Free The Nightmarys by Dan Poblocki Page A

left my dad
    … like, left-left him, and didn’t tel me, and
    thought I wouldn’t notice that they weren’t
    living together anymore, you know? In the
    same state?”
    “But I thought you came here to help your
    grandmother.”
    Abigail raised her eyebrows and shook her
    head. “There’s always an ulterior motive with
    my mom. She real y just needed a place to go.
    Voilà—New Starkham, here we come!”
    “Wow,” said Timothy. “That’s harsh.”
    “That’s the truth. The funniest thing is that
    she thinks she has me fooled, that I’m just so
    young and gul ible.” She sni ed. “So why are

    young and gul ible.” She sni ed. “So why are
    your parents freaks?”
    “They’re not freaks, exactly. They just don’t
    real y seem to know how to talk to me.”
    Abigail didn’t say anything. Before he knew it,
    he blurted out, “My brother’s unit was at acked
    overseas. He got hurt. Bad. They’re keeping
    him in a coma, I think to protect his brain.”
    Abigail shuddered and brought her hand to
    her mouth. “He’s in the—what, the army?” she
    asked. Timothy nodded. She grabbed his hand,
    and he flinched. “I’m so sorry … I had no idea.”
    “No—it’s—” Timothy stammered. “Nobody
    did. That’s the thing … My parents didn’t want
    me to tel anyone.”
    “Why not? It’s public information anyway.
    Isn’t it?”
    “I don’t know. I think they felt ashamed. Like
    his injury is their fault. They don’t want their
    friends to blame them.”
    “That alone is ridiculous, but what on earth
    does that have to do with you?”

    does that have to do with you?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Haven’t they thought that you might want
    to, I dunno, talk about it with someone?”
    Timothy shook his head. “Guess not.”
    “I mean, ever since I moved here, al I’ve
    wanted to do is talk to my cousins back in
    Jersey about everything that’s happening. It’s
    good that they listen on the phone, you know,
    about Gramma, and Mom and Dad, but stil ,
    there are things I feel like I can’t tel anyone …
    not even them … and it’s kinda driving me
    crazy.” Abigail blinked, as if she expected him
    to ponder that last statement. “So I sort of
    know what you’ve been going through.”
    “Thanks,” said Timothy, secretly wondering
    what it was that she couldn’t tel anyone.
    Would she tel him now?
    “So where is your brother?”
    Guess not. “He’s in a military hospital
    somewhere in Germany. He’s been … critical
    for a while now. They say they’l send him
    home when he’s healthy enough to travel, even

    home when he’s healthy enough to travel, even
    if he is unconscious,” said Timothy. Abigail was
    staring at him again. Her head was slick with
    purple goo. She looked funny. He smiled. After
    a few seconds, he realized that he’d actual y
    nal y told someone about his brother. It had
    been easier than he thought it would be. “So …
    what is it that you can’t tel anyone?”
    Abigail glanced at the oor, her mouth
    pursed. She actual y looked like she was
    considering the answer, but then said, “Never
    mind. It’s not important.”

    17.
    After they cleaned up, Abigail put on a plastic
    bathing cap and led Timothy down the long
    hal way to a smal room. The dark purple
    wal s were entirely covered with black-and-
    white photographs in black wooden frames.
    “My grandmother was a photographer for a
    local newspaper. Sometimes she wrote, but
    mostly she just took pictures.” She pointed at
    one picture that looked like owers of light,
    blossoming in the night sky. “The Fourth of
    July. Cool, huh?”
    Timothy nodded.
    Against the far wal was a twin-sized brass
    trundle bed. They plopped down on the
    mat ress, giggling at the way she looked.
    Hepzibah leapt onto the bed too, circled a
    smal spot in the corner several times, then lay
    down.

    down.
    “Do you want to listen to some music?” said
    Abigail. In the corner of the room was a low
    bookcase, on top of which