Bad Moonlight by R.L. Stine Page A

shaft of lightning split the sky. Thunder boomed like a canon.
    Everyone jumped.
    â€œWe’re in for rain,” Kit said, letting go of Dee’s arm. “Let’s get moving.”
    No one spoke during the rest of the trip.
    â™¦ ♦ ♦
    The storm followed them the whole ninety-mile drive. Lightning bolts snaked down from the sky. Thunder rattled the windows of the van.
    When Kit pulled up in front of the hotel, the rain shot down like bullets.
    â€œBilly and I will need some extra hands with theequipment!” Kit shouted over the drumming of the rain. “We’ll unload the top of the van first!”
    He opened the sliding door and jumped down to the street. Billy followed, then Dee, Mary Beth, and Caroline.
    When Danielle hopped down to the wet pavement, the rain plastered her hair to her head. Flinging it back, she raised her face to the sky.
    â€œDanielle, come on,” Caroline called over her shoulder. “You want to drown?”
    But Danielle felt a sudden urge to move.
    To run through the storm. To feel the wind and water against her skin.
    Squinting against the driving rain, she took off down the street.
    â€œDanny!” Caroline shouted after her. “Where are you going? We have to unpack!”
    â€œLet her go,” Danielle heard Kit shout at Caroline. “She’ll be okay.”
    Will I? Danielle wondered. Will I ever be okay?
    Her legs churning, she threw herself into the driving curtains of rain. Splashing through puddles. Stumbling and scrambling up again.
    What am I doing? she asked herself. I can’t stop myself. I can’t stop!
    The sky cleared as she stopped her frantic run.
    Gasping for breath, she slowed to a trot, then a walk. Her side ached. Her legs wobbled like rubber.
    Her mouth felt dry. I’m thirsty, she realized.
    So thirsty.
    I must drink.
    Danielle lowered herself to the street.
    On all fours she bent over a puddle and frantically lapped the rainwater with her tongue.

Chapter 11

    KIT DIES
    A t rehearsal the next morning, they checked out the club. The Roadhouse wasn’t quite as big as the Rocket Club. But the two owners knew each other, and word about Bad Moonlight had spread.
    â€œIt’ll be packed tonight,” the club’s manager told Billy when the band took a break. “I warned my bouncers. We’ll probably have to turn people away.”
    Billy grinned. “You hear that, guys?” he called out. “Tonight we’ve got to really kick!”
    The manager jerked his thumb at Danielle. “We got you to thank for it, honey,” he told her. “Dave from the Rocket said you were dy-no-mite.”
    Danielle smiled at him as she tightened a new string on her guitar.
    Caroline rolled her eyes. “Honey?” she whispered to Danielle.
    â€œDy-no-mite!” Danielle whispered back, laughing.
    â€œCould we get back to work?” Dee demanded impatiently from the other side of the stage. “We’ve been hanging out for twenty minutes.”
    Billy nodded. “Sure, Dee. You want to work? We’ll work.”
    â€œGood.” Dee picked up her guitar and frowned at Danielle.
    She still thinks I wrote that song to accuse her of killing Joey, Danielle thought. The two of us will never become friends. No way. It’s hopeless now.
    No one had mentioned putting Danielle’s new song into the show, not after what happened in the van. No one talked about what happened, either.
    But Danielle couldn’t forget the feeling of Dee’s fingers on her neck. Squeezing tighter and tighter.
    Trying to kill her.
    And I didn’t just fight back, Danielle thought with a shudder. I wanted to kill her!
    Violent thoughts, because of what had happened to her parents. Dr. Moore said she wouldn’t act on those thoughts.
    Danielle was terrified that she would.
    After the fight with Dee, Danielle remembered, she had run like a crazy person. She drank from a puddle of dirty rainwater.