A New Fear Read online

  Nicholas stood. “Let’s have our toast.”

  Be careful, he told himself. Ruth is smart. If she notices you acting strange, it is over. She can still tell the police you murdered Jason.

  Nicholas handed a glass to Ruth, then picked up his own. His hands did not shake. Good.

  “I have never had champagne before, Nicky,” Ruth exclaimed. “This is so much fun.”

  “I am glad you are having your first drink with me,” Nicholas told her. Because then Ruth would not notice if the champagne tasted odd.

  Nicholas raised his glass. “To our marriage!”

  He started to take a sip.

  “No!” Ruth cried.

  He froze. “What is wrong?” he asked.

  “We have to link arms. Then I drink out of your glass, and you drink out of mine. I read about it in a novel.” Ruth moved closer and wrapped her arm around his.

  The glass with the poison was inches from Nicholas’s lips. His heart gave a little flutter in his chest. What could he do?

  A knock sounded in the distance.

  Saved! “I will answer it,” Nicholas said loudly.

  They untangled their arms, and Nicholas set his glass on the desk.

  Tonight will no doubt be the longest night of my life, he thought as he hurried to the door. He planned to bury Ruth in the woods after he killed her. He had the hole all ready.

  The knock sounded again.

  Nicholas grabbed the handle and swung open the door.

  He felt his heart drop. His throat went dry.

  “Rosalyn,” he whispered hoarsely.

  Chapter 29

  Nicholas rushed onto the porch and shut the door behind him.

  Rosalyn wrapped her arms around his neck, and he held her close.

  Her clothes were drenched, but he could feel the warmth of her body against his. Warm. So warm.

  Nothing like Ruth’s cold flesh. Nicholas shuddered, thinking about Ruth holding him in her arms.

  Nicholas pressed his face into Rosalyn’s wet hair. The scent of roses filled his nostrils. He wanted to forget Ruth. Forget all the death he had witnessed.

  He never wanted to let Rosalyn go. But he had to. He could not allow Rosalyn to see Ruth. Rosalyn would never understand. He would lose her forever.

  Nicholas moved back a step and stared down into Rosalyn’s face, trying to memorize every detail. It felt as if years had gone by since they said good-bye on the train platform in Shadow Cove.

  Only a few days had passed. But so much had happened. Too much.

  Lightning flashed. Nicholas could clearly see the worry in Rosalyn’s brown eyes. “Something is wrong,” she said quietly. “Tell me.”

  “I want to tell you,” Nicholas answered. “But I cannot. Not here. You must go. Take a room in the hotel. I will come for you tonight. I promise.”

  As soon as I kill my wife, he thought. Just as soon as I kill my wife.

  Before Rosalyn could ask him a single question, Nicholas lowered his head and kissed her. Trying to show her how much he had missed her. How much he wanted to be with her. How much he loved her.

  Then Nicholas gently pulled himself away from her. “You have to leave now.”

  Rosalyn nodded. “I love you, Nicholas.”

  The door behind Nicholas burst open. Light poured across the porch.

  Ruth hurried up to Nicholas and grabbed his hand. “Oh, hello!” she cried to Rosalyn. “Are you one of Nicky’s friends?”

  Nicholas knew Rosalyn was waiting for him to introduce her as his fiancée. But he felt frozen. Unable to speak.

  “I am Rosalyn,” she answered finally.

  Say something, Nicholas ordered himself. Anything. “Rosalyn needed directions to the hotel,” he blurted out. “She has to leave right away.”

  “No!” Ruth protested, “Your friend must stay and join us for our toast. Since she was not in time for the wedding.”

  Nicholas saw the blood drain from Rosalyn’s cheeks. Her face went chalk white.

  “Impossible,” Nicholas said weakly. “Rosalyn really must go to—”

  Ruth ignored him. She linked arms with Rosalyn and led her into the house. Nicholas followed behind them. “I am so silly,” Ruth chattered. “I did not introduce myself. I am Ruth. Mrs. Nicholas Fear.”

  Ruth glanced back at Nicholas. “Get another glass,” she said, her black eyes expressionless.

  “Rosalyn does not want to—” Nicholas began.

