The Ghoul's Game

2. The Graveyard - Part 1

     "You know what I love about your grandmother?" Hazel placed the plate of scrambled eggs and sausages on the table.

I looked up from my phone. "What?"

"I love your grandmother's fashion style," she said, looking out the window. Grandmother was outside in her garden pruning her orchids. "I just love the coastal grandmother look, you know. Although I'm not there yet, but I can completely picture myself one day smashing that look when I retire. Imagine having a cozy beach house and you're walking down the beach with a cup of coffee in hand."

"Yeah, I could totally see it." I smiled and took a sip of my coffee.

Hazel let out a long yawn and started rubbing her temples. "Stupid headache. I couldn't sleep last night. I kept hearing a cat nonstop meowing by the window. Did you hear it?" She placed two sliced breads in the toaster.

"Nope. I slept like a baby." I scooped up some eggs onto my plate.

"Are you sure?" She asked, looking confused. "It went on for hours. When I checked the window, there wasn't any cat there."

"Seriously, I didn't hear a thing."

"Your grandmother mentioned that her cat died, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, she did. That was probably the neighbor's cat. You know how cats love to roam around the neighborhood, especially at night. My cat does that all the time. Sometimes they don't come back for weeks."

She sighed as she sat down. "I wouldn't know. I've never had a cat. My parents wouldn't let me have one because they're allergic."

"Maybe you should get one when you move out someday," I suggested. "Cats are great companions. There are so many misconceptions about them."

Blinky, Morris, and Ash entered the kitchen, all drenched in sweat. Blinky looked like he would pass out anytime soon. He went straight to the refrigerator to grab a bottle of water.

"How was your run?" I asked.

"I almost died." Blinky replied as he finished drinking his water. He unzipped his jacket and sat down on the chair next to me. Blinky was a bit on the heavy side and had struggled to lose weight for the longest time.

"We hiked up that mountain five miles from here," Ash said, grabbing an orange on the table. "The view was sick."

"Sick is the right word, alright," Blinky quipped. "It sure made me sick."

"It's good for the health, Blink," Morris gave his shoulder a pat. "You did great. Keep it up."

"Did you guys hear that cat last night?" Hazel asked.

"No," Ash shook his head. The others did the same. We were all silent. "Why? You couldn't sleep?"

Hazel rolled her eyes. She seemed frustrated. "I don't understand. How come I was the only one that heard it?"

I reached out to hold her arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Maybe we were all just tired from the trip. You probably weren't as tired like us. Hopefully tonight you'll get a better sleep."

She nodded. "Okay. But I want to go out tonight."

Blinky let out a laugh. "You're not serious, right?"

Hazel grinned. "I'm dead serious. Now who's with me?" Everyone looked at each other. There was hesitation in everyone's eyes. Blinky had a stunned expression. I knew what he was feeling at that moment. We were both on the same page.