Your Worst Nightmare by P.J. Night Read Free Book Online Page B

was just goofing around. But the icy fist of fear grabbed her stomach and squeezed. She could see exactly how it would unfold: There would be a sudden crack , and a crumbling of rock beneath Nick’s foot. Panic would careen across his face. His hands would flail, grasping at the rusty chain as, in one fast and terrible motion, he fell. His feet—his legs—dangling into the pit, his waist hovering on the edge. The weight of his very own body would drag him toward certain death as gravity worked against him.
    â€œNick,” Kristi said hoarsely. “Please.”
    He ignored her—or maybe he didn’t even hear her. Either way, she seemed to be the only one who noticed the cloud of dust rising as ominously as smoke beneathhis poorly balanced foot, or the clattering of pebbles as they plunged into the abyss.
    And yet Kristi couldn’t do a thing for him. As the fear rose into her heart, she could no longer speak; she couldn’t even move. Just like all those years ago in the fun house, her feet were frozen. They would not do what she needed them to do. The horror of bearing witness to something so terrible, the pointlessness of it, the nightmare thought shrieking through her skull:
    This is what it looks like when someone is going to die.

CHAPTER 6
    A blur of red hair, a stocky body knocking into her, pushing her useless self out of the way, and everyone stared, open-mouthed, as Bobby hauled Nick back from the edge. Bobby clung to the other boy, breathing hard, his hands squeezing Nick’s wrist. “You okay?” he said. “You okay? You okay? You okay?” He sounded like a parrot, or a broken toy, croaking out the only words he could seem to remember.
    When Kristi looked at Bobby, she didn’t see the ashen color of his face or the wetness on his cheeks or the sick twitch around his mouth when he swallowed. She only saw him for what he was in that moment: a hero. Bobby had saved Nick’s life; she was sure of it.Those pebbles had crumbled away beneath Nick’s foot. Kristi knew that Bobby had risked himself for another while she had stood by, frozen and silent. Some faraway part of her brain thought with relief that, at last, Bobby would be treated with kindness. With respect.
    At least, until Nick shoved Bobby away. He even kicked at him a little. “Get off ,” he spat. “You are such a freak. Are you crying ? What is wrong with you?”
    The echoes of the caverns made all the laughter seem louder than it really was.
    Bobby furiously wiped at his face, but Kristi could still see the tear streaks. Bobby was really scared, she thought suddenly. Really, really scared.
    Finally unfrozen, Kristi moved toward Bobby. She reached out a hand to help him up, but he shrugged away from her and pushed himself off the earthen floor of the cave.
    â€œBobby,” she said in a low, urgent voice. “Forget Nick. That was brave. You were brave. It was amazing.”
    â€œWhatever,” Bobby said with a loud sniff. He dragged his sleeve across his face, but he still wouldn’t look at Kristi. “Nick is right— I’m the one who’s stupid. He wasn’t in any danger of falling.”
    â€œI think he was,” Kristi argued. But Bobby had already started to walk away from her, staring at one of the tunnels like it was deeply fascinating. She was about to follow him when Olivia pulled her back.
    â€œKris, the tour is moving on,” Olivia said. “I think we should get back to the group.”
    â€œHey, there’s some writing over here,” Bobby said, sounding normal again. “It looks like . . . a sign, maybe? It’s bolted to this giant rock.”
    â€œA sign?” Kristi repeated.
    â€œYeah,” Bobby said as he stepped over the guardrail. “I’m going to see what it says.”
    â€œWhoa—wait a second. You’re not supposed to cross the guardrail,” Kristi said right