Free Nightmare by Bonnie Bryant Page A

information they wanted. It wasn’t that the computer was slow; it was that there were so many other things to do on their way to the arms buildup in Germany. They’d spent some time reading on-line bulletin boards, sending messages, playing games, and chatting with friends before they’d actually gotten started on their search.
    “No, that’s not the problem. I got too much,” Stevie said. Carole put down the newspaper. It was too full of talk about the summit meeting in Paris to have anything about desert operations. She looked over Stevie’s shoulder at the computer screen. The screen informed them that they had found more than twenty thousand matches to their key word.
    “Perhaps we should narrow the search just a little bit,” Carole suggested.
    “How utterly logical of you,” Stevie teased. “First you’ve got a wild scheme in your head, and then you’ve got a sensible suggestion. It’s hard to tell if you’re getting more like me or more like Lisa every day!”
    “Peer pressure,” Carole said. “It’s supposed to make you crazy. It’s clearly working—or else it’s just you guys who are making me crazy!”
    Stevie typed in several words this time, not just
Germany
, and set the search mechanism to work.
    When the results came up, there were only twenty-five items. That was much more manageable than twenty thousand. She printed the list, then set about searching for something else.
    “What are you looking for now?” Carole asked, peering at the screen. “Underground Railroad? Are you trying to get a head start on Lisa’s paper for American history next year?”
    Stevie laughed. “No, not really. I’m just interested in the subject. I’m reading a book about it—it’s really good,and I’ll lend it to you when I’m done. I thought I might be able to get some background information—Hmmm.” She studied the screen as her results came up. She pressed Print and then logged off. “I’ll look at that later,” she said.
    “Is this a novel you’re reading or a history book?” Carole asked.
    “It’s a novel,” said Stevie. “But it’s based on the diary of a real person. It’s a great book, but it’s especially interesting …” Stevie hesitated. Was she being silly in thinking that Hallie and Esther must have come near where they lived now? She didn’t think she was, but she thought her friends might describe the idea as “one of Stevie’s wild schemes.” She wasn’t in the mood for ridicule at the moment, so she decided to keep her peace. “… it’s based on something that definitely did happen. Anyway, you’re going to like the book a lot. It’s called
The Path to Freedom
, by Elizabeth Wallingford Johnson.” What she didn’t say was that she was convinced Carole and Lisa would both love it because Stevie was planning to prove that a lot of the book happened practically in their backyards. Or, more exactly, in Pine Hollow’s backyard.
    “Sounds familiar,” Carole said. “I must have heard about it or read something somewhere.”
    “Well, people must talk about it because it’s really good,” said Stevie.
    “Maybe,” said Carole. “But whatever, it’s definitely familiar.”
    “Stevie! Dinner!” her brother Chad called loudly from the dining room.
    Carole and Stevie had been so busy playing on the computer that they hadn’t noticed how much time had flown by.
    “Oh no!” said Carole. “I’m late!”
    “Well, it’s a good thing you’re only going a couple of houses away, then.”
    Carole answered her, but she knew that Stevie never heard her because she was running so fast out the door.
    How could she do this? She was a guest at the Atwoods’. She knew what time they ate dinner. She’d almost kept them waiting last night, and tonight it was even worse.
    She flew down the street, ran up the walkway, and burst through the door.
    “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she cried out as she entered the Atwoods’ home. “I didn’t mean to be late. I just