Page 79 of Hell In A Handbasket
Jay takes a step forward, but I’m quicker. I’m intent. I place myself between him and her, and shoot my hand forward when he tries to inch to the left and go around.
“No. You don’t get to come to her.”
“Call the local police,” Soph waves him off. “Get them out here or whatever. But while we wait, I’m begging you to explain it. Please.” She turns back to Aubree and presses her hands together. “Please help me understand.”
“It’s not science,” Aubree moans. “It’s not logic. It’s not mind-reading, either,” she adds in a drawl. “It’s just… everything that exists and lives and grows,feels. I can look at you and know when you’re mad or sad or happy. And I can look at Jay and know he’s protective of you. I can look at Kane and know he’s stressed, simply by existing at this moment. And Archer,” smiling, she gestures his way, “I can know that, not so long ago, this would have stressed him out, too. But now he’s accepting. Of this. Of me. Of my relationship to Minka. Of Minka’s relationship to the dead.” She glances toward Tim. Then Fletch. “I don’twantto explain it right now. I don’t even know if I could. But I felt her here. I felt her fear. I felt her pain when he got her.” She glances back into the hole. “I can touch her remains and see some of what he did to her. Not his face. Not his name. But I can feel his hatred for her in those last moments. I feel her terror, too.”
“She was this man’s victim?” Soph’s jaw hardens that way I’ve seen so few times. “She was trying to escape, and he hurt her?”
“I feel…” She frowns, her brows pinching together. “She was a victim of her own behavior, too. There was an addiction here. Him to her. Her to him.”
“And then he killed her,” Kane growls. “They were fucked up, together. And maybe they could have been less fucked up apart, but he took that choice out of her hands and buried her just two feet under, barely ten feet into the tree line not so far from a lake where folks probably come swimming every single summer.”
“I’m not volunteering for this case.” Exhaling heavily, Aubree shakes her head and takes a step back. “We can report it, and we can show them what we’ve found. But I’m not digging anymore, and I’m not touching her again. I don’t want it.”
“Then we don’t take it.” Tim comes closer, careful not to interfere with what the cops will soon cordon off. “We’re going back to Copeland and leaving her behind.”
“She’s poison, too.” Aubree swipes her brow and stumbles toward him, taking his hands and crashing against his chest. “She lived a hard life. But she died harder.”
“This… is…” Soph exhales, jittery and excited. “Holy shit balls, Aubree! This is amazing.”
“Soph—”
“Wait.” Aubree turns steely straight, snapping her eyes closed and swaying, forcing Tim to hold on or let her tumble. She tips her face to the sky and fists her hands.
It’s like she’s possessed.
Like something else controls her.
Someone else.
“Aubree.” My heart gallops painfully fast. My stomach rolls. This is different. This is completely outside of every experience I’ve ever had with her. “Aubree, what’s wrong?”
“Death is coming for you, too.” Her eyes remain closed. Her body, trembling all over. “October. I see Halloween decorations. I see all these people.” She gestures toward our group. Past me to those who watch on in horror. “It’ll come from someone you trust. Something you trust.”
“Me?” Soph’s eyes flare wide. “I’m the one who’ll die?”
“It’ll be cold out.” Aubree shivers, curling in on herself. “It’ll be a gift. Poison. Something you normally enjoy.” She rubs her arms and shakes her head. “It’s goodbye, Soph. It’s…” She shakes her head. “It’s too late.”
“The fuck it is!” Jay stomps around the clearing and grabs his wife. He shoves her behind his back and points straight in Aubree’s face.
Though her eyes remain closed.
“Fix it, Emeri! You fucking fix it.”
“Poison?” Soph wonders. “Through something I normally enjoy?”
“Candy,” Jen whispers. “Halloween candy!”
Drawing a fast, hissing breath, Aubree startles and whips her head down again, slinging her eyes open. It’s like she was asleep, and now she’s… not. “Woah.” Blinking, blinking, blinking, she meets Tim’s eyes. Then Jay’s. Then Soph’s. “W-what are you doing?”
“What areyoudoing?” Soph tears candy out of her pockets, tossing gummy worms and sour patch babies into the trees. “Someone’s going to kill me?”
Confused, Aubree blinks owlishly. “What?”
“You said someone was gonna kill me?”
“No, I didn’t.”
