Why weren’t the dead down here?
Every inch of the world was covered in spirits, I had never gone so long without seeing one before. Normally I had to strain to see the living more than I did the dead.
I hadn’t seen one since I was surrounded by the mole people above ground. The more I thought about it, the more I knew it was true.
But I couldn’t believe it.
There I was, seeing those that should have been dead alive. And those that were actually dead were nowhere in sight. There was something strange going on down here. Not only with the adults but with the spirits, too. I just didn’t know what exactly it was.
“Come on, I’ll take you back,” Jet said, turning away from the cavern. The fire below illuminated his features, creating shadows in the curve of his nose and forehead. He looked dangerous, even though his gaze was soft.
“Back where?” I asked.
“Where do you think?” He dodged my question before heading into the tunnel again. It only took a few feet to lose sight of him altogether, making me run to catch up.
After I fell over and hit the wall, Jet gripped my arm and guided me along. It should have been impossible for anyone to see in such darkness but he managed all the twists and turns without the benefit of any light.
I had hoped he was taking me above ground. After all, what good was I to him? He knew I had only caused his group headaches last time I was his captive. I would only do the same again.
I would make sure of it.
Unfortunately, we returned to the same small room we had left earlier. I sat in the same seat as I had before, the painful memory of what he did to my arm still strongly felt.
Jet spun the seat around and straddled it so he could lean against the back and stare at me. He didn’t say a word, his eyes grazing over my skin like razorblades.
I squirmed under his scrutiny even though I tried to hide my discomfort. I didn’t want to show any weakness in front of Jet. I got the distinct feeling he respected strength above any other attribute.
My thoughts shifted to Oliver, forcibly thinking of anything but where I was and what might happen. I hoped he was safe and wasn’t getting into trouble while looking for me. He had already risked his life once for me, I didn’t want him to risk it again.
“What are you?” Jet asked, suddenly breaking the silence. The sound made me jump, pulling me from my internal reverie.
“What do you mean?”
“You asked me if I could see the adults.”
“So?”
He rested his chin on his folded arms, waiting for me to continue. I kept my mouth closed. At least sometimes I knew when it was best I just shut up.
Jet lost our standoff. “You thought they were ghosts. Can you see ghosts, princess?”
There was nobody else on the planet I had confessed my ability to besides Oliver. I didn’t trust that secret with anyone else. And I certainly didn’t trust it with Jet.
I leaned forward, resting my better arm on the table and placing my chin on top, mirroring him. I tried to match his aloof gaze but I doubt I pulled it off. “Ghosts aren’t real.”
“Who said?”
“Do you always speak only in questions?” I asked, dodging the question myself.
He sat back up again, still leaving his hands resting on the chair. “I find asking a number of questions is beneficial to my survival. I haven’t lasted this long for nothing.”
I pretended to be surprised. “Was that a real answer you just gave me? We must be making progress.”
Jet laughed a breathy chuckle. “I could give you a lot of answers, princess. But that’s not why you’re here. Tell me how you can see ghosts.”
“I can’t-”
“Yes, you can,” he stated, cutting me off and leaving no room for arguments. There was something about the way he was looking at me that made all my defenses crumble. It was like he could see every thought in my head before I even thought them, knew every word I would say before I spoke them. I had never met anyone like him before.
And he terrified me.
“Come on, princess, you may as well tell me. It’s not like either of us are going anywhere anytime soon.”
“There’s no food or water in here. I can probably wait it out,” I said insolently.
Jet shifted in his seat. “Maybe I should rephrase. You won’t be going anywhere. I will be.”
So that was his master plan? Leave me deep underground to starve to death in the small room? Or would he just turn me over to the mole people when he was finished playing with me? I wouldn’t put either option past Jet. Life meant nothing to him. There was no reason to think mine would be any different.
He continued. “But… if you tell me all about these ghosts, I might feel pleasantly amused enough to change your fate. So, what will it be, princess?”
“I want you to stop calling me princess.”
The comment earned another laugh from Jet. The amusement flickered in his eyes, making the flecks burn gold. “That’s never going to happen. So? Do you see dead people?” He whispered the last few words.
I crumbled under his gaze. Jet scared me, compelling me to reveal my secrets. The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. “Yes.”
“How? What do they look like?”
“I don’t know how, I just do. They look like ordinary people.”
Jet nodded slowly, taking it all in. “So you often mix up the living and the dead?”
“When all the adults are supposed to be dead, yes. I don’t expect to see them walking around alive.”
He chewed on his bottom lip, lost deep in thought. I didn’t know whether he believed me or not. I didn’t really care either way. It wasn’t anyone’s business who I saw, living or dead. Only one of the few perks of being without adults was being completely independent.
The silence was starting to make me even more uncomfortable. I didn’t think that was possible. I had to say something. “You don’t believe me.”
Always chuckling, Jet laughed again. “You’d be surprised about what I believe these days.”
I probably would be surprised.
