“whoa,　wait!”　chuck　cried,　running　to　catch　up.　“be　careful,　those　puppies　are　about　to　close.”　he　already　sounded　out　of　breath.

        “close?”　thomas　repeated.　“what　are　you　talking　about?”

        “the　doors,　you　shank.”

        “doors?　i　don’t　see　any　doors.”　thomas　knew　chuck　wasn’t　just　making　stuff　up—he　knew　he　was　missing　something　obvious.　he　grew　uneasy　and　realized　he’d　slowed　his　pace,　not　so　eager　to　reach　the　walls　anymore.

        “what　do　you　call　those　big　openings?”　chuck　pointed　up　at　the　enormously　tall　gaps　in　the　walls.　they　were　only　thirty　feet　away　now.

        “i’d　call　them　big　openings,”　thomas　said,　trying　to　counter　his　disfort　with　sarcasm　and　disappointed　that　it　wasn’t　working.

        “well,　they’re　doors.　and　they　close　up　every　night.”

        thomas　stopped,　thinking　chuck　had　to　have　said　something　wrong.　he　looked　up,　looked　side　to　side,　examined　the　massive　slabs　of　stone　as　the　uneasy　feeling　blossomed　into　outright　dread.　“what　do　you　mean,　they　close?”

        “just　see　for　yourself　in　a　minute.　the　runners’ll　be　back　soon;　then　those　big　walls　are　going　to　move　until　the　gaps　are　closed.”

        “you’re　jacked　in　the　head,”　thomas　muttered.　he　couldn’t　see　how　the　mammoth　walls　could　possibly　be　mobile—felt　so　sure　of　it　he　relaxed,　thinking　chuck　was　just　playing　a　trick　on　him.

        they　reached　the　huge　split　that　led　outside　to　more　stone　pathways.　thomas　gaped,　his　mind　emptying　of　thought　as　he　saw　it　all　firsthand.

        “this　is　called　the　east　door,”　chuck　said,　as　if　proudly　revealing　a　piece　of　art　he’d　created.

        thomas　barely　heard　him,　shocked　by　how　much　bigger　it　was　up　close.　at　least　twenty　feet　across,　the　break　in　the　wall　went　all　the　way　to　the　top,　far　above.　the　edges　that　bordered　the　vast　opening　were　**ooth,　except　for　one　odd,　repeating　pattern　on　both　sides.　on　the　left　side　of　the　east　door,　deep　holes　several　inches　in　diameter　and　spaced　a　foot　apart　were　bored　into　the　rock,　beginning　near　the　ground　and　continuing　all　the　way　up.

        on　the　right　side　of　the　door,　foot-long　rods　jutted　out　from　the　wall　edge,　also　several　inches　in　diameter,　in　the　same　pattern　as　the　holes　facing　them　on　the　other　side.　the　purpose　was　obvious.

        “are　you　kidding?”　thomas　asked,　the　dread　slamming　back　into　his　gut.　“you　weren’t　playing　with　me?　the　walls　really　move?”

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