Go Home or Go Dead ✓

Goner.

You know those movies where the characters see downright horrifying shit and start to move toward them looking all curious?

That is so not me.

I stand there, frozen, like my spirit's been abruptly knocked out of my body, staring at the hundreds of headstones that keep materializing right before my eyes. I blink and stare again, and the headstones become even clearer.

But thankfully, I'm not the only one seeing them. I'd hate to be the only crazy one around here.

"Jesus Christ, what the fuck?!" Ilona shrieks beside me.

I try not to let her subsequent hysterics get to me. My mind was still trying to figure out what exactly is going on, and why we're suddenly in the middle of a graveyard.

"Maisie, say something! What happened out here?"

I give my sister a weird look. "I'm just as lost as you are."

Ilona flings her hand around as she tries to extract intelligible words from her brain. "But... But you saw this first. You came in and dragged me out here, but you don't know what's going on?"

I reach for the headstone three feet in front of me, against my better judgement. For all we know, these are someone's warped idea of an amped-up spook fest, and if it is, there's no way they'd get the headstones to actually look like real ones up close.

I tune Ilona's screaming out as I cautiously approach the headstones.

Vanessa Monroe. 1978 - 2012.

My brows scrunch as I move to the next headstone beside this one.

Diana Davidson & Danielle Davidson. 2001 - 2022.

My skin itches and burns simultaneously as I move to the next headstone.

Rio Smith. 1998 - 2022.

"Um, Ilona?"

"Oh, for the love of God, Maisie, get away from there. Who knows what'll happen if you touch those things?"

My brain confirms my worst fear as I slowly turn to her. As if she realizes the truth of our situation from the terrified look in my eyes, Ilona screams. Banshee worthy screaming that I swear shook the headstone beside me.

We're in an actual cemetery.

A cemetery that runs on acres and acres.

***

Thinking at the moment is a feat I can't handle.

After we sat on the porch considering our next step for a few minutes, I decide to get back into the house until we figure out what's going on. Ilona glared me down and firmly said we wouldn't be stepping back into the house, but we both want an explanation and a way back home. Sitting on the porch looking miserable isn't going to get us either of those.

I push past her and bang the door open, and that loud bass music drums into my ears and makes my head spin. Ilona shoves me from behind, apparently too sacred to be outside alone. I drag her in to a small empty corner, and we formulate out immediate plan.

"You're going to talk to one of those girls you were hanging with, and you're going to find out exactly where we are and what's happening."

If horrified was a person, it wouldn't stand a chance beating Ilona for first place. I would laugh if this were any other normal day.

"You want me to talk to these people?"

I nod. "Just like you were doing minutes ago."