leaving Deathmaster in the trap, we had found a tunnel leading from the cavern.\par
After a few paces, a light had appeared before us, and something gently lifted the key from my hand.\par
\ldblquote There are many Deathmasters, Nina,\rdblquote  a voice said. \ldblquote Destroy one, another appears. For that is the nature of evil. Destroy it once, and it returns. Be vigilant.\rdblquote\par
And then the light vanished as mysteriously as it had appeared, and we fou dourselves back in the capsule as though nothing had happened.\par
A moment later, Mr Quek\rquote s anxious face appeared in the doorway. \ldblquote Are you all OK in here?\rdblquote  he asked.\par
\ldblquote There was a short circuit. It\rquote s been fixed now.\rdblquote  He gave us a closer inspection. \ldblquote I hope you weren\rquote t too scared in the dark.\rdblquote\par
\pard\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp20 \nowidctlpar\sa200\sl276\slmult1\ldblquote Scared?\rdblquote  I responded with a laugh. \ldblquote Don\rquote t worry about us, Mr Quek. We had plenty to keep us busy.\rdblquote\par
\pard\nowidctlpar\sa200\sl276\slmult1 MR MIDNIGHT #61\par
Deathmaster\par
\pard\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp20 \nowidctlpar\sa200\sl276\slmult1 END\par
\pard\nowidctlpar\sa200\sl276\slmult1 I hope you enjoyed the story, readers.\par
\pard\nowidctlpar Look out for the next story at http://readmrmidnight.weebly.com/!\f1\par
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