Ghost Town Read Free Page A

weird.”
    Drew and Trevor gave her a look, and despite herself, she laughed.
    â€œOK, my dreams usually are weird, but this one was stranger than most. It was about books.”
    â€œBooks?” Trevor sounded disappointed. “Doesn’t sound all that weird to me.”
    â€œThey were flying, their covers spread out like wings. Dozens of them were circling around me.”
    Trevor grinned. “I read somewhere that any dream that has flying in it is really about sex.” He looked at Drew. “Is that true?”
    â€œThat was Freud’s interpretation, but dreams are far too complex for simple diagnoses like that. Besides, wait until you hear the rest of it.”
    Amber continued. “The books started attacking, slamming into me over and over. It was one of the most painful and terrifying things I’ve ever experienced. I wanted to run away, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t. The books knocked me to the floor, and I couldn’t get up. They just kept hitting me over and over until everything went black.”
    No one spoke for a moment after Amber finished. Finally, Trevor said, “You’re right. That is weird.”
    â€œThere was something else.” She frowned as she tried to remember. “Right before everything went black, I heard a voice. A woman’s voice, I think. I can’t remember what she said, though.”
    â€œThe voice might not have said anything,” Drew pointed out. “It was just a dream. And even if the voice did say something intelligible, I doubt it was some cryptic message, full of meaning.”
    Trevor scowled. “I thought what we experienced at the Lowry House had cured you of being such a skeptical buzzkill, Drew.”
    Drew smiled. “Just because I’m now willing to consider paranormal explanations for strange events doesn’t mean I think every bad dream is prophetic.”
    â€œBut to dismiss the possibility out of hand . . .”
    Amber reached out and patted Trevor’s arm to calm him.
    â€œDon’t mind Drew. He’s a bit ambivalent about being here this weekend.”
    Trevor looked at his friend. “Oh?”
    Drew took a sip of coffee before speaking. Amber had been dating him long enough to know he did it to stall for a few seconds so he could gather his thoughts.
    â€œI took yesterday off work so I could drive down here. When my supervisor asked why I wanted Friday off, I told her it was because I was presenting at a conference. She asked what conference.”
    â€œLet me guess,” Trevor said. “She was less than thrilled to hear that you were presenting at an event called Esotericon.”
    â€œHer exact words were, ‘Are you out of your mind?’ ” Drew took another sip of coffee. “She wanted to deny my leave request, but I had too many vacation days saved up. She did, however, tell me that if I persist in associating with ‘pseudo-scientists and charlatans,’ she would have to ‘reevaluate my relationship’ with the hospital.”
    Trevor had set up the presentation with the conference organizers several weeks ago, and he had invited Drew and Amber to join him. They were to talk about their experiences with the Lowry House, not least because Trevor wanted to do some prepublicity for the book he had written about what the three of them had gone through there, both as teens and as adults.
    â€œI’m sorry about that,” Trevor said. “If I’d known it would cause you trouble at work, I wouldn’t have asked you to present with me today.”
    â€œDon’t worry about it,” Drew said. “Dr. Flaxman has had it in for me ever since I was hired. She’s the stereotype of the cold, unemotional clinician who views human beings as barely one step above lab rats. We’ve never gotten along, and ever since she was promoted to director of the ward I work on, she’s been looking for an