Free Nightmare by Joan Lowery Nixon

you,” Mr. Salgado said. “As long as it is within you, you are in danger.”
    “You said she was healthy,” Haley complained.
    “The hidden thing is not something of the body. It is something of the mind.”
    “What is it?” Emily asked, frightened in spite of her resolve not to believe.
    “I do not know,” he said. “I see a death. Perhaps a second one.”
    Emily shivered as cold gripped her neck and shoulders. She heard Haley gasp. “
My
death?” Emily whispered.
    “I do not know,” Mr. Salgado answered. “All I can tell you is that the only way to counter this danger is to find what is locked inside you and rid yourself of it. No one can do this for you. You must do it yourself.”
    “But if I don’t know what it is—”
    “I think you know.”
    “I don’t! Honestly!”
    “Then you must search.”
    “How?”
    “I explained. I can’t tell you that. But I can give you a potion of special oils designed to ward off evil. Keep it on your person.” As if by magic, a small, clear plastic vial with a cork stopper appeared in Mr. Salgado’s right hand. Inside the three-inch tube Emily could see a dark sludge. As she took the vial from him, the substance swirled heavily and slowly like a thick oil.
    “How will this help me?” she whispered.
    “I cannot tell you that. I can only assure you that you’ll know when the time comes. In the meantime the potion will protect you.”
    “Is that all you can say?” Emily demanded. “I need to know what to do.”
    Haley rested a hand on Emily’s arm. “Keep the potion in your pocket,” she told her, again in charge. “We’ll meditate. Together we’ll search. We’ll find out what’s locked inside you.”
    Emily stared from Mr. Salgado to Haley to the dark tube in her hands, suddenly astonished that for a few moments she had actually believed all this hocus-pocus about danger and protective potions … because of the nightmares, because of the runes … yet none of it made sense. Sitting here in this strange room was probably one of the craziest things she had ever done in her life.
    Mr. Salgado held out a wide clay bowl. Inside it lay two crumpled twenty-dollar bills. “The potion costs ten dollars,” he said. “There is no charge for the reading. I ask only for a goodwill donation in addition.”
    Emily held the potion out to him. “I really don’t need—” she began.
    Haley snatched the vial and tucked it firmly into the pocket of Emily’s polo shirt. “You do need it!” she said.
    Emily sighed. She pulled her wallet out of her small handbag, pulled out a twenty-dollar bill, and laid it on top of the others in the bowl.
    “Thank you,” Mr. Salgado said. He laid the bowl on the altar and snuffed out the candles.
    As he stood he frowned at Emily, who looked away, puzzled. Had he expected her to pay more? Well, she wouldn’t. She was sorry she’d been intimidated into parting with twenty dollars.
    Haley bought a few things, but Emily wasn’t interested enough to pay attention to what they were. She shouldn’t have been here. She shouldn’t have allowed Haley to bring her.
    “Miss Wood,” Mr. Salgado said as he opened the front door, “you are resentful that your friend brought you here and angry that I have not told you more about what you should do to ward off the evil that is set against you. Yet at the same time you do not believe that what I have told you is true.”
    “I—I’m sorry,” Emily said. “I just think that if I really am in some kind of danger, you should tell me more about what to expect.” She shook her head, trying to get rid of the thoughts that were confusing her. “What I really mean is that I don’t believe in Loki and runes and evil and all that. I am not hiding anything—”
    She stopped abruptly.
But maybe I am
, she thought.
If I were really truthful I’d admit that I couldn’t be sure
.

CHAPTER 10
    Emily went to the dock again, paying no attention to the sign I posted to absolve the camp of