No Survivors Read Free

to say. “So now you want to be the star of this show too,” Pam accused April.
    â€œI—I don’t believe you!” April gasped.
    â€œLighten up—everyone,” Clark said. “We’re here to have fun—right? We’re here to party!”
    â€œCome on, April, this is going to be fun,” Phil said.
    â€œNo, it’s not,” April argued. “It’s going to be dangerous and—”
    â€œLet’s have a beach party!” Pam broke in. “Definitely, a beach party!” Kendra agreed.
    Phil and Clark lifted a girl named Courtney off the sand. They swung her between them, threatening to toss her in the water.
    Kristen pulled April aside. “Forget it,” she whispered. “Give up. They’re not going to believe us. They think it’s all fun and games.”
    â€œBut—what are we going to do?” April replied.
    â€œLet’s drop it for now,” Kristen said. “No matter what we say, they’ll just make jokes.”
    April stayed behind on the beach when the others finally returned to their cabins. The wind off the ocean carried a late-night chill. And the moon blinked in and out behind thin wisps of cloud.
    Hugging herself to stay warm, April turned and gazed at the rock hills down the beach. The rocks glowed blue against the darkness.
    So strange, April thought, hugging herself tighter. Even at night the rocks glow.
    She remembered how cold they were to the touch. Even with the tropical sun pounding down on them, the rocks were always icy cold.
    And somewhere at the top of those rocks…
    Somewhere in a cave cut into the wall of a rock hill…
    â€¦lived a woman in a blue cloak. A terrifying woman who sucked the breath out of kids.
    A woman whose evil magic had followed April home.
    April gazed at the rock hill until her eyes wateredover, and the rocks became a blue blur against the night sky.
    â€œI know you’re there,” she whispered. “The others may laugh. But I know the truth.”
    â€œDo you, daughter?” The words seemed to float on the wind.
    April spun around. Her heart pounded. That time the woman in the blue cloak caught her, she had called her daughter.
    â€œWhere are you?” April demanded.
    But the beach was empty. There was no one there. She started to jog back to her cabin.
    She turned from the beach, running through the grass that led to the rows of cabins. She stopped when she saw the long object in the grass.
    Was it moving?
    Breathing hard, she bent to see it better.
    At first she thought it was a stick or a rolled-up palm-tree leaf.
    â€œOh!” April cried out when she saw that it was a long, pale snake.
    Before she could step back, the snake raised its head from the grass.
    April saw its eyes dart back and forth. She saw its tongue flicker.
    And then it opened its jaw and hissed at her. “No sssssurvivors.”

4
    The morning sun was still a low red ball over the water. The ground shimmered wetly from the early morning dew.
    April took a deep breath and stepped into the mess hall.
    She felt as though she had barely slept. She tugged the long red plastic earring she always wore on her right ear. She always tugged at it when she was nervous.
    Would anyone believe her about the snake? Should she even bother to tell anyone about it?
    Most of the other kids had already started their breakfast. April spotted Kristen at a back table with Anthony and Courtney. Anthony was trying to make his cereal spoon stick to his nose.
    At the next table, Pam was talking to Clark. She kept grabbing his arm and touching his chest as she talked. She whipped her long mane of blond hair back and forth.
    April didn’t feel much like eating. She scooped some scrambled eggs onto her plate. Then she took a blueberry muffin and a cup of orange juice.
    She carried her tray to Kristen’s table and sat down next to Anthony. “What’s up?” she asked.
    Anthony turned. He had