The Nightmare Man Read Online Free Page B

asleep?’ asked Clyde.
    ‘I dunno,’ Luke replied. He smiled, not wanting to freak out his friends.
    Rani, though, could see that Luke wanted to talk. ‘Oh, is that more cake?’
    ‘Ooh, where?’ asked Clyde, running off.
    ‘Did you have another nightmare?’ asked Rani.
    ‘Yeah,’ Luke replied. ‘There was this...’
    He tried to say the words. He tried to tell her about the man. The Nightmare Man. But he couldn’t! He kept trying to say the words but they stuck in his throat, choking him! He gasped.
    ‘I can’t say it, Rani,’ he whispered. ‘I can’t!’
    ‘You’re really scared, aren’t you?’ she replied, her voice full of concern. ‘Listen, it’s just a nightmare because you’re stressed out about Friday. You’re going to be okay.’
    ‘But…’ began Luke.
    Rani grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. ‘Come on. Let’s show Clyde how it’s done.’
    Tired, scared and embarrassed, Luke smiled weakly as they danced.

Chapter Nine
    Time for bed…
    The rest of the party had gone well, but Luke was so tired and so scared that he’d had to leave early. When he’d got in, he’d tried to tell Sarah Jane about what had happened – but again, he’d been unable to say the words ‘Nightmare Man’. Like Rani, his mum had just thought he was scared because he was having nightmares. But Luke knew there was more to it than that.
    He was lying in bed, sending an email to his old friend Maria Jackson. Maria had been the first human being he’d ever seen. She had rescued him from the Bane and introduced him to Sarah Jane. She used to live on Bannerman Road in what was now Rani’s house. A few years before, she and her dad had moved to Washington in America. They still spoke once or twice a week.
    Maria used to help Sarah Jane rescue lost aliens and now she was doing the same in America. If nobody else could help him, Luke knew that Maria would. He was halfway through typing the email.
    “There was a creature and he called himself the...”
    He moved his hand to type the letter N, but something stopped him. He stared in horror as his hand refused to move! As tears welled up in his eyes, he heard the Nightmare Man’s voice echoing in his mind.
    ‘ You can’t say my name. You can’t tell anyone about me. I’m in your head, Luke. You’re mine. ’
    He couldn’t even type the creature’s name! He lay there, trying to think of some way he could tell someone, anyone, about what was happening to him when, again, echoing in his mind, he heard the Nightmare Man’s voice. He was humming a lullaby. Luke recognised it as the world’s most famous lullaby by the German composer Johannes Brahms. Luke started to panic, feeling the lullaby surrounding him. He could feel it making him sleepy, but he didn’t want to go to sleep. He didn’t want to meet the Nightmare Man again. But there was nothing he could do. The Nightmare Man’s lullaby made his eyes slowly close and…
    He was in the attic. Alone. Still in his pyjamas.
    ‘Hello?’ he called out, quietly.
    The door was flung open and Sarah Jane, Clyde and Rani entered. With them was a young boy. He looked to be about 12 or 13 and he was small, with dark hair and a pleasant, open face. Like everyone when they first entered the attic, he was looking around in shock and wonder. Clyde stepped forward and called out.
    ‘Mr Smith,’ he said dramatically. ‘I need you!’
    The boy’s eyes widened even more as, with his usual fanfare, Mr Smith appeared.
    ‘Mum?’ said Luke. It was like they couldn’t see or hear him. ‘Anyone?’
    ‘What do you think, Josh?’ asked Sarah Jane. ‘Do you like it?’
    The boy, Josh, nodded.
    ‘Aw, he’s so sweet,’ said Rani.
    ‘He’s my new baby boy!’ said Sarah Jane.
    ‘Sarah Jane,’ said Mr Smith. ‘I’m receiving a call from Luke.’
    Sarah Jane just grinned and hugged Josh. ‘Oh, take a message. I’ve got Josh now.’
    Luke stared at them. He knew it wasn’t true. He knew it was just a