Possessing Jessie Read Free

the woods near the edge of the water, a small road seldom used by anybody except the few people who lived down that way.
    And by boys trying to set speed records. Bright yellow barriers with black arrows had been knocked down and smashed so many times that the county no longer bothered to replace them. And barriers weren’t the only things that had gotten smashed. Cars, totaled. Kids, hurt. One boy had been paralyzed, was going to spend his life in a wheelchair.
    Jessie’s reaction to the Dead End Bend idea was instant and panicky. “Jason, no! Don’t be stupid!” Just as instantly, she knew she had made a mistake, that she should try to sweet-talk Jason, not shout at him, but she couldn’t help it. She was terrified, and angrier than she’d ever been in her life. He was not respecting her. “Jason, slow down!”
    He sped up, screeching around the left turn toward Dead End Bend. “This Mustang isn’t bad, but a Z-car would be awesome. I bet it would do sixty-five. The fastest I’ve been able to drift Dead End Bend in this car is fifty.”
    â€œJason, stop acting like an idiot! Do you want to get us both killed?”
    â€œIf I can get it up to sixty, I’ll beat the record. You’re my witness.”
    â€œJason, no! Please!” Damn, he had her so scared, she was pleading with him after all.
    Jason grinned. “Don’t be such a wuss, Jess. You’ll thank me afterward.”
    â€œNo, I won’t. Stop the car now . Please!”
    â€œJust hang on.” Night flashed past as they whizzed down the hill at sixty-five, seventy–
    Left-handed, Jessie reached over and snatched the keys out of the ignition.
    â€œHey! What the–”
    With the engine off and the power steering gone, Jason hit the brakes hard as he swore at her, grabbing for the keys. She clutched them in her hand, and his hand closed around hers so fiercely she cried out. “Jason, you’re hurting me!”
    â€œGood! I’ll hurt you more if you don’t give those keys back!” As the car slowed to a stop, he grabbed her forearm with his other hand, wrenching it until she started crying, until she had to let go of the keys. They dropped to the floor. He searched for them, grabbed them. But not before she had unbuckled her seat belt, opened her door, and stumbled out of the car. As he was putting the keys back into the ignition she slammed the door.
    â€œHey!” Revving the Mustang, Jason popped his door and shouted at her over the roof, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
    Sobbing almost too hard to speak, Jessie yelled back, “Go kill yourself and see if I care!”
    â€œAre you crazy? Get back in here.”
    It was kind of crazy, because she was miles from anywhere. Still, she told him, “No.”
    â€œI said get in!”
    â€œGo to hell.”
    â€œGod damn it, Sis, get in this car.”
    â€œNo.” Jessie started to walk away along the dark, grassy edge of the road.
    Jason threw the Mustang into reverse and cut her off, still swearing at her. “Dumb-ass, I can’t just leave you out here. Get in the damn car!”
    â€œNo.”
    He stared at her. “Jessie, what’s with you?” he asked almost as if he were the one pleading now. “You PMSing or something? I’ve never seen you like this.”
    Because she had never before felt so helpless, so desperate for control. “You get out and give me the keys.” Since he had lowered his voice, she lowered hers. “I’ll drive us home.”
    â€œNo way.” He grinned at her, friendly again. “I came out here to set the world’s record going around Dead End Bend, and I’m gonna do it.”
    â€œJason, no!” She wasn’t crying anymore. She felt too dry with terror to cry.
    â€œOh, for God’s sake, Jessie, don’t get your panties in a bunch.” Jason swung back into the car. “You