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

I rolled my eyes, there was nothing more I could do. “So I should thank you for making me stronger then? Right.”

“Don’t worry, princess. I can just live with your perpetual gratitude.” He started walking again, giving me no chance to argue any further.

Which was probably a good thing, because I was lost for words. I had no idea what to make of Jet or whatever he said. But I did know he was dangerous and the sooner I got away from him the safer I would be.

We left the area that fell into the mole peoples’ territory. Jet stopped again suddenly. “This is the end of the road. Last chance to be personally escorted home.”

It could have been another trick. It couldn’t be so easy to get away from Jet and the horrible people he associated with.

Too easy.

Way too easy.

“I’ll be fine,” I replied, trying to keep my voice from wavering. I wanted to run for freedom but instead settled for being ready to spring. I wouldn’t be able to physically fight Jet, but I might be able to outrun him.

“Okay. Stay safe, princess. Feel free to visit anytime.” Jet shrugged and turned, walking back the way we had come with nothing more being said.

He didn’t even look back.

The shock of the whole day came crashing down on me like a lead weight. All the emotions I had been holding back threatened to overwhelm me before I could properly deal with them.

I started running.

Putting all my pain and anger into each step, I ignored all the burning from my limbs. I would seriously pay for the exertion later, but for now, I had to get away.

There was no place safe anymore. I couldn’t pretend I was running toward a haven that would cocoon me from the harsh reality of the world. I wasn’t that naïve. But I could return to the places most familiar to me and find Oliver.

I was still lost in the streets but I managed to find a few places I remembered from earlier that morning. Had it really only been a day since I set off? Time seemed to stand still underground as if it wasn’t a part of the world. An alternate universe that existed beside the one the rest of us lived in.

My body couldn’t maintain the pace and slowed down. By the time I recognized the shelter, it was dark. If it wasn’t for the few lights burning inside, I would have missed it altogether.

“Everly, thank God,” Oliver said as he spotted me. He was lingering at the shelter doors, his eyes scanning the room for familiar faces.

“Oliver, where have you been?” I asked, remembering the reason why I had set out so far that morning.

“I’ve been helping people all over the city. I’ve been looking for you for hours.”

I went to hug him with relief, but I stopped myself at the last minute. We weren’t people that hugged. We were friends, best friends, but we hadn’t overstepped the invisible line of more.

“You are never going to believe where I’ve been,” I said. “I’ll tell you everything, but let’s find a place to stay for the night first.”

Oliver nodded and waited while I got a small amount of food from the hall. They had cut their portions again, offering little more than a handful of cereals. The little girl I had met earlier filtered into my mind. The food was definitely running out. It wouldn’t be long before the starvation would truly set in.

I ate before I left the shelter, fearing someone would fight me for the meager serving. Oliver said he had eaten while waiting for me so he was ready to go when I was.

We walked around the streets until we found a quiet place. It was the basement of an apartment building. It didn’t look like anyone had discovered it yet, there were no signs of life or death through the windows.

I shoved a chest of drawers against the door once inside and took in the two rooms. They were tiny by any standards but they were relatively clean. Nothing was actually clean anymore.

Oliver was keen to hear about my day as we settled onto the floor. There was a couch in the room but it was full of mildew, ready to kill anyone who dared disturb its mold.

Launching into my tale, I saved the most startling part of my story until the end. I wanted to savor the look of surprise and utter shock I would surely receive with the big finale.

“…there were adults down there. Not many, but enough to know it wasn’t a fluke that they were alive,” I finished.

Oliver didn’t disappoint. His mouth hung open as his mind reeled with the news and all the possibilities it held. “Are you sure they weren’t spirits?”

I nodded eagerly. “They were real people. Jet could see them too. He said they’d never gone above ground since the Event. How do you think that’s even possible?”

He was quiet for a long time as he thought it through. I’d had all day to mull over the adults but he was still getting used to the idea. If I had told him I saw a rainbow unicorn he couldn’t have been more surprised.

“It can’t be possible,” he finally replied. “All the adults died. They’re all gone. Are you sure it wasn’t some kind of a trick? Jet isn’t the most reliable of characters, and these mole people, I don’t know what to say.”

I replayed it all in my mind, trying to work out if perhaps there was something I had missed. Could they have been playing a trick on me? Orchestrated it with nothing but smoke and mirrors to make me believe the impossible was, in fact, possible?

No matter how many times I