Chapter 16 - The Secret Waterway

The next morning, Jeremy waited in the hallway for Ulrich and Odd to emerge from their room so they could find meet Yumi and head down to the factory as quick as possible.

Finally, at about nine o' clock, Ulrich and Odd stepped out of their rooms; Odd looking unusually happy, and Ulrich looking more sulky than usual.

“Have a bad night guys?” Jeremy asked sarcastically.

“Not at all!” Odd exclaimed. “I haven't had that good of sleep in a long time!”

Jeremy turned to Ulrich. “What about you, Ulrich? You seem a little tired.”

“I couldn't sleep” he groaned. “Knowing that we couldn't find anything to help Eileda . .”

“Oh yeah! How did that go yesterday?” Odd asked.

“If you had actually came with us, Odd, maybe we might've . .” Jeremy started to say before Ulrich waved his hand, signifying that it was no use.

“Even if he had come along, Jeremy, it wouldn't have made a bit of difference. That place was completely empty.”

“Yeah, I guess you're right, but still Odd. You chose to spend the day with some girl instead of helping Eileda?” Jeremy said accusingly.

“Speaking of which, I have to go meet Max downstairs right now!” Odd said as he started for the stairwell.

But Jeremy grabbed him by the arm before he could take another step.

“Hey! Let go!”

“No, Odd. You're going to the factory with us today. Since you chose not to help us yesterday, you can be the one to tell Eileda that we didn't find anything to help her.”

“Aw c'mon Jeremy!” Odd protested.

“No buts, Odd. Let's go” Ulrich said.

Without another word, the three headed downstairs where Yumi would be waiting for them.



“Alright, let's see” the nurse said as she removed the metal thermometer from Max's mouth.



“Oh dear, one hundred and four” the nurse proclaimed.

Max sniffled and coughed as she lay in her bed.

“Alright Max. Stay in bed and try to rest. Here, drink plenty of fluids” the nurse advised, and placed two bottles of orange juice on the bed stand next to the window along with an orange capsule of pills.

“Take two after I leave, two during lunch, and one before bed. That will bring down the fever and take care of those sinuses.”

Max looked up at the nurse, weary.

“Thank you” she whispered through her soar throat.

The nurse wished her a get-well-soon, and left the room, leaving Max alone in the comfort of her dorm room.

As she lay exhausted in her bed, Max thought over how she would sneak out and return to the clearing, as she had done just last night.

The funny thing was that, this time, she didn't have to pretend she was sick. Being out running in the freezing cold all night had taken a toll on her. Her throat cracked every time she spoke, her head ached with an unbearable throbbing pain, and she could hardly breathe through her stuffed-up nose.

But she had to find a way to get out of here and sneak into the woods. She had to find out what it was about that waterway that Odd had been so secretive about.



“Eileda? It's Jeremy.”

“Oh Jeremy! I'm so glad you're here. Things have gotten worse! I can't control it. I don't know what's going on!” Eileda quivered with anxiety as she spoke.

“Don't worry. Odd, Ulrich and Yumi are on their way” Jeremy replied.



Eileda waited in the lonely mountain region for her three friends to arrive.

The second they materialized in front of her, she ran towards them.

Odd, Ulrich, and Yumi looked up, and stared in horror at what they saw.

The mountains had been twisted up like twizlers and now stretched evry which way across the region. Not only that, but the once flat level plateau was now like a winding road that twisted and turned like no tomorrow.

How long before the entire region would be distorted to the point of automatic destruction?

“I've waited so long to here some good news. Tell me, what did you find at Josh J. Shonnep's house?” Eileda's eyes were filled with desperation and hope.

“Well, Eileda” Odd began. “we couldn't find anything. The house was totally empty, like no one was ever there.”

Eileda suddenly looked like she was about to cry, and so she turned away.

“Hey! Don't worry Eileda! We'll find a way to fix all this” Odd said cheerfully.

“After all” Yumi said “we've never let you down before.”

“And we're not about to start now” Ulrich added.

Eileda turned around and nodded, trying her best not to frown.

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