Read Online Dead Girl Dancing by Linda Joy Singleton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Linda Joy Singleton
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Venice, not far from Los Angeles where Hollywood dreams come true. It wasn’t a cosmic error. I was the perfect person to help Sharayah become a star.
I tingled with the thrill of this “ah ha!” moment, confident I’d complete my assignment quickly. If it meant staying with Sharayah’s friends at a luxurious beach condo, well, I was willing to make that sacrifice.
“At last! A gas station.” Sadie pointed as she merged onto a right-hand ramp. “And my phone has a signal.”
“Great!” I said.
“You can use the restroom first,” she told me. “I got some texts to send to my family, but should be done when you get back.”
The car came to a stop by the food mart attached to the gas station. I grabbed Sharayah’s purse in case I needed money and scrambled out.
“Wait up, Rayah!” Warren called but I ignored him, picking up my pace.
As I pushed open the glass door, I sniffed the buttery scent of popcorn along with sugary pastries and other yummy snacks. I had plenty of cash—why not spend some of it on food? I drooled a little at a shelf of assorted candy bars, debating on whether I’d rather have a Milky Way, Peanut M&M’s or a Kit Kat bar.
I followed a hand-written sign to a restroom far in the back.
The bathroom had a sour odor and only two narrow stalls. One of them was missing a door, so I chose the other.
I was humming to myself, still in awe over the amazing voice coming from my mouth. Lost in starry dreams and all the possibilities, I was only faintly aware of the sound of the door opening. Then the lights went out.
“Hey, who turned off the lights?” I cried.
No one answered, but I heard faint footsteps padding toward the stalls. In the dim light coming from the high windows, two white sneakers seem to glow like eerie ghosts. Instead of heading for the stall adjacent to mine, they stopped outside my locked door.
“Sharayah,” said a low voice hissed with hatred. “It’s all over.”
Through the slit in the door I saw a glint of fiery curls.
The red-haired girl had found me.
And then she kicked the door.
A zillion thoughts raced through my head—all urging me to flee. But sitting on a toilet with my jeans bunched around my ankles wasn’t exactly a position for a quick getaway. The door was already hanging a little askew from her kick. I didn’t think it would survive another.
“Who’s there?” I called out, standing and pulling up my jeans.
“You know,” she growled.
“No, I don’t!”
“Stop lying.”
“I’m not!” I cried. “What do you want from me?”
“Come find out,” she said ominously.
“I don’t want any trouble.”
“Too late.”
Her tone boiled with fury—and even though I tried not to freak out, I was scared. How could I get away? She blocked the only way out of the room. What if she had a gun or knife? All I had was my purse and its assorted, non-lethal items.
Think, think! I urged myself. In the hundreds of self-help books I’d read, what advice would help protect me from a psycho enemy? My brain blanked. She wouldn’t really try to kill me … would she? I could only see her shoes and a slash of red hair through the gaps around the door. What if she attacked me? Would anyone hear my screams?
“Why did you follow me here?” I tried to sound calm, but my hands shook as I zipped my jeans. “What did I ever do to you?”
“How can you even ask that?” Her voice rose hysterically. “You ruined everything … but it ends now. Open the door.”
Uh huh. No way. Not on my life—literally.
But I couldn’t stay in a locked bathroom forever, so what was I going to do?
I was considering crawling underneath into the next stall when I heard sweet sounds—footsteps and the jiggle of the door knob.
Someone was coming into the room!
“Why is it so dark?” I heard Sadie say before she cried, “Hey, what the—!”
There was a slap of sneakers and a gasp.
“Watch where you’re going! What’s your problem?” Sadie swore as the
I tingled with the thrill of this “ah ha!” moment, confident I’d complete my assignment quickly. If it meant staying with Sharayah’s friends at a luxurious beach condo, well, I was willing to make that sacrifice.
“At last! A gas station.” Sadie pointed as she merged onto a right-hand ramp. “And my phone has a signal.”
“Great!” I said.
“You can use the restroom first,” she told me. “I got some texts to send to my family, but should be done when you get back.”
The car came to a stop by the food mart attached to the gas station. I grabbed Sharayah’s purse in case I needed money and scrambled out.
“Wait up, Rayah!” Warren called but I ignored him, picking up my pace.
As I pushed open the glass door, I sniffed the buttery scent of popcorn along with sugary pastries and other yummy snacks. I had plenty of cash—why not spend some of it on food? I drooled a little at a shelf of assorted candy bars, debating on whether I’d rather have a Milky Way, Peanut M&M’s or a Kit Kat bar.
I followed a hand-written sign to a restroom far in the back.
The bathroom had a sour odor and only two narrow stalls. One of them was missing a door, so I chose the other.
I was humming to myself, still in awe over the amazing voice coming from my mouth. Lost in starry dreams and all the possibilities, I was only faintly aware of the sound of the door opening. Then the lights went out.
“Hey, who turned off the lights?” I cried.
No one answered, but I heard faint footsteps padding toward the stalls. In the dim light coming from the high windows, two white sneakers seem to glow like eerie ghosts. Instead of heading for the stall adjacent to mine, they stopped outside my locked door.
“Sharayah,” said a low voice hissed with hatred. “It’s all over.”
Through the slit in the door I saw a glint of fiery curls.
The red-haired girl had found me.
And then she kicked the door.
A zillion thoughts raced through my head—all urging me to flee. But sitting on a toilet with my jeans bunched around my ankles wasn’t exactly a position for a quick getaway. The door was already hanging a little askew from her kick. I didn’t think it would survive another.
“Who’s there?” I called out, standing and pulling up my jeans.
“You know,” she growled.
“No, I don’t!”
“Stop lying.”
“I’m not!” I cried. “What do you want from me?”
“Come find out,” she said ominously.
“I don’t want any trouble.”
“Too late.”
Her tone boiled with fury—and even though I tried not to freak out, I was scared. How could I get away? She blocked the only way out of the room. What if she had a gun or knife? All I had was my purse and its assorted, non-lethal items.
Think, think! I urged myself. In the hundreds of self-help books I’d read, what advice would help protect me from a psycho enemy? My brain blanked. She wouldn’t really try to kill me … would she? I could only see her shoes and a slash of red hair through the gaps around the door. What if she attacked me? Would anyone hear my screams?
“Why did you follow me here?” I tried to sound calm, but my hands shook as I zipped my jeans. “What did I ever do to you?”
“How can you even ask that?” Her voice rose hysterically. “You ruined everything … but it ends now. Open the door.”
Uh huh. No way. Not on my life—literally.
But I couldn’t stay in a locked bathroom forever, so what was I going to do?
I was considering crawling underneath into the next stall when I heard sweet sounds—footsteps and the jiggle of the door knob.
Someone was coming into the room!
“Why is it so dark?” I heard Sadie say before she cried, “Hey, what the—!”
There was a slap of sneakers and a gasp.
“Watch where you’re going! What’s your problem?” Sadie swore as the
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