Dead Is Just a Dream - [Dead Is - 08] by Marlene Perez Read Free Book Online

with Samantha, you could figure out exactly what happened.”
    “I’ll try,” Daisy promised.
    “And I’ll be there, just in case anything goes wrong.”
    She smiled. “What could go wrong as long as a virago has my back?”

    When we got to the hospital, Sam’s room was empty of visitors.
    “Her mom didn’t even bother to show up,” Daisy said angrily.
    I motioned to a huge floral arrangement. “It looks like she sent flowers.”
    “Samantha hates roses,” she retorted. “She thinks they’re pedestrian.”
    She noticed my startled look. “Sorry, I wasn’t snapping at you.”
    “I know,” I replied. “I’m just here and Sam’s mom isn’t.”
    Daisy stared down at her friend. “No wonder Sean was so upset,” she said. Sam’s hair was like straw, and it stuck out all over her head. She shuddered in her sleep.
    I reached over and smoothed a strand away from her face. “I’m going to find out who did this to her.”
    Daisy took Sam’s hand and murmured, “Here goes nothing.” And that’s the last thing she said for several minutes.
    I was afraid to look away.
    Samantha’s prone form began to thrash, and Daisy’s grip tightened.
    I watched; every muscle in my body tensed. Then Samantha’s body stopped moving and went still, her mouth open in a soundless scream.
    Daisy let out a high-pitched wail. I yanked on her arm, but she didn’t let go of Sam’s hand. I tried again, and Daisy finally broke free and then collapsed on the floor, gasping.
    I helped Daisy to her feet. Her blue eyes were wide and she was shaking.
    “Are you okay?” I asked. “Here, sit down and have a drink of water.”
    After she had a few minutes to recover, I asked, “Did you find anything out?”
    “Screaming,” she said. “Over and over. All I heard was the sound of Samantha screaming.”
    “Did you notice anything else?”
    “Give me a minute,” she said. She started to shake again.
    I grabbed an extra blanket at the foot of the bed and draped it over her.
    “Thanks,” she said. “Jessica, there was someone else there with us. Someone Sam was deathly afraid of.”
    “Did you get a good look?”
    She shook her head. “It was just a shadowy figure. It was big, though.”
    “Did you see anything else?”
    “No,” she said.
    “Do you feel up to trying again in a few days?”
    She nodded. “In the meantime, we should try to find out where Sam went, who she talked to right before this happened.”
    Sean came into the room as we were leaving, holding a teddy bear that said “Get Well Soon.” “Any change?”
    He didn’t seem to notice Daisy at first. I nudged him. “Daisy was trying to make contact with Sam psychically,” I explained.
    “Hi, Daisy,” he said, finally noticing his friend.
    She gave him a hug.
    “She’s still not conscious,” Sean said. “What are we going to do?”
    “We’re working on it,” Daisy said. “Jessica and I are going to find out what happened to her, I promise.”
    He sat next to Samantha and picked up her hand. “I hope so.”
    “We need to find out what she was doing before she fell into this trance, or whatever it is,” I said. “I know you two talked or texted every day. Was anything out of the ordinary going on with her?”
    “It’s the beginning of the quarter,” he said. “She has new classes.”
    “What kind of classes?” I asked.
    “The usual. She did mention an art class, though.”
    “Do you know the name of the professor?”
    There was a long pause while he thought about it. “He’s young, for a professor, and really into surrealism. At least that’s what Sam said.”
    I was still processing the fact that my brother knew what surrealism was.
    “I remember something else,” he said. “Sam was at a stable but she wasn’t riding horses. She had some field trip for botany class.”
    “I’ll go check it out,” I told him.
    “Jess, thanks,” he said. “But take someone with you. And be careful.”
    “I will,” I assured him.
    I’d