Chapter 15

Fifteen

"We're here," Cain spoke calmly over his shoulder, letting go of my hand as he rushed to the edge of the woods, drenched in complete blackness. The day had turned to night, forcing us to use our flashlights in the darkness as we trekked through. The terrain had become uneven, trees and mountains closing in all around us, tucking us away from the rest of the world.

"Finally," Ruby groaned, her maroon eyes glowing. She placed her hands on her hips, breathing heavily. "Next time," she huffed, "I vote that we drive. Or pick somewhere closer to where we're staying." Jinx giggled at her, causing Ruby to smile despite her annoyance.

"And not hike through some random, creepy forest? Aww, now where's the fun in that?" Lazarus teased, Alastair at his side. Ruby rolled her eyes once again, annoyed with his humor.

An owl close by hooted, startling all of us. "Can we just get out of here already?" Ruby pleaded. "I signed up for ghosts, not these spooky ass woods."

We stepped through the edge of the forest and came face to face with two ornate, gothic, iron gates seeded in large, filigree-carved stone pillars. Dead branches and foliage snaked along the metal, adding a harrowing layer to its presence. I aimed the beam of my flashlight to the metal letters above the gates and read out loud; "New Bedeville Cemetery." A cold wind blew through the woods as fall leaves swirled in the night air, carrying with it a grim presence that sent a chill up my spine.

Ruby's flashlight scanned along the thick, ivy-covered metal fence that enclosed the cemetery. "This place seems old." It was hard to see too far ahead, as the night had fully settled around us. "Old and decrepit." She wasn't wrong. The gate alone felt ancient, almost as if from another world.

"It's locked." Lazarus pointed his flashlight, revealing an old, rusted chain wrapped around the two gates with a large, antique looking padlock. "How are we supposed to get in? We can't jump the fence. Who knows how old it is or if it can even hold our weight? It's not safe."

Cain looked around. "All we need," he picked up a large rock as he tossed it back and forth in his hands, "is a key." He approached the gate, Lazarus' light illuminating the lock as Cain held it in his hand, observing it for a brief second. Without hesitation, he began to slam the rock into the padlock, hitting it over and over, grunting as he did so. I jumped with each loud impact, his aggression rather unsettling as a soft ringing crept within my ears.

"Easy, Cain," Lazarus spoke faintly. The loop of the rusted lock crumbled in Cain's palm, the residue falling onto the ground as the chains dropped free from the iron rods of the gate.

Cain grinned, proud of what he'd done. He gripped the gate, swinging it open, the metal shrieking as it moved, making the muscles in my neck tighten. "Ladies first." He motioned his hand.

Ruby and Jinx looked at each other, hesitant, before stepping forward. "You know you could've just asked one of us to help." Ruby pointed from me to herself. "Would've been a lot easier." She tossed her long hair over her shoulder, grabbing Jinx's hand as they cautiously moved, stepping past the entrance.

"Now where's the fun in that?" Cain smiled.

Alastair and I followed behind them, Lazarus and Cain shadowing us as we all entered the cemetery. The gates squeaked, slamming shut, causing the group to collectively jump in reaction. "Alright!" Cain shouted, clasping his hands together, excited by the heightened energy. "Who's ready to find some ghosts?" The rest of us eyed him, unsure of how to respond.

"So what's the plan? How do you want to handle this?" Lazarus questioned Cain, motioning around. Our flashlights wandered, revealing just how enormous and ever growing the cemetery really was. "This place is substantially larger than any we've ever investigated before." He wasn't wrong. The cemetery reached as far as my eyes could see, twisting up growing mountainous hills that reached high in the distance, thick woods trickling throughout. In an odd way, it was beautiful.

"We split up." The four of us turned, the yellow beams of our flashlights landing on Cain's face as he squinted his eyes, his hand shielding them.

"I'm sorry," Ruby said, lowering hers, "could you repeat that? I know I didn't hear you correctly, because it sounded like you said you want us to split up and investigate this place by ourselves?"

The rest of us lowered our lights. "You and Jinx can obviously stick together," he rolled his eyes, "but the rest of us are going solo." Was he serious?

"Maybe I should tag along with Alaska—"

"No," Cain cut Lazarus off. "She's got Alastair; she can handle things by herself. She doesn't need you. Right, babygirl?" His eyes fell to me, both men watching, waiting for a response.

Alastair nudged me. "Right," I stuttered. Lazarus watched me as my head fell in submission to Cain.

"Perfect. Now, Jinx and Ruby, you two can start here and work your way through the center of the cemetery. Lazarus, you head down south where the hill seems to dip and see what's down there. And Alaska," he smiled, "you take Alastair and head north, just up that hill." He pointed to the path just a few feet away. "I'll start from the back of the west corner and cover that side. Let's give it a few hours, investigate a bit, and see what we find before we meet back up. Everyone has their walkie talkies, right?" The group nodded. "Only use them if necessary. Remember, the batteries don't last as long as they used to." We all looked from one to another, hesitant to split up in such a large, unknown place where other people had gone missing. The idea alone was crazy, but slightly exciting. "Alright, let's do this!" Cain eagerly sprinted towards the west corner, ready to begin the investigation. Jinx reached into her bag, retrieving her dowsing rods as Ruby used her flashlight to guide them. They slowly stepped towards the center of the cemetery, obviously nervous. Lazarus waited until everyone was far enough away before stepping close to me.

"Are you going to be okay out here, investigating all by yourself?" His hand gently grabbed my waist, pulling me close. His body was warm, causing my skin to prickle as he held me tightly.

"I won't be alone. I have Alastair." The wolf huffed."Besides, it's just a cemetery. There's no one else here but us." I smiled as Lazarus leaned forward, kissing me gently. I wanted to stay in that moment forever, but he broke away from my lips.

"If anything happens, you change your mind," he grinned, "or you just want to see me—whistle." I nodded, knowing what he meant. "Now, let's see if this place is really as haunted as everyone says, or Cain's just blowing smoke up our ass."