Mrs. Poole looked askance at her backpack. “What do you have in there, dear?”

Emily giggled nervously. “Oh, that? It’s probably my cell phone. I think I must have it on vibrate or something.”

“Oh, OK. Well I was just off to grab a cup of coffee since Dana is sleeping, the poor baby. Can I get you anything?”

Emily shook her head and smiled, so unnerved by the ticking answer cube in her bag that she couldn’t speak. Mrs. Poole patted her on the shoulder, and said, “I’m really glad you were able to come. Dana’s going to be so happy when she wakes up and sees you here.”

Then she was gone and Emily was left alone with Dana and the Wonderball.

Emily sat in the chair Mrs. Poole had just vacated and opened her backpack, taking out the answer cube gingerly, as though it were a ticking bomb. The words were flashing so fast at the window that Emily barely had time to read them:
Leave…now…or…you…will…get…hurt…

Just as Emily was deliberating over whether to leave or not, Dana’s eyelids fluttered open.