I didn’t want to know anymore about that statement.
“That makes two of us,” I replied, leaning back in my seat again. My arm was throbbing with pain. I wasn’t sure how long I had been down here, but I was starting to feel every single ache in my body anew.
“Have you always seen these spirits, or was it only since the Event?” Jet asked casually, making sure he didn’t seem eager to hear my answers. For the life of me I couldn’t figure out his game.
“Always. It’s only since the Event that they are more prevalent.”
He thought for a moment before realization crossed his features. “Because there are so many dead now.” I nodded. “That must suck.”
“It’s not exactly fun.”
“Did you see the spirits of your parents?” He really didn’t mind getting personal, clearly. He managed to bring up the one topic I didn’t allow to enter my mind, let alone talk openly about.
Jet wasn’t getting that secret.
“No, I didn’t,” I replied. “I never saw them.”
He opened his mouth to say something, then censored himself before the words were out. “Probably better that way,” he mumbled.
For just a moment, I saw Jet’s own vulnerability. It haunted his black eyes for just a flash of a second before he started chewing his bottom lip and sending his thoughts elsewhere.
In that moment, I could almost believe he was a regular human being.
But he wasn’t.
He was dangerous.
I moved on before he forced me to reveal anything else. “So are you pleasantly amused enough to let me go now? I answered your questions. I have earned my freedom.”
And just like that, the real Jet was back. He gestured toward the door. “Be my guest, princess.”
My eyes flicked between him and the door. It had to be a trick. Nothing was that easy.
“You’re a smart girl.”
I tentatively rose to my feet and slowly crossed the room. At any moment I expected Jet to spring up and tackle me to the floor. Or perhaps he wasn’t that creative and would just pull a gun out of the small of his back and shoot me.
Something was bound to happen.
I made it to the door and twisted the lock. It clicked loudly in the quiet room. Surely if Jet was going to stop me, that would be the moment. I had one functioning arm and another almost-functioning one. I could open the door and leave.
Glancing back at Jet, he wasn’t even watching me. His gaze was fixed on the far wall, staring into nothing like it was the most fascinating thing on the planet.
He wasn’t going to stop me.
I was actually going to leave.
I pulled on the door and it shifted open. Another few tugs and it was wide enough for me to get through. Just a few steps and I would be free-
“Good luck with all the people out there who want to kill you, princess.” Jet’s words stopped me dead cold. “Make sure you give them my regards.”
And that was the punch line.
I would never get up above ground with the amount of mole people in the tunnels. They might watch me fumble along until I reached the exit, choosing to play with me for a while to work up a sweat.
But they wouldn’t let me go.
The bloodlust in their eyes still haunted me. If I encountered Perry again, she wouldn’t stop at dislocating my shoulder once more. She would tear me to pieces without a second thought. Especially after Jet had come to my rescue.
Jet’s laughter filtered through all my thoughts. Of course he was amused with my fear. People like him lived off it, fed off it. He was nothing more than a lion playing with his prey.
I let the door thud closed again. Perhaps it was better to risk it with the devil I knew rather than hinge it all on a lot more that I didn’t know.
When I turned around, Jet was standing right behind me. “Don’t worry, princess. I’ll walk you out.”
He reached past me to grasp the door handle and pull it open widely. He gestured for me to go ahead and I took a few steps. Much to my relief, Jet followed.
We were down the tunnel in complete darkness when the sound of the door closing echoed around us.
Jet didn’t grasp my wrist this time, instead choosing to rest a hand on the small of my back. It was warm and humid underground, his hand burned with every step we took. I was never more conscious of a single touch than I was walking along the pitch black tunnel.
When the light finally grew brighter at the end, I was exhausted – both mentally and physically. I longed for some rest but knew it would be quite some time before I would be able to.
We stepped out into the fading light. I had been underground for most of the day. Much longer and I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the two places.
“Where are you staying?” Jet asked as we continued walking down the street away from the tunnel entrance. A shiver ran down my spine when I remembered the encounter that had occurred there earlier with my ‘welcoming party’.
“You really think I’d tell you that?” I shot back. He wasn’t the only one who could avoid giving answers. There was no way Jet could know where I lived, even if it did change every night.
“Why wouldn’t you?”
I stopped, turning to Jet because I wasn’t certain if he was joking or not. “Because you tried to kill me.”
His brow wrinkled between his eyes. “When did I do that?”
Was he serious? He couldn’t possibly have forgotten about the time he kidnapped me and then had me tied up for days with his gang. Nobody could forget that. I doubted I would even if I lived until an old age.
“When you had your ‘friends’ do whatever they wanted to me,” I reminded him. Because, clearly, he needed it spelled out for him.
Jet’s eyed blackened, I didn’t think they could get any darker but they managed it. In the next instant, it was gone. His face relaxed into the arrogant grin we wore so well. “But they didn’t kill you. And you know what they say about what doesn’t kill you.”
