What Holly Heard by R.L. Stine, Bill Schmidt

Miriam thought.
    It had to be Jed.
    Who else could it be?
    Then she remembered Noah. Remembered his cold eyes staring from the bleachers. Remembered that he left his seat immediately after seeing her.
    Miriam squinted into the purple-black shadows.
    Was it Noah? Jed?
    The figure moved again, moving quickly toward her.
    Miriam knew one thing: She had to get away!
    She ran bent in a crouch until she cleared the row of cars. At the last car she stood up and broke into a sprint.
    She didn’t care if the guy saw her. She knew her lead was short—fifty yards at best. Could she outrun him?
    â€œMiriam!”
    The shouted name made her gasp.
    She recognized the voice at once.
    Jed.
    Miriam took off, running as fast as she could.
    â€œMiriam! Wait! Please!”
    She didn’t slow down.
    Jed was a seasoned athlete in top form. He would catch her.
    Then he would kill her.
    â€œMiriam! Stop!”
    She made the turn onto Ruth’s street. The houses loomed in darkness, black against a blacker sky. If she yelled for help, no one would hear her.
    Miriam had never felt so utterly alone in her life. Thoughts of pain and death gripped her in terror. But she forced herself to keep running.
    Miriam chanced a quick glance behind her. Her eyes swept frantically over the trees lining the street, the streetlights giving off circles of eerie haze.
    No one there.
    No one chasing her.
    Her pursuer had vanished.
    She slowed, her breath coming in great gulps, her sides spiked with pain.
    She backed into the shadow of a tree trunk and squinted into the darkness.
    No one.
    Ruth’s house came into view, three doors down. Miriam inched cautiously down the sidewalk, half turned to keep her eyes on the street.
    Where was he?
    Where was Jed?
    Had he stopped chasing her? She knew he had his car at the school. Maybe he decided to drive after her.
    How would he know which direction she was headed?
    He’s a psycho, she thought. He’ll drive all over Shadyside looking for me, even if it takes all night.
    Jed,
she thought hopelessly,
how could you do this to me?
    As if in reply, Jed stepped out of the bushes and blocked her path.

chapter 23

    â€œM iriam!” he uttered.
    She screamed.
    Jed grabbed her.
    Tried to cover her mouth.
    She bit his hand.
    He howled and tore his hand away.
    Miriam screamed again. But this time her cry was filled with rage.
    She lashed out in fury. She smashed her elbow into his chest.
    Jed gasped and dropped to his knees. She could see him struggling to breathe.
    For a split second Miriam stood and stared at him. She had never hit anyone before.
    Jed groaned and Miriam jumped away from him.
    Her entire body trembling, she forced herself to run.
    It took all her strength to pull herself up to Ruth’s front door.
    She pounded frantically, glancing back at Jed, still on his knees.
    The porch light came on.
    The door opened slowly.
    Miriam pushed her way into Ruth’s house.
    â€œMiriam!” Ruth gasped. She was in pajamas and slippers. “What’s wrong?”
    Gasping for breath, Miriam struggled to get the words out.
    Ruth stared in confusion.
    Finally Miriam turned, slammed the front door, and flicked the deadbolt into place.
    â€œOh,
no!”
Ruth’s hand flew to her mouth. “Is it Mei and Noah?”
    Miriam shook her head violently. She took a deep, heaving breath and snarled:
“Jed!”
    Ruth’s eyes went wide. “Jed?
Jed?
That’s impossible!”
    â€œIt’s Jed!” Miriam cried, finding her voice. “Jed did it all! Now lock the back door!”
    â€œIt’s already locked,” Ruth replied. “But, Miriam—”
    Ruth’s voice broke.
    Miriam narrowed her eyes at her friend. To her surprise, Ruth looked terrible.
    Her eyes were bloodshot and swollen, as if she had been crying. Her hair fell in damp tangles.
    â€œRuth, what is it? What’s wrong?” Miriam choked out.
    â€œIt isn’t Jed,” Ruth said.