“He sure started it,” he’d said. “I thought I found a way out but then you finally showed up.”
“I don’t understand. What game? What’s going on?”
There had been no hesitation in Lloyd’s answer, no emotion either. Just that exhaustion. How had his coworkers not seen it? How had no one stopped him to check on him?
“I’ve been playing hide-and-seek,” he’d said, not at all showing signs that he was kidding. “But only one person can find me and you just did.” He’d glanced down at his phone. “And he knew you were here before I did. He sure is everywhere.”
Lloyd had sighed again, an all-consuming weight seemingly dragging him down. Rose had almost turned to James then, red flags springing up to make a sea around them, but Lloyd had been quick.
“Don’t let him know what I’m about to tell you or we’re both going to lose.”
Lloyd had just finished a phone call when they had first seen him, and he let her in on the conversation.
“We have ten minutes to get to the groundskeeper’s house at the Seven Roads Cemetery. If we’re not there by then and if we’re not alone, bad things will happen to whoever they took.”
Rose hadn’t for the life of her expected that.
“Whoever they took?”
Lloyd had flinched.
“That’s all he said.”
The sea of red flags took over the land too.
Lloyd, however, hadn’t tried to reassure her or persuade her after that. But she wasn’t sure any words could convince her faster than his utter look of resignation.
Rose had believed Lloyd then.
Still, she wasn’t a fool.
“We could still call for help,” she’d said.
Lloyd had shaken his head.
“I’m not taking that chance again. I’ve already learned my lesson.” He had flinched again before putting his phone in his pocket. “The time starts when we leave the hospital. What do you want to do about the big guy over there? He looks like he’ll stop us and get himself killed for it.”
Every word Lloyd had said lacked inflection, lacked emotion. Just matter-of-fact.
It sealed the deal for Rose right then and there to take this seriously.
There had been too many unknowns.
What shehadknown was she wasn’t going to leadJames into a situation that would put him and someone else in danger.
“My car is in the side lot,” she had said.
Lloyd, despite his obviously deteriorated emotional state, had understood.
“We’ll split up,” he’d said. “Whatever happens, I suggest you get there in ten minutes.”
Rose had wanted to turn to James, to call his name, to take him with her, but she put her trust into fear.
Now she had two minutes left as the side road that branched off to the house behind the cemetery came into view.
Everyone local to Seven Roads knew about Groundskeeper Demetri’s old house. Demetri was the last person to live there and die there, and since his time it had become the famed haunted house of the town. Teens went there on haunt nights and spoke to Old Demetri like he was a ghost lying in wait just for them. It was an easy way to kill boredom on a Friday night and an easier excuse to snuggle up with a special someone when things got too spooky.
Rose couldn’t fault anyone for it because she had been part of some of the first groups of teens to start the tradition of haunt nights and fake ghost-whispering. Blake and Price had even shown up a time or two with her, because when you grew up in a place as boring as Seven Roads, you had to get creative.
