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quiet, and he leaned closer to us and said, “BOO!”
    We screamed. He laughed and laughed.

 
    ZANIMALS AND THE PIPE
    ESCAPING A DANGEROUS UNDERGROUND PIT
    The Adventure : Escaping an underground pit after being captured by Al Capone
    The Place: A secret underground pit (Mr. Edmund Clark’s basement)
    The Characters : Chase Truegood (me) and Buck Punch (Alex)
    The Wardrobe/Props: Ladder (ladder), washtub (washtub), hammer (hammer), flashlights (flashlights), and rope (rope)
    Chase Truegood and Buck Punch have survived many adventures, but being held hostage by Al Capone in an underground pit might be their last.
    As the team chased Capone and his crooks, the tables turned and Capone and his crooks captured Chase and Buck. The bad guys threw them into an underground pit that nobody could ever find.
    Chase pounded on the walls. “Nothing’s hollow. The pit’s surrounded by rock.”
    Buck was all nervous. “We ain’t got much battery power in these flashlights. When they go out, it’ll be—”
    â€œPure black.” Chase finished his sentence. “We’ll be blind, and nobody will ever find us.”
    â€œMaybe the police will look here when we’re reported missing. I have to get back to my team of detectives in Arizona. I have to!”
    â€œThe police won’t help. They’re working with Capone!”
    â€œMaybe your sister Jade will come out of retirement and—”
    â€œJade is a coward!” Chase shouted.
    The pit was full of junk. Attached to the wall was a dirty old washtub with a faucet, so at least they wouldn’t die from thirst. Old boxes and stuff covered the floor, and a workbench displayed the ugliest taxidermied animals in the history of taxidermy—two raccoons, two squirrels, a fox, and a bobcat—all misshapen and put in weird poses. The raccoon’s legs were turned the wrong way, and one of the squirrels held the shape of a ballet dancer standing on one foot, its other leg pointing straight to the side.
    Suddenly, the furry creatures came to life. Zombie animals, aka zanimals! The zanimals inched toward them, growling and hissing.
    â€œWhat?” Buck asked when he noticed Chase’s face.
    Chase pointed and yelled, “The stuffed animals are coming to life! Look! Zanimals!”
    Buck waved his flashlight, which revealed even more deadly zanimals. “They have poison teeth like the Arizona zanimals, which are the world’s most dangerous zanimals.”
    â€œThe Arizona zaminals were recently replaced by the Wisconsin zanimals as the world’s most dangerous. But I don’t have time to explain it to you, Buck. I can see the venom dripping from their mouths!”
    Buck pulled a ladder from the junk, steadied it on the floor, and pointed at the ceiling. “We might have an escape route.”
    The ceiling was made of wood—not stone—but it had thin orange pipes among the boards. “I’ve got the hammer,” Chase said. “We’ll break the wood and squeeze between those pipes. Hurry!”
    Chase and Buck took careful steps up the ladder so they wouldn’t fall to the floor and become food for the coming-to-life zanimals. The eyeless raccoon ran into a wall, but the bobcat was getting close.
    â€œYou stay on this step and kick ’em away,” Chase said. “I’m climbing to the top even though there’s a sticker on this ladder that says, ‘Do not stand on top step.’” Chase pulled a hammer from her back pocket.
    â€œHurry Chase. I … I…”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œI got bit on my ankle while I was kicking the zanimals.”
    â€œHold on. I’ll pound our way out of here, and we’ll race to town and get the anti-venom.”
    The ladder shuddered with both of their weight. Chase had one last step to climb before she was on the very top. “Keep the ladder steady.”
    â€œI’m tryin’, Chase,