"Oh, well then I’ll just take a jar of those boiled sweets."
Rhys pops one of the green apple sweets into his mouth as the rest are packaged up for me. I slip out some cash and hand it to him, refusing the change.
"Happy?" I ask Rhys when we get outside.
"Yes." He smiles.
"Har, har. Alright Charming, what’s next?"
"Have you been out to Dunhallow Keep?"
"No." Is he insane?
"Two minutes of touching to you." His eyebrows raise. "Let me rephrase. Ready to go out to Dunhallow Keep?"
"Yes." But I can’t hide the tremble in my voice. Any local boy worth his salt knows to avoid The Keep at all costs.
"You don’t really believe inThe Vanishingsdo you?" Rhys laughs. He’s from here he should be terrified of them!
"Yes!"
"Are you just saying that because it’s Yes Day?"
"No." He holds up two fingers but I don’t even care. "I believe inThe Vanishings, you’d be an idiot not to." My spine is tingling. "Granny Franny has made it very clear that even her pirate relatives avoid The Keep. You’re from here, you should know not to fuck with The Keep."
"But, it’s Yes Day." He turns away towards the car muttering something likeChicken.
"Yes, I know, but, why put ourselves through stress on Yes Day?"
"You made me shoplift."
"Which you made me atone for."
"Well, now you’re going to have to go to the creepy haunted castle with me." Rhys wiggles his fingers at me. His laugh lines crease with his smile and I know he needs this.
I can handle it for him.
We climb into the car and Rhys drives us towards impending doom like it’s nothing.
"I don’t understand how you can be so chill about this. You’re literally wearing the pants the," I lower my voice to a whisper, "disappearedwas wearing."
Rhys barks out a laugh. "I’ll take my chances."
"Your funeral. The disco-era ghost is totally going to take you first because my pants make me look like I’m from the future."
"Maybe he’ll want you because you’reDaddy’s Favorite."
"No chance, ghosts don’t fuck with Daddy energy."
He chuckles but still drives us out to the coast. Dunhallow Keep looms in the distance. We wind up the hill and park along the side of the road because there isn’t even a parking lot for this creepy as fuck destination.
The stone is almost black with grime and the storm clouds gathering just off the shore only add to the effect.
I can do this. I can put on my swishing big boy track pants and swallow the fear. Rhys never has to know I feel like I could barf and faint at the same time.
He folds his ink covered arms and leans over the steering wheel, gazing up at Dunhallow Keep before slowly shaking his head.
"What’s the story again?" I ask as I swallow some of my apprehension.
