I claw myself through the rest of the week, counting down the days until the weekend. My sister Grace tells me I should find a job I enjoy but in a town as small as Silverwick, you settle for what pays rent. Many would say I have an interesting life. A group of friends, my own apartment at 21, partying on the weekends, but I can't deny that something is missing.
"Yo, earth to Dani." I'm dragged out of my daydream and real life comes back into focus. An annoyed Monica looks back at me.
"You're going with me tomorrow night to the drive-in party. No backing out this time, right?"She questions me, propping her feet up on the diner booth.
"I was thinking I would just stay home and do some cleaning, you know, to clear my head," I protest. For a second I think her eyes are going to pop out of her head and fall in her drink.
"I know you're avoiding running into a certain someone, but you can't shut out all of your friends in the process. You're going." Monica says with finality, passing me a $5 bill for her soda. "I'll pick you up at 9 tomorrow." and with that, she's gone.
I know Monica has my best interest at heart by forcing me to go to the drive-in party, but it bothers me nonetheless. Monica deals with her feelings by surrounding herself with friends. I deal with mine by isolating myself until they disappear. We're total opposites in every way so I can't blame her for trying to help in the only way she knows how.
We've been talking about the drive-in party for weeks so I decide it's best if I stick to my word and go. For Monica's sake.
Closing up shop is not a fun task. It entails cleaning the place top to bottom, cashing out and trying to get all the night owls out on time.
Still, no one warned me during my training about the creeps that hang around out front smoking cigars every Friday night.
As I count the bills in the register, there's a group of them chatting in a small circle in front of the window. I recognize a couple of them as Hank miller and Cody Roy but the other two older gentleman are a mystery.
As I'm almost done cashing out and about to start my next task, I notice a shift in the conversation outside. It turns from cordial to hostile. Then to pushing and shoving. I feel for my phone in my pocket.
As quickly as the fight starts it ends. One of the unknown men breaks up the fight, they all put out their cigars and head to their own cars.
I breath a sigh of relief, thankful I don't have to call the police to break up the altercation and that I can complete the rest of my closing tasks in peace.
As I'm closing the blinds and getting ready to clock out, I make the mistake of looking outside into the night. It's the same as it always looks, flickering streetlights, no cars for miles. I squint my eyes as I try to see in the distance.
There behind the trees, among the gravestones, a shadowy human figure moves to each one, then kneels in the dirt. I can't make out what they're doing but a grim curiosity sparks in the pit of my stomach.
I go to the cabinet and grab a small kitchen knife. As I push open the front glass door, the bell chimes deafeningly loud against the wind.
What am I doing? No turning back now. Why is someone in the graveyard at this time of night? I'm just like those girls in the movies that walk towards the monster instead of running.
Too many thoughts crowd my brain and I struggle to breath. It's chilly outside and I tell myself that's why I'm shaking. I don't know what is possessing me to do it, it's just a gut feeling pushing me in the direction of the cemetery.
Nuna always taught me: when your intuition about something calls, answer it. Maybe this wasn't what she meant.
When I cross the street, the gates loom above me like a bad omen. Telling me keep out. Go away.
I push it open and peer around at the ancient cracked tombstones and monuments. Vines cover most of them and the names have become blurred with age. It's too dark to see clearly so I turn on my phone flashlight and scan the cemetery.
I hear a rustling of leaves to my right and I move the flashlight in that direction. Something reflective catches the light and I see that's it's a pair of piercing emerald eyes. I step forward to get a better look at the person's face and before I could make it out they turn around and push through the brush leaving me standing alone in the cold.
Where the shadow once stood, a satchel lays in the dirt. I snatch it up and bring it back to the diner in hopes there might be an ID of the person inside.
The thought of some weirdo running around in the graveyard at this time of night doing hell knows what turns my stomach. They could be grave robbers- or worse.
Upon dumping the contents on the counter, I don't find what I'm looking for. Junk. All junk. A half empty pack of gum, a pair of black gloves, a flashlight, a jar of beetles? And peppermint candies (they either really love their sweets or have chronic bad breath.)
As I'm putting everything back in the satchel something aurous and polished catches my the light.
A key.
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P.s Tysm for reading and likes & comments are always so appreciated💜💜
?????What do you think the key is for?????
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Sideshow
Mystery / ThrillerDani is a psychic medium and witch, giving her the ability to talk to spirits and ghosts. When an eccentric new family moves to her small town of Silverwick, she finds herself caught up with their mysterious son, Neil, and she's thrown into the worl...
