A Hunger to Share ( Book One )

chapter 26

Ada

They joined the boys, the four of them leaning over the exhumated grave, looking at the dusty, rotted casket. The smell was revoulting, but at least the wind was there to blow it away.

"Thank you." Maggie's voice was laced with gratitude. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"We do actually." Jack's smile was soft.

"Don't thank us yet." James jumped in the hollowed out grave. He opened the casket lid, revealing a dicomposed skeleton in a dusty black suit.

Ada saw Maggie shiver beside her and draped an arm around her. Looking down, Ada saw James slowly withdrawing a cylindrical, wooden box from his long, bony fingers that were crossed over his chest.

He streightened up, and held it out to Maggie with a little smile.  

"Thank you." She accepted it with luminious eyes and unscrewed the lid, fingers shaking slightly. "What the hell?"

A yellowish, rolled piece of paper stared back at them.

"I hate to say I told you so." James muttered.

The excited glow in Maggie's eyes had turned into a raging fire. "You've got to be fucking kidding me." She hissed through clenched teeth, almost crushing the box in her hand.

"Maybe we should have dug deeper..." Jack said half-heartedly.

"Or maybe it was a ruse from the start." James's tone was grim.

"No." Maggie said stubbornly. "I won't accept this..."

"Mag..." Ada put a hand on her arm.

"I didn't wait all this time for some stupid fucking letter. There has to be more. There has to be." She jumped in the grave, and started rummaging inside the casket.

Ada exchanged a look with the brothers. They shrugged helplessly. She sat down on the edge of the grave, unfolded the crispy paper and scanned the lines that were written in Arabic. It was a letter with Maggie's name towards the end in English.

"Mag you need to read this."

"I need to find the damned cure." She said without looking up, searching under her grandfather's casket, digging in the hard soil with her fingers.

It was an unsettling sight.

"I'd listen to her if I were you." Jack advised.

Maggie didn't bother to answer him.

"Why don't you read it yourself?" James asked Ada in a tight voice.

"I don't understand Arabic." She cast a worried look at Maggie.

"What's his problem with english? First the journals, and now this."

"Maybe he wanted to make it more of a challenge." Jack suggested.

"Well he certenly succeeded." James scoffed.

"Mag there's your damn name written on this." Ada thrust the letter in her face.

She stilled, crouched in the narrow grave then snatched the thin paper, and scanned it. "My Arabic is not that good but I'll do my best."

Ada rolled her eyes. "Don't be modest. You can learn new languages by just listening to them on the radio."

"You have your own unique talents too." Maggie wiggled her eyebrows and winked.

"If you two are done flirting we would like to know what the letter says." Jack said, leaning on his shovel.

Maggie cleared her throat. "I write this letter to any immortal who wishes to be mortal again. Dear reader, be careful. Once you take the cure, there is no going back. Use your second chance wisely, I'am afraid the amount I found was the very last.

The cure used to be in the possession of unworthy witches in Greece. I took it from them. Now it is safe with me. On the back of the letter you can see directions to the hidden spot of the cure. It is best to take a witch or warlock with you.

P.S: Dear Maggie, even though favoritism is wrong, I hope it is you who is reading this. I couldn't find you but I found the cure for you. I love you. I'm sorry I won't be here when... If you find the cure. I hope it changes your life for the better.

With best wishes, Jashoa Weber."

Maggie turned the paper around, and stared at the faded map snaking across it.

"It's advanture time." Jack announced with a grin.

"I still don't get why he didn't just put the cure right here, and saved us all the trouble." James said, irritated.

"He probably had a flare for the dramatic." Jack tried to hide his smirk with a pinch of his lips. Then he looked at Maggie. "No offense."

"You Ok?" Ada asked her.

Maggie was sitting beside the casket, one of her hands resting on her grandfather's skeleton, the other still holding on to the letter. "I didn't think he knew about me. When I realized he was the one who had stolen the cure, I dared hope but it was too far-fetched."

"Maybe he exhumated your grave." Ada suggested.

"Or maybe he saw me digging my way out of it."

"You actually did that?" James stated at her in awe.

Maggie sniffed, running a hand through her hair, leaving a smear of dirt behind. "I couldn't stay down there forever."

Ada wanted to hug her.

"Shit that's hardcore." Jack whistled.

Maggie closed the lid of the casket and pulled herself out of the grave, the letter crumpled in her hand. "You can fill it now." She dusted her clothe and only managed to get them dirtier.

"Are you sure?" Jack asked softly.

"I've wasted enough time being sentimental. The thing lying down there is not my grandfather, just a bunch of old bones." She turned on her heels. "I'll meet you by the car. I need to call my friends for back up."

Ada made to follow her, but Jack cought her arm. "I think she needs to be alone right now."

Ada looked at Maggie, getting further, and further away from her. "But I'm useless here."

James held out a third shovel. "Not really."

Ada narrowed her eyes at both of them. "You jerks."

"We thought you needed to talk." James explained with an apologetic smile.

"And now you think we don't?" She aske, confused.

"Yeah." Jack started to fill the grave.

"Thanks." Ada smiled appreciatively at them and joined the brothers.

"Don't mention it." James smiled back.

Ada threw her first shovelful of dirt into the grave.