Chapter One
I wrapped my hands around my brother's throat and started to tighten them. "Die, monster, die!” I screamed.
Peter spun out of my grasp. "Danielle, give me a break," he groaned, rubbing his throat. "You're about as funny as head lice."
My friend Addie laughed. She thinks everything Peter says is funny.
"I know what we can do for the talent show at school," I told her. "A magic act. We can make Peter disappear."
Peter stuck his tongue out at me. It was purple from the grape soda he was drinking.
Mom appeared in the kitchen carrying a tall stack of dinner plates. She set them down on the counter next to the piles of bowls and cups she had unpacked. She blew a strand of hair off her forehead and frowned at me.
"Danielle, stop saying things like that about your little brother. You'd feel terrible if anything happened to Peter."
"Yeah. Terrible," I said, rolling my eyes. "But I'd get over it in a minute or two."
"Mo
Chapter One
I wrapped my hands around my brother's throat and started to tighten them. "Die, monster, die!” I screamed.
Peter spun out of my grasp. "Danielle, give me a break," he groaned, rubbing his throat. "You're about as funny as head lice."
My friend Addie laughed. She thinks everything Peter says is funny.
"I know what we can do for the talent show at school," I told her. "A magic act. We can make Peter disappear."
Peter stuck his tongue out at me. It was purple from the grape soda he was drinking.
Mom appeared in the kitchen carrying a tall stack of dinner plates. She set them down on the counter next to the piles of bowls and cups she had unpacked. She blew a strand of hair off her forehead and frowned at me.
"Danielle, stop saying things like that about your little brother. You'd feel terrible if anything happened to Peter."
"Yeah. Terrible," I said, rolling my eyes. "But I'd get over it in a minute or two."
"Mom, do you know what Danielle said?" Peter asked in a tiny, hurt voice. "She said her birthday wish is to be an only child!"
Mom scowled at me. "You didn't really say that to Peter, did you?"
"Of course not," I replied, glaring at Peter, who was still pretending to be hurt. "I mean, maybe I said it. But it was just a joke."
"Your face is a joke!" Peter said.
Addie laughed again.
Why does she think Peter is such a riot? Why do all my friends think he's so adorable and funny?
Mom narrowed her eyes at me. "Danielle, you're fifteen and Peter is nine.
You're supposed to be the grown-up. You have to take care of him."
"No problem," I said. I raised my hands to strangle him again. "I'll be glad to take care of him!" I dove at him.
Peter laughed and squirmed away.
It was the kind of kidding around brothers and sisters do all the time. Nothing to it, really. It was all so innocent and good-natured.
I had no idea what was to come in the next few days.
I had no idea I really was about to lose my brother.
It all started that day, the day Addie came to see our new house.
Mom had picked up a stack of china saucers and was carrying it to a cabinet above the stove. "Danielle, are you going to help me unpack this stuff?" she asked. "We've only got about a hundred more cartons to open."
"I'll open some!" Peter volunteered eagerly. He chugged the rest of his grape soda and tossed the can to the counter. "I'll open all of them!"
Mom shook her head. "I don't want to open all of them now. Just the ones for the kitchen."
"Let me help!" Peter cried.
I motioned to Addie to follow me. "I'll help right after I give Addie the house tour," I told Mom.
Addie tossed her blond ponytail behind her shoulders and hopped down from the kitchen stool. "I can't wait to see your new house, Mrs. Warner," she said cheerfully.
Addie is a very cheerful girl. That's her thing. She even wears cheerful colors. Today she had a silky pink vest over a blue T-shirt and bright orange capri pants she bought at some thrift store for two dollars.
Outrageous colors! But Addie always looked really together.
The red-and-blue glass beads she wore every day clattered as she started across the kitchen. Addie has a lot of style. I like things kind of plain and simple.
My favorite color is gray. She always makes me feel brighter just walking beside me.
"Whoa." Mom stepped in front of Addie, blocking her way. "Did you get your ears pierced again?"
Addie nodded.
Mom carefully examined the white and gold hoops in Addie's ears. "Three in each ear?"
Addie nodded again. "Yeah. Only three."
Peter pushed in between Mom and Addie. "Hey, Mom, can I get my nose pierced?"
Mom's mouth dropped open but no sound came out.
I picked up the hammer Dad had been using. "Here, Peter," I said. "I'll do it for you."
Peter stuck out his purple tongue again.
"Stop picking on Peter," Mom said.
"Boohoo." Peter rubbed his eyes and pretended to cry. "She hurt my feelings."
I dropped the hammer, grabbed Addie's arm, and tugged her to the kitchen door.
"Come on. The grand house tour. I'm showing off this magnificent mansion." I stepped over a pile of carpentry tools.
"Be careful," Mom called after us. "The molding in the back hall was just painted. And there are still a few floorboards missing back there."
"We'll be careful," I said.
"I want to give the tour!" Peter shouted, running after Addie and me. "We can start in my room. I have the coolest window seat. When we unpack my binoculars, I can sit there and spy on the neighbors. And my closet's bigger than my old bedroom. And I think there's a secret compartment in the wall!"
Continues...
Excerpted from The Nightmare Room #1: Don't Forget Me!by R.L. Stine Copyright © 2006 by R.L. Stine. Excerpted by permission.
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