“Wait!” Rhea and I both shout at the same time.
“What are you doing?” she demands.
He looks baffled over her lack of understanding. “Trying to get the key, obviously.”
“Yeah, but we haven’t done anything yet,” I tell him. “Dr. Minthe said if we open the chest too early, something bad will happen.”
“You don’t really believe all that, do you?” Sullivan shakes his head like we’re being ridiculous.
“I believe it,” I tell him, moving forward in case he tries to open the chest again.
“So do I,” Fifi agrees.
“I think we all do,” Paris tells him quietly. “I guess the question is, why don’t you?”
“I think he’s messing with us,” Sullivan suggests.
Rhea rolls her eyes. “Spoken like a true Zeus.”
Sullivan shrugs. “I’m just saying. What if they’re telling us that story and then figuring we’ll wait forever to try to open it?” He stands back up to face us. “But what if the real test is we just need to trust each other enough to open the chest and get the key?”
“Don’t you think that seems a little too easy?” Fifi asks doubtfully.
It’s getting harder to see her—getting harder to see everyone—because the fog is getting thicker every second that we stand here. I’m pretty sure that soon we won’t be able to see our own feet through the smoky gray mess, let alone each other.
“Actually, it makes sense to me,” Arjun says suddenly. “I say let him open the box. What’s the worst thing that can happen?”
“Says the guy who wasn’t just attacked by a giant eagle,” Paris mutters.
“Maybe he’s right,” Rhea says as she moves closer to the box. I can’t see her anymore, but I can tell her voice is coming from in front of me now. “Worst-case scenario, something bad comes out and we deal with it like we did the eagle. Best-case scenario, we get out of this ridiculous fog.”
“Are you saying you want to open it now?” Fifi sounds incredulous. “You were just arguing against it!”
“Yeah, well, Sullivan and that other kid persuaded me to think differently.”
“That other kid has a name,” I tell her. “Arjun.”
“Okay, so Arjun persuaded me otherwise.” Her voice drips with disdain. “I say you go ahead and open it, Sullivan.”
“Shouldn’t we at least have a vote?” I demand.
“It’s three–three. A vote isn’t going to do anything.”
“So we’re just supposed to do things your way without even discussing it?” Fifi asks incredulously.
“Glad you’re finally catching on,” Rhea tells her.
“That’s—” Paris starts, but he breaks off at the creaky sound of a chest opening.
As soon as I hear it, a bad feeling sweeps over me. My whole body grows cold and bile starts creeping up the back of my throat. “This is a bad idea,” I tell them as a feeling of urgency overtakes me. “You should close the chest—”
“Too late,” Sullivan tells me, his voice filled with satisfaction. “Come closer and you can see the key’s right here.”
“Grab it!” Rhea tells him. “Or better yet, I will.”
Seconds later, the fog starts to thin out and I can see Rhea standing there, her fist wrapped around the shank of a large, old-fashioned-looking key.
The moment I see her like that, the uneasy feeling in my stomach gets worse. I tell myself to ignore it, tell myself that everything is going to be fine. It’s hard to believe that, though, when the whispers are back, louder than ever.
