Page 1 of A Storm of Nightmares

Prologue

One second I'm running through the grass in our front yard, a smile so big that my cheeks hurt, and the next second I'm on the ground with the wind knocked out of me. It takes a moment for the shock to dissolve, and suddenly I'm very aware of the sharp pain shooting through my body.

I barely have time to examine the cuts on my palms, elbows, and knees before Betty drops to my side and checks me out. Her big blue eyes scan my wounds.

Don't cry, Kat. I have to be strong and brave like my sister. One little fall isn't going to stop me from playing tag. If I act like a wimp, Betty will call it quits and make me go inside. My bottom lip trembles, but I hold back the tears.

"Aww, the little baby is gonna cry!" Betty and I snap our heads to the side. Billy Kent, our neighbor and the meanest boy I have ever met walks over to me with an ugly smile on his face. He insisted on joining our game of tag today. If mom weren't sitting on the porch earlier, I would have told him no, but I didn't want her to see me be rude.

It's not that I didn't want him to play. The more people in a game of tag, the better. But Billy is twelve, and he always plays so rough. I try to remind him that I’m only eight so he should be nicer to me, but he doesn’t care.

I'm right in the middle of thinking of a good comeback when Betty stands with a huff. She narrows her eyes at Billy as she steps toward him, and the smug look on his face falls.

She points her finger at him, "You shut up! You pushed Kat down on purpose. You're a bully, and you can't play tag, or any game, with us ever again. Go home before I tell your mom about how you treat girls." Betty takes one more step to Billy with her finger still pointed at him, so they're face to face. She flattens her palm against his chest and shoves Billy. Hard.

He stumbles backward for a second before turning around and sprinting back to his house. Betty looks at me with a triumphant smile.

"You're going to get in so much trouble, Betty! You pushed him."

"He deserved it, Kat. Boys think they're so tough and can do whatever they want, but that's not true. We just have to stand up for ourselves."

I sniffle as I fight back my tears. "What if... Maybe he likes me? Daddy said when boys are means to you, it means they have a crush on you."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Have you ever seen Dad be mean to Mom?"

"No."

"When a boy likes you, he should cherish you. Make you feel special. Not shove you to the ground and make you bleed." Betty glances at me with a sad smile. "You just wait, Kat. One day when we're all grown up, we'll both find great guys who treat us like queens. Boys like Billy Kent will never win the heart of a queen."

Betty reaches her hand out for me, and I take it with awe in my eyes. She's so strong. "Will you always be here to protect me, Betty?"

She smiles down at me, "Always."

Chapter 1

My parents are going out to dinner and a movie, so Betty and I have the house to ourselves for the next few hours. Not that Betty will be much company tonight. Ever since she started seeing this new guy, all she does with her free time is talk to him on the phone. Hell, I wouldn’t even be surprised if she tries to sneak him into the house tonight. It wouldn’t be the first time.

I won’t let her ruin my night, though. She can be all lovey-dovey with Dan and ignore my existence all she wants. I have my own plans. If you consider reading romance novels alone all-night plans... I do.

I’ve always loved being able to open a book and escape to new worlds. In my books, I can be a strong, independent woman with gorgeous men pining after me. Or I can be mysterious and sexy. I can travel the world, fall in love with someone in every city, and never get let down.

The sad truth is that I don’t think I’ll ever live as fully as the characters in my books do. Betty is the fun, carefree sister. I’m the quiet, cautious one. I hide in the shadows while she casts a bright light.

I wish I could let go and enjoy life the way Betty does, but someone has to make mom and dad proud. Even though Betty is the firstborn, it seems like all the responsibility fell on me somehow. I’m expected to get good grades, get a scholarship for college, and pursue some high-paying, respected career.

My parents don’t seem to care if Betty gets As or Cs, as long as she graduates. They don’t scold her when she spends more time at the mall with her friends than she does working on school assignments. Granted, she does get decent grades. Straight Bs, usually. But if I so much as get an A-, I get the whole “we just want the very best for you, and bad grades won’t get you there” speech. It’s ingrained in my brain by now.

I don’t know how Betty got it so easy, but I envy my big sister and her lack of responsibility. Sometimes I think I brought it on myself. I did set a precedent in this house for acing every class. While Betty was signing up for cheerleading, I had my nose in a book and my head in the clouds. I spent every weekend studying while she had sleepovers and broke curfew. Betty just has Mom and Dad wrapped around her finger, I guess. And my parents aren’t the only ones, either.

Betty has always been popular, but once she got to the 9th grade, it was like her popularity skyrocketed. And why wouldn’t people love her? She has naturally wavy, light blond hair that falls down the length of her back. Her eyes are deep blue, and they match the color of the ocean perfectly. Her tan skin and petite frame are the embodiment of feminine perfection.

On top of her looks, she’s a genuinely nice person too. Betty always smiles at people in the hall and doesn’t laugh when the jocks make fun of someone. She’s been cheer captain for two years now, but she’s far from the stuck-up stereotype people always think of.

I, on the other hand, didn’t get blessed with our mom’s gorgeous genes. I look much more like my dad. Not that he’s a bad-looking man, but I wish I inherited different DNA.

I have straight, dirty blond hair cut to my shoulders, and my green eyes don’t look like the sea or the sky or any lovely thing on this planet. I’m of average height and build, albeit a little curvy. I do look good in a tight pair of jeans. But I don’t compare to my sister at all. And I don’t smile at strangers. I’m too shy and awkward.

Freshman year, I tried to be more like Betty. She’s two years older than me, so she gave me a lot of tips to make sure high school doesn’t totally suck. I followed her advice the best that I could, and I even got the attention of a cute boy in my class.

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