The Ghost and the Graveyard

by Genevieve Jack

CHAPTER 26

  Try, Try, Again

  The door to my home was a welcome relief, a promise of sanctuary from this life that was quickly getting away from me. Although I felt the familiar weight of Logan’s presence in the foyer, I did not greet him or call him out. I jogged up the stairs to my room and slammed the door behind me. I stripped out of my clothes, removing Nightshade and propping her in the corner of the bathroom. Then I stepped into the shower and turned on the water as hot as I could stand it. The spray ran off my body red and black, remnants of my first kills swirling the drain. I braced myself against the cool tile and sobbed.

  When the hot water ran out, I slipped on my coziest flannel pajamas and flopped into bed. What day was it? Thursday. Days and nights had tangled together until nothing made sense anymore. Rick had used me as bait. Even though somewhere deep inside I thought he might have done the right thing, the logical thing, in my heart I felt betrayed. What did I expect? I had to learn somehow.

  I drifted to sleep thinking about Gary. Fuck. Gary was a vampire. When had that happened? Was that why he disappeared? In my dreams, I asked him these questions, but I could never make out his answers.

  I woke late and hurried downstairs where hot pancakes waited for me on the counter.

  “Thanks, Logan,” I said.

  “You had a rough night.”

  “And today I have to work. Phone nurse.”

  His presence vanished from the room without saying goodbye.

  “I’ll see you tonight,” I called toward the attic. He was still mad.

  The buzz of my cell phone vibrating on the counter popped me out of my seat. I hit the answer button.

  “Hello?”

  “It’s Dad. I got your message. I’m showing a house on Sunday. Would you be up for dinner tonight?”

  “Sure,” I said, thinking of Logan. “Maybe we could make it an early one. I’ve got to catch up on some sleep.”

  “Valentine’s?” he asked.

  “Actually, I’m working from home today. Could you come here?”

  “See you at six?”

  “Sure,” I said. “Bring food if you want to eat.”

  Dad laughed and said goodbye.

  I logged into my cracked-screen laptop and started taking calls, thinking about the first time I’d done this here, the night Prudence had called and my life had spiraled out of control. But today there were no supernatural inquiries. Today, the routine of my work lulled me into a false sense of normalcy.