“Right. I guess I didn’t know that,” I deadpanned. “Séances for Dummies wasn’t exactly high on my reading list.”
Maggie glared at me for a minute before turning her attention back to her supplies. She pulled a composition book from her bag and flipped to a page covered in her messy scrawl. “Just give me a few minutes to make sure I’ve got it all in order.”
Kicking loose pieces of gravel with my shoes, I walked toward a dilapidated picnic table off to the side of the main gate. The magnolia trees were blowing in the wind, casting strange shadows on the slabs of wood. I sat with my hand in a sliver of moonlight, watching the shadows dance across my skin. My stomach was in knots, and my hands and feet tingled with nervous energy. I began to run the facts through my mind—everything I’d gleaned about supermoons and then every little detail I recalled from the visions of Josephine.
“You’re doing this to find the answers,” I reminded myself. “Don’t be a chicken shit, Lainey.” I shook my shoulders out and took a deep breath. Whatever Josephine had to tell me, I needed to be ready.
I jumped off the table and turned to head back toward Maggie when I noticed that a figure was making its way toward me. My heart reacted before my brain did, jolting in my chest. The cemetery didn’t get a whole lot of foot traffic during the day, and I doubted the evening hours were any different.
Panic lanced through me, and my mind immediately began imagining a scene from Law and Order. I almost yelled for Maggie, but the words caught in my throat.
There was something familiar about the strong set of his shoulders—I was sure it was a guy—and the way he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Tension stretched across his back, and I watched as he reached up and entwined both his hands behind his neck—a gesture I’d seen Gareth make on several occasions when he was thinking hard about something.
As he came closer, I got a better look at his face.
“Ty?”
He stopped and trained his eyes on me. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt over a pair of worn jeans and looking more like James Dean than anyone had a right to. My heart began to race. I gulped. “Hey,” I managed to squeak out.
Ty took a few steps closer to the table and nodded. “Hey,” he replied, his expression changing into a smile. He sat down on the picnic table. “What are you doing here?”
I raised an eyebrow. “I could ask you the same question.”
Ty shrugged. “I like to go for walks in the evening. Helps me clear my mind.”
“And a cemetery is your idea of a good place for a leisurely stroll?”
A strange expression crossed Ty’s face. I couldn’t place it, and it was quickly replaced by his usual half smile. “Why not?”
A beam of light cut through the darkness, landing on Ty’s face. He squinted and raised a hand.
“Oh, it’s you,” Maggie said, walking over, her flashlight still aimed at his face. “What are you doing here, Pretty Face?”
My cheeks flamed. “Maggie!”
“What?” Maggie looked at me for a second, then trained her eyes back on Ty. “Seriously, what are you doing here?”
“Just walking. It’s a beautiful night.” Ty gestured to the sky. The full moon was a silver orb shining brightly against the velvet backdrop of the night sky.
“Uh-huh,” Maggie said. “Well, if you’re here, you might as well help.” She tossed him one of the flashlights and gave me an obvious wink. “Come on.”
Ty grabbed the flashlight out of the air. “And what exactly are we doing?”
“We’re—”
“We’re doing research,” I blurted out. “For a history project.” There was no way I was about to admit the real reason behind our visit to the graveyard.
Maggie snorted but didn’t contradict me. She just rolled her eyes and gave me a look that said, “Really, Styles?”
I pushed past her and walked through the front gate. I wasn’t sure how I was going to explain Maggie’s bag of supplies or keep Ty from thinking we were both complete nut jobs, but I was determined to try.
I moved through the headstones, reading off the names in my head as I passed.
Lainey.
I jumped, a cool shiver cascading down my spine.
The voice whispered again in my ear. Lainey.
I twisted my head back and forth a few times before I saw her. Josephine was standing under a tall tree, waving her arms. Her eyes were wide and her lips were moving, but no sound came out. The look on her face set an alarm bell off in my head.
“You okay?” Ty was at my shoulder, silhouetted by the moonlight.
“Yeah, sorry,” I said, as Josephine blinked back into the shadows. “I . . . thought I saw something.” I wasn’t sure what else to say.
“Well, we are in a graveyard,” Ty said with a smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Maybe it was a ghost.”
I swallowed. “Yeah, maybe.” You have no idea how right you are. I waited for a few seconds, but Josephine didn’t reappear. I headed toward Maggie, a feeling gnawing at my mind: something was wrong.
Lainey!
This time, her voice was as light as the wind, barely above a whisper, but with a resonating undercurrent that made my entire body tense.
“Josephine?” I whispered into the darkness. I was trying not to panic, but the look I’d seen on her face was disconcerting. A layer of goose bumps popped up, coating my skin. The air itself seemed suspended . . . as if it was waiting for something.
“Mags—” I broke off. A strange pressure wrapped around me and I couldn’t breathe. My heart thumped in my chest, and every nerve cell in my body prickled.
“What’s wrong?” Maggie appeared at my side.
It took all my effort to respond; the pressure squeezed me like a vice. “I don’t know,” I managed to whisper. “But I saw her.”
“Josephine’s here?” Maggie’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s great!”
The pressure lessened, but uneasiness still coursed through me. “No, something’s wrong. It was like she was trying to talk to me but couldn’t. I don’t know, Mags . . . the look on her face was . . . something’s not right.”
“You guys okay?” Ty appeared beside us, and we both jumped.
“Holy crapkittens,” Maggie squealed, smacking Ty with her hand. “Don’t you know not to creep up on someone in the middle of a cemetery?”
“Sorry. Wasn’t trying to scare you.”
I tried to laugh, but it came out breathy and high-pitched. Cringing, I gave a little shrug and started walking toward another section of the cemetery. Maybe if I’m alone, she’ll come back. Glancing behind me to make sure I was out of earshot, I whispered, “Josephine? Are you there?”
Though the moon was high in the sky, the trees in this part of the cemetery were dense and looming, not letting in much light. Another shiver darted down my back, and with shaky hands I reached in my back pocket for the flashlight I’d shoved there.
I clicked on the power. The beam of light was solid for a few seconds before flickering and going out.