The touch was a like an electric shock. She felt the room shifting around her. She also felt Max slipping out of her arms.

When the world solidified around her, she realized that he had disappeared.

No, not exactly, she realized.

Taking in her new surroundings, Liz saw that it was she who had disappeared. There were lockers on both sides of her.

I'm in the hallway of school, she thought. Immediately, Liz realized that she didn't want to be here. Something was wrong with this place.

Liz started to run, trying to find her way back to the band room, where she sensed Max was waiting for her.

She tried every door she found, but they were all locked. Though the classroom doors all had glass panes, she couldn't see inside any of them.

We're running out oj time, a voice that Liz dimly recog- nized as her own rose up inside her.

Finally, she came to a single door with a light on inside. "Max," she called out as she peered inside. The single fig- ure inside the classroom was not Max, though.

It was Alex.

But Alex is dead, she thought.

Pulling on the door, she saw that it was locked. Alex obviously heard her and turned to see her. He looked at her calmly and expectantly.

Liz pulled on the door with all of her strength.

Alex will help me, she thought desperately. He will help me find Max.

But the door wouldn't budge.

We're running out of time, the inner voice yelled.

Turning, Liz looked down the hallway. At the very end she could see the door to the band room.

Her legs felt like jelly, but Liz made them work through sheer will. Soon, she was racing down the hall at full speed and somehow finding more strength to go even faster.

Max is behind that door, Liz thought, but the door receded, even as she approached.

Then there was a flash of orange light that threw Liz to the hallway floor. When she looked up, a wall of flames stood in front of her, blocking her way to Max.