That Weekend

Chapter One

Now

Earth, cold and rocky, pressing against my cheek. Tree roots digging into my body like hardened veins. I open my eyes to an assault of sunlight, wincing at the pain it sends radiating through my skull.

In my ear, panting, presumably what pulled me out of whatever state I was in. Unconsciousness? I don t want to think about that word or what it means because I don t know where I am or whose tongue is an inch from my ear ­

I turn my head in the direction of shouting. A woman s voice, annoyed: Tucker! Get over here!

I blink until the face of an enormous black Lab, inches from mine, comes into focus. When I prop myself up on my elbows, the dog takes off, barking, running small semicircles in the area around me.

The woman shouts again. Damn it, Tucker!

Help. My voice scrapes my throat, like I haven t used it in some time. I lick my lips, find they re cold as stones.

Footsteps, grinding twigs into the ground. The owner of the voice emerges from a cluster of trees to my right.

Good Lord. The woman s silver hair falls in curls down past her shoulders. Tucker gallops over to her and sits at her feet as she sets aside her hiking poles and digs a Poland Spring from her pack.

She uncaps the bottle of water and hands it to me. What s your name?

Claire, I say.

My name is Sunshine, the woman says. Are you alone out here?

I don t know. I swallow down a knot of dread as my brain orients itself. It s prom weekend. I don t know why this is the detail I latch on to, but it s the one thing I know for sure. Where are we?

Bobcat Mountain, Sunshine says. I hold the water bottle to my lips, watching Sunshine s face cloud with concern. Tucker trots over to me, his nose bumping the back of my hand and leaving a trail of doggy nose drool. I lean on my free hand, pushing myself up to get away from him. Pain shoots from my neck to my

Kara Thomas

Praise for That Weekend:

"Kara Thomas is ruthless. When you descend into That Weekend, prepare for darkness ahead, breakneck turns, and shivery secrets. I am still reeling." Kit Frick, author of I Killed Zoe Spanos

"Deliciously twisted. Clear your schedule, because That Weekend is going to keep you up all night." Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying

"A deliciously unsettling and grimly beautiful examination of the dark and twisted potential lurking within us all. That Weekend is a bold and expertly plotted page-turner from beginning to end, and firmly cements Kara Thomas as a master of the craft no one writes a thriller like her." Courtney Summers, New York Times bestselling author of Sadie

Kara Thomas deftly weaves a web of secrets, tangling you in a mystery so shocking you ll never guess the ending. My jaw actually dropped. Erin Craig, New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows

A riveting, unputdownable thriller that made my palms sweat and my heart pound. I devoured this book in a single sleepless night; That Weekend is a brutal examination of what it means to survive. Victoria Lee, author of A Lesson in Vengeance and The Fever King

A mesmerizing, creepy, excellent thrill ride of a book. Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl In Pieces.
 
Thrilling, captivating, unpredictable (still reeling over those twists!) and will consume your life until you finish! And then it will haunt you afterward. Laurie Flynn, author of The Girls Are All So Nice Here

"Effortlessly compelling, That Weekend will thrill you from start to finish, leaving you breathless as you learn what truly happened on the mountain." Rachel Strolle, Teen Services