I rolled my eyes, there was nothing more I could do. “So I should thank you for making me stronger then? Right.”
“Don’t worry, princess. I can just live with your perpetual gratitude.” He started walking again, giving me no chance to argue any further.
Which was probably a good thing, because I was lost for words. I had no idea what to make of Jet or whatever he said. But I did know he was dangerous and the sooner I got away from him the safer I would be.
We left the area that fell into the mole peoples’ territory. Jet stopped again suddenly. “This is the end of the road. Last chance to be personally escorted home.”
It could have been another trick. It couldn’t be so easy to get away from Jet and the horrible people he associated with.
Too easy.
Way too easy.
“I’ll be fine,” I replied, trying to keep my voice from wavering. I wanted to run for freedom but instead settled for being ready to spring. I wouldn’t be able to physically fight Jet, but I might be able to outrun him.
“Okay. Stay safe, princess. Feel free to visit anytime.” Jet shrugged and turned, walking back the way we had come with nothing more being said.
He didn’t even look back.
The shock of the whole day came crashing down on me like a lead weight. All the emotions I had been holding back threatened to overwhelm me before I could properly deal with them.
I started running.
Putting all my pain and anger into each step, I ignored all the burning from my limbs. I would seriously pay for the exertion later, but for now, I had to get away.
There was no place safe anymore. I couldn’t pretend I was running toward a haven that would cocoon me from the harsh reality of the world. I wasn’t that naïve. But I could return to the places most familiar to me and find Oliver.
I was still lost in the streets but I managed to find a few places I remembered from earlier that morning. Had it really only been a day since I set off? Time seemed to stand still underground as if it wasn’t a part of the world. An alternate universe that existed beside the one the rest of us lived in.
My body couldn’t maintain the pace and slowed down. By the time I recognized the shelter, it was dark. If it wasn’t for the few lights burning inside, I would have missed it altogether.
“Everly, thank God,” Oliver said as he spotted me. He was lingering at the shelter doors, his eyes scanning the room for familiar faces.
“Oliver, where have you been?” I asked, remembering the reason why I had set out so far that morning.
“I’ve been helping people all over the city. I’ve been looking for you for hours.”
I went to hug him with relief, but I stopped myself at the last minute. We weren’t people that hugged. We were friends, best friends, but we hadn’t overstepped the invisible line of more.
“You are never going to believe where I’ve been,” I said. “I’ll tell you everything, but let’s find a place to stay for the night first.”
Oliver nodded and waited while I got a small amount of food from the hall. They had cut their portions again, offering little more than a handful of cereals. The little girl I had met earlier filtered into my mind. The food was definitely running out. It wouldn’t be long before the starvation would truly set in.
I ate before I left the shelter, fearing someone would fight me for the meager serving. Oliver said he had eaten while waiting for me so he was ready to go when I was.
We walked around the streets until we found a quiet place. It was the basement of an apartment building. It didn’t look like anyone had discovered it yet, there were no signs of life or death through the windows.
I shoved a chest of drawers against the door once inside and took in the two rooms. The
y were tiny by any standards but they were relatively clean. Nothing was actually clean anymore.
Oliver was keen to hear about my day as we settled onto the floor. There was a couch in the room but it was full of mildew, ready to kill anyone who dared disturb its mold.
Launching into my tale, I saved the most startling part of my story until the end. I wanted to savor the look of surprise and utter shock I would surely receive with the big finale.
“…there were adults down there. Not many, but enough to know it wasn’t a fluke that they were alive,” I finished.
Oliver didn’t disappoint. His mouth hung open as his mind reeled with the news and all the possibilities it held. “Are you sure they weren’t spirits?”
I nodded eagerly. “They were real people. Jet could see them too. He said they’d never gone above ground since the Event. How do you think that’s even possible?”
He was quiet for a long time as he thought it through. I’d had all day to mull over the adults but he was still getting used to the idea. If I had told him I saw a rainbow unicorn he couldn’t have been more surprised.
“It can’t be possible,” he finally replied. “All the adults died. They’re all gone. Are you sure it wasn’t some kind of a trick? Jet isn’t the most reliable of characters, and these mole people, I don’t know what to say.”
I replayed it all in my mind, trying to work out if perhaps there was something I had missed. Could they have been playing a trick on me? Orchestrated it with nothing but smoke and mirrors to make me believe the impossible was, in fact, possible?
No matter how many times I went over the minute details I saw, there was no way I could see the trick. The adults had been walking around in the cavern, the whispers of their conversation had drifted up toward my ears, and they had interacted with those around them.
They had to be real.
There was no magic involved.
“It wasn’t a trick. They were real, Oliver. You have to believe me.”
His lips curled into a smile. “Of course I believe you. It’s just them I don’t. Adults alive, it’s a lot to take in.”
“It’s a sad testament to our world now that your statement is actually true. It is a lot to take in.”
All the Pretty Ghosts (The Never Alone Series Book 1) Page 13
