Free Broken Hearts by R.L. Stine

means it?”
    â€œCall him up and tell him to stop it,” Steve advised. “It’s just his dumb way of getting back at you for not going out with him.”
    â€œHe’s impossible,” Josie said. “He follows me home from school. He’s always at my locker. He calls sometimes and—”
    She stopped abruptly. Her mouth dropped open. She pointed over Steve’s shoulder toward the ice. “Steve!”
    Steve caught the alarm in her eyes. “What’s the matter?” He scooted his chair back and turned around to follow her gaze.
    â€œThere’s someone there,” Josie told him, her voice revealing her fear. “Someone is watching us. From behind the food stand.”
    Steve stared hard. “I don’t see anyone.”
    Josie jumped to her feet, knocking her chair over. It clattered noisily to the concrete floor. “There!”
    â€œI see a shadow,” Steve said, “but—”
    â€œIs it Jenkman?” Josie asked.
    â€œI don’t know.” Steve stood up too. He stepped around the table and grabbed Josie’s arm. “Do you want to go?”
    She nodded. “Yes, let’s get out of here. Please!”
    They returned their skates and hurried out the door.
    As they stepped out into a cold, clear night, Steve pulled her close and kissed her. She leaned against the skating rink doorway and kissed him back. She raised her hands behind his head. His blond hair felt surprisingly soft. She held his head tightly, pulling him to her, forcing him to continue the kiss.
    She realized she didn’t want the kiss to end. She wanted to stay there like that forever. In the clean, cold wind. In the silent darkness. Alone with Steve.
    She didn’t want to think about who was spying on her inside the skating rink. She didn’t want to think about the scary, threatening valentines.
    Most of all she didn’t want to go home.
    A short while later she found herself saying good night to Steve in her driveway. The old house, bathedin an eerie yellow glow from the porch light, hovered in front of her, cold and uninviting.
    Josie leaned across the front seat of the car for one last good night kiss. Then, sighing, she pushed open the car door and reluctantly headed up to the front porch. She waved to Steve, pulled the front door closed behind her, and stepped into the dark front hallway. She could see the twin headlights of Steve’s car roll down the wall as he backed down the drive.
    â€œAnyone awake?” Josie called in a half-whisper.
    It wasn’t that late, she knew. Around eleven o’clock.
    She tip-toed past the intercom on the wall as if not wanting to awaken it. She could see a light on in the kitchen.
    â€œWho’s here?” she asked, making her way quickly toward the kitchen. “Erica? Are you up?”
    She took a few steps into the kitchen and stopped. No one there.
    Who left the light on? she wondered.
    There were some bowls beside the sink. Someone must have had ice cream, Josie decided.
    She took a few more steps. Stopped again.
    There was something sticky on the bottom of her sneaker.
    Had she stepped in gum or something?
    She leaned down to examine her sneaker.
    And saw what she had stepped in. A dark red puddle.
    Cranberry juice? Had someone spilled cranberry juice? And not wiped it up?
    No. There was too much of it.
    Another puddle.
    And another dark puddle, even larger.
    Josie followed the trail of puddles with her eyes across the linoleum to the kitchen door, which led to the backyard.
    Why was the door open?
    Staring in horror at the figure lying in the doorway, Josie knew at once what the dark puddles were.
    She raised her hands to her face and started to scream.

Chapter 10

SOMEONE IS HAPPY
    S taring in horror at the blood-soaked figure sprawled on the floor beside the open kitchen door, Josie screamed.
    She shut her eyes, but the hideous sight remained with her.
    â€œMuggy!” she cried.