Oh, hello. I'm R.L. Stine.
I write the Goosebumps books. Today's story is "A Night in Terror Tower."
It all begins right here in the torture chamber.
Eddie and Sue are about to make their first visit.
It might also be their last.
Do you know the scariest part of the tour? It's trying to get out.
I hope you enjoy your visit.
Uh, excuse me, miss? Could I get this gift wrapped?
Get up, you! No, no, no!
No! No, I'm innocent! Go on! Get up! It's off to the tower with you.
Go on!
Move along. Go on. Get in there!
Stop! Just leave me alone! Don't torture me! Go on!
When in London, see Terror Tower.
A nice place to visit, but you wouldn't want to stay too long.
Whoa. I'd like to see the tower. It's where they lock people up and torture them.
Yeah, that sounds like fun.
But I bet you anything we're gonna go to another boring museum.
All right, tourists. Back on the bus.
Hey, where's my film? I know I had another roll.
Mad pickpocket strikes again. Obnoxious little brother strikes again.
Never even felt me take it. Have to admit, you are getting pretty good.
Got the fastest hands in the West.
Let's go. Let's go! No lagging.
All right, tourists. Now, I'm afraid we're running out of museums.
- But we can go to Terror Tower. - Terror Tower! Yes!
Too bad Mom and Dad had that business conference.
Yep, we're on our own.
Step lively!
Come along. Come along.
Ladies and gentlemen, behold!
Terror Tower...
where hope dies, light is extinguished...
and the soul yearns for its release.
Now, follow me, everybody, and please, stay together.
They used to torture people up there.
They used to lock them up in the tower and let them starve to death.
That was hundreds of years ago, Eddie. Now they just sell postcards.
Still looks pretty creepy.
Go back! Go back! Go back!
Run for your life. For your own good!
What's wrong, Eddie?
- Up there! - Up there?
What? Well, I-I thought...
Oh, never mind. Come on. We better catch up.
Historians say the castle was built in the year 400...
and used as a walled fort.
Now, if you'll all follow me...
Stay together, everyone.
Please, stay together.
Later, it became a prison.
That started many years of cruelty and torture within these walls.
Lovely postcards depicting the instruments of torture are available in the gift shop.
Now, if you'll kindly follow me, we'll climb to the tower.
Everybody in?
Guards.
I'm so sorry. I'm afraid I have to give you some rather bad news.
Bad news?
You will be imprisoned in the North Tower.
There, you will be tortured...
until you tell us the real reason you chose to come here.
Tortured? Did he say tortured?
Take them away.
Just a little Terror Tower joke!
We Brits have to have some fun, you know.
He really had me goin'. Yeah, me too.
Now, if you'll just follow me, we'll enter the torture chamber.
Now, please, stick together. I'll carry this high so that you can find me.
There are hundreds of passages and secret chambers. It's rather easy to get lost.
Y-You sure you wanna go up in the torture chamber?
I thought you couldn't wait to see it. I know.
There's-There's something about this place.
Don't worry. I'll hold your hand.
Real funny.
- This way, tourists. - That's it.
Stay together.
Boy, if I was the king of England, I know what I'd do first thing.
What's that, Your Majesty? Put in elevators.
Don't dawdle, tourists. Keep moving!
That's it. Come right in.
Welcome to the torture chamber.
This is the rack.
As you can see, the prisoner was forced to lie back here.
Then his arms and legs were tied off so,
and then when the big wheel was turned,
the ropes pulled his arms and legs...
and stretched them out straight.
Sometimes, when the wheel was turned,
the prisoner was stretched and stretched...
until his bones were pulled...
right out of their sockets.
That's what I call doing a long stretch in prison.
Good one.
Now, if you'll all follow me over to the thumbscrews.
Hey, Eddie. Let me take your picture.
Great, hold it just like that.
Hurry up. I can't hold this stupid look much longer.
Just a sec.
- Forget it. - What?
I'm going to see the thumbscrews.
Sue!
It moved! It tried to get me!
It did?
- How can that be?
You mustn't touch the displays.
It's very bad form.
Why do parents let children go off on their own?
But... But I...
The North Tower is next.
- I hope you're wearing your climbing shoes. - I know it moved!
I could have sworn...
This place... It does things to your mind.
Thought I saw weird things a couple of times.
- This way! - We better catch up.
Come on. Let's get out of here. This place gives me the creeps.
Come on, Eddie.
- They're only wax. - Right.
- Only wax. - Eddie.
Can you imagine being a prisoner and being marched up these stairs?
Yeah. This place is creepy.
Sorry.
