The Art of Truth (TRC #2)

Chapter Fifteen - Ghosts and Zombies

A/N: Hi everyone :) I hope you're all well! Quick update: I go back to university tomorrow, so I won't have as much time to write anymore and unfortunately I didn't get anywhere close to my writing goals for the holidays. However, I do have almost enough chapters stocked up to keep uploading every two weeks, if all goes well. There may be occassional delays, but I think writing will go a lot faster now because I did also manage to plan out the rest of the book until the soon-approaching end. So, yeah. This was a chapter that I really had fun writing so please comment and tell me what you think! Read, enjoy, vote, comment and share! Also, Eid Mubarak for next week to my Muslim readers who will be celebrating. Wish me luck for my second semester! :)

~Hikari

Chapter Fifteen – Ghosts and Zombies

A gust of wind sent dust and flower-petals drifting as we hurried through the neat rows of graves. I shuddered as I stepped into the cold shadow of a towering headstone. The graveyard-keeper’s house stood in a corner, near the busy road. Aside from the hum of a lawnmower and our muffled footsteps, the graveyard was empty.

“Do you know where we’re going?” I asked Kairo, staying close to him. Sunlight banished fears of ghosts, but I didn’t want to get left behind. It would be easy to get lost amongst the labyrinth of the dead.

“Yes, I know more-or-less which way,” he answered.

He turned to the right at a path then stopped.

“Wrong way,” he muttered.

I stared down the path. The dates on the gravestones were newer.

“What’s down that way?” I asked.

“Graves. What else?”

I frowned and folded my arms, raising my eyebrows. I wasn’t convinced that was all. He sighed, catching my expression.

“Nothing, alright?”

I stopped following him and walked down the other path. I heard his footsteps catch up to me as he grabbed my shoulder.

“Don’t go that way, please?”

“I won’t, if you give me a good reason not to.”

“We’ve got to find the Lifemark. We can’t waste time.”

“The stop wasting time and tell me the real reason.”

I tapped my foot impatiently.

“My parents are buried there...and so is Isaac – Jared’s brother.”

He stared at the floor, concentrating on the gravel intensely while running a hand through his hair. I took a step closer, tempted to hug him.

“I don’t mind if you want to see their graves,” I said gently.

“I don’t want to see them,” he answered, stepping back. “Too many bad memories.”

I watched as he turned and walked away. I regretted bringing it up as I followed him deeper into the graveyard. I kept an eye on the headstones, watching as the dates grew further and further back into history. It was quieter; the bustle of the road fading to a faint buzz. Leaves rustled as a breeze disturbed them.

We reached the end of the graves; the remaining space disappeared into the trees.

“Where to now?” I asked, looking around.

“Through here. There used to be a sign...the really old graves are behind that gate.”

He pointed to somewhere between the trees. I peered to where he pointed, but saw nothing but shadows and branches.