“Hell. It’s another sign,” Lanie says, far too serious for my liking.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Lanie. That was no sign from Hell. If it were, you’d be thrown into the deep, strangled, and gutted.”
My head snaps to Corinne, face screwed up. “Geez, Corinne. That’s a bit much, don’t you think?”
Lanie sighs. “She might be right. He was a sign that I need to get a move on. One ritual down. More to go.”
“Better get moving before Superstitious Sally goes berserk,” Corinne says, starting the car.
We’re on our way to Wintersgate Cemetery to deliver the additional bundles of flowers we purchased from the grocery store, and nobody says a word. Everyone is focused on Lanie, watching her fidget in the front seat.
I think she needs to see Natalia. Whatever the horrible dream was, it has a hold on Lanie that isn’t healthy.
“The plan is to get in and get out,” Corinne tells the group. “We place the flowers on the first graves we come across and leave.”
Lanie clears her throat. “No.”
“No?” I say, head tilting to the side, staring into the back of Lanie’s head.
“We need to place the flowers on specific graves,” she says, voice far off. “We need to find graves of a person whose first or last name starts with ag,u,y,l,i, andt.”
“Guylit? Why?” I say, my voice rising incredulously.
“We just do.” The tone of her voice has me very worried. Lanie is clearly going through something.
“We should probably split up then,” Nina says. “I’ll take thegandi. Alyssa, would you take theu?”
I bob my head. “Sure.”
“Corinne, you have thet, and Lanie, you haveyandl.”
We all agree with Nina’s suggestion, wanting to get in and out. It would’ve been a great plan, but when we arrive, the gates are closed, locked by a chain.
“We really should’ve known that this would be the case. Not like they’re going to leave the cemetery open for vandalization,” Nina says, and she’s not wrong.
We were not thinking.
“Now what? We can’t get in there,” Corinne says, turning back to look at Nina and me.
“Well…we could just throw them through the gates and be done. We’ve technically visited a cemetery,” I suggest. “We’ll just have to be okay with not finding specific graves.”
“No, we must step foot on hallowed ground. And it must be done the way I said,” Lanie says, and I shoot her a look.
“Where did it say that? I don’t recall that as part of the tradition,” I challenge, about done with catering to an idea that’s bordering on insanity.
“It is. I know it is,” Lanie snaps, eyes trained beyond the giant gates of the cemetery. “Just like we all knew you were telling the truth when you said you could see ghosts, I need you to stop questioning me and recognize that I know what I’m talking about.”
I slam my mouth closed because she’s got me there. Who am Ito question? Strange things have been happening to us all. Maybe this dream is something more. Something sinister.
“We could go to the crematorium and set the stove to begin at midnight. I know my dad has something that could break that lock,” Corinne suggests, and I make a strangled sound.
“We’re not breaking into the cemetery,” Nina says, and I nod my head vigorously, grateful to know she’s on my side.
“I agree with Nina,” I say. “As much as it sounds like a cloak-and-dagger night of fun, it has bad idea written all over it.”
“Cloak-and-dagger?” Corinne laughs. “Alyssa…I thought we had a conversation about your use of outdated phrases. Do better,” she snaps, and I glare at her.
“Well whatever you want to call this idea, I’m not on board. There is no way I can go to jail for trespassing. It would ruin my future plans.” I lean toward Lanie. “I’m sorry, Lane, but I can’t do this.”
