Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Not Another One

I tensed. “What?”

“They’re all sleeping. They’re important and they only keep them as long as they are useful.”

“Mum, you’re not…” Hunter ran a hand through his hair. He waited a few more seconds. “Is that all you wanted, Mum?”

She looked at me and her eyes seemed to clear. “Yes. That’s all.”

She stood staring at me for a few long moments and a smile crept across her face. Not a creepy smile. A genuine smile, like she was really happy. She reached out and put a hand on top of my hand and I let the warmth of her touch soothe me. Was that her magic I could feel in her touch?

Hunter nudged her. “Mum. We gotta go.”

She blinked and removed her hand.

Hunter apologized.

“That’s okay. It’s okay. Really.”

I could still feel the warmth where she touched me as I put the candles in a bag and she paid cash, then Hunter helped her out the door.

Well, that was intense.

Jackson stepped closer. “What was she talking about, that they’re all sleeping?”

I was still staring at the door. “I have no idea.”

“Do you think she knows something?”

“It’s hard to tell. Maybe it’s just a delusion.”

It kinda hurt to say that. I knew what it was like to have everyone think I was delusional. Maybe she was somehow telling the truth, or part of the truth.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

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As I walked toward Herbie’s Burgers the next day on my lunch break, a pretty girl with dark curly hair caught my eye — mainly because she was soaking wet from head to toe. And because she was a ghost.

I quickly looked away, but it was too late. She knew I’d seen her.

I groaned and tried not to roll my eyes. Not another one.

My heart raced. I put my head down and tried not to quicken my pace too much. I had to pretend I couldn’t see her or hear her. Where was Jackson when I needed him?

I saw her approach from the corner of my eye. “You can see me.”

It wasn’t a question. Just a stated fact.

I focused on keeping my eyes forward and didn’t slow my pace, but she kept pace with me. “I know you don’t want to talk to me in public, I understand, but I need your help.” I tried to ignore her, but it was impossible. “My family thinks I’m missing,” that got my attention and I almost looked directly at her, “but my car ran off the road on my way home and it drove straight into the river. I… I couldn’t get out. The door wouldn’t open. The window wouldn’t open either and the car filled up with water… I must have drowned. Please. I don’t want them to keep looking for me and worrying about what might have happened.”

I kept walking at a steady pace while my heart thundered in my chest and I whispered, “How can I tell them that? They’ll want to know how I know. They might even think I had something to do with it. Or they might just think I’m crazy.”

Wouldn’t be the first time.

“I don’t know. Maybe tell them you went walking along the riverbank and you saw wheel marks going into the river or something. Surely there’d be something there to show where the car went in.”

I couldn’t help myself. “Where did it happen?”

“On the old River Road bridge. Yarraman Bridge. I was coming from Angel Falls heading out of town. My car’s steering broke or something because I went straight ahead instead of following the bend in the road onto the bridge.”

I couldn’t go into Herbie’s now. I needed to know more about what had happened to this girl. I imagined how her family would be feeling, not knowing where she was and hoping she would be found safe and sound. My heart squeezed in my chest.

I passed Herbie’s and walked into the small park next to the shop, sat on a wooden bench and I pulled out my phone so I could pretend to make a call.

I still kept my voice low. “I can’t promise anything, but I’ll try.”

She bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. “Thank you!”

I didn’t know how I was going to explain why I went out to the bank of the river, but I had to try. I had to help her.

I thought of all the people that were missing. Kellie said that there were way more than just Sophie and Kevin. I didn’t have a clue what had happened to any of the others, but at least I could help find one of them.

I tried not to look directly at her. “What’s your name?”

“Sophie Vella.”