Free Ghost Town by Phoebe Rivers

in fear as her skeletal arms broke through the shiny surface. Her fingers circled Joey’s neck and she began to squeeze. Tighter, tighter. Joey’s eyes bulged as he struggled to free himself. Dozens of Joeys were reflected around the room, all writhing. Then the real Joey spotted me.
    â€œSara!” he choked. “Help me—”
    The fingers tightened. His skin lost color. His body grew limp.
    I have to help. I reached out. The hands released him—and they grabbed for me.

CHAPTER 10
    I couldn’t stop screaming.
    â€œSara! Sara, you’re okay.”
    My dad’s voice. His hand on my shoulder. “A dream, kiddo. Just a dream.”
    I blinked. The mirrors were gone. The first light of dawn broke through the gap in my shades. My nightshirt stuck to my skin, clammy with sweat. I pushed myself onto one elbow and met my dad’s worried gaze.
    â€œYou were screaming.” He ran a hand through his bed-matted hair. “But whatever it was, it’s not real, okay?”
    I nodded, still too shaken to speak.
    â€œWhat was it about?” he asked gently.
    My mouth was extremely dry. A dull ache circledmy jaw, as if I’d been clenching my teeth. “The haunted house.”
    â€œOh, Sara, you can’t let that place upset you so much.” He shook his head. “I hate that you still have nightmares. I wish I knew how to stop them.”
    I’d been having nightmares since I was about four years old. Dad thinks it’s the usual monsters and witches and stuff. He doesn’t know that the dreams started when they showed up.
    â€œThere was this horrible spirit,” I started. “In the haunted house. She came at me through a mirror. And there’s another spirit there. A man . . . with a cane—”
    â€œListen.” He rubbed my back, the way he’s done for so many years when I’ve woken frightened. “It’s not right that a boardwalk haunted house is keeping you up at night. I have a solution. We’ll go there together. This weekend. We’ll conquer it together and make your fear go away.”
    I peeled a piece of blue nail polish from my thumbnail.
    He didn’t get it. Sure, we could go there together. But he’d never see what I see or hear what I hear. He’d never understand. They were never going away.
    â€œWhat do you think, Sara?”
    I looked up at my dad. I thought he looked tired. I thought he looked worried. “I think that might be okay.”
    â€œGet some rest.” He pulled the comforter up over my shoulders and padded down the hallway to his room.
    I switched on the lamp by my bed. There was no way I could go back to sleep. I lay there, listening to the floorboards creak under the rocking chair. The sad woman was awake too. I suddenly wondered why all the spirits I saw seemed unhappy. Was that why they were still around?
    My thoughts kept circling back to the old man. I didn’t want to think about him. He scared me a lot more than the rest of them. But why? Was it because he spoke to me? I didn’t think that was it. Not totally, at least. I couldn’t figure it out. I turned the question around in my mind until I landed upon an answer.
    He was the only one who wanted something from me.
    The damp sand chilled my toes as I bent down and scooped up a white half-moon shell. I tucked it amongthe growing collection of shells and sea glass nestled in the pouch pocket of my gray oversize sweatshirt. The weak rays of early morning sun glimmered on the water.
    Dad and Lady Azura were still asleep. Most of Stellamar was still asleep. Only the fishing boats far out on the ocean and committed joggers on the sand were awake with me.
    I knew Dad would be angry to find me gone. I left a note and had my cell on, but I knew I’d still hear about it. It wasn’t like me to disobey rules. This morning, though, I just had to get out. Figure things out.
    I inhaled the humid sea air. Thick gray