Nightmare by Joan Lowery Nixon

Author:Joan Lowery Nixon [Nixon, Joan Lowery]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-43358-9
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2012-10-31T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 12

It had to happen.

Ending her life was an unpleasant task, but it couldn’t be avoided. I suppose most of the staff believed that story that Emily Wood fainted because she hadn’t been eating, but I know better. She fainted because she recognized Dr. Foxworth in the portrait. She remembered. She knew. And before long she would have told.

But now there is no more need to worry. It’s over.

CHAPTER 13

Haley stared at Emily, her eyes wide with horror. “Taylor?” she whispered.

Emily didn’t answer. Dizzy and sick with guilt and fear, she raced toward a cluster of people who were staring down at the ground. Of course it was Taylor. It had to be Taylor. Why hadn’t she objected when Taylor tried to copy her? Why hadn’t she warned Taylor about Loki and the danger?

What am I thinking? Shocked by her thoughts, Emily told herself, There is no Loki. There are no magic stones. What happened to Taylor can’t be my fault!

As she reached the circle of onlookers, Emily frantically shoved two of them aside and burst into the inner ring.

“Hey! Watch where you’re going!” someone complained, but Emily ignored him.

Taylor, her clothes soaking wet, her hair hanging in sopping strings, sat on the ground. Mrs. Jimenez sat with her, her left arm supporting Taylor. With her right hand and a thick pad of bloodstained cloth, she applied pressure to a gash at the back of Taylor’s head.

“Move along, everybody. Stay out of the way,” Coach Jinks kept saying, but no one paid attention to him.

Taylor hadn’t drowned! She was alive! Everything began to come back into focus for Emily, who stood still, sucking in deep breaths, willing herself to calm down. She became aware that Dr. Isaacson stood nearby with Dr. Weil and Mrs. Comstock, matching frowns of concern on their faces as they watched Mrs. Jimenez administering aid to Taylor. Oddly, Dr. Isaacson’s right arm rested on Maxwell’s shoulders, but Emily didn’t try to figure out why. All that mattered was that Taylor would be all right.

The fire alarm stopped abruptly, the sudden silence jarring. Then from the far distance came the wail of sirens.

Emily dropped to her knees beside Taylor. “How badly is she hurt?” she asked Mrs. Jimenez.

“She may need a couple of stitches,” Mrs. Jimenez said. She glanced in the direction of the road to the camp. “But she’s not going to need the pumper and ambulance they’re sending. That’s for sure.”

“Pulling the fire alarm was the best way I knew of to get help in a hurry,” Maxwell said.

Mrs. Jimenez looked up. “You’re smart,” she said. “You did the right thing.”

Maxwell dropped to his haunches next to Emily, peering at her from under the rolled edge of his cap. Lowering his voice, he said, “I thought she was you.”

Taylor reached out and took Emily’s hand, clutching it tightly. “I wanted to go in to dinner with you,” she said, “but I couldn’t find you anywhere. Then I remembered the quiet place you went when I followed you yesterday.

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