Page 5 of Wednesday
I gently closed the book and returned it to the shelf. Part of me had hoped I was just losing it. But what I had seen was real. And I had just agreed to look the other way.
Exhaustion crashed over me like a physical weight. I curled onto my side, not bothering to dress or pull back the covers. As my eyes drifted closed, I could still see his eyes in the darkness, still hear that grinding voice making its terrible offer.
And as I started to drift off, I realized that beneath my horror and revulsion lurked something else. A dark curiosity about the creature called Morrow.
Chapter Three
Ijolted awake to sunlight streaming through the bedroom window. For one blessed moment, my mind was blank. Then reality crashed back. The mausoleum, the corpse, Morrow's soulless eyes. The bargain I had made to save my own skin.
I sat up, pushing tangled hair from my face. My mouth tasted foul, and my limbs heavy were with exhaustion despite having slept for hours. The bedside clock read 3:37 AM.
"Shit," I muttered. Winters would be waiting for my report.
I stumbled to the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face. My reflection in the mirror made me wince. My dark eyes were dull and tired, my skin more gray than tan, and my hair was a tangled mess. I looked like someone who had seen a ghost. Or something worse.
As I dressed, I tried to convince myself that last night had been a nightmare, a stress-induced hallucination after weeks of homelessness and uncertainty. But my muddy clothes in the corner said otherwise.
Real. All of it was real.
I pulled on clean clothes and pulled my hair back, mentally rehearsing what I would tell Winters. Everything went fine. No disturbances. Nothing unusual. Just a quiet night in the cemetery.
The lies tasted bitter, but what was the alternative? Sir, I met a corpse-eating monster who has been living here for centuries. He offered me a deal. My silence for my life. I took it.
Yeah, that would go over well.
Outside, the cemetery looked painfully normal in the afternoon sun. Birds sang in the ancient oaks. Sunlight glinted off polished headstones. A light breeze carried the scent of freshly cut grass.
I followed the main path toward the administrative building, a small brick structure near the front gates. Inside, the air conditioning raised goosebumps on my arms after the warmth outside.
Winters glanced up from his desk, wire-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. "Ms. Ruiz. I was beginning to wonder if you'd abandoned the position already."
"Sorry I'm late," I said. "First night, new surroundings. I overslept."
He nodded, gesturing to the chair across from his desk. "How did you find your first patrol? Any issues to report?"
I swallowed hard. "No, sir. Everything was quiet."
"Good, good." He shuffled some papers on his desk. "I meant to mention yesterday. We've had some animal disturbances recently. Digging around the fresher graves. Probably raccoons or foxes, but keep an eye out."
My stomach knotted. A convenient explanation. Had previous guards reported "animal disturbances" too?
"I'll keep an eye out," I promised.
"There's something else you should be aware of." Winters removed his glasses, polishing them with a cloth. "Oakwood Cemetery might be facing some... changes in the coming months."
"Changes?"
"The Meridian Development Corporation has submitted a proposal to the city council. They want to relocate the cemetery and build a shopping complex." His mouth thinned with distaste. "Apparently, fifteen acres of prime real estate is wasted on the dead."
"They can do that? Just dig everything up and move it?"
"With the proper permits and procedures, yes." Winters sighed. "Some of the graves here date back to the 1700s. The older ones have no surviving family members to object. The historical society is fighting it, but Meridian has deep pockets and friends on the council."
I thought of Morrow. What would he do if his easy food source was gone? The thought of him outside the boundaries of the cemetery, free to roam and consume freely, made me shiver. And what about me?
"What happens to the cottage? To my position?" I asked.
"If the proposal passes, you'd have employment through the relocation process, which could take months." Winters replaced his glasses. "But eventually, yes, the position would be eliminated."
