The Mask
Dean Koontz
Language: English
Pages: 320
ISBN: 0425127583
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
A beautiful young girl appears out of nowhere. A teenager with no past, no family--no memories. Carol and Paul were drawn to her. She was the child they'd never had. Most mothers would die for such a darling little angel. And that's what frightened Carol most of all...
reaction of memories.” “You think so?” “It’s better than just sitting and staring at the walls or out the window. Nothing in this place is going to spark a memory because none of it is related to your past. But there’s a chance the TV will do the trick.” The girl picked up the remote-control device that the orderly had given her, and she switched on the television set. A popular situation comedy was on. “Familiar?” Carol asked. The girl shook her head: no. Tears glistened in the corners of
murder….” She closed her eyes, forced herself to speak. Her voice was weak, quavery. She didn’t even recognize it as her own. It was the voice of a stranger—a weary, frightened, frail old woman. “Who is this?” The whispery, vibrative voice on the telephone said, “Protect her, Gracie.” “What do you want from me?” “Protect her.” “Why are you doing this?” “Protect her.” “Protect who?” she demanded. “Willa. Protect Willa.” She was still frightened and confused, but she was beginning to be
“No, no.” She shook her head. Her face was bloodless. Carol leaned forward in her chair. “Relax, honey. You will relax and be calm. Close your eyes. Calm…like the kite…far above everything…floating…warm.” The tension went out of Jane’s face. “All right,” Carol said. “Staying calm, always relaxed and calm, you will tell me what you’re afraid of.” The girl said nothing. “Honey, what are you scared of? What’s behind you?” “Something…” “What?” “Something…” Patiently, Carol said, “Be
control; a hypnotist could usually calm a subject in only seconds. Apparently, Laura had lived through an extremely traumatic fire or had lost a loved one in a blaze. Carol wanted to pursue the matter and learn what was at the root of it, but this wasn’t the right time. After taking so long to quiet her patient, she knew the session should be ended quickly. When Laura was seated in the wing chair again, Carol crouched beside her and instructed her to remember everything that had happened and
reluctant to believe that she had heard what she knew she had heard. “There are certain forces, dark and powerful forces,” Wainwright said calmly, “that want to see—” Shrieking angrily, Aristophanes sprang at Wainwright with berserk passion. He landed on the man’s chest and scrambled onto his face. Grace screamed and jumped back in fright. Wainwright staggered to one side, grabbed the cat with both hands, and tried unsuccessfully to wrench it off his face. “Ari!” Grace cried. “Stop it!”