These Unquiet Bones by Dean Harrison Read Free Book Online Page A

acquaintances, Amy found a spot on the L-shaped leather sofa next to a portly, pimple-faced skinhead who wore a heavy metal T-shirt and raggedy camouflage pants. Warily, she wedged herself between him and the armrest.
    There was something disturbingly familiar about the skinhead, but she couldn’t place her finger on just what.
    He flashed a crooked grin. His teeth were yellow and his breath reeked of stale chewing tobacco and liquor. “S’up?” he said, tilting his chin. His eyes were flat and lifeless.
    “Hi.” Amy offered the best smile she could and shifted uncomfortably. She averted her gaze to the big screen TV.
    It was tuned to professional wrestling. Taking a sip of her drink, she watched two beefy titans pound the mess out of each other.
    “This here’s the shit,” the skinhead shouted over the blaring music. “You watch wrestlin’?”
    Amy shook her head, growing increasingly uncomfortable. In the back of her mind, Dr. Massie’s voice spoke about projecting her fear of the Nightmare Man on others. How she had a tendency to do that. Amy wondered if she were doing it now and that’s why she felt so unsettled.
    The skinhead belched loudly. “So, what’s your name, cutie?”
    She didn’t take her eyes off the TV screen. “Amy.”
    “I’m Billy Brown. You a cheerleader? You look like one. Got a hot body. Nice tits, too. Wanna go have some fun upstairs?”
    The sound of shattering glass snatched Amy’s attention.
    “Asshole! Look what you did!”
    Across the room, Catherine was chastising a drunk who had shattered one of her mother’s prized Elvis collectibles.
    Shaking her head regretfully, Amy lifted her cup to her lips and took another sip of Coke.
    “Hey, you listenin’ to me?” Billy jabbed Amy’s side with his meaty elbow, making her spill her drink down the front of her blouse.
    “Shit!” She sprung to her feet, dripping cold soda. “Thanks a lot!”
    Billy shrugged. “You stuck up or somethin’?”
    Amy spun around in a flash of humiliation and nearly collided into Catherine.
    “Who invited these people,” Catherine asked. Her eyes widened as she noticed Amy’s soaked blouse. “What happened?”
    “The jerk over there.” Amy gestured over her shoulder
    “Sorry,” Catherine said. “Some of these freaks are Michael’s friends and I’ve never met them before. Swear I’m going to kill him for inviting them. Go to my room and pick something out of my closet. I’ll wash that for you tomorrow. Where is Layne?”
    “I don’t know.” Amy slammed her cup down on the coffee table. “I’m going to change shirts.”
    As she shoved her way back through the crowd, she heard Catherine yelling at Billy Brown, a friend of Michael’s.
    Should’ve known.
    She remembered when Catherine started dating Michael last spring. Amy was shocked. The guy gave her the creeps.
    He resembled a member of the trench coat mafia and acted like he’d show up to school with a shotgun and pull a Columbine. Amy wished she knew what Catherine saw in him other than sex.
    Catherine talked to her often about the sex. Amy really wished she didn’t. It disgusted her.
    So did Billy Brown, but for reasons she couldn’t define.
    She made her way through the kitchen to the foyer, and climbed the winding staircase to the second floor.
    The hallway was dark, empty and quiet. She entered Catherine’s room and turned on the light switch.
    Closing the door, she peeled off her wet shirt and thought about Billy Brown. Her embarrassment returned. Anger followed.
    The whole situation was humiliating, and it ignited a flame of fury in her chest. But the more she thought about Billy, the less angry she got.
    And the more disturbed she became. He seemed so familiar.
    His face, his cold blue eyes, gave her an inexplicable sense of dread. His crooked grin unnerved her.
    Why? Was it simply a matter of projecting her fears? Did she do that with all men, and not just her father?
    No, she didn’t with Layne. Besides, she felt