Bad Moonlight by R.L. Stine

thought.
    â€œLet’s hear it,” Kit demanded.
    With her fingers, Danielle tapped out a beat on the front of the guitar. Then she strummed a chord and began to sing.
    â€œStop me, whoa,
    Bad moonlight, stop me,
    Keep me, stop me,
    Hold me like a friend.
    Caroline swung her head to the beat, her blond hair swaying. Mary Beth tapped on the seat back, using her fingers as drumsticks. Dee listened intently, her amber eyes locked on Danielle’s face.
    â€œStop me, whoa,
    Bad moonlight, keep me
    In your cold, cold glow,
    Don’t let me kill again.”
    A long silence greeted the end of the song.
    Danielle felt her face heat up with embarrassment and confusion. Had she really written those words?
    Billy cleared his throat. “Wow,” he murmured.
    He started to say more. But Dee interrupted him. “‘Don’t let me kill again’?” She glared at Danielle, “That’s a song for me to sing? What’s that supposed to mean?”
    Danielle shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t understand it. I just started to sing it and—”
    â€œI didn’t kill Joey! You did!” Dee shrieked.
    With a cry of rage Dee leaped out of her seat and jumped on Danielle.
    Before Danielle could struggle away, Dee wrapped her strong, slender fingers around Danielle’s throat and started to strangle her.

Chapter 10

    LIKE AN ANIMAL
    â€œI t was you!” Dee wailed. “It was you!”
    Her fingers squeezed tighter.
    Dee is so strong, Danielle thought. I never realized how strong she is.
    She grabbed hold of Dee’s hands with both of her own and tried to pry the viselike fingers from her throat.
    Dee kept shouting. No words now. Just shrieks of rage.
    Despite Danielle’s struggles, Dee’s grip tightened.
    A wave of panic swept over Danielle. Can’t breathe! she thought. She’s going to strangle me!
    She yanked one of Dee’s fingers hard, bending it back as far as she could.
    Dee gasped and jerked the hand off Danielle’s throat.
    The van lurched and slowed to a stop.
    Danielle gripped Dee’s other wrist and pulled. She felt air rush into her lungs. Taking a deep breath, she scrambled to her knees and shoved Dee away from her.
    Dee lunged at her again.
    â€œHey!” Billy’s alarmed voice rang out sharply. “Dee, back off! Back off!”
    Danielle flung up her arms, blocking Dee’s charge. “I didn’t do it! I didn’t do it!” The words burst hoarsely from Danielle’s aching throat.
    â€œHurry up, Kit. Give me a hand here!” Billy demanded.
    Strong hands grabbed Dee’s shoulders, pulled her away from Danielle.
    Danielle glared at Dee. The other girl struggled in Kit’s grip. He held her in the narrow aisle of the van.
    â€œA song for me, huh?” Dee cried bitterly.
    â€œThe words just popped into my head!” Danielle told her. “I don’t know why. It didn’t mean anything, Dee. I wasn’t accusing you. It was just a song!”
    â€œEverybody cool it!” Kit shouted. He shook Dee by the shoulders. “Now!”
    Danielle forced herself to stay still. Billy loosened his grip. He rested his hand on her trembling shoulder.
    Kit glanced around the group. “We’ve got a showtomorrow night,” he reminded them. “I know we’re all still uptight about Joey, but we can’t afford to blow this. Everybody needs to stay cool.”
    Dee breathed hard. Her eyes never left Danielle’s face.
    She really believes I killed Joey, Danielle told herself. She screamed it over and over. But why? Why does she suspect me?
    Danielle rubbed her throat, sore from Dee’s powerful grip.
    With a shudder, Danielle turned away from Dee’s blazing stare.
    Mary Beth gazed solemnly at Danielle. Her green eyes glowed in the dim interior light of the van.
    Glowed with fear.
    Is Mary Beth afraid of Dee? Danielle wondered. Or is Mary Beth frightened of me?
    A