Waking the Dead and Other Fun Activities by Casey Lyall

Author:Casey Lyall
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2024-04-08T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

When Devon stopped short at the bottom of the stairs, I realized I could have done a better job preparing him for the prep room. I forgot people weren’t used to it like I was.

His eyes caught on the sheet-covered tables in the middle of the room. “Are those? Um? You know . . .”

“Guests is what Mom likes to call them,” I said as I sidled around him and made my way into the room. “You’re okay to come in. Just be respectful.”

“Respectful.” He nodded, looking a little green. “I can do that. Hello.” Devon waved at the tables, still keeping his distance. “It’s okay that they’re sitting out like that?”

“The embalming process works best with a warmer body so—”

“Nope, I already regret asking.” Devon turned away, shaking his head. “Gimme a minute.” He took a few slow breaths before finally noticing the rest of the room. “Wait, is that an elevator?” He pointed at the far wall with a confused squawk. “Why is there an elevator?”

“For bringing gurneys down when people arrive and for taking caskets up to the viewing room. Do not get in there,” I said, waving a firm finger at him, ignoring the scrunched nose I got in return. “Stay clear and keep your hands to yourself.”

“What are you going to do?” Curiosity won out and Devon came over to join me, arms crossed as he leaned in. “How are you testing the theory?”

“I’m going to try to Wake them,” I said. It was risky, but it was the only thing I could think of. The only thing I knew.

“Wait, what?” Devon shot a look at the tables and then back at me. “Why? What if—what if they are like me and they stay awake? What are you going to do with three not-dead people walking around? Won’t that make us a bigger target for the witch?”

“I don’t know! I’ll fig—”

“You need to stop saying that,” Devon snapped.

“Listen,” I said. “If the witch didn’t kill them, there’s two other possible outcomes.” I ticked them off on my fingers. “One, they have a remaining spark and it’ll be a normal Waking. Two, they truly won’t have any unfinished business and they won’t Wake at all.”

“But you don’t think it’s going to be either of those,” he pointed out. “You think it was the witch.”

“Yeah, and that’s all the more reason to do this.” I held out a hand to try to halt the argument ready to burst out of him. “When we help people with unfinished business, their spark is at peace when I let it go,” I said. “If there’s a chance that these two have been snatched away by an evil witch, I don’t want to leave them with her. Not when they deserve to rest.”

Like Grandma should be.

If I’d pushed through with her, if Mom hadn’t stopped me, we’d have