A Pocket Full of Posies (Book 2)

Chapter Six (Part 1)

By the time we arrive back at the hotel, it's creeping up to one in the morning. No one text me after Jamie did, so I'm assuming they're all asleep. Either that, or they think I'm way more dedicated to my uni work than I actually am. The Tracker never reappeared. I was initially unnerved, but then remembered how I was seeing those things for months before anything bad ever actually happened to me at uni. Besides, I can just banish it if it does try to return.

Annabel explained the Tracker scenario to Lucy on the walk back, and pressed her about what she remembered while we were searching for her phone, but Lucy didn't say much. She probably needs a bit of time. She disappears once we reach the hotel lobby, so I figure it's best to leave her to it. I doubt what she remembered was too pleasant. I left my laptop with reception before I left, so stop by the desk to pick it up. It's the same lady, so she hands it to me easily enough, but gazes at me as if I'm wearing a dead puppy on my head as she does so. I'm too exhausted to question it.

I don't expect to find Tom or Jamie awake when I get to our room, so when I walk in to see two sets of eyes staring back at me, I almost jump out of my skin. Tom is eating, obviously, but what he's eating is beyond me. It looks like he's spooned a pile of baked beans in between two slices of bread, with lettuce.

"What in God's name happened to you?" Jamie scoffs.

"Huh?"

"Your arms," he replies as if I'm the stupidest person he's ever had the pleasure of coming across.

"Mate, is that shit on your hands?" Tom frowns.

I'm half tempted to point out that what he's eating looks like shit, but lose the thought when I look down at my arms. They're covered in scratches, some bloodied, and my hands are splattered with mud stains. How didn't I notice? I knew I was distracted walking home, but Jesus. Then all of a sudden, I remember Lucy's phone. I completely forgot I had it. I was so thrown off by the Tracker and my ridiculous reaction to it that I forgot why I was even there in the first place.

Without any explanation, I reach into my pocket to grab it, and throw it on my side of the double bed Jamie's sprawled his uni textbooks over.

"Felix?" Jamie asks. "Do I need to call Ava? Or maybe a psychiatric ward?"

"No, it's fine, don't worry," I mumble as I shuffle through the bedside cabinet for my phone charger. It should be the same fit. "A psych ward might be a shout though," I mutter to myself.

"What?" Tom asks from the end of the bed. He's still eating his sandwich.

"I found Lucy's phone," I say, figuring I probably should explain at some point.

"Who?" Tom again.

"The dead girl who's been following us since Aberdeen, you arse."

"Oh, yeah. That was mean, you're usually the nice one," Tom replies, and there's a look of genuine sadness on his face. He shoves the remainder of his sandwich into his mouth, which perks him back up. "I don't get it, doesn't she have her phone with her?" he asks, his mouth full.

I ignore the question as I'm too busy shuffling through my bag, and manage to locate my phone charger in one of its side pockets. I stand up and move around the bed to look for a socket, until I spot one near the window in the corner of the room.

"How would a ghost carry a phone, you moron?" Jamie snaps.

"How would I know?" Tom scoffs back.

"Where did you find it?" Jamie asks, turning back to me, clearly bored of arguing with Tom. "Buried ten feet underground inside a hole full of knives, judging by the state of you."