No More Secrets (Book 2)

6. Two for Yes, One for No

I didn't know how long I was alone in that room. Long enough for the light to begin to fade outside, at least. I had tried to see out the window, but there were only tree trunks in my view.

I wish I had my phone on me. It was store policy to keep all phones in the back office while we worked. I didn't always follow that rule, but of course, today just had to be one of the days I did.

They had to know that I was missing by now. Kelly would have come in for her shift and found the doors open, the unattended money in the register, and me gone. I wondered if she called the police. Or Dylan.

God, Dylan. Does he know yet? Would he realize a ghost took me, rather than some creep the cops might suspect? Or maybe he'll think I left him. After what happened last night, he might come to the ridiculous assumption that that was too much weird ghost shit and I ran.

I hoped he wouldn't think that. I wanted him to know that no matter what happened, I'd never leave him. He should know that already.

My stomach growled and I realized just how hungry I was. Would the ghost woman come back at some point? Would she even care about keeping me alive or did she want me dead?

Why would she even take me in the first place? She knew my name. She knew about the pendent, although I wasn't sure how she was able to get close enough to take it off me.

I had a feeling that this whole thing had something to do with my mother. Any other possibility I could come up with just didn't make any sense. But my mother was gone, we made sure of it. The thought that she might be back terrified me to no end.

I watched the window to pass the time. The shadows gradually grew longer, stretching across the floor until they finally faded into the surrounding darkness.

Dylan had to know I was missing by now, no doubt about it. We had talked about possibly going out to dinner tonight. I was going to bring up the idea of finally starting our wedding planning. There would be no ghost talk, except for when Dylan excitedly told me about whatever he had Jenny figured out she could do today. It was supposed to be a nice night.

Instead, I got kidnapped by a fucking ghost.

I leaned back against the cold concrete wall, tucking my knees to my chest. Looks like this was as comfortable as I was going to get for the foreseeable future.

I must have managed to drift off a bit because I was startled awake when I felt a hand on my arm. In the dark, I couldn't see anyone, but I had a feeling I wouldn't have been able to see whoever it was if it was light out either.

"Hello?" I asked, my voice shaking way more than I expected it to. "Who's there?"

The hand stayed, putting a bit more pressure on my arm, but not enough to hurt me. It had to be a ghost, but it didn't seem to be the same one that brought me here in the first place.

That left one other option. "Jenny?" I asked into the darkness.

The ghost started tapping their finger against my arm, almost as if in excitement. The taps hurt, though.

"Okay, okay. That hurts." The taps stopped. "Um... two taps for yes, one tap for no. Are you Jenny?"

Two taps.

"Did Dylan send you to find me?"

Two taps.

"Do you know where this place is?"

One tap.

I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat. I was never going to be able to get home. I was going to die here. If Jenny couldn't figure out where I was, then she wouldn't be able to tell Dylan.

"Please tell Dylan that I love him," I told Jenny. My eyes were starting to tear up. "And he shouldn't blame himself for this. I think this might have something to do with my mom. I don't know what though. Just... please make sure he's okay without me."

Jenny placed her hand on mine and squeezed gently. The next second, her hand was gone and a slight chill ran through my body. I knew in that instance that I was alone once again.

I just hoped that that really was Jenny I was talking to. Maybe then I'd have a chance of getting home to Dylan.