Bad Moonlight Read Online Free PDF

and stomped his feet. Mary Beth’s green eyes glowed with excitement. Only Dee refused to join in the applause.
    Kit squeezed Danielle’s shoulder. “It’s a killer,” he told her. “A killer!”
    â€œThanks, Kit,” Danielle murmured uncomfortably. She glanced up and saw the dark bruise on his lip. Feeling embarrassed and guilty, she turned away.
    Dee was staring at Kit. “How’d you cut your mouth?” she asked him. “Have you been opening beer bottles with your teeth again?”
    â€œMy razor slipped,” he replied casually, not glancing at Danielle.
    Dee squinted at him. “You shave at night?”
    â€œDidn’t get a chance this morning,” Kit replied. He rubbed his lip tenderly.
    Dee shook her head suspiciously.
    Oh, wow, Danielle thought unhappily. Dee is crazy about Kit. Now she has another reason to hate me.
    â€œJust call me a klutz,” Kit said, sighing.
    â€œWell, just call us Bad Moonlight!” Caroline exclaimed. “It’s the perfect name for our band—Bad Moonlight! What do you think?”
    â€œSounds kind of evil.” Mary Beth raised an eyebrow and smiled. “I love it.”
    â€œWhat about you, Dee?” Caroline asked.
    Dee shrugged. “Like anyone cares what I think,” she replied with a scowl.
    â€œHey, this is excellent! We have a name!” Billy exclaimed. “Now I can tell the club manager how tointroduce you. And speaking of the club,” he added, “we’ve got rehearsal at eight-thirty. That’s A.M ., not P.M. Everybody better get some sleep.”
    The group made their way out, and Caroline followed them. “I’ll talk to Billy about getting you a ride to Shadyside tomorrow,” she called to Danielle.
    Alone in the room Danielle put her guitar away. She still felt edgy. Tense.
    She climbed into bed and closed her eyes. Immediately she saw Kit, standing in front her, his lip bleeding, the blood black in the moonlight.
    Think about something else, Danielle scolded herself. Anything else. She turned onto her side, bunching the pillow under her head.
    She thought about her new song. “Bad Moonlight.” Strange. She’d never written anything like it. Was it really a killer song as Billy had said? Did they all really think it was as good as they said?
    Thinking about how easy it was to write the song, she drifted to sleep.
    An animal wail shattered the silence.
    Danielle’s eyes snapped open.
    Did she dream it?
    She waited. Alert. Listening.
    â€œOhhh.” Danielle realized it hadn’t been a dream.
    She held her breath as another frightening howl rose up outside her window.
    â€œWhat’s out there?” she cried aloud. “What’s making that hideous sound?”

Chapter 6

    SCRATCH SCRATCH
    S ilence.
    Then another high-pitched howl.
    â€œCaroline?” Danielle whispered. “Do you hear that?”
    No answer from the other bed. Danielle fumbled for her clock on the bedside table.
    Midnight.
    She’d been asleep for only twenty minutes. Is Caroline still talking to Billy about my ride? Danielle wondered.
    Another howl, mournful this time. The howl of a wild animal. So close. So very close.
    Joey flashed into her mind. Joey was always tossing back his head and howling like a wild wolf.
    Danielle crossed the room in the dark. Reluctantly she pulled up the blind and peered out the window.
    Cold, bright moonlight poured over the buildings and the street.
    Danielle’s scalp prickled. To her surprise, she felt a sudden urge to run outside. To join in the howling.
    No! she scolded herself.
    What are you thinking of?
    She pulled the shade down, covering the window.
    Back in bed she curled up and tried to ignore the howls.
    Another sound made her sit up.
    A soft, urgent rap on the door.
    â€œDanielle!”
    Dee’s voice, calling in a hoarse whisper. “Danielle—I have to talk to you. Now!”
    Danielle held her