Dead End: Midnight Hollow by Penn Cassidy (free novel 24 TXT) 📗

don’t believe it’s alluding to your demise. If death was in your future, it should have been quite clear.” He tapped his chin with his finger a couple of times before saying, “I’m unsure, but from what I can tell, your future seems to be uncertain of itself. I believe you’re at a crossroads, and it’s up to you to decide which way you will turn.”

I gave Frank a droll look. “But isn’t that the entire point of free will in the first place? I don’t get it… Are you defective?”

A sharp, surprised laugh fell from his lips. “You mortals are very loose with your tongues.” He clucked his tongue at me. “No matter. I only urge you to stay vigilant in the coming days. I have the sense that the darkness isn’t done with you quite yet.”

Okay…it was time for me to leave. I’d had just about all I could take of Frank for one lifetime. “We’ll it’s been lovely chatting with you Frank. I’m gonna get going and try to forget this conversation ever happened. What do I owe you?”

He waved a hand at me. “Your money's no good here, Miss Hallowell.”

I cocked my head to the side. “Why do you keep saying that?”

He smiled, and this time, his smile was nearly sweet and old-manish. “I knew your father, David, when he was just a young man, only a little older than yourself.”

Sucking in a breath, I couldn’t help but take a step forward. “You knew my dad?” My eyes were wide, and already, I could feel the sting of tears behind them. Just the mere mention of him was enough to get the waterworks revving up.

Frank nodded, that top hat bobbing. “Lovely fellow, and incredibly sharp. He used to bring me tea when he passed through this side of town. He and your mother were excellent people, kind and generous.” His eyes twinkled with memory, before looking at me. “You look so much like Mari.”

My lips were quivering now, and I suddenly felt bad for all the not so great things I’d thought about Frank. If my parents had liked him, then how bad could he really be? I trusted my parents’ judgement, even when I didn’t always agree.

“I miss them a lot,” I found myself saying. “I wish they could have come here with me. I wish they would have told me where I came from. Maybe then they wouldn’t be—”

“It’s no use worrying over what could have been, sweetheart,” Frank said softly. “The only thing we have the power to control is what is to come. I may see glimpses of the future, but nothing is ever set in stone. If you want to live a life in honor of your mother and father, then listen to your gut. Listen to the warnings your intuition provides you with, and it’ll never steer you wrong.”

I left Frank’s shop in a daze, not sure how to feel. I didn’t exactly feel upset, but I definitely felt like something had changed. I knew there were more things about this place that I still needed to figure out, and there were things about my parents’ death that were bothering me.

Perhaps the aunties and I had a lot to talk about still. A tiny part of me was dreading it. Another part of me wanted to go back to my parents’ graves and demand they tell me why I was being forced to go through all this without any warning. But I knew they wouldn’t be there. They’d moved on to wherever it was people went when they died, and there was nothing to resurrect.

I shook off Frank’s ominous words and waved the guys down. They sat outside on a bench, just outside a small café. I didn’t know how long I’d been in that shop, but I was surprised they were still waiting for me. They jogged across the street, meeting me on my side.

“So, who’s your soulmate?” Norman asked.

Freddy slugged him in the bicep, saying, “I am, fucker.”

I shook my head, turning my back on them, and proceeded down the street. “You’d have to have a soul to have a soulmate.” I winked over my shoulder.

The guys paused as what I said resonated before Freddy burst out laughing. “Was that a fucking ginger joke?!”

They caught up to me, both of them still chuckling. We passed shop after shop, lit up from within by flickering candle light, and just about every shop had a jack-o’-lantern in the window. I knew I’d heard somewhere that jack-o’-lanterns were often used to keep away evil spirits and demons. I wondered what they meant here, in a place where spirits and demons were your everyday citizens.

“Let’s cut through here,” said Norman, nodding towards a tiny side street. It cut between buildings and saved us from having to walk through a horde of street vendors up ahead just to get to campus.

The side street was narrow, not even wide enough for a car to pass through, and instead of pavement, it was paved in cobblestone. A footpath, I realized. We walked at a leisurely pace, and after a moment, I noticed Freddy bobbing his head. It took a second to register the fact that music was playing. I stopped and stared at Freddy.

‘It’s close to midnight’

“Are you shitting me, Fred?” I asked with a snort.

He grinned and pulled out his cell. None of our phones worked in this world, but we still had them stashed here just in case we ever had the chance to head back. Freddy was apparently carrying his around.

He tapped the screen, and “Thriller” immediately shut off. “It’s my alarm,” he said through a chuckle. “Fitting, right?”

“Christ, man, do you have an off button?” said Norman, shaking his head at his twin.

A sudden chill raced down my spine as a low moan traveled down the narrow walkway. We all froze. Something about the sound made my stomach tighten and caused my skin to start itching all over. Our