All The Pretty Ghosts (The Never Series Book 1) Jamie Campbell (best life changing books .TXT) 📖

was his shotgun, I realized. “Let’s go. But if you pull anything, I’m going to shoot you. Do you understand?”

“I understand.”

“Take me to Kelly.”

I started the walk, following David. Michael kept his distance from me, making sure the shotgun was easily accessible as we moved. I doubted it even had any bullets in it. Most ammunition was in short supply. With nobody to run the factories, there was only a finite amount and most had been used in the early days after the Event. The moment when realization and panic had set in.

The silence between us was painful. To distract myself from my aching hunger and lingering bruises, I needed to talk. “So how did you get separated, anyway?”

Michael eyed me suspiciously before replying. “After... it happened, I went out for food. When I got back, the place had been ransacked and Kelly was gone. I tried to find her but it was like she just vanished into thin air.”

“Was that your house? The place we just left?”

“No. That was destroyed.”

“So you haven’t seen her for a year?” Their story was almost as horrible as the one I shared with my own sister. A year was a long time to look for someone. As much as your brain told you to give up hope, your heart never let you.

Hearts are determined organs.

Michael nodded. “Almost a year. I still go out searching for her. I see her face in every person in a crowd.” I knew how that felt, too. Everyone wore her face, just like the girl I had followed from the hall a few days ago. The one that led me into the trap.

“I guess your search will be over today.”

“Maybe,” he replied. He didn’t want to get his hopes up in case I was lying. If the situation was reversed, I would have been exactly the same. Hope and optimism only went so far. Despair and fear went much farther.

We walked in silence the remainder of the way as I tried not to make it seem obvious I was having a conversation with a ghost the entire journey. I was certain I looked as crazy as I felt at times.

David suddenly stopped in his tracks and pointed. “There, that’s the place.”

I wanted to stomp my feet and act my age for a moment when I saw what he was pointing at. Of course, it couldn’t have been a normal house like Michael had been staying in. No, his daughter was living in the sewers.

“Kelly lives down there,” I said reluctantly, anticipating the kind of reaction I would get.

Michael didn’t disappoint. “I’m not going down there. This is a trap. I knew it from the beginning. I can’t believe I was crazy enough to follow you like this.”

“It’s not a trap, she really does live down there.” In an effort to survive, some kids chose weird places to hide. I had chosen a house on a hill with forty-three ghosts. Kelly had apparently chosen an underground sewer.

To each their own.

“Kelly would never live in a sewer, she’s afraid of the dark. And germs.” Michael turned to leave. “I’m going home. Don’t ever speak to me again.”

I reached out and gently touched his shoulder, trying to stop him from leaving without getting shot in the process. David watched our every move with a frown that kept growing deeper.

“Michael, please stop. I’m not trying to hurt you or anything. I know Kelly lives in a tunnel down there.”

He stopped, shrugging off my hand. “How can you be so sure? And don’t give me that bullshit about knowing her. You can’t, not anymore.” His eyes blazed with anger. But there was something else in there too – pain.

I looked toward David for some guidance but he only stood staring at his son helplessly. He sure picked a good time to keep his mouth shut.

I gave the truth a go, to hell with it. I wasn’t getting anywhere anyway. “I know because I can see the dead. Your father guided me here and says Kelly is down there. He has no reason to lie, he loves you both and only wants to see you together again.”

The tension was thick between us as Michael tried to gauge whether I was a liar, insane, or honest. A real spectrum of choices he had to choose from.

“You’re wrong,” he muttered. “You just-”

“I’m not.” My own anger was starting to build. “Do you really think I wanted to spend the day walking all over town, trying to convince some idiot to come with me? Does that sound like a fun thing to do?”

He was momentarily taken aback. “You’re lying.”

“Oh my God. You know what? Fine, I’m lying. Go back to your rubble of a house and spend the rest of your life there. If you don’t want to find your sister then it’s no skin off my nose.” I started walking. I wasn’t doing it to make a point, I was really leaving. I didn’t care about the guy or his sister, his father could hassle someone else to bring them together.

I didn’t need them.

I didn’t need anyone.

I made it a block, and just as I was making plans to find somewhere safe for the night, a hand grasped around my arm. Michael stepped in front of me, blocking the path. “What’s my favorite ice cream flavor?”

I was about ready to punch him when David stood beside me. The cold emanating from his ghostly form sent a shiver down my spine. I looked at him for an answer. “Vanilla.”

“Vanilla,” I echoed.

“He’s really here?” Michael asked, his voice wavering. I nodded because I was too exhausted to actually speak. I wanted to be done with him. “Dad, I love you. I miss you.”

“Tell him I love him, too,” David said, not