“I’m going to take a hot shower, then take my favorite girl out to dinner.”
“Oh, that sounds good! Where are we going?” Her bright smile washed away all the shadows that had been haunting her expression.
“Well, there is this quaint little place downstairs that has some of the best food around.” “Sounds amazing! I can’t wait!” Katie grinned and wiped the last of her tears away on the baby blanket.
“And then maybe we’ll get crazy and go watch a movie. I hear there is a Burt Reynolds double feature tonight.”
“Oh, wow! I don’t think I can stand the excitement!” Travis grinned, stood, and pulled her out of the chair. Holding her close, he kissed her tenderly on the lips. “You know you want to hear Curtis heckling The Bandit for his lawbreaking ways.”
Katie snuggled up against him, laughing softly. “We’re just one big crazy family, aren’t we?”
Laying his cheek on her blond hair, Travis smiled. “Yeah. We are. And it will be okay.”
Katie sighed, her body relaxed against his and Travis was glad that she trusted him so completely. He would never let her down. It was his sacred vow. He would never let Katie down.
5. No Peace for the Living or Dead
Rune sauntered into the dining room and looked around with a cautious eye. The hotel was full of shimmering patches of light and shadows, but he was trying not to let on that he could see them. He was relieved to see the dining room full of people lining up against one wall for dinner. People from the kitchen were loading up the buffet with big bins of food and it smelled like it was chili tonight.
The soft whisper of a ghost glided past him and he kept his eyes straight ahead and didn’t acknowledge it.
“Hey, Rune!” Looking around, Rune caught sight of Maddie and Dale waving at him from the line. He nodded his head at them in greeting and took up the last place in line. He wasn’t too surprised when Maddie and Dale joined him. Maddie had her long hair braided down her back and had found a long flowing skirt and comfortable sweater to wear. Rune wasn’t too sure how old she was, but he thought she was pretty, wrinkles and all. Dale was clean-shaven except for razor sharp chops. They were impressive.
“How are you, Rune?” “Good, Maddie. Slept all day. I was tuckered out.”
“Figured you were taking the time to rest up. I volunteered to help with the garden.”
“Good for you!” “I got a nice little shave and a haircut. They actually got a beauty salon here. Can you imagine?” Dale shook his head, looking floored by the idea. “I was pretty fucking amazed.”
An old man in a wheelchair glided by to the front of the line. His arms were covered in tattoos and he looked older than God. Rune was impressed with how things were run in the fort. It almost felt like normal life.
“Maybe I’ll drop by and get my hair properly done. Wind is hell on it after awhile.” Rune folded his arms over his chest, edging up in line a little. “You could stay here, you know. Not head back out there. It’s so dangerous. So many people have died.” Maddie shook her head sadly. “Like that poor little girl.”
“Can’t. Once they figure out I can see them, they won’t stop badgering me,” Rune said in a soft voice.
“Oh, right!” Maddie’s eyes widened and she looked around the dining room cautiously. “Are they here now?”
“A few. Over by the bar,” Rune said, trying hard not to look at the bar.
“Has to be a bitch having what you got with this shit going down,” Dale growled. “Damn, man. Glad I ain’t you.”
“We all got our crosses to bear.” Rune shrugged. A tall, homely redhead walked into the dining room and right behind her was a perfectly formed ghost of an old, angry woman. Rune caught himself before he shivered.
“More, huh?” Dale shook his head. “Nobody is getting to rest in peace nowadays.”
“Whole world is full of the dead. Nobody, living or dead, ain’t getting no peace,” Rune answered. A boy in his teens entered the dining room, closely followed by a big German Shepherd. Something about the boy made Rune take notice and he felt a strong premonition hit him. “That boy is special. Real special. People gotta take care of him.”
“You’re weirding me out again,” Dale grinned. He folded his big arms over his wide chest. “All creepy and mysterious. That’s Rune.” “I’m sure he doesn’t have the name Rune for nothing,” Maddie said, laying her delicate hand on Rune’s arm. A huge moonstone glimmered on her finger and Rune covered it gently with his hand. He could feel the energy in it and he smiled.
“My mama nicknamed me that when she found me making my own set when I was three. Got a bunch of rocks from the backyard and was trying to draw on them with a marker. We got old Nordic blood in our veins.” Rune looked around the dining room again, feeling the energy of the living filling it and pushing away the presence of the dead. It felt fantastic.
Maddie peered up at him. “Stay until you need to go, Rune. Everyone deserves a little rest.” Rune nodded and looked at Dale. “Maybe we can rustle up a bike for you somewhere and get you back to riding.”
“You have no idea how happy that would make me, dude.”
A young, black woman and young man with his hair tipped with gold walked by, both clutching trays heaped with steaming food. The young man gave Dale a flirtatious smile and slightly waved with his fingers. Dale waved back.
“That boy is so sweet on you,” Maddie teased.
“Yeah, but I’m sweet on her.” Dale pointed across the room at a grumpy looking woman.
“That’s the city secretary, Peggy,” Maddie told him.
“She’s hot.”
Rune shrugged. “She ain’t much to look at but she’s got that vibe.” “Oh, yeah. She does. That hellcat vibe.” Dale grinned even more.
Maddie shook her head and laughed. “Oh, boys.”