Liar Liar (12 page)

I clung to the tree, but my grip was slipping. In a few seconds I knew I would flutter away. “You've … got to … help me,” I whispered.

My twin crossed his arms over his chest. “I just want you gone, Ross. If I tell you how to get back to your world, you'll only tell more lies. And you'll end up in my world again.”

“No!” I whispered. “No. Tell me how to get back. Tell me! Please! I promise—no more lies. I swear! Only the truth!”

“You're lying!” he shouted. “I know you are!”

“No—please!” I begged. “Please—tell me what I can do.”

My twin shook his head. “No way.”

I lost my grip on the tree. A blast of wind lifted me off my feet.

“I'll never tell another lie!” I swore. My voice came out so weak, I didn't know if he heard me.

“Okay, okay,” he muttered. His expression softened. “Okay. I'll give you a break. I can't stand to see another Ross suffer.”

“Thank you,” I whispered. “Thank you.”

He pointed. “See my garage? There's a room above the garage.”

“Yes,” I said. “An empty room. I know it. I have the same garage.”

“Well, that room is a portal,” he continued. “It's a passageway between our two worlds.”

“Wow,” I murmured.

“Climb up to the room and wait for a door to open,” my twin instructed. “Go through that door—and you will be home. You will be home and strong again.”

“Thank you,” I whispered. “Thank you and goodbye. I promise you'll never see me again.”

“Better hurry,” he replied. “You've only got a few minutes.” He turned and started to jog back into the house.

I gazed at the garage. It stood at the edge of the lawn, only twenty or thirty steps away. But to me, it was a mile in the distance.

Could I walk that far?

Was I strong enough to make it to the garage and up to the top room?

If I let go of the tree, will I just blow away like a leaf? I wondered.

My whole body trembled. I knew I had no choice. I had to try for it. It was my only hope.

My last hope.

Slowly, slowly I let my hands slide off the smooth tree bark. I sank to my knees in the grass.

Should I crawl?

No.

I took a deep, shuddering breath and pulled myself to my feet.

A gust of wind blew against me. I gritted my teeth and leaned into it.

I took a step forward. Then another.

It felt as if the wind was trying to keep me from the garage. But I had to get there.

I lowered my head and pushed forward. I tried to think heavy thoughts.

I'm a ship's anchor, I told myself. I'm an elephant.

Forward. Step by step. Pushing my light body against the steady, stiff breeze.

I'm nearly there, I realized. Just a few more steps.

I uttered a cry as a sharp gust lifted me off the grass. It sent me flying back. A few seconds later I dropped heavily onto the grass.

I'm not going to quit, I told myself. I'm going to get there. I'm going to get to the portal.

I leaned forward again, lowering my head and shoulders—and trudged ahead. One step. Another. Another.

Breathing hard, my chest heaving from the effort, I stepped into the cool darkness of the garage.

I hugged myself, trying to stop my trembling. And peered at the stairs, half-hidden in darkness at the back wall.

The stairs to the portal between our worlds.

The portal … the portal …

“NO!” I let out a hoarse, angry scream. “NO! NO!”

I shouted in fury—in terror—because I suddenly knew this was wrong.

My twin had lied to me again.

He lied. He lied.

The garage room can't be the portal.

Because I've never been up in the garage room!

I couldn't move from one world to the other from there—since I'd never been there!

“Get up there, Ross!” a voice barked, right behind me.

I turned and saw my twin. His expression was cold, angry. He gave me a hard shove. “Get up there,” he repeated. “I don't want anyone to hear your last screams.”

“N-no, please—” I begged weakly.

But he gave me another shove. “It will all be over in a few minutes.”

I stumbled forward. He moved to block my escape.

I felt so weak. Pain shot up and down my body. I wanted to curl up … curl up into a tiny ball and disappear.

But I couldn't give up. I couldn't let him do this to me. I wouldn't!

It wasn't fair. It wasn't right.

“AAAAAAAGH!” With a cry of fury I spun around—and threw myself onto him.

Startled, he stumbled back.

I clung to him, my arms wrapped around his shoulders. I clung to him with all the strength I had left.

“Get off! Get off me!” he shrieked. He backed out of the garage, twisting, turning, trying to pry me off.

But I held on tight, wrestling with him. Struggling against the pain that pulsed over me. Feeling so light … so light …

He backed across the lawn. He grasped my arms and squeezed them. “Get off me!”

“No!” I whispered. “I won't give up! I want to go home!”

We wrestled over the grass. I gasped for breath. I knew I couldn't hold on much longer.

And suddenly we were at the edge of our swimming pool. Wrestling. Thrashing. Bending and twisting.

I gazed into the water, sparkling so blue under the afternoon sunlight.

