Read The Creature from Club Lagoona for Free Online Page A

starved!” I scrambled to my feet and stretched. “Catch you later.”
    Just then, Barry strolled over to us. “Hey, Guppies,” he said. “I’ve decided you ought to have an extra lesson.”
    â€œSorry, Barry,” I apologized. “I promised I’d meet my sister.”
    â€œAnd my parents are expecting me,” Neal told him.
    Barry looked disappointed for a moment. Then he turned to Mark with a big grin on his face. “Looks like it’s just you and me,” he said.
    Mark shrugged. “Sounds cool,” he replied.
    Barry’s smile widened. “A private extra lesson. Just what you need.” He clapped a hand firmly on Mark’s shoulder.
    â€œSee you,” Mark said.
    â€œLater,” Neal responded, and hurried to meet his parents.
    All that swimming made me really ready for lunch. I said good-bye to Mark and Barry, then jogged back to the room to meet Polly.
    She wasn’t there.
    I went ahead and changed and checked Mom and Dad’s room again. They still weren’t back.
    Weird. Where could they have gone?
    Maybe they were too hungry to wait. I guessed they were already having lunch.
    I hurried to the Sand Bar. I scanned the dining room. But they weren’t there.
    I’m here, I told myself. I might as well eat. Who knows? Maybe they’ll turn up.
    After my burger and shake I decided to find Neal and Mark. Maybe they’d have some ideas about where everyone had disappeared to. Besides, I was feeling kind of lonely hanging out by myself.
    I checked the Atlantis pool, but Mark wasn’t around. I guessed his extra lesson with Barry had ended. Then I cruised around the resort, searching for Neal. I found him watching kids coming down the Creature Water Slide.
    â€œHey!” I called, jogging toward him.
    He turned and waved at me. “What’s up?” he greeted me.
    â€œNot much. My family has disappeared,” I said half jokingly.
    Neal stared at me. “Mine too,” he told me. “My parents never came back after water aerobics.”
    I felt that creepy tingle again.
    Maybe I wasn’t being silly. Maybe something was actually wrong.
    â€œLet’s find Mark and see if he knows anything,” Neal suggested. “Maybe there’s some activity all the parents went to.”
    â€œGood idea,” I agreed. “He’s not at the pool. Let’s check his room.”
    Neal and I hurried to the cluster of suites near the reception lobby. We found the room, and I knocked on the door.
    No answer. I knocked harder. Still nothing.
    Neal and I gazed at each other.
    We both knew his swimming lesson was over. I had just been over the whole club looking for Neal. I never came across Mark. So where was he?
    Neal and I stood in front of his door, trying to figure out what to do.
    Some kid came up behind us. “What are you two doing?” he demanded.
    â€œWe’re looking for Mark Browning,” I replied.
    â€œWell, why don’t you try his room?” the guy said.
    â€œThis is his room,” I argued.
    â€œNo way.” He opened the door with a key. “I checked in half an hour ago. This is my room. No one named Mark is in this room.”
    I stared at the number on the door again: 104.
    â€œThat was definitely Mark’s room number,” I said to Neal.
    He nodded. “Maybe we should check with the front desk,” he suggested. “Just to be sure.”
    We raced to the reception desk. “Could you tell me Mark Browning’s room number?” I asked.
    The girl behind the desk put down her nail file and tapped something into her computer. “There’s noMark Browning registered at the Club Lagoona,” she announced.
    â€œHuh?” I glanced at Neal, then back at the receptionist. “That can’t be right. We have swimming lessons together.”
    â€œHey, I know,” Neal piped up. “Maybe he’s registered under his Club Lagoona name!