fight, while Alysia and the female she rides try to escape. But it is not the whales that the sharks seek. They want the lovely young queen who leads them, frolicking across the azure waters .
They pummel the whale, causing her to leap and turn, trembling in fear. As she spins, she shakes her rider loose. Alysia tumbles into the ocean. She is immediately surrounded by the great white sharks, their glassy eyes all staring at her. A huge black shark with a razor-sharp smile seems to be their leader .
The scene has been a monochrome of black and white and silver. An added hue stains the dark ocean palette. Scarlet ribbons float across the surface. Blood-red life fluid spills across the moonlit waters .
Karen turned and tossed. She fought to wake up, to stop watching the picture before her. When she surfaced, she raised herself on her elbows and shook her head. She was short of breath and sweating. Her whole body felt wet and soggy, as if she had been swimming in her nightclothes.
She drew in several pulls of air, filling her lungs, exhaling with audible sighs. Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply again. She felt as if sheâd been holding her breath forever. Her lungs ached and burned.
Wide awake now, she remembered the dream. Alysia! She snapped on her bedside lamp and swiveled around toward the twin bed not four feet away from her.
Alysiaâs covers were tossed on the floor. She wore a jet-black cloak over her white nightgown. Her black hair swirled like strands of shadows on the cape. Across her chest was a bright splash of colorâscarlet ribbons of color. Her wide blue eyes stared at the light. Her face was a mask of pure terror.
Chapter 12
Karen finally realized the screams ripping the air and bouncing off the bedroom walls were hers. But she couldnât stop. The overhead light blazed on as Alysiaâs parents ran into the room.
âKaren, whatâs wrong? Ohââ Mrs. Holland collapsed beside Karen, automatically gathering her into her arms. She stared at Alysia as if she couldnât believe her eyes.
Mr. Holland dashed to Alysia, searched her throat for a pulse. He stared at Karen and his wife, who was now deadly quiet.
âIs sheâis sheââ Karen couldnât say the word.
âSheâs dead.â Mr. Hollandâs voice held a note of astonishment. Picking up Alysiaâs phone, he dialed the emergency number, gave directions to the house, then collapsed, seated at the foot of Alysiaâs bed. He touched the splash of red across Alysiaâs chest. âItâs not blood, itâs paint. What happened here, Karen?â
âI donât know.â Karen found her voice. âI donât know. I had a terrible dream. Alysia wasâsheâsharksââ She started to sob. Mrs. Holland held her closer.
âDid you hear anything?â
âNo, I was really sound asleep.â Because she was at the Hollands, and not alone, she had relaxed and gone to sleep easily and deeply. The idea that someone had come into the room while she slept was almost more frightening than the dream.
âWhere did she get that coat?â Mrs. Holland was still sitting on Karenâs bed, staring at her daughter. âDid she go to bed with it on?â
Karen answered again. âSheâshe just had her nightgown on. She said she was cold, though. Maybe she got up and put it on.â
âThatâs not her coat. Itâs more like a cloak.â Mrs. Holland, in a state of shock, was speaking in a perfectly normal voice, sitting there talking about the way Alysia was dressed.
âThe police and the ambulance should be here any minute.â Mr. Holland came and pulled his wife to her feet. He circled her shoulders with his arm and led her from the room. âGet dressed, Karen. Come into the living room. Donât touch anything.â
Karen pulled her wool skating slacks on quickly. She kept on the pink sweatshirt top: Turning away from
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