- Are you all right? — Come along, tourists.
Kids.
We are now at the top of the tower.
This... is the chamber...
where the most important political prisoners were kept.
Perhaps... you can feel...
sadness in this room.
It was here...
in the early 15th century...
that the young prince and princess of York were brought.
Imagine.
Two children... dragged away from their home,
locked away in the drab chill of this cell at the top of a tower.
What happened to them?
The prince and princess weren't here for long.
That night as they slept,
the lord high executioner's men crept up the stairs,
their orders... to kill the two children...
to keep the prince and the princess from ever taking the throne.
That's terrible.
Sue. Look at this.
"Long live freedom."
Danger! Danger!
Did you see that? What's going on?
That face.
"Danger."
Did he mean, to us?
What was that? I don't know.
This is too weird.
Where is everyone?
Hello?
Hello! Is anyone here?
Let's get out of here, Sue! What if the place is closing?
I don't wanna get locked in! Take it easy, Eddie.
Let's just go. We'll catch up to the group downstairs.
They couldn't have gone very far, right?
Of course not. In a couple of minutes we'll be laughing about this. Yeah.
- You scared us. - We lost our tour group. Can you show us the way out?
You work here, right?
Wait a minute. I thought you were a wax figure.
What are you supposed to be anyway? A guard or something?
You will come with me.
Hey, that's pretty good how he stays in character.
Hey, man, that's pretty good. So is this the way out?
- Hey, cut it out! - You know why I'm here!
Let go of him! Cut it out!
Leave us alone! Do not move.
Do not try to escape.
You will come with me... now.
What's he doing?
The door. Get ready.
- Now!
Eddie, wait! I don't remember going down this far.
- What does he want from us? - Let's not wait to find out.
This may be the way out.
Oh, it's locked! Try pushing!
You've entered the king's dungeon.
Abandon all hope.
You've entered the king's dungeon. Abandon all hope.
Wait a minute.
It's not real. None of it!
It's a recording.
It's only a display.
What do you want?
- You know. - Why are you chasing us?
You know why.
Now... you will come with me.
I won't hurt you.
But if you don't, why, I'll have no choice.
No! Let me go!
This way!
It's some kind of tunnel. Maybe it'll lead outside.
We don't have much choice. Hurry! Go!
Go, go, go!
Yuck! Come on.
This thing goes on forever!
I see light!
It's him!
Come on, Sue. Hurry!
You can't escape me!
Up the ladder!
Go!
Come on! Come on! Hurry!
Oh, come on! I can't!
- You can't escape from me!
I'm sure that's not part of the tour.
Hey, help me lift this.
Hope the bus waited for us.
Don't count on it.
What are you doin' in the sewer?
We lost our tour group. And a man chased us!
A man? In the tower?
Yeah, he was dressed in black. He grabbed us, and he tried to get us to go with him.
- But we ran away. - There's no man in the tower.
I'm the only one here after closing.
But he chased us! That's impossible.
I should call the police.
But we didn't do anything! He chased us!
How are we supposed to get back to the hotel? Our parents'll be waiting!
You remain right there. What is he doing? Is he calling the police?
Let him! We didn't do anything.
What if he's calling the guy who's chasing us?
Hey, there's a cab!
Hey!
Are we glad to see you! Where to?
The Balmoral. All right. Jump in.
That'll be 12 pounds, 60 pence.
I don't really know your money. Could you get the right amount from these?
What are those?
Coins. Isn't it enough?
Now don't play games with me.
Those aren't real coins. We take British pounds here.
Now, are you gonna pay me in British pounds?
Or are we gonna have major trouble?
But... why would our parents give us play money?
Where are your parents? In the hotel?
Yes.
Th-They're at a conference.
We'll get them to come down and pay you.
But in real money this time, if you please.
And if you're not back in five minutes, I'm comin' in after you.
They'll be down, I promise.
And you don't have to be so rude!
What was wrong with that money? I guess Dad made a mistake.
Eddie, do you have the key to the room?
No. I thought you had it.
I guess I didn't take it. I can't remember.
- Excuse me, sir? - What can I do for you?
Can you tell us where the conference is being held?
I beg your pardon, but there is no conference right now at the hotel.
But our parents said!
Well, perhaps you misunderstood them.
Perhaps the conference is at another hotel.
May we have the key to our room then?
- What room are you in? - 1415.
1415.
That room is vacant.
- What? - There is no one in that room at the present time.
But we are. That's our room.
What's your last name?
Your last name?
Eddie, what's our last name?
I don't know.
Eddie, there's something wrong with us.