Stalking Shadows (Scary Mary) Read Online Free Page B

at Rachel’s tugging. “You said she can hear us, right?”
    Mrs. Nelson nodded. Mary freed her hand from Rachel’s and walked back to Vicky’s side. She bent over and put her mouth to the girl’s ear. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it. Just get better for your mom.” She straightened. When she looked at Mrs. Nelson, she saw tears creeping down the older woman’s face. She’d heard what Mary had said.
    “It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Nelson. Vicky’s very lucky to have you.” She turned and left. Rachel backed out of the room with a nervous smile. Mary walked back to the elevators. She pressed the call button. Rachel came up beside her and grabbed her arm to make her turn to face her.
    “What was that all about?”
    “Vicky’s in trouble.”
    “Uh yeah, she’s in a coma.”
    “No, I mean more than that.”
    Two chairs sat against the wall. She slumped down into one. Rachel took the other. “I’ve been having these dreams. They’re about Vicky. She’s in her hospital bed, and she says something’s attacking her. That it’s hurting her, but she doesn’t know what it is. She’s so insistent that I had to come here and see for myself.”
    “You’re having weird dream conversations with Vicky?”
    “Yeah, two so far. I’ve never had dreams like this before.”
    “And? Are the dreams real?”
    Mary scrubbed her face. “They feel real. The room is the same, but I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I don’t know what’s hurting her. She said it was going after others, but I don’t know who, and I don’t know what the thing is.”
    “Could it be a ghost?”
    “I don’t know. Vicky says it’s clawing at her, but not physically. I’ve never heard of a ghost doing that, and Vicky’s afraid it’s going to kill her.”
    “What could it be?”
    Mary shrugged. She had no clue.
    “Well, if it’s going after others, then maybe we should go visit them, and you might be able to find something out.”
    “Just ask random patients if they’re being clawed by a supernatural force? I think we’d get kicked out.”
    Rachel brought up the volunteer application. “Then maybe we should fill these out.”
    “You know, I wasn’t serious about volunteering. It was just an excuse to come to the hospital.”
    “And volunteering can be our excuse for visiting other patients, and we could maybe ask them a few questions. One of these programs has to make it possible.” Rachel began reading over the application.
    Mary shook her head. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
    “Do you want Vicky to keep bugging you in your dreams?”
    “No.” Mary didn’t add that Vicky might not continue bugging her if this thing kept clawing at her.
    “Geez, we need recommendations?”
    Mary turned to her. Rachel had the application up to her nose. “What?”
    “We need two recommendations to be approved to volunteer, and an orientation before we can begin.”
    “Wow, I really don’t know if I can do this then. Who’ll write me a recommendation?”
    “Well, my mom will, and maybe Mr. Landa? I bet he’d be pleased if you asked him. Who am I gonna ask?”
    “Gran will, and maybe a teacher? Are there any you haven’t pissed off?”
    “I’ve been good in my crafts class.”
    “You don’t have to do this, Rach.”
    “What, and hear about how good you are to volunteer at the hospital, and I should be more like you? No way. I’m doing this. Plus, I’m gonna help you find whatever this thing is, even if it goes against every fiber of my being to help The Hickey. I’m just gonna focus on those other patients.”
     
    *    *    *
     
    Mary let herself into her home and flopped onto the sofa. She could not believe she was actually going to volunteer. This seemed like a lot of work to accomplish something she didn’t know how she was going to do anyway.
    Gran peeked out at her from the kitchen. “Welcome home, dear.”
    “Thanks,” she said dully.
    “How do hamburgers and French fries