Ghosts of July (Shamans of the Divide, Book 1)

Chapter Twenty

The birds woke me up with their pre-dawn chattering outside the cabin window. I could see outside that the sun hadn't come up yet and a faint greenish glow lit the sky. It was foreign to me, a girl who loved her late mornings, and it was oddly beautiful.

Seeing Ernie seated on that kitchen folding chair wasn't nearly as lovely. My heart nearly leapt through my throat and it was all I could do not to drop the biggest, meanest f-bomb ever.

From his post near the window, I saw him give me the once over. I glanced down to see what he did: somewhere along the way, I'd lost my sweatshirt, but other than that and some really messed up hair, my tank top and my sweats left me decent.

Ernie winked anyway. I scowled at him and gave him a shrug as if to ask him what he wanted. I had to be quiet as Renn was still asleep on the tiny sofa bed. In my short absence, he'd already stretched out his long legs in my spot. Figures.

"I knew it," he said. His voice was a bit on the loud side and I winced, just about to hush him when I remembered Renn wouldn't be able to hear him anyway. I just shook my head at Ernie as if to tell him he didn't know anything. He didn't.

"You've got that just-got-the-greatest-kiss-of-your-life look," Ernie was teasing me now. "I should know. I gave plenty of broads that same look in my day. I told you that you two were the item, didn't I? Not you and that feminine looking kid in your pictures. This kid—he's the one."

I shook my head a little, but couldn't risk trying to explain that there wasn't really anything between Renn and me. That amazing kiss and moment we shared had really been a mistake—a fantastic, earth-shattering, life-changing mistake that probably wouldn't happen again.

"What do you want?" I whispered mostly to shut him up.

"You see all those spooks out yesterday? Is that why you're here?"

I nodded.

"I figured as much. I was going to warn you that something's calling them out from their graves in big groups, but I guess you've already seen that," Ernie wiped his hand across his mouth, as though in deep thought. "The spooks aren't themselves. Hard to believe it, but they're mindless right now."

I frowned.

"Like zombies?" When Ernie looked confused, I realized he didn't grow up in the apocalypse-obsessed generation that I did. "The undead. Walking brain eater things?"

He gave me a funny look, but finally shook his head.

"Maybe, but not yet. They don't have bodies. They're still ghosts right now. But there's an army of them building out by the stones."

I'd never heard of the stones, so I shot Ernie a questioning look.

"Ask your boyfriend over there," he pointed at Renn who was stirring. "He'll know all about them."

Ernie looked down at Renn once more.

"You tell him you talk to spooks yet?"

I nodded and smiled.

"And he believed you?"

Another nod.

"Kid's just as crazy as you are. I'll come back and check on you later. Try to keep your clothes on—it's going to be a hell of a day."

Renn moved again and I turned to see if he'd woken up. Glancing back, Ernie was already gone.

"It was your ghost friend, wasn't it?"

I spun around and found Renn on his back with his arms over his eyes. He wasn't even looking at me.

"How did you know?"