Page 67 of Death and Do-Overs

My confession paired with Levi’s reluctance to reciprocate had left me feeling off. But the good thing about my current situation was that whatever horror I was about to face, I wouldn’t have to face it alone.

With a groan and a grunt, the dead guy’s legs were dragged two feet away from where we were crouched.

This was it. We had only this one chance to follow them to their lair, and with any luck, also to Nie’s body.

Levi’s shamrock eyes glittered in the darkness, siphoning every ounce of evening light that poured in from the open door. His jaw was clenched, his fingers set on the ground in front of him in the pose of a sprinter poised to take off at the start of a race.

Imogen aimed her phone between the boxes and silently snapped photos of the muckwarts. I was grateful she’d turned off her flash.

All three of us were ready to move, just as soon as we could do so without being noticed.

In short but rapid bursts, the body scraped along the floor toward the door.

I held my breath until my ears were met with silence.

Levi wordlessly rose to his feet. He tapped both Imogen and me on the shoulder. We followed him to the doorway, then outside.

“Can I whisper?” Imogen mouthed.

Levi answered with a curt nod.

“How far ahead are they?” Imogen whispered.

“Not far,” Levi whispered back. Then he paused mid-step and raised his hand in a stop gesture.

Imogen and I stopped, too.

I took in the details of my surroundings, searching for any sign of what he might sense. The tangy aroma of decaying leaves filled the air, mixed with the musk of damp stone and the dry smoke of a wood stove.

I could no longer make out the scraping sound of the body dragging across the ground, instead there was only a rusty gate creaking as it swayed open and shut. It was Halloween evening, so why didn’t I hear children running around in the streets trick-or-treating?

Now that I was thinking about it, I hadn’t seen any children since I’d arrived in Nevermore. Perhaps children were like carshere, unnecessary and ill-fitting with the town’s culture. Perhaps anyone with any sense moved elsewhere rather than procreate in a place where monsters were welcome to eat people without consequence.

No matter the cause of the quiet, I had no idea what had made Levi pause.

He put his finger to his lips and took featherlight steps down the alleyway.

Imogen’s heels clacked against the stone. She cringed and stopped, then pulled off her shoes and tucked them under her arm.

The alleyway narrowed, leaving width for only one person at a time.

We followed Levi in silence, Imogen barefoot and snapping pictures along the way from the rear, though I couldn’t fathom what would be worth recording here.

I assumed we were following just close enough that Levi could see which way the muckwarts headed, but far enough that they didn’t notice us. I couldn’t tell anything from my position in line.

As we crept across town, the sky grew darker. Pockets of light and shadow moved in a hypnotic dance along the cobblestones.

Before long, night would be upon us, and it would only grow more difficult to keep track of the muckwarts’ trail.

Finally we reached the edge of town, and beyond that, a forest of towering pines. And I got a real look at the muckwarts we followed.

They were nothing like I expected.

There were three creatures dragging the body across the forest floor, each with green skin, pointed ears, and a height of about two and a half feet. They didn’t resemble what I’d envisioned a troll to be.

Muckwarts were goblins.

I pulled on Imogen’s sleeve.

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