by Katie May
And then I need to brace myself for the inevitable heartbreak.
“Fuck me,” I murmur, dragging my hand down my face.
“If you wish,” a dark, distorted voice sneers from behind. I don’t get a chance to turn, to scream, or to even raise my fists before something slams into my head. Darkness seeps into the edges of my vision, like a black curtain being drawn closed, before I’m rendered unconscious.
Happy endings?
Don’t fucking exist for a girl like me.
Chapter 28
Karston
What could my little kitten possibly need to speak to me about that she couldn’t do right here on the grounds? Why wait thirty minutes? Why choose the bridge, especially at night time?
Dozens of unanswered questions swirl around in my head, spinning in my brain so fiercely I have to hold on to my temples to keep from getting dizzy. I dematerialized when she entered her dorm and had half a mind to follow her. But I decided to let her keep her secrets. I was going to find out soon enough anyway.
I hover for a moment, trying to decide on the best way to waste the next thirty minutes of my Afterlife. Then it dawns on me, I’ve not gone to the secret room behind the Hellhound statue since I took Braxton there a few weeks ago.
Heading back through the North Forest, I float through the trees and inside the stone walls of the Academy. The Hellhound is on the first floor, so it doesn’t take me long to find it. Without a physical body to worry about, I drift right through the door and down the long, dark corridor to the medical room beyond. I peek my head around, making sure no other ghosts are inside, before heading into the back room.
Shock doesn’t even begin to cover the emotion I feel when not one, but five calcified bodies are lying stoic, grayed, and cracked on the gurneys inside.
“Fuck,” I mutter to myself, hovering over each frozen body. I recognize a third year Demon by the name of Darren. He’s a tough motherfucker. If the Darkness was able to suck his soul, then there’s not much hope for the rest of us.
An Angel lies next to him. What used to be long, flowing white hair, is now grayed, muted. Amelia is her name, or was… Her ebony eye sockets stare at me as if I were looking into some black hole in the middle of a lost galaxy.
I tear my eyes away from her and drift over to the third gurney. I startle when I see that this one contains a professor, Mrs. Myle. My insides freeze when I realize even ghosts aren’t invincible against it. I stay dematerialized most of the time for that reason. I thought maybe the Darkness couldn’t take me if it couldn’t touch me. But here lies Mrs. Myle, still translucent, as if her tangible body was forced visible when the Darkness caught her and took her essence.
I don’t recognize the fourth body. But by the looks of her, she must be a Dearly Departed. She appears to be in her mid-forties, her cracked face decorated with a smattering of freckles, and she has gray, curly hair flowing around her fragile body.
I don’t even bother looking at the fifth body, the kill that gave my sweet Hadley nightmares when she found the girl’s body floating in the water under the bridge.
I’ve got to warn the others.
I’m shocked when that thought crosses through my mind. I’ve not really spoken to any of my brothers much over the past three years. Not since… since we arrived here at the Academy. But for some strange reason, I feel a deep-seated desire to see them, to tell them what I’ve discovered.
I try and push my past feelings aside, my fervent anger, the hate, the sorrow, and find my resolve. After meeting up with Hadley, I’ll find them. Find them and tell them everything. I might not like my brothers anymore, but somewhere deep down, I still love them, even if I’m reluctant to admit it.
Realizing my thirty minute window is just about up, I hurry from the room of the frozen souls and back out of the Academy. Through the North Woods and around the dorms I float until the bridge comes into view.
Lit by a series of perfectly placed lights, the bridge glows like a beacon in the darkness. The sound of the rushing river below and the taste of salt upon my lips accompany me as I drift along the bridge.
My heart sinks when I realize she’s not here yet. But that’s okay. Ghosts are punctual creatures. Maybe it’s because we have direct pathways to our destinations, being able to glide through any wall or obstacle in our path, or maybe Ghosts are just innately punctual. Regardless, Ghosts are always on time.
