Keeping Secrets (Book 1)

Chapter 8: Risk

"Like I said last week - this is dangerous," Nina started as she lead me over to the couches we were sitting on last time. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

I sat in the same spot I had been in as well. "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't."

She nodded, but didn't say anything. It was almost as if she didn't believe me.

I gestured towards the book on the table. It was the one she had read out of last time. I guess if it was still out, then it had useful information. "What did it say about this whole thing?" I asked.

She took a deep breath. "There's only one creature able to cause such harm to ghosts."

"And that is?"

Nina stood and started pacing back and forth across the room. After a moment, she stopped, staring straight at me. There was a lot of fear in her eyes. "Death himself."

I felt every hair on my body stand on end as a shiver went down my spine. That couldn't be right, could it? Was there actually a Death? And why would he be attacking the ghosts? According to any myths I've ever heard as a kid, that Death figure brought people into the afterworld when they first died. He didn't hurt ghosts.

I must have had a look on my face because Nina started laughing. It wasn't a humorous laugh, more like a dry "told-you-so" laugh. "Yeah, not exactly a walk in the park. The book only mentioned that the only thing that could hurt a ghost as badly the one I saw - or you saw - is Death. But, as far as I know, he's never done that before, and definitely not to this extent. All of the ghosts are missing. I'm terrified that Death killed them all."

"Why would he do that?" I asked. "They're already dead. Why would he have to kill them again?"

"That's what I've been trying to figure out. It makes no sense." Nina sat back down on the couch. "But if we get in contact with Death, we might not survive the conversation. That's what makes this so dangerous. Are you willing to risk your life?"

When she put it like that, I no longer knew if the risk was worth it. I kept hearing Travis' voice in my head, reminding me that the ghosts were already dead. Did I want to risk my life for a bunch of dead people?

"You have people here that care about you," Nina went on when I still hadn't said anything. "Your boyfriend, for one. I'm sure you have parents, other family? And you said your sister was dead, right? How would they feel if they lost you too?"

I shook my head. "You're not making this easy for me."

"It shouldn't be easy," she shot back. "This is literally a life or death situation we might be dealing with here. I have to do this. My entire job - life, even - depends on these ghosts being around. I have nothing to lose. You do, Dylan. Which is why I told you to leave last week. I don't need to be responsible for you getting hurt or killed."

For some reason, her saying that made me want to prove her wrong. "It wouldn't be your fault if I did. I want in."

"Are you s-"

"Yes, Nina. God, give me some credit. I can handle myself."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Against Death?"

I mimicked her, crossing my own arms, hoping to appear more confident than I felt. "I almost died once and I survived. I'm not scared of him."

Nina rolled her eyes, but uncrossed her arms as she leaned forward. "Alright, Dylan," she said. "If that's what you want. I'm not going to try to stop you from doing this. Again."

"So how are we doing this?"

Nina barked out a laugh. "I have no freaking idea." She sighed, leaning back into the couch again, gesturing to the bookshelves. "I've been researching everything I could about him, but I barely know anything. I don't even know where to begin looking for him."

I shook my head, even more clueless than she was. I didn't know how much help I would even be. She was knowledgeable about the ghost realm when I had only ever talked to my grandmother and sister before - none of those conversations ever dealing with the whys or the hows of the existence of ghosts. Nina had the experience and the books about it all, and yet she still didn't have a clue. We didn't stand a chance.

My phone started ringing in my pocket. Confused, I pulled it out only to see Travis' name on the screen. I sighed, ending the call. I'd call him back later, when I was where he didn't want me to be. He'd never understand if I told him I was with Nina.

"Need to go somewhere?" Nina asked me.

I shook my head, tucking my phone back into my pocket. "Travis, sorry. He can wait."

Then a thought occurred to me. "You've read all the books you have here, right?" I asked Nina. She nodded. "Have you looked elsewhere?"

"A bit on the internet, but I don't usually trust too many sites these days to tell me the truth."

"Travis works in a bookstore. A little shop in town that has a lot of local knowledge books. I'm pretty sure they have ghost books too. Not fiction story ones."

Nina's eyes went wide. "I haven't even thought about going to a bookstore!" she exclaimed. "This is perfect! We need to go there."

My phone started ringing again and I sighed. Travis needed to stop calling me right now. Couldn't he tell I was busy? But when I pulled my phone out of my pocket to silence it, my screen said Mom on it, instead of Travis.

"Crap," I muttered. There's only one reason she would be calling me moments after Travis did when I told her I was out with him. He showed up at my house looking for me. That's the only explanation I could think of.

I knew that neither of them would stop calling me until the found me. It was better to just go home and make up some lie than answer the phone here.

"I have to go," I said, standing up. "I'm sorry. But I'll check out the bookstore tomorrow, maybe. If I can. See what's there."

"You know, I can always go too. What else am I doing with my life right now?"

In the few minutes before I left, Nina and I exchanged phone numbers and agreed to meet up tomorrow at the bookstore Travis worked at. I just really hoped he wasn't going to be working tomorrow, otherwise I was going to have some explaining to do.