And in the gently rippling water, I saw our reflections. Both of our faces, side by side in the shimmering water.

Just like the first time I saw him.

Exactly like the first time we met.

“Go!” my twin screamed, wrestling hard. “Go forever, Ross!”

I couldn't hold on to him any longer. He flung me off him. I fell into the pool like a sagging inner tube.

But I reached out—and grabbed his arm.

And pulled him in with me.

We both sank into the cold water. Down … down …

So cold and clear … shimmering with a million dots of sunlight … so unreal …

We stared at each other underwater … stared face to face as we had that night … gazed with the same eyes at our identical faces …

Lower … lower into the cold, clear water.

And this time it was me who mouthed the words:
Go away
.

And as I said it, the water began to darken. As if someone had dimmed the lights.

My chest felt about to explode.

My twin faded away. Vanished in the blackening water.

All dark. All dark now.

I swam in blackness. My chest burning. My whole body throbbing.

The horror rose up … rose up around me.

For I knew that I had failed … failed.

I was fading into the blackness.

Fading away forever.

Choking …

I'm choking, I realized. Can't breathe.

I blinked my eyes open. Felt water slide down my cheeks. Stared through a film of water over my eyes.

Am I still underwater?

So dark. Dark as night.

I coughed up water. Choked and gagged.

Tried to blink the water from my eyes.

And stared up at Cindy and Sharma. Their faces tight with worry. Tears staining Sharma's pale face.

“Hey—he opened his eyes!”

My ears rang. The cry sounded so far away. But I recognized Max's voice.

Cindy leaned over me. “You're okay, Ross,” she said in a trembling whisper.

“You're going to be okay,” Sharma added.

I opened my eyes wide. I could see clearly now.

I was lying on my back. Staring up at a lot of faces. Beyond the two girls I saw Max and his father. And other kids I knew, all in swimsuits, all huddled together, worried and tense.

Above them the moon floated above a layer of clouds. Night. It was night.

And I was lying on my back on the terrace beside Max's swimming pool.

“I'm so sorry,” Cindy said, leaning over me.

“We were just kidding around,” Sharma said, holding my arm. “It was supposed to be a joke. We didn't mean to hold you under so long.”

“But then you started to choke,” Cindy whispered. “It—it was so horrible! You weren't breathing, and—” Her words caught in her throat. She turned away.

“My dad saved your life,” Max said.

“It's a good thing I took that CPR class,” Max's father said. He leaned over me. “Do you feel okay, Ross?”

“Yeah … I guess,” I said weakly. I sat up. I was lying in a puddle of cold water.

“We're so sorry,” Cindy repeated. “Really, Ross. We didn't mean to hold you under so long. We were so stupid. Please—please forgive us.”

The two girls went on apologizing, but I wasn't listening.

I was thinking about my parallel world adventure. Was it all a crazy dream?

It had to be.

It all never happened. I was drowning and my mind hallucinated the whole thing.

I breathed a long sigh of relief and jumped to my feet.

I felt so happy—so happy to be alive, to be back with my friends. I ran around and hugged everyone—even Max!

I'm in my world, I thought gleefully. I'm in the real world. And I'm going to stay here!

Everyone started talking and laughing at the same time. The music rang out again. The party was back underway.

I thanked Max's father, said goodbye to Max, and started running through the backyards to my house. I suddenly remembered about Jake.

I had left him all alone. I wasn't supposed to go out.

Was I going to be in major trouble?

I didn't care. I was so happy, so happy to be back!

I burst into the house and ran up to Jake's room. “Hey—” I called. “What's up?”

Jake was sitting on the bed with his back to me. He turned slowly.

And I opened my mouth in a scream of horror.

His face—his face was gone.

I gaped at his skull … his gray, rutted, worm-infested skull … empty eye sockets staring blankly back at me … his jaw open in an evil toothless grin.

My scream choked off in my throat. I staggered back as Jake's laugh rang out from under the ugly skull.

He raised both hands and tugged the skull off. “Gotcha!” he grinned at me.

A mask.

“You're a wimp,” Jake said. “You scare like a little baby!”

I didn't care about his dumb joke. I was so happy to see my brother, I hugged him, too.

“Get off me!” he cried. “What's your problem, Ross? Yuck!”

I backed off, laughing.

I'm here! I thought. Here in my normal world.

Normal. Everything normal!

I tossed back my head and let out a joyful shout.

My cry was cut short when I heard voices in the hall.

I turned—and gasped—as two more Jakes stepped into the room!

“N-no—!” I stammered. “It—it isn't possible!”

The three identical boys stared at me as if I was crazy.

Mom burst into the room. “Ross, you didn't go out, did you?” she asked angrily. “I need you to stay home and take care of the triplets.”