Free The New Year's Party by R.L. Stine Page B

there. Pale. Not moving.
    Not moving or breathing.
    Reenie shuddered. Sean pulled her close, held her.
    â€œHe’s dead,” Reenie wailed. “We killed P.J.”

PART THREE

1965

Chapter 17

BETH AND JEREMY
    T he car had flipped upside down. Beth hung from her seat belt with Jeremy suspended beside her.
    â€œJeremy,” she called in a choked whisper.
    No answer.
    She found the release on her seat belt and pressed it. She dropped to the floor. Actually the roof, she reminded herself.
    Okay, what do I do? Beth asked herself, trying to calm down. What? Free Jeremy? Get out of the car? Get help?
    She found the release on Jeremy’s seat belt. Pushed. Nothing happened. She tried again. The belt let go with a snap, and Jeremy landed with a thud.

    I’m not hurt, Beth realized. We had a horrible accident and I’m not hurt!
    Beth stared over at Jeremy. Bright light filled the car. She realized the headlights were still on. Reflecting off the snow.
    No blood! No cuts. No open wounds. Relief swept through her. He’s okay, too.
    Beth spotted the only way out of the crumpled car. The passenger-side window. The glass had been knocked out in the accident. She wriggled through the window and landed in the snow.
    Now I have to save Jeremy.
    She stretched out flat on her stomach in the snow, then reached in to grab Jeremy’s arm. She tugged as hard as she could.
    Jeremy moved a little.
    Beth pulled with all her strength until she slid Jeremy to the window. Now for the hard part. She clutched his coat and yanked.
    She pulled one arm out. Then his head. Then his shoulders. She pulled on his coat again—and the rest of his body slid out all at once.
    â€œJeremy!” she cried. “Wake up. Please.”
    He groaned and opened his eyes, blinking in the silvery light “Wh-what happened?”
    â€œWe were in an accident. You lost control of the car and we went tumbling down a steep hill. Don’t you remember?”
    Jeremy stared at her blankly. “Yeah,” he muttered. “Yeah, now I do.”
    â€œAre you all right?”
    â€œI … I’m not sure.”
    He sat up slowly. “Nothing hurts. I guess I’m okay.”
    Beth uttered a sigh of relief. “Me, too.”
    â€œWe’ve got to get back to that boy!” Jeremy urged. “Maybe it’s not too late to help him.” Jeremy struggled to his feet.
    â€œAre you sure you should stand up?”
    â€œYeah, I’m fine.” He reached down and pulled Beth to her feet.
    â€œHurry,” he urged. “We’ve got to find that boy. Right away.”
    They stumbled through the deep snow. Beth couldn’t see the road. She hoped they were heading in the right direction.
    She glanced back at the car. It was a crumpled mess. The tires in the air. The roof flattened against the ground. The windows all shattered and reduced to slits—except the one she and Jeremy had escaped through.
    How did we ever survive that? Beth wondered.
    â€œThe boy should be right about here,” Jeremy said. “This is where we hit him.”
    No sign of him. No footprints in the snow. No skidmarks on the road.
    â€œWe must be in the wrong place,” Beth said quietly.
    â€œNo,” Jeremy replied. “Look.” He pointed at the dark spots in the snow a few yards up ahead.
    Bloodstains?
    â€œHow could he have walked away?” Beth asked.
    â€œOh, man,” Jeremy muttered. “No way he couldhave walked. Could someone have picked him up—while we were unconscious?”
    â€œOnly you were unconscious,” Beth pointed out. “I wasn’t. I’d have heard it if a car stopped.”
    â€œBut … where could he have gone?”
    â€œWe can follow his tracks,” Beth suggested.
    They searched for his footprints in the snow.
    There were none.
    None at all.
    â€œWhat’s going on here?” Beth asked in a shaky voice. “How can this be?”

Chapter