The Dead Girls Dance Page 0,1

father reached into his leather jacket and took out a handful of photographs. He threw them at Shane. They bounced off of Shanes chest, and he reflexively tried to catch them, but some drifted free and fell to the wood floor. Some slid over toward Claire and Eve.

Oh God, Eve whispered.

They were pictures of Shanes family, Claire guessedShane as a cute little boy, arm around an even tinier little girl with a cloud of curly black hair. A pretty woman standing behind them, and a man she could barely recognize as Shanes dad. No scar, back then. Hair cut short. He lookednormal. Smiling and happy.

There were other pictures, too. Eve was staring at one of them, and Claire couldnt make any sense of it. Something black and twisted and

Shane bent over and snatched it up, fumbling it back into the pile.

His house burned. He got out. His sister wasnt so lucky.

Oh God, that twisted thing was Alyssa. That was Shanes sister. Claires eyes filled up with tears, and she covered her mouth with both hands to hold in a scream, not because what was in the picture was grossit wasbut Shanes own father had made him look at it.

That was cruel. Really cruel. And she knew it wasnt the first time.

Your mother and sister are both dead because of this place, because of the vampires. You didnt forget that, did you, Shane?

I didnt forget! Shane shouted. He kept trying to make the pictures fit into a neat stack, but he didnt look at them at all. I dream about them every night, Dad. Every night!

Good. It was you got this started. Youd better remember that, too. Cant back out now.

Im not backing out!

Then whats all this crap, Things have changed, Dad? Shanes dad mimicked him, and Claire wanted to punch him, never mind that he was about four times her size and probably a whole lot meaner. You hook up with your old friends and next thing I know, you lose your nerve. That thing was Michael, right? The Glass kid?

Yes. Shanes throat worked hard, and Claire saw tears glitter in his eyes. Yeah, it was Michael.

And these two?

Nobody.

That one looks like another vamp. Shanes father fixed his red-rimmed glare on Eve, and took a step toward where Claire and Eve were huddled on the floor.

You leave her alone! Shane dropped the pictures into a pile on the couch and jumped into his fathers path, fists clenched. His dads eyebrows raised, and he gave Shane a scar-twisted grin. Shes not a damn vampire. Thats Eve Rosser, Dad. Remember Eve?

Huh, his father said, and stared at Eve for a few seconds before shrugging. Turned into a wannabe, then, just about as bad in my book. What about the kid?

He was talking about Claire.

Im not a kid, Mr. Collins, Claire said, and clambered to her feet. She felt awkward, all strings and wires, nothing working right. Her heart was hammering so hard, it hurt to breathe. I live here. My name is Claire Danvers. Im a student at the university.

Are you. He didnt make it a question. You look a little young.

Advanced placement, sir. Im sixteen.

Sweet sixteen. Mr. Collins smiled again, or tried tothe scar pulled the right side of his mouth down. Never been kissed, Ill bet.

She felt her face go red. Couldnt stop it, or keep herself from looking at Shane. Shanes jaw was set tight, muscles fluttering. He wasnt looking at anything in particular.

Oho! So its like that. Well, you watch yourself around the jailbait, my boy. Still, Shanes dad looked weirdly pleased. My names Frank Collins. Guess you figured out that Im this ones father, eh? Used to live in Morganville. Ive been gone a few years now.

Since the fire, Claire said, and swallowed hard. Since Alyssa died. AndShanes mom? Because Shane had never said a word about her.

Molly died later, Mr. Collins said. After we left. Murdered by the vamps.

Chapter Two

Eve spoke for the first timea soft, tentative voice. How did you remember? About Morganville, after you left town? I thought nobody did, once they left.

Molly remembered, Mr. Collins replied. Little bit at a time. She couldnt forget Lyssa, and that opened the door, inch by inch, until it was all there. So we knew what we had to do. We had to bring it down. Bring it all down. Right, boy?

Shane nodded. It didnt look like agreement so much as a wish not to get smacked for disagreeing.

So we spent time preparing,