Read The Nightmarys for Free Online Page B

opened
    the book’s cover and began to read.

    10.
    By the time lunch ended back at school,
    Timothy had managed to get through the rst
    couple of chapters. The story began with the
    description of an ordinary girl named Zelda
    Kite whose best friend, a fel ow school
    newspaper reporter named Dolores Kaminski,
    had disappeared while on assignment at the
    local antiques shop. The mystery was simple,
    and the writing was ne, if not exactly literary
    like the stories Mrs. Medina made them read
    for English class. Timothy wondered what the
    man in the museum had been doing with an
    odd lit le book like this.
    In fact, Timothy was so distracted by it, he
    didn’t consider that Stuart Chen had neglected
    to sit with him at their usual table in the
    cafeteria. He also didn’t notice the girl who
    regarded him curiously from the lunch line, her
    red hair nal y lightening as it dried into

    red hair nal y lightening as it dried into
    stringy ringlets upon her hunched shoulders.
    At the end of the day, Timothy was standing at
    his locker, lea ng through the nal few pages
    of the fth chapter of The Incomplete Corpse
    when he came across a name writ en in the
    margins, scribbled in pencil just below the
    page number 102.
    Carlton Quigley
    At rst, Timothy didn’t even notice the
    writing. It had been writ en so lightly that it
    seemed almost ghostly compared to the text in
    the rest of the book. He held the pages like a
    ipbook, zipping through to the end in case
    there happened to be any more writing.
    To his surprise, Timothy found two names
    further along. Bucky Jenkins stared at him from
    page 149 and Leroy “Two Fingers” Fromm
    from page 203, the second to last in the book.

    from page 203, the second to last in the book.
    Carlton Quigley. Bucky Jenkins. Leroy “Two
    Fingers” Fromm.
    Timothy ipped, again and again, looking at
    the writing. Who were these people? he
    wondered. Why had someone writ en their
    names there?
    Timothy grabbed his backpack. The faint
    scent of chlorine l ed his nose as he unzipped
    it. That morning, somehow, he’d remembered
    to shove his swimsuit, goggles, and towel inside
    before leaving the house. Now he placed the
    strange new book on top of his swim gear and
    zipped up the bag.
    Outside, to Timothy’s surprise, he noticed
    Mrs. Chen’s burgundy minivan waiting at the
    curb. Stuart sat in the front seat and actual y
    waved at him. Timothy trudged down the stairs
    to the sidewalk. Stuart rol ed down his
    window, and Mrs. Chen leaned past her son,
    obviously oblivious to the events of the day.
    “Hi, Timothy!” she said. “Hurry up. Get in.
    Don’t want to be late!” Timothy hesitated.

    Don’t want to be late!” Timothy hesitated.
    “What are you waiting for?” she added.
    “Yeah, what are you waiting for?” Stuart
    echoed her.

    11.
    Timothy meant to mention the water-bal oon
    at ack while stil in the car, in front of Stuart’s
    mother, but by the time they’d driven up the
    hil to the col ege’s entrance, he realized that if
    he talked about what had happened at the
    museum, he might be forced to talk about why
    Stuart had done what he’d done in the rst
    place. And if he mentioned the reason, he
    might be forced to mention some other things
    —things his parents had forbidden him
    mentioning, to Mrs. Chen especial y. By the
    time the great gothic gymnasium appeared
    ahead, Timothy realized how much he wanted
    to talk about Ben with someone, anyone, who
    would listen.
    But now, he wouldn’t give Stuart the
    satisfaction, even if he apologized a mil ion
    times.
    Mrs. Chen pul ed up to the curb in front of

    Mrs. Chen pul ed up to the curb in front of
    the main entrance. Before Timothy was able to
    ful y jump out of the vehicle, she cal ed to him,
    “Please tel your mother I said hel o.”
    “I wil ,” Timothy answered, hiking his bag
    onto his shoulder.
    “Timothy?” Mrs. Chen cal ed. Stuart had
    already reached the top of the steps.
    “Yeah?”
    “She hasn’t