Free Nightmare by Joan Lowery Nixon Page A

any blame
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    The peaceful water, the rocks, the silence of this solitary spot … they’ve tempted her. I was sure she would return. I’m equally positive she’ll return again
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CHAPTER 11
    “Promise me!” Haley repeated as they arrived back at the town square with less than ten minutes to spare before pickup time. “You must keep the potion with you at all times!”
    “Why do you keep insisting?” Emily asked.
    “Because I feel responsible for you. If a car were speeding toward you, I’d push you out of the way, wouldn’t I? If I saw you going under out in the lake, I’d rescue you. Well, this is the same thing. I’ve discovered you are in danger, and even proved it to you through Mr. Salgado. So now I have to make sure you’re protected from the danger, whether I want to or not.”
    Emily gave Haley a sharp look. “Okay, I’ll make a bargain with you.”
    “What kind of a bargain?”
    Emily held up her right hand. “I’ll keep the potion with me at all times if you agree not to make me draw one of the runes each morning.”
    Haley grimaced but answered, “Well, okay, I guess.We don’t know how much longer this period of danger will last, and I know I’d get absolutely sick to my stomach if you picked Loki again. I might die on the spot.”
    “You wouldn’t die,” Emily retorted.
    “That’s right. I wouldn’t. I’d just feel like it,” Haley said. “It’s bad enough having to feel responsible for you. Everyone in my family is always after me: ‘Be responsible about cleaning your room.’ ‘Be responsible about doing your homework.’ ‘Be responsible, be responsible.’ I hate being responsible.”
    “Then let’s forget all about Mr. Salgado and what he told us.”
    “No. We can’t. And you’ll thank me later, especially after we begin meditating.”
    “Now what are you talking about?”
    “Meditating. Mr. Salgado said the answer is hidden within you, so we have to reach inside your mind and find out what is causing the problem.”
    “It’s not going to work.”
    “We at least have to try.”
    “If we try it once, will you stop bugging—?” Emily began. She broke off as Haley’s eyes suddenly widened and her mouth dropped open. “What’s the matter with you?”
    Since Haley seemed unable to answer, Emily twisted around to see what she was staring at. She felt her own mouth open with surprise.
    Leaving a beauty parlor across the street was a girl with white-blond, curly hair fanning out around her face.
    Emily gasped. “Who is that?”
    “Someone trying to be you.” Haley groaned and said, “It’s pink-and-gold Taylor. Only she’s not pink and gold anymore.”
    Silently Emily and Haley watched Taylor approach. As Taylor came near she grinned happily. Her face was clean of all makeup.
    “Surprise!” she said. “Don’t you love it?”
    Still in shock, Emily murmured, “You—uh—look like—like—”
    “You!” Taylor said. She was obviously so delighted that Emily was reminded of a little kid at a birthday party.
    “Why?” Haley asked.
    “I like the way Emily’s hair looks.”
    “But what about your one-of-a-kind look?” Haley asked.
    “This will be one-of-a-kind when I get home,” Taylor said. “Nobody in my hometown has ever seen Emily.” She happily fingered a curly twist of hair. “It’s cool,” she said. “I picked out a shade as close to your hair color as I could get, and they showed me how to make it look like this with a curling iron. Now I can let it fall in front of my face and hide behind it, just like you do.”
    “Why try to look like Emily? Why not just be yourself?” Haley rolled her eyes again.
    Taylor threw Haley an exasperated glance. “Come off it, Haley,” she said. “I’m not trying to look like Emily. Only the hair.” She touched her face with her fingertips and giggled. “I feel naked without any makeup. The stylist creamed it off. She said it didn’t go with the light hair. I’ll try to find something else that