Ceremony of Ashes by Jayson Robert Ducharme

Author:Jayson Robert Ducharme [Ducharme, Jayson Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Horror
ISBN: 9798642316719
Goodreads: 53341181
Publisher: #PrB.rating#4.36
Published: 2020-05-01T00:00:00+00:00

November 4th

Blood Moon

A t the Leinster Public Library, Grace Davenport stood at the reception desk. In one hand she held a book, and in the other, a scanner. Both were trembling so badly that she had to set the book down on the desk and then hold the scanner with both hands for it to scan properly. The normality of the day's routine was troublesome.

“It’s not right,” Grace suddenly announced.

Susan was working at a nearby cart, writing down the call numbers for damaged and vandalized books. She set her pen down and looked over her shoulder. “What was that, Grace?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Susan. I know you’ve been thinking about it too. Clarissa never did anything to anyone. And Julia”—her voice shook. She dropped the scanner and pressed her hands against her chest. “Julia… why would they? It’s so horrible. None of this is right.”

Susan’s mouth went dry. An ugly guilt consumed her. She wanted to tell her employee—a young woman she’d known since she was a small girl—that everything would turn out okay, but that wasn’t possible. It was too late for that.

“I don’t like leaving Jeremy alone,” Grace went on. “I want him with me and Eddie at home.”

“He’s not alone, Grace. He’s with dozens of students and teachers.”

“Exactly! Who are they? I don’t know anyone at that school. What if it’s one of the teachers?”

Susan’s heart skipped. This wasn’t something she had considered. All sorts of horror stories sprouted up in the news about unassuming teachers doing things to their pupils.

“I don’t want to be here,” Grace said. “I want to be with my son. I want to be with my husband. I want all of us together where I know it’s safe.”

“Grace, if you want to take today off to pick Jeremy up and go home, you can. I can hold fort here.”

“Could you? I’m sorry. I know it’s just you here.”

“It’s fine, Grace.” She checked her watch—a delicate silver one she wore with the case resting against her wrist. “It’s just past noon. There’s still plenty of time before school gets out. Let me just run into the back room and make a phone call.”

Susan circled around the back shelf and stepped out of sight, the heels of her slip-on shoes tapping lightly against the tiled floor as she went. Grace resumed her work. She had regained some control over her disobedient hands and was able to continue scanning books normally. After about ten books, she set the scanner down and listened. The library was silent. The back room wasn’t far, and Grace knew that she would have been able to hear her boss if she was on the phone.

“Susan?” she called. “What are you doing back there?”

“The ceremony of innocence is drowned,” a woman’s voice recited. It wasn’t Susan’s. “The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.”

Through the shelves, Grace could see a figure moving.

“Troubles my sight: somewhere in the sands of the desert, a shape with a lion body and the head of a man, a gaze blank and pitiless as the sun.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.