Darkest Dawn

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"I can't believe we're going to a Valentine's dance," Dana Fear said, shaking out her dark hair, studying herself in the dresser mirror. "It's so totally geeky."

"It's for a good cause," Jamie Richards replied. "You know all the money goes to the homeless."

"Clark knows the DJ," Dana said. "He does the mixes at that teen dance club on Wayland Road that no one goes to."

"Never been there," Jamie said. "Hey, you and Clark are together a lot these days."

Dana smoothed lip gloss over her lips. "He's hot," she murmured. "And yeah, I think he's really into me."

I was watching the two girls from the bedroom window. It was open a crack, and I could hear every word they said. They didn't see me -- otherwise they would have quickly shooed me away.

Or maybe they'd scream in fright.

Pressing against the window glass, I watched Jamie slip on a sheer, violet midriff top and straighten it over her waist. "Is this too sexy?"

Dana snickered. "Too sexy? What does that mean?"

"No. Really." Jamie bumped her cousin away from the mirror.

"I like that skirt," Dana said. "It's so short. You can't sit down in it. Where'd you get it?"

"Old Navy. Believe it?"

Dana wore a loose-fitting silvery top and low-riding jeans. She wasn't as knockout pretty as her cousin Jamie, but she knew how to show off what she had.

Watching her, I felt bad that I'd made the decision to kill her.

"When is Lewis picking us up?" Dana asked.

Jamie glanced at her bedtable clock. "In half an hour, I guess. I'll call his cell and see if he's ready to leave."

Dana giggled. "This is so retro. A double date. Like in an old sitcom or something. We should have made the guys bring us corsages."

"Corsages?" Jamie frowned. "Nowaythey'd know what corsages are."

I was getting bored. Also, the girls were enjoying themselves too much. We can't have that -- can we?

I decided to show them I was there.

Jamie bumped Dana away from the mirror again. "I hate my hair," she said, tugging it with both hands. "Here. Help me put it up."

Dana combed her fingers through Jamie's hair. "Your hair is so much thicker than mine," she said. "And bouncier. Mine just lies there limp."

Jamie handed her the brush. "Hurry. We don't have much time."

Dana raised the brush to the back of Jamie's hair -- then stopped. "Whoa. Hold on. There's something in your hair."

She pinched her fingers around the little crawling thing in Jamie's hair, pulled it out, and examined it. "Oh, my god! It's a little white worm!"

"Huh?" Jamie spun around. "Let me see it." She squinted at Dana's hand. "It's...I think it's a maggot!"

"Here's another one," Dana said, lifting something off Jamie's scalp. "Oh, wow. Another one. Yikes! Jamie -- there aredozensof them!"

Dana held up four or five maggots in the palm of her hand.

"Ohh...my head -- ititches!"Jamie cried, scratching frantically.

Dana ran the brush through Jamie's hair and watched the tiny white worms fall to the floor.

Jamie let out a scream. "Dana -- they're inyourhair too! Get that one! It's crawling down your forehead!"

Dana slapped at her forehead. She started frantically picking maggots from her hair.

"My scalp! It itches! It burns! Ow! We're covered in them. Covered in maggots!"

Copyright © 2005 by Parachute Publishing, L.L.C.

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Excerpted from Darkest Dawn by R. L. Stine
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.