Griffins- Chapter 7 by Hope Fu

Chapter  7

“Dad? What are you talking about. I don’t have any children, you must be crazy.” Holly had thought that too, but there he was, all six feet nine inches of him. She hadn’t recognized, because he had left five-seven years ago. He shook his head and blinked as if he was confused. Holly had seen her father do that before and knew he was fooling with her. But a message that had been sent came back to her.

The message had come from Barnuis Scunderland, and it had said:

I am sorry, but Mr. Seman has gone into the world of “darkness” as some would say. He has gone quite mad. My best regards,

Barnuis E. Scunderland

Soon, her father had become a long-ago memory that no one bothered to discuss. As she looked, she realized that he was different. He had a beard, and his once black and shiny hair was now whitening.

Scott was now fully awake, and he saw the portly man with Holly’s father.  Holly had told him what her father looked like, so he leapt out, and said,“Mr. Seman, what are you doing here?!”

“Seman? Boy, are you as deranged as this girl over here?  I am no father, no Seman, or any other thing you can think of!  I am the economist. Or, if you want to call me something else, Dr. Malone.”

Scott stared and murmured, “Dr. Malone, like in  The Amber Spyglass….”

\Scott interrupted, “So, you aren’t completely stupid  after all, are you.”

Holly suddenly felt a blow to her head.  She turned, lights popping in front of her eyes.

“Uh .. Scott?” While her father had given his appearance, everyone had forgotten the portly man.  He had crept behind Holly and swung. Besides his bulky figure, he was very ,very strong and Holly could feel a lump rising on the back  of her head.

Scott turned around.

“Scott!”  When Scott had turned around, the  fat man had suddenly run so fast, he was a blur. He got to Scott and took a ferocious swing.  Luckily, Scott immediately turned around, saw the man, and ducked.

“Holly, let’s get out of  here!” They ran across the room, and saw the way Mr. Seman had made his dramatic appearance- there were stairs.

“Let’s run up them and see what we find!”  They ran up and up and up. The stairs seemed to have no end. They started panting before they could even see the top. When they finally got to the top, they were completely out of breath. They looked behind and Mr. Seman’s accomplice was behind them, face beet red.

There was a door at the top. That was bad. There was no ladder where they could climb out.  “We’re going have to jump!”