  “No,” Rosalyn interrupted. She turned to face him. “I want to toast your happiness. You know how important your happiness is to me, Nicholas.”

  Nicholas could hear the pain in Rosalyn’s voice as she fought to stay in control.

  “I will be right back with the glass,” Nicholas mumbled. He hurried to the kitchen. His hands shook as he pulled another champagne glass down from the cupboard and filled it.

  He had to get back to Rosalyn and Ruth. He had to make sure Rosalyn did not drink from the glass with the poison in it.

  Nicholas made his way to the study as quickly as possible.

  “See what Nicky gave me as a token of his love?” he heard Ruth boast as he entered the room.

  “Nicholas must love you very much to give you such a special gift,” Rosalyn said quietly. She glanced at Nicholas and he saw tears filling her eyes.

  He wanted to explain everything right away. But he could not. His plan had gone too far. Nicholas had to play the role of contented husband until Ruth was dead.

  “Let’s have our toast,” Ruth said. She held up her glass.

  Her glass.

  Ruth already held a glass of the champagne.

  So did Rosalyn.

  But which glass held the poison?

  Chapter 30

  “To Nicholas and his new bride,” Rosalyn said, holding her glass up.

  Rosalyn brought the glass to her lips.

  “Noooo!” Nicholas cried.

  But Rosalyn drained the glass.

  So did Ruth.

  “What is wrong, Nicky?” Ruth chirped. “Did you want to make the toast?”

  Nicholas ignored her. He stared back and forth between Ruth and Rosalyn. Who drank the poison?

  “I will leave you two alone now,” Rosalyn said.

  “Won’t you stay for a slice of wedding cake?” Ruth asked. She held up a large knife, ready to cut Rosalyn a piece.

  “No. I must go.”

  Ruth shrugged and returned the knife to the cake plate.

  Rosalyn took two steps toward the door. Then stumbled.

  She took another step, and her knees buckled. She fell to the floor.

  Nicholas rushed over and knelt beside her. Tremors raced through her body. She uttered a low moan.

  Nicholas gathered her into his arms. He held her tight. Trying to stop her from shaking. “I am sorry, Rosalyn. Please forgive me. I never meant to hurt you.”

  Rosalyn’s lips moved. Nicholas leaned closer. Straining to hear her. But he could not.

  Then she choked. Coughing and coughing. Gasping for breath.

  Deep red blood sprayed out of her mouth.

  Her body stiffened.

  Then went limp. Limp and still.

  Dead.

  Nicholas rocked back and forth, back and forth. Cradling Rosalyn’s body.

  Then he smoothed her black hair away from her face. He wiped the blood from her lips. “I am so sorry. I am so sorry, Rosalyn.”

  He repeated his apology over and over, even though she could not hear him. Would never again hear him.

  With each passing moment, Rosalyn grew colder. “I love you,” Nicholas murmured.

  “You have to get rid of the body,” Ruth said calmly.

  Nicholas had forgotten she was in the room. Ruth should be dead, he thought. She is the one who is supposed to be dead. Not Rosalyn.

  Ruth! he repeated to himself. Ruth was supposed to die.

  Ruth will die.

  The game will end now.

  Nicholas leapt up. He grabbed the large k
nife on the cake plate.

  And charged at Ruth.

  Chapter 31

  Ruth held the amulet up in front of her. Nicholas came to a dead stop.

  The amulet glowed with a blue light.

  “W-what?” Nicholas stammered.

  Ruth laughed. “You do not even know what you have here. This amulet holds power. All the power you desire.”

  Ruth’s voice was low and strong. She had let her mask slip again. Revealing the coldness that lay underneath.

  “I understand the power, but I am not a Fear. So I cannot use the power the way you can. Imagine what we could do together,” Ruth said.

  “Power,” Nicholas snarled. “I am about to teach you a lesson in power.”

  “Let me teach you first,” Ruth said calmly. “This amulet has been in the Fear family for generations. Daniel Fear gave it to Nora Goode when he married her.”

  Nicholas shook his head. “My mother did not give me the amulet. Rosalyn did. She found it on the beach when she was a child.”

  Ruth shrugged lightly. “The amulet is drawn to the Fears. My nurse used to work at the Fear mansion. She told me many tales about your family.”

  Nicholas stared at the pulsing blue light. He touched one of the amulet’s silver claws. The metal felt warm under his fingers.

  “You can feel its power, can’t you, Nicholas? That power can be yours—with my help,” Ruth urged.

  He glanced at Ruth. Her dead black eyes revealed nothing.

  I did not have to marry Ruth, Nicholas realized. The power was mine all along. I can still kill her. I can kill her right now.

  “I know what you are thinking, Nicholas,” Ruth said quietly. “You think you can have the power you crave without me. You are thinking about murdering me.”

  Nicholas’s fingers tightened around the knife. “Why shouldn’t I? After all you have done to me.” He gazed down at Rosalyn’s still body.

  “For you!” Ruth protested. “I’ve done everything for you. You wanted power. Now you have it. I can teach you to harness it and to use it. Rosalyn would have stopped you from using your power.”

  Nicholas loosened his hold on the knife. Ruth was right. Rosalyn never would have approved of a power gained through evil.

  “You and I can control the power,” Ruth continued, her fingers wrapped around the amulet. “You are a Fear. I have learned everything I could about the amulet and the dark arts. Together we can have everything.”

  Rosalyn is dead, Nicholas thought.

  My mother is dead.

  I have no friends.

  Why shouldn’t I have power? It is all that is left for me.

  Ruth knows I do not love her. I never will. But I can use her to get what I want.

  Nicholas extended the knife toward Ruth.

  “I think you were about to cut us a piece of wedding cake,” he said.

  Returning his smile, Ruth slipped her arm through his. “We have many plans to make, my husband.”

  Nicholas took one last glance at Rosalyn. Sweet, dead Rosalyn. Then he turned back to Ruth. “Many plans,” he agreed.

  I am a Fear, Nicholas thought. I will live my life as a Fear.

  “Power through evil,” he said. And smiled.

  Epilogue

  The people of Shadyside clapped as Nicholas used large scissors to cut the red ribbon. He and Ruth led the way onto a freshly cleared lot of land.

  “This is the site for the first house on Fear Street,” Nicholas announced. The crowd cheered.

  Ruth moved up close behind him. Nicholas forced himself not to flinch when she ran her cold hand down his cheek. “I have a surprise for you,” she whispered. “I am carrying your child.”

  A child.

  Nicholas promised himself the child would grow up with all the things Nicholas never had. The child would have all the power and wealth of the Fear family.

  “Together, we shall make Fear Street all it was meant to be,” Ruth vowed. She ran her fingers over the words engraved on the back of the amulet. POWER THROUGH EVIL.

  Nicholas gazed over at the remains of the Fear mansion. Yes, he thought. Soon everyone will know the name of Fear Street.

  About the Author

  “Where do you get your ideas?”

  That’s the question that R.L. Stine is asked most often. “I don’t know where my ideas come from,” he says. “But I do know that I have a lot more scary stories in my mind that I can’t wait to write.”

  So far, he has written nearly five dozen mysteries and thrillers for young people, all of them bestsellers.

  Bob grew up in Columbus, Ohio. Today he lives in an apartment near Central Park in New York City with his wife, Jane, and son, Matt.

  The Fear family has many dark secrets. The family curse has touched many lives. Discover the truth about them all in the">The Fear family has many dark secrets. The family curse has touched many lives. Discover the truth about them all in the

  FEAR STREET SAGAS®

  Next …HOUSE OF WHISPERS

  Amy Pierce has heard the rumors about her cousin Angelica Fear. She knows that people believe Angelica practices the dark arts. But Amy thinks that the people are just jealous. Jealous of Angelica’s wealth and beauty.

  Until Amy goes to stay with Angelica in her New Orleans mansion. From the moment Amy arrives she senses something wrong in the huge house. And death after death occurs.

  Is her cousin responsible? If she is, how can Amy fight Angelica’s evil powers all alone?

  FEAR HALL By R.L. STINE

  You can’t get the whole story unless you read both books!

  Don’t miss …

  FEAR HALL: The Conclusion

  Welcome back to the scariest dorm on campus.

  Nobody lives here for long!

  Coming in mid-July

  Available from Archway Paperbacks

  Published by Pocket Books