They Know Me

PROTECTION

My eyes opened. Night had fallen. It was time to go.

I got up, and after making sure I had the house key with me, I practically tip-toed out of my bedroom and down the stairwell to the front door. I opened it slowly and stepped out. Carefully, so my aunt wouldn't hear and wake up, I locked the door behind me, and then quickly went out to the sidewalk and continued my way down my street to Cemetery Raven.

As I passed Rhys' house, I glanced up at his bedroom window. The curtains were drawn, but through a small break in them, I could see his light was on. As much as I wished things were different, and that he was coming with me, because I wanted it, my efforts had fallen flat. He wanted nothing to do with the warehouse, or with ghost hunting – and I'd have to accept it.

I crossed the street to the cemetery and walked to the entrance ... just as Zaamee started to appear. When she was fully materialized, she turned.

Her wordless stare made me uncomfortable.

Wishing Zil was there to break the tension, I started to ask where he was ...

"I apologize for keeping you waiting. I was unavoidably detained."

I knew what that meant. I turned.

It was impressive ... not a drop on his face to hint at his crime.

"I'm sure you were," answered Zaamee. She looked back at me. "Where is Rhys?"

"He didn't want to come. Being at the warehouse was too much for him."

Zaamee looked at Zil. "I returned to the repository. As I suspected, the boy and his mother are locked in with one who is malevolent – but then, another showed himself. He is there to protect the child and the woman."

Going back would be a scary enough thing to do, but knowing the ghostly boy and his mother were locked in with something prone to violence made me even more determined to help them. "I don't care if it is evil. We can't leave Sonny and Chelsea there to fend for themselves. It could damage them."

"It could, but you must consider yourself. There are dangers and pitfalls. This will be no small feat, and you're a mortal. It could strike out at me or Zil and cause no serious harm." Zaamee cast a knowing glance at Zil. "But if it assaults Ashe again, she could pay the ultimate sacrifice."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

Zil's reply was guarded and secretive. "She means, chere, that you can be hurt."

"Not hurt – dead. If the protective one believes you're there to harm the boy, it may focus on you, which could result in both entities attacking you."

Suspecting they were trying to talk me out of going back to the warehouse, I lifted my chin in defiance. "I chose to be a ghost hunter, and I'm not abandoning them to face that thing through eternity. I'm coming."

Zaamee slowly smiled. "You're right, Zil. She may have potential after all."

Before I could ask what she'd meant by her comment, Zil quickly interjected, "I think we should focus on Rhys before Ashe's cleansing."

"Wait – what are you going to do with Rhys? He doesn't want to go back."

"We need to perform a metamorphosis of thought," Zil answered.

"A – what?"

"Mind alteration."

Alarmed by what that could mean for Rhys, I replied, "No. You're not messing with, altering, or morphing anything with Rhys' mind! He's been through enough. He quit. We'll just have to do it without him."