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“A ghost,” I mumbled, feeling slightly delirious as I continued to watch her bob and weave around the headstones. “She has sharp claws and watches us when nobody’s looking.”
“Wh-what?” Claire choked out, gripping Patrick’s arm. “Is it the banshee?”
“No, it’s not, and there’s no banshee,” Patrick reassured Claire, wrapping an arm around her. “Liz is going through a lot right now. She probably hasn’t slept in days. It’s normal for a person’s eyes to play tricks on them when they’re going through something like this.”
“There’s nothing wrong with her eyes,” Hugh cut in, attention riveted to the headstone I last noticed her hiding behind. “I see her, too.”
“She’s here, isn’t she?” I choked out, turning to look at him. “It’s her, right? The one we saw in the woods by your house that day?”
“Yeah.” He nodded slowly, eyes narrowed as he stared off in the distance. “I think it is.”
“Hugh, stop it!” Claire cried out. “You’re scaring me.”
“They’re both sleep deprived, Baby-Biggs,” Patrick said, consoling her. “He’s been with her every day since the accident. Don’t worry about it.”
“Can you still see her?” Hugh asked, ignoring our friends, as he craned his neck to scope out the area.
“No.” I shook my head. “Can you?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“Well, that’s one bit of good news,” Patrick chimed in, still soothing Claire who looked like she was about to jump out of her skin.
It was at that exact moment I noticed the family that had come to stand beside my parents.
My blood ran cold immediately.
Hisfather was holding my father up, while his stepmother consoled my mother.
Betrayal more potent than anything I’d ever felt overcame me when I locked eyes on the boy standing besidehim.
He stared back at me with gray eyes.
Guilty eyes.
How could he do that?
How could he stand with him?
Didn’t he know?
Hehadto know.
I did what she’d asked.
She promised he would help.
He hadn’t.
Tears filled his eyes, matching the ones burning mine.
Narrowing my eyes, I flicked my attention back tohim. He was standing at my sister’s grave, taking their condolences and wearing his false grief like a badge of honor.
And that’s when it happened.
That’s when the first scream escaped me.
It was a shrill, piercing sound that caused everyone to turn and look at me.
