Page 101 of Mystery in the Mountains

“What?”

“We have an agreement. I bring her moonshine, and she . . . ummm . . . helps me out with something.”

“Helps you out with what?”

The silence stretched out before them.

“Do you know about the Blacks?” Sunny asked, testing the water.

“What about them?”

Sunny shrugged. “There are rumors about them and the mountain. I was just curious about what you thought about them.”

“Rumors?” he asked, shifting uncomfortably.

She pinned him with a look, still trying to put together the pieces.

All the sudden, a gust of wind came at them, whipping her hair in her face. As she tried to brush the long locks out of her eyes, she saw it. About a half mile down the road, there was a car that had crashed up in a blaze. It hit her with certainty.

“You were there that night.”

“What night?”

“The night my mom died.”

His mouth dropped open, and his body shook with a stammer.

“You were there. I know it. What happened?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ll find Asher and tell him you’re here.” He turned quickly and booked it back to his car.

“Please, I just need answers.”

His footsteps slowed, but he didn’t turn. The wind was still blowing, causing strands of hair to obscure her vision.

When he turned, his eyes had gone from a faint red glow to full on glowing.

“What are you?” she asked on a breath.

“What?” he asked so quietly she could barely hear him above the wind.

“Look, I know this is going to sound crazy . . . but maybe not, if I’m right.”

He just looked at her with his cautious gaze.

“I’m a seer. So was my mom. She was in the car with the Blacks that night. I think you saw the accident. I don’t know how to describe it. I get these visions, and in these visions, there is someone in the woods with glowing red eyes watching the accident. I know that doesn’t make any sense, but here’s the even crazier part. There are times I look at you, and I see your eyes glowing red. Sometimes, it’s just a hint, like having a red eye in a picture, but just then . . .” Sunny shook her head and stopped.

“Just then what?”

“Just then, I saw the car burning down the road, and when you turned around, your eyes were glowing as strong as they were in the visions I have about the woods that night.”

He just looked at her, dumbfounded, but wasn’t disputing.

“I was there that night . . .”

“You were there? You saw what happened?”

“Yeah . . . I saw everything.”

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