I stay hidden, searching the grounds for my girl, the memory of tasting the cherry chapstick on her lips making my mouth water. A thud behind me has me turning around quickly. My eyes widen when I see that Braxton has landed on the bridge. His eyes narrow into slits as he searches the grounds beyond. But… why is he here? Another thud sounds behind me, and this time Auston comes into view.
What the actual fuck?
“Braxton? Why the heaven are you here?” he growls, folding his massive arms over his chest. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“I was just about to ask you the same thing. I thought Angels required their beauty sleep.” Braxton levels Auston with a glare that would melt ice, but Auston isn’t fazed in the slightest. Come to think of it, I’m pretty sure Auston is made of ice. It’s been this way long before we were separated into the various Afterlife divisions. Braxton is fire, and Auston is ice. Me? I consider myself water, more likely to go with the flow than the others. I don’t know what the fuck Preston is. Maybe wind because he runs into doors and shit.
“I’m meeting someone, Demon,” Auston retorts. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d appreciate it if you left before she arrives.”
“Dammit!” a voice yells, before the sound of someone falling reaches my ears. That could only be—
“Preston?” Auston calls, his narrowed eyes searching the end of the bridge. “What the hell are you doing here? Reapers are afraid of the dark.”
“Whatever!” Preston scoffs, standing back up. “Most of the time we lurk in the darkness... without a halo,” he swerves his glare to Braxton, “or fire to light our path.” Preston’s eyes move from Auston to Braxton, widening. “So, if you’re both here, that means all we’re missing is—”
“Me,” I finish for him, materializing between them. “Fancy meeting you all here. Let me guess…” I say, placing my hand on my chin in thought. “One Dearly Departed with sandy blonde hair and bright blue eyes asked you all to meet her here? Correct me if I’m wrong.”
Preston’s cheeks flush as he shoves his fingers through his unkempt hair. “Sounds right to me.”
“I thought so. Auston? Brax? What about you guys?”
Braxton furrows his brows, his scowl deepening, but nods in confirmation.
Auston sighs. “Yes. Me too. Told me she needed to talk to me about something. I actually had a premonition about it before she even came to my room, but I didn’t see you guys joining in the bridge party.”
“So, then where is our mysterious girl?” I question, looking around.
“I don’t know,” Preston replies. “But she seemed very worked up about something. She was nervous and unsure. So unlike herself. Like she had a confession to make and wasn’t sure how I’d respond to it.”
“Anyone have any idea what that might be about, hmm?” I query, flitting my gaze between my brothers.
Auston’s face remains stoic, Preston continues to make his hair stand on end, and Brax crosses his arms over his chest, raising his chin defiantly just like he did if he was lying when we were kids.
Guilty.
“Braaaaax,” I drawl, elongating his name. “My spidey sense tells me you know something about this.”
“Shouldn’t we be more worried about why she hasn’t shown up than what she has to tell us?” Preston offers, changing the subject.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this… but Preston is right,” Auston chimes in. “Where’s Hadley? She should be here by now.”
“Let’s do a quick search of the grounds, see if we can spot her on her way,” Braxton suggests. “Auston, take the North Woods.
Karston, you check the dorms, and I will check the West Woods and the shore.”
“What about me?” Preston asks.
“You stay here, in case she shows up,” Auston tells him. “Besides, Brax and I can travel quicker with our wings, and Karston can hover and float through stuff.”
“Okay,” Preston reluctantly agrees.
“Meet back here in ten minutes,” Brax orders, stretching out his wings. “If she’s not here by then—”
“Then we search harder,” I finish for him.
Brax gives me a nod, a determined look on his face. Then he launches himself into the sky, his black wings surging as he heads off to the ocean. Auston follows Brax, leaping into the air, his feathered wings flapping as he flies to the North Woods.
“You going to be okay by yourself?” I ask Pres, surprised by the sincerity in my voice.
Seems like he is too, since he looks at me with wide eyes, making him appear even more innocent. “Yeah. Just, go find her. I’m worried.”
“Me too,” I tell him, before vanishing from sight. My heart races in my chest as I begin my search, heading down the hill leading towards the dorms. The grounds are pretty much vacant except for a Ghost floating around here and there. I keep my head down, not wanting to strike up a conversation with anyone.
I look all around the grounds and through the dorms, but find nothing. Anxiety floods my veins, a worry stirring in my gut, twisting my insides. I search the Dearly Departed dorms, ignoring the horror of one naked and masturbating Angus inside Hadley’s room. I check the cafeteria, the game room, the pool.
She’s nowhere to be found.
“Fuck,” I shout in frustration, making one final lap around the dorms before heading back to the bridge. Preston is right where we left him, but has summoned his scythe and is twirling the weapon around rather proficiently for a clumsy guy.
I materialize before I reach him, not wanting to spook him when he’s already distressed.
“Anything?” he asks hopefully.
“Nada. But she can’t have just vanished. I’m sure Brax or Auston have found her.” My voice comes out more confident than I feel.
Moments later, Brax lands empty handed, worry evident on his angular features. I don’t have to ask to know he didn’t find anything.
My eyes shift towards the North Woods. I replay a silent prayer over and over in my head, begging whoever is listening to have Hadley show up safely.
A glimmer of bright wings flash in the moonlight, but as Auston approaches, I can see he is alone.
No Hadley.
“Fuck,” Brax yells, his hands clenched in fists as he paces along the bridge. I rub my hands up and down my face, not believing that this is really happening. Auston lands and opens his mouth to speak when his facial muscles slacken, and a blank look glazes over his eyes. I recognize the abrupt change as the product of him having a premonition. I can only hope it helps us and isn’t about what he will learn in his next Guardian class.
A tear rolls down his cheek, which surprises me. I didn’t think Angels felt emotion during a vision. But one thing is clear: this isn’t good.
Auston staggers, falling to his knees when his body becomes his own again. He grabs his chest as if his heart has been impaled by a knife.
“What did you see?” Brax demands, his voice lowering an octave.
Auston looks up, his eyes shining with unshed tears. “She-She’s been taken.”
“Taken?” I gulp, hoping he doesn’t mean what I think he does.
“By who?” Preston inquires, his voice shaking with emotion.
Auston’s gaze shifts to me. “I can’t tell. The vision was muddied, as if I was watching the scene through a veil of fog. But I know she was strapped down on some sort of stone slab, and a blindfold covered her eyes. I saw her chest rise and fall so I know she’s alive, but my head pounded, making me think she suffered an injury to her skull.”
“Who has her? Is it the Darkness?” Brax growls.
Auston shakes his head. “No. But the figure was large, cloaked, and he wore a mask over his face.”
“You sure the perp is male?” I ask as I filter through every man I’ve encountered here at the Academy.
“Mmhmm. I heard him speak, saying something about them finally being together. Together at last…”
“What can you tell us about the surroundings, Auston?” Brax questions. “Even the smallest detail can make a huge difference.”
Auston scrunches up his eyes, searching his memory. “God, I’m not sure guys. I see the white stone slab, I hear water running…” He licks his lips. “It’s also cold, and there was a damp, musty smell. But… Fuck!” He beats his fists into the bridge. “That’s all I’ve got.”
“It’s better than nothing,” Brax says. “But we need to split up and find her. If this is the person that’s been murdering all those people…”
Brax doesn’t finish the sentence. We all know what happens in the end...
But I can’t think like that. Won’t think like that.
“Let’s split up into teams. Search the other dimensions,” I suggest. “Preston and I can take Earth, while you two head into Hell.”
“Fuck that,” Auston spits. “I’m not waiting to search Heaven while we search through Hell. I’m going in without Brax.”
“Auston’s right,” Braxton chimes in. “Waiting for each other will just waste time. Time Hadley might not have. I’m going in alone.”
“Should we tell Administer? Let the professors know what’s going on?” Preston asks.
“No,” Auston responds. “I don’t know why, but something tells me that what is happening is bigger than the Academy. Bigger than anything that’s happened to us since we died. Some plan is in motion, and we are the wheels turning it. No one else can help her. Only us, but we have to put our differences aside and do it together.”
Brax nods. “I feel it too. Not only that, but we don’t know who we can trust. We have no idea who’s taking them. We have no choice but to trust each other right now.”
“Agreed.” Preston nods. “Karston, let's get going.” Preston gestures for me to follow him then heads towards the Academy at a run.
“I’ll see you guys later. Good luck.” Leaving two of my brothers behind, I dematerialize and float after Preston, my mind racing with possibilities.
Will we find Hadley in time?
Or will we be too late to save her?
Chapter 29
Preston
Who has my Hadley? I stifle down the tears, swallow the burn stinging the back of my throat, and try to focus on the land in front of me. We’re back in Sandy Creek, Hadley’s home on Earth.
The task before us is daunting. How can two people—dead people—search the universe for one girl and expect to find her? We have no clues, no leads, other than a musty smell and white stone.
She literally could be anywhere…
“Where should we start?” Karston asks.
I think for a moment. “We could try the quarry by Sandy Creek High School.”
“That’s a good idea,” Karston agrees, slapping me on the back. “That place definitely has white stone. Let’s go.”
I hold out my hand and summon my scythe. I envision where I want to go then point my scythe at the ground. A portal appears in front of me seconds later. “Hold onto me,” I tell my brother. “This might make you feel queasy,” I warn as his fingers give my arm a squeeze.
“Great,” he mumbles, but follows me into the portal. The feeling of weightlessness engulfs me, like free falling during a bungee jump. My stomach tries to fly out of my mouth, but before it can, the feeling is over, and Karston and I are standing on the edge of a large quartz quarry. Around us, machinery lies abandoned and rotting. Buckets from massive excavators litter the ground, and what was once a large crane has toppled over, its giant neck hanging down into the quarry pit.
“Watch your step,” Karston cautions, as we head around one of the many piles of forgotten stone surroundi
ng the canyon. The remnant pieces of quartz glisten in the moonlight, reminding me of a candle’s flickering flame. “Based on Auston’s vision, it’s obvious she’s not outside, so I doubt she’ll be out here. But I think we should check out that building over there.” He points to the rusted compound across the quarry.
“Gotta start somewhere. Lead the way, Kars.”
My brother makes himself translucent and floats around the quarry, his body moving right through the old machines and piles of dirt in the way. My thoughts travel to my sweet Hadley. Who has her, and what are they doing to her? The idea of her suffering, scared, or in pain makes my heart hurt, and I rub my chest to soothe it.
We’ve got to find her, or the Afterlife isn’t worth living.
I pick up my pace, jogging around an old rock truck, when something snags my shoe, and I go flying face first into the ground.
Let me tell you...dirt and grass don’t taste very good.
“Bleh,” I cough, spitting the funk from my mouth.
“You okay, bro?” Karston asks, hurrying over to help me up.
“Yep. You know me—”
“Can’t stand still without running into something. Yeah, I remember.” He laughs at his own joke and offers me his hand. I gladly accept as he pulls me to my feet, laughing along with him. I had forgotten how good it feels to have a relationship with my brother. I-I’ve missed him, as much as I haven’t wanted to admit it.
I brush the dirt off my jeans and pick up my scythe.
“Careful now,” Karston says, tauntingly. “I won’t carry your ass out of here like a child.”
“I don’t want your grimy Ghost hands on me anyway,” I joke back, giving him a mock shudder. He smirks then heads back around the quarry. I focus on the ground in front of me, not wanting any more mishaps.
A few minutes later, we’re standing in front of a set of rusted metal doors. I reach for a knob that may give me tetanus just from looking at it when Karston places his hand on my chest.
“Let me have a look first. Wait here.” Before I can respond, he floats inside the doors, causing my insides to twist. I wonder if that makes him feel sick, doing that all the time.