Terror Town by James Roy Daley Read Free Book Online

find anything good we’ll split it.”
    Cameron said, “You promise?”
    Dan nodded. “Yes. I promise.”
    Not half as excited as Cameron, Roger finished his drink. “Want another beer, Dan?”
    “You buying?”
    “Wait!” Cameron said, with her eyes suddenly bulging. “We should do it right now, don’t you think?”
    “I don’t know,” Roger said. “What do you say, Dan?”
    Truthfully, Dan wanted to get back to his basement ASAP. His entire project was now in ‘handyman limbo’ and that made him feel both anxious and concerned. Until he knew what was down there it was hard to keep working. He could keep working, he supposed. And he would if need be, but he didn’t want to. He wanted to figure out what was going on. The very fact that the pit existed was affecting his design plans. Originally, he wanted the bar sitting where the trap door was located. Now it seemed like the area should be left open.
    Playing it cool, he said, “Going to my place now is fine with me. But we need more flashlights.”
    “Awesome!” Cameron finished her beer quickly and slammed the bottle down. “Let’s do it!”
    Dan grinned. “Are you always this hyper?”
    “Duh,” Cameron said, making a silly face. “What do you want from me? I’ve got energy. I’ve got drive. I’ve got nothing better to do, so… yeah. I’m kind of hyper about this one. Excuse me for living.”
    “Don’t you have a boyfriend or something to calm you down?”
    Roger made an exaggerated GULP in his throat. “Uh-oh,” he said. “Shouldn’t talk about the boyfriend, Dan.”

    “Why not?”
    Cameron tore into the conversation like a hungry lion. “That no-good, two-timing, cheating, asshole! Don’t get me started on him! That liar! I want to tear his balls off and feed them to his mother. He’s such a jerk! Such a stupid JERK!”
    “Yikes,” Dan said. “Sorry I asked. Let’s find a better topic, okay?”
    “Yes, please.” Roger said with a groan. He had heard it all, several times. The last thing he wanted was to have Cameron bitch about her ex again.
    “His name,” Cameron said, “is Paul LaFalce, in case you run into him. He works at Hopper’s Gas over on the 9 th Line.”
    “Jay Hopper was just here,” Roger interjected. “Sitting in the corner. He’s a nice guy; big football fan.”
    “I know who Jay Hopper is,” Daniel said.
    “Yeah, whatever,” Cameron spat, taking back her story. “Paul pumps gas for Jay. And he’s a prick. He screwed Missy and Bridget and he’s dating an ugly whore named Julie Stapleton.”
    “Okay, Dan said. “I understand. He’s an asshole and he cheated on you. Got it.”
    “More than once! Way more than once! He didn’t just cheat on me. Apparently he was doing every girl in Cloven Rock, again and again… the bastard! OH! He makes me so mad!”
    Roger said, “Cam. Please, honey, no more. Okay?”
    Cameron didn’t listen. “I kept thinking it was me, you know? He wouldn’t touch me; he wouldn’t talk on the phone. I couldn’t understand!”
    “Cam, honey. Please. Calm down.”
    Daniel put his hand on Cameron’s arm, and with the kindest voice he could muster, he said, “If you don’t shut up about your boyfriend you won’t be invited to my place. You’ll have to sit here alone, crying by yourself until your eyes dry up and fall from your head. Is that what you want?”
    Cameron was stunned. As her jaw unhinged, she said, “What?”
    “You heard me. You’re more fun when you don’t think about old ghosts. Go back to being hyper and crazy, would you? This side of you grosses me out. It makes me feel bad.”
    “It’s like that, is it?” Cameron asked, smiling.
    “Yes,” Daniel said, mocking her with his voice. “It’s like that. This conversation is…” Dan paused, trying to find clever words. He settled with, “Is not the droids I’m looking for.”
    Cameron chuckled. “Pfft. Not the droids you’re looking for?”
    “That’s right.”
    “Who are you, Ben