Read Online Nightmare by Joan Lowery Nixon - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Joan Lowery Nixon
Ads: Link
advice is worth. And he sells his special charms and candles. You understand he has to charge for those just to break even.”
Emily sighed and squeezed over even farther as at least a dozen Camp Excel campers climbed into the van. Taylor, getting into the front seat, smiled at Emily and waved.
Emily smiled back. “Why don’t we just visit antique shops or the local pizza place?” she asked Haley.
Haley fixed Emily with a firm gaze. “And take chances with your future? Absolutely not. I feel responsible for you because I introduced you to the runes in the first place. We’re going to keep the appointment I made with the
curandero
.”
Lampley’s picturesque brick courthouse and steeple towered over a square pocket park, complete with gazebo and historical marker. Facing the streets that surrounded it on three sides were wood-front shops that looked as if they came out of a small Western movie set. There was even a narrow, windowless building with a sign over the doorway: LAMPLEY HISTORICAL MUSEUM .
“We’ll meet back here in two hours. Don’t be late!” their driver cautioned.
The passengers scattered in every direction. “See you,” Taylor called to Emily as she jaywalked across the nearly empty street.
Haley hustled Emily halfway down the block beforeshe stopped, pulled a scrap of paper from the pocket of her shorts, and studied it. “We have to find South A Street,” she said.
Emily looked back. “Why don’t we ask our driver?”
“No.” Haley frowned at Emily. “We’re not going to tell anyone about the
curandero
, and we’re absolutely not going to tell them what advice he gives.”
“No one will know? Good. Then they won’t think we’re crazy,” Emily said.
“That’s not why we can’t tell.” Haley rolled her eyes and threw a look of impatience at Emily. “We can’t tell because we don’t know where the evil directed at you is coming from. We have to keep secret the help the
curandero
will give you. Understand?”
Emily nodded, not wanting another lecture.
“Promise you won’t tell?” Haley persisted.
“Promise,” Emily said, wishing she hadn’t given in to Haley so easily. The runes were silly, but the
curandero
was a person, and Emily was both embarrassed at what he might think and afraid of what he might tell her.
It took Haley only a minute to get directions from a salesperson in the nearest shop. “It’s just one street over and down a few blocks,” Haley repeated to Emily.
The picturesque part of Lampley vanished at the end of South A Street, where the pavement deteriorated into a rutted dirt road. Dust flew up with each step, and two small, yapping terriers, roaming free, sniffed at the girls’ heels until they seemed satisfied that they meant no harm. White painted clapboard houses decorated with big porches and boxes overflowing with red geraniums became small homes with cluttered open carports and an occasional rusting car without wheels resting on cement blocks.
Emily was nervous about going too much farther outof town, but Haley finally stopped in front of a house with a chain-link fence. On it was a sign: YERBERIA .
“That means herb shop,” Haley explained happily. “This is the place.” She opened the gate and walked to the broken front step, reaching up to ring the doorbell. Emily followed.
The door was opened by a man wearing a spotless white shirt and trousers, a gold cross on a chain hanging halfway down his chest. “Good afternoon,” he said. “I am Alberto Salgado.”
“The
curandero
?” Haley asked.
“
Sí
. I am a
curandero
,” he said. “Are you Miss Haley Griffin?”
“
Sí
—uh—yes,” Haley said. “And this is Emily Wood, the one I told you about.”
“Please come into my shop,” Mr. Salgado said. He stepped aside, holding the door wide.
The dimly lit room smelled like fried onions and incense. Over the hum of a window air conditioner, a baby’s sleepy cries could be heard, and there were the clattering sounds
Emily sighed and squeezed over even farther as at least a dozen Camp Excel campers climbed into the van. Taylor, getting into the front seat, smiled at Emily and waved.
Emily smiled back. “Why don’t we just visit antique shops or the local pizza place?” she asked Haley.
Haley fixed Emily with a firm gaze. “And take chances with your future? Absolutely not. I feel responsible for you because I introduced you to the runes in the first place. We’re going to keep the appointment I made with the
curandero
.”
Lampley’s picturesque brick courthouse and steeple towered over a square pocket park, complete with gazebo and historical marker. Facing the streets that surrounded it on three sides were wood-front shops that looked as if they came out of a small Western movie set. There was even a narrow, windowless building with a sign over the doorway: LAMPLEY HISTORICAL MUSEUM .
“We’ll meet back here in two hours. Don’t be late!” their driver cautioned.
The passengers scattered in every direction. “See you,” Taylor called to Emily as she jaywalked across the nearly empty street.
Haley hustled Emily halfway down the block beforeshe stopped, pulled a scrap of paper from the pocket of her shorts, and studied it. “We have to find South A Street,” she said.
Emily looked back. “Why don’t we ask our driver?”
“No.” Haley frowned at Emily. “We’re not going to tell anyone about the
curandero
, and we’re absolutely not going to tell them what advice he gives.”
“No one will know? Good. Then they won’t think we’re crazy,” Emily said.
“That’s not why we can’t tell.” Haley rolled her eyes and threw a look of impatience at Emily. “We can’t tell because we don’t know where the evil directed at you is coming from. We have to keep secret the help the
curandero
will give you. Understand?”
Emily nodded, not wanting another lecture.
“Promise you won’t tell?” Haley persisted.
“Promise,” Emily said, wishing she hadn’t given in to Haley so easily. The runes were silly, but the
curandero
was a person, and Emily was both embarrassed at what he might think and afraid of what he might tell her.
It took Haley only a minute to get directions from a salesperson in the nearest shop. “It’s just one street over and down a few blocks,” Haley repeated to Emily.
The picturesque part of Lampley vanished at the end of South A Street, where the pavement deteriorated into a rutted dirt road. Dust flew up with each step, and two small, yapping terriers, roaming free, sniffed at the girls’ heels until they seemed satisfied that they meant no harm. White painted clapboard houses decorated with big porches and boxes overflowing with red geraniums became small homes with cluttered open carports and an occasional rusting car without wheels resting on cement blocks.
Emily was nervous about going too much farther outof town, but Haley finally stopped in front of a house with a chain-link fence. On it was a sign: YERBERIA .
“That means herb shop,” Haley explained happily. “This is the place.” She opened the gate and walked to the broken front step, reaching up to ring the doorbell. Emily followed.
The door was opened by a man wearing a spotless white shirt and trousers, a gold cross on a chain hanging halfway down his chest. “Good afternoon,” he said. “I am Alberto Salgado.”
“The
curandero
?” Haley asked.
“
Sí
. I am a
curandero
,” he said. “Are you Miss Haley Griffin?”
“
Sí
—uh—yes,” Haley said. “And this is Emily Wood, the one I told you about.”
“Please come into my shop,” Mr. Salgado said. He stepped aside, holding the door wide.
The dimly lit room smelled like fried onions and incense. Over the hum of a window air conditioner, a baby’s sleepy cries could be heard, and there were the clattering sounds