The Dark Corner Read Online Free

place, Adam struck up a conversation with the young man who served them. He listened patiently while Adam explained how they were searching for a friend named Bryce Poole. Adam asked Sally to describe Bryce. When they were through, the man spoke in a sympathetic tone.
    â€œYou three aren’t from around here, are you?”
    â€œNot exactly,” Adam replied. “We’re sort of from a neighboring city.”
    The man nodded. “I understand. We get people like you now and then.”
    â€œYou do?” Sally asked, amazed.
    â€œYes,” the young man said. “And the best thing you can do is go find your counterpart in the city. Once you find him or her, everything will be all right.”
    â€œThat was exactly what I wanted to do,” Sally said, looking rather pleased with herself.
    Watch was confused. “So you know we’re not from this dimension?”
    The young man with the golden hair smiled. “That’s obvious to all of us.”
    â€œYou mean everyone in the city knows we’re strangers here?” Adam asked.
    The man ignored the question. “Find your counterpart and everything will become clear.” He paused and stared off in the distance. As he did a strange light shone in his eyes. “I think they’re waiting for you at Adam’s house.”
    â€œWaiting for us?” Watch asked. “How do they know we’re here?”
    The man just smiled again. “You better hurry. You don’t want to keep them waiting.”
    Feeling confused, Adam left the restaurant with his friends. Sally insisted that they head straight for Adam’s house. But both Watch and Adam were having doubts.
    â€œHe didn’t really answer our questions,” Watch complained.
    â€œHe said our other selves would help us,” Sally replied. “He was a nice man—we can trust him.”
    â€œHe seemed like a nice man,” Adam said. “But I agree with Watch. His answers were too vague.”
    â€œI don’t care what you guys say,” Sally replied. “I’m going to see my better half. I can hardly wait to have a deep and meaningful conversation with her.”
    â€œThis will be one argument she’s finally going to lose,” Watch said.
    Since they didn’t know why they were reluctant to go, Adam and Watch agreed to accompany Sally to visit their other selves. Finding Adam’s house wasn’t difficult because it was exactly where it was in the other Spooksville.
    Their three counterparts were sitting outside Adam’s house.
    They smiled when they saw Adam and Cindy and Watch.
    All six of them smiled.
    Then the counterparts stood up and slowly walked toward them.
    As they did so, their faces began to change.
    They began to melt. Into hideous demon forms.

5
    I t was too late. The three demons—they even had horns now—were on them in an instant. Adam was struck across the face with a scaly hand—his arms yanked behind his back. He felt a sharp pain in his spine, and he dropped Bryce Poole’s knapsack. For a moment everything went black, and Adam thought he would pass out. Then he realized he was being dragged toward a steel pole, which he had not noticed a second earlier. It stood in the center of his yard, spiked chains hanging off it.
    The yard was no longer the same. All around himthe scenery was changing, becoming darker and dirtier, lit with a chilling red glow. The heavenly version of Spooksville was turning into a hellish realm. The demon that had hold of Adam leered in his face. The creature’s teeth were sharp, his eyes like those of a wicked cat, green and splintered with thick red veins. The nails on his claws were sharp like razors. He hissed at Adam.
    â€œWe have you now, fool!” the demon said as he snapped Adam’s wrists into cuffs attached to the chains. Beside him, Adam saw the same torture happening to Watch and Sally. They both had demons leering in their faces.