“I THINK THAT the boy in the mirror really might be your brother,” Rufus said to Lou.

Cal nodded. “It would be a great twist.”

“Twist?” asked Nina.

Sadie rolled her eyes. “Cal thinks that everything happening here is part of some horror movie.”

Cal scowled. “At least I don’t feel the need to hug a ukulele.”

Sadie’s expression went flat, and she loosened her grip on the instrument.

Nina chuckled. “Part of a horror movie? That’s weird.”

“I can show you the mirror where we last saw him,” Rufus went on. “He’s probably still there. He might even be able to show us the way out of here. Come on. It was back this way through the—” But the kitchen door was gone. Now there was only a flat white wall, decorated by shadows cast from the light over the stove.

Nina covered her mouth.

“The house changes shape,” said Marcus with a lump in his throat. “Haven’t you noticed?”

Nina closed her eyes. “I didn’t want to believe it.” Rufus tried to pat her shoulder, but she wriggled away from him. “Don’t touch me!”

“I’m sorry!”

“You guys: Don’t fight,” Lou pleaded. “We need to stick together. Now more than ever.” She looked to Marcus. “Is there another way out of the kitchen?”

“You mean other than the windows?” He pointed to the dark glass that was far from their reach.

“Glass here doesn’t break,” Sadie said.

“So we’re just stuck?” Cal asked. “In scary movies, moments like this usually mean the characters are supposed to figure something out.”

“Like what?” asked Nina, sticking out her chin. “Who’s going to die next?”

Cal’s eyebrows flicked up in surprise. Everyone else looked at Nina like she’d just kicked a kitten. She lowered her gaze to the floor and turned around, embarrassed. Cal went on, “I was gonna say maybe we should think about other ways out. There has to be something. If the house keeps us locked in here, then the story dies.”

“Unless us dying in this room is the story,” said Nina.

“Stop talking about dying, please,” Marcus whispered. “It’s … disturbing.”

Sadie spun, as if she’d heard footsteps creeping up behind her. “What was that?” There was nothing there.

“That question is getting old,” said Cal.

“I’m sorry,” Sadie said. “But I know I heard something. It sounded like it came from … inside the refrigerator.”

Everyone looked to the refrigerator in the corner of the room, but it was silent. The fridge back home hums constantly, Lou thought, so what’s wrong with this one?

After several seconds, Sadie piped up again. “I swear it was—” The chrome handle rattled slightly.

Nina let out an earsplitting shriek. The group jumped in surprise and then scrambled collectively toward the white wall where the doorway had stood.

CHAPTER 21