Amulet of Doom Read Online Free PDF Page A

said Marilyn, feeling silly. “It’s almost like an eye.” She shrugged. “I’m being foolish, I suppose.”
    â€œNot really,” said Zenobia.
    Marilyn started to tell her aunt about the amulet shocking her the night before, but couldn’t bring herself to say the words. It just seemed too ridiculous. In fact, she was beginning to wonder if she had imagined it.
    â€œWhy do you want me to keep it, anyway?” she asked. “What could possibly happen to it here in Kennituck Falls?”
    Zenobia pushed at Marilyn’s hand. “It’s just safer with you right now, that’s all.” She turned to the corner where Brick was lurking and made a little noise with her tongue.
    Marilyn was astonished to see the cat, who usually hated strangers, come bounding over to her.
    â€œCats are very important,” said Zenobia, scratching Brick behind his ears. “Take good care of him.”
    â€œI do. But you didn’t really answer my question.”
    Zenobia sighed. “You make me feel like a hypocrite.”
    Marilyn blinked in surprise.
    â€œListen,” said the old woman. “I’ve never been one to believe that ignorance is bliss. And I’m certainly the last who can advise against curiosity. But in this case—well, I think the less you know the better.”
    â€œThanks a lot!”
    Zenobia laughed. “You’re too much like me for your own good. I’ll tell you what. Once I solve this mess, I’ll tell you the whole story. Will that be a fair trade for my silence now?”
    â€œI guess so,” said Marilyn reluctantly.
    â€œGood. Now, why don’t you put the thing away. You look like you could use a decent night’s sleep.”
    She rose from the bed and left the room as quickly as she had entered.
    Brick yowled as Zenobia closed the door behind her, sounding as though he had just lost his best friend.
    Marilyn sighed and tucked the amulet under her pillow.
    A few minutes later she was asleep.
    *  *  *
    The dream started innocently enough. She and Kyle were bicycling down a country lane, with a picnic lunch stowed in their backpacks.
    She was wearing the amulet around her neck.
    They found a beautiful tree-shaded spot beside a little stream and settled down to have lunch. The day was warm and sunny, the air sweet and clean. But suddenly everything went dark.
    â€œGive me the amulet!” said a hoarse voice.
    â€œI can’t!” Marilyn cried. “It’s not mine. It belongs to my aunt!”
    â€œNo, it doesn’t,” said the voice. “It belongs to me.”
    The sun had disappeared completely. The air was cold and smelled of something terrible and unclean. She leaned against Kyle, but he felt funny. She turned to look at him, and his face began to change, change into something horrible.
    â€œThe amulet!” he said, and his voice was the same voice that had come out of nowhere a moment earlier. “Give me the amulet!”
    â€œNo!’ she screamed. “I can’t!”
    She tried to draw away from him, but his arms were tight about her, hot and scaly and smelling of death. She beat at his chest and her hands sank right into it.
    They burned.
    â€œThe amulet,” he said again. His eyes were pits of fire now, his nose an upturned horror with ragged nostrils in the middle of his scaly face. He opened his mouth and a forked tongue flickered between yellow fangs. “Give me the amulet!”
    When she refused, he lowered his head toward her neck. She could feel hot breath, and the drip of burn ing saliva.…
    Marilyn sat up, her body covered with a cold sweat. Brick stood hissing at the end of the bed, back arched and fur raised as though he had just spotted a dog.
    Marilyn fought back tears. “It was only a dream,” she whispered. “Only a dream.”
    Then, prompted by a suspicion she couldn’t explain, she thrust her hand under the pillow.
    The