Read Online The Ninth Nightmare by Graham Masterton - Free Book Online Page A

as natural as talking. When they were sixteen Lois had heard them singing in their high school musical Grease and had persuaded their father to let her take them on. Within two months they had appeared on America’s Got Talent and won rapturous applause from the audience, and the day after their sixteenth birthday they had been signed by Sony. Their first album Kaiser Twins had reached number nine on the Billboard Top 100.
    â€˜I don’t know why you think this movie is so scary,’ said Kiera, frowning at the TV. ‘Ghosts never hurt people, do they? Not real ghosts.’
    â€˜That old bum was scary,’ Kieran reminded her. ‘That one we saw on Santa Monica Boulevard.’
    â€˜Well, kind of. But he didn’t actually do anybody any real harm, did he? Just stepping right out in front of cars like that.’
    â€˜He could have caused a serious accident.’
    â€˜Only in somebody’s pants.’
    Kieran gave his sister a wry smile and shook his head. ‘What time do they want us for the run-through tomorrow?’
    â€˜Early. Seven at the latest. Lois wants us to make some changes. She wants us to finish up with Magic Mirror instead of I Love The World And The World Loves Me. She thinks it’s much more upbeat and the audience always sing along so we can make it into a really grand finale. She’s even hired a twelve-piece horn section.’
    â€˜Jesus. I don’t know why she doesn’t go the whole hog and bring in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.’
    â€˜Oh, come on, Kieran, it’s going to be amazing. There’s going to be hundreds more mirrors, too, so the whole stage is going to be sparkling.’
    Kieran smacked the chili powder from his hands. ‘You love all of this, don’t you?’
    â€˜What, and you don’t?’
    â€˜Sure I do. I just don’t want to spend the rest of my life singing I Love The World And The World Loves Me, over and over and over, until I’m about a hundred-and-eleven years old. At some time in my life I want to do something important – something that really makes a difference.’
    â€˜Our singing makes a difference. We make millions of people happy, don’t we?’
    â€˜Pizza makes millions of people happy, but that doesn’t mean it’s important. If you woke up tomorrow and nobody had ever heard of pizza, what difference would it make? Same with us.’
    â€˜So what do you want to do? Run for the White House?’
    â€˜I don’t know. I can’t describe it exactly, but I feel like I have this destiny waiting for me.’
    â€˜Oka–a–ay,’ said Kiera, uncertainly. ‘Maybe you’ll go to med school after all, and be like some really famous surgeon. I know plenty of people who could do with a head transplant – Mickey Veralnik, for one.’
    â€˜You should forget about Mickey Veralnik. I keep telling you, he’s not worth it.’
    â€˜And you should stop watching this stupid movie and get some sleep. It’s half after one already.’
    She reached over to grab the remote but Kieran snatched it away from her. ‘Just because you’re a half hour older than me, that doesn’t mean you can tell me what to do. I want to watch the end of this, OK?’
    â€˜Have it your way. But if you have one of your nightmares again and you feel like crap tomorrow morning, don’t blame me.’
    â€˜Do I ever blame you for anything?’
    â€˜Yes. Always.’
    Kieran flicked a peanut at her and it bounced off her nose. In retaliation, Kiera picked up one of the pillows and whacked him over the head, so that he spilled his peanuts all over the bedcover. ‘ Shit !’ said Kieran, and hit her with his own pillow. Kiera hit him back and then the two of them clambered to their feet and stood on the bed, bouncing up and down and bashing each other with their pillows.
    Eventually – panting and laughing – they both