Holt Mcdougal Literature Interactive Reader Grade 7 -

“The rift is closing,” she said quickly. “But now that you know the trick—chalk, old photographs, and a question asked at 2:17 a.m.—you can pull me back. Don’t forget me.”

“Hello?” I whispered back.

I heard a knock. Thump. Thump. Thump.

She sighed dramatically. “The chalk broke the loop. For five minutes. So hurry—ask me something important.” Holt Mcdougal Literature Interactive Reader Grade 7

Do you think Leo will try to pull Eleanor back? Would you? Why or why not? That night, at 2:17 a.m., I didn’t hear a whisper.

Eleanor stepped through.

“That’s ridiculous,” I said. But secretly, I loved that idea. “The rift is closing,” she said quickly

The silver light began to flicker.

The whispering stopped. Then, three slow knocks. Thump. Thump. Thump.

She stepped backward into the wall. The plaster sealed itself. The room warmed up. And the only sound left was the quiet hum of my digital clock. I heard a knock

“Of course I’m real,” she snapped. “I’ve been stuck between the walls for thirty years because of a time-rift. It happened when the building was built. Every time I try to leave, I end up back in 1994. But you—you wrote in chalk . Chalk is made of calcium carbonate. It disrupts temporal energy.”

Eleanor’s face softened. “Because I was scared. I’ve been alone for three decades, Leo. I forgot what my own voice sounded like. I started with whispers because I wasn’t sure anyone was listening.”

Who or what wrote “TRAPPED”? List two possible explanations—one realistic and one imaginative. My heart hammered. I wasn’t scared. I was seen . Someone—something—knew I was here. For the first time since we moved to this gray city, I didn’t feel invisible.