Holley and the Phantom Chapter 4: The Bath and Second Quiz I was led into a room with an enormous pool of water surrounded by lighted scented candles. It had a golden water fountain in the middle and ten smaller fountains all around it. It also had a large tube above it that let out bubbles. On a bench were about a dozen soaps and bubble baths and a towel and a sponge stacked together with perfume.

"I hope you will enjoy Holley." And he left, once again locking the door.

I was wondering about that last remark, did he mean he had other prisoners with him. Anyhow I removed my hubcaps, grabbed some lavender bubble bath, rose soap, and the sponge, and slowly got into the pool, and as soon as I did, I felt the hot water seeping into my body, relaxing every part I had.

I poured in the bubble bath and felt the water bubble around me. One of the bubbles from the tube floated down to me and I blew it, smiling as if I didn't have a care in the world.

Then I snapped out of it. Come on Holley, I said to myself, you have to focus and get out of here as fast as you can.

Just then I felt something touch my back. I turned around to see two soft tire sponges rubbing me and wrapping around me.

I figured that it would be okay and besides, it was a good masseuse. I let it continue massaging me and even let it. The kneading was light yet incredible, and I let out a giggle sometimes because I felt like I was being tickled. Then it began to rub me all over with soap. I felt as if I couldn't move anything, but in some sort of soothing way.

After it let me go I began to swim towards the fountain. I let the warm water drop against my paintwork as I drowsily swam around it. Finally I decided that I would get out, so I took the towel and wiped myself dry. Suddenly I felt the bubble from before pick me up and carry me to my room. I was too tired to care where I went, so I didn't struggle. When I got back to my room, I gently fell on my bed and was drowsing under the blankets. Maybe Phantom isn't all that bad, no Holley, he's trying to get to you, focus on your mission, I said to myself, and soon I fell into a deep sleep.

. . .

I woke up with a start, panting heavily. I had dreamt that Phantom and I were … tickling each other, and just as we were about to kiss, I saw Mater, with tears welling up in his eyes, looking miserable. I shouted out his name but he turned away shouting 'how could you?' I tried to race after him but Phantom grabbed me and pulled me up to his own lips. Luckily I woke up just as I touched his lip. Could this be foreshadowing, am I really falling for Phantom?

Just then I heard him on the intercom saying "Wake up Holley, time for your second quiz, go on and eat your breakfast and I'll meet you in your room."

I ate it, but I still felt uncomfortable about the dream. Oh stop it; I said to myself, it was just a dream. And with that thought I waited for Phantom to come.

Just then I heard the door open and he walked in.

"Well love, did you enjoy last night's bath?"

"Yes, it was very nice." I said, trying not to squirm.

"Well then I hope you're rested, because this test is a bit harder."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're going to have to be tied up again."

"Why?"

"You'll have to wait and see, now hold still love."

And just like that, he touched my left front wheel and I fell half-conscious again.

He carried me to another room and felt myself being placed in some sort of green place. It was too dark to see much and I was still drowsy.

Just as he left and locked the door the lights came on and I finally came too. I now see that the room was covered with large thick green vines and flowers that had strange blue square pollen centers in them. I looked behind me and saw another glass case with another golden key; this one had a star inside it.

Just then I felt something touch my bumper. I looked behind me and saw one of the thick vines wrap around my entire back end. At this point I was only half surprised.

Just then two other thick vines shot out and started to wrap my front tires too. Soon hundreds of vines wrapped around me, increasing in speed and size. I tried to scream but they covered my mouth, and I couldn't stop them because they were too fast. They were tightening up around my entire body, and soon I felt it numbing out. I felt like being the prey of ten boa constrictors, and they placed me dangling above.

Even when my entire body was covered, the vines kept coming and circling around me. The only area that wasn't covered was my eyes. Then there came another squeeze, a long slow and hard squeeze. My vision grew blurry and I felt parts of me losing strength. I felt a voice in the back of my head, saying 'give up Holley, you can quit, relax, you can be mine, it's no use, they know your weak spot, you can't think if you're all tied up like this, no one will blame you so just relax, and then the plants will release you.

I was just about to accept the voice's plea when I remembered Mater again. I remember him trying to chase Siddley and saying that I had a no quit attitude. I knew then I had to live up to that quote, and I couldn't give up. Fight it Holley, I said, don't give in, do it for everyone you care about.

Then I noticed one of the flowers on one of the vines. Then I remembered what the voice had said 'weak spot'. That's it, I thought, maybe that flower with the blue pollen center is the vine's weak spot! I was able to move just far enough to touch the flower. Just as I did the vines cringed and most of them released me. Even though a few vines were still wrapped around me, I spotted another flower, touched it, and more vines let me go. Finally only one vine held me, but this one was strong, and I could see no flower.

Then I remembered another incident when Finn and I were tied up in Big Bentley, about to be crushed by clock gears. I remember shocking the electric mechanism with my Taser, reversing the polarity and letting us rotate away from danger, only to rotate even faster to the other gears. Finn said to drive and burn rubber and we were able to slide away from the gears and let it break our ropes.

I knew what to do know, and I drove and burned rubber until I finally was able to get out of the vine's grasp and fall on the floor, bruised but okay.

Just then I heard another whirring noise and saw that the cover where the key was opened. I grabbed the key and quickly hid it when the door opened.

"Well done love, you're will power and smarts saved you." Phantom said.

"Thank you, but what does this have to do with cryptic quizzes?"

"Well, cryptic is a kind of meaning of dealing with secrets, and you had to find out the secret weak spot of these vines, now I will escort you to your third and final quiz."

I wasn't sure what would happen then, but I followed Phantom, this time I was pumped up to start and get out of here. Little did I know that I would find the most shocking and horrifying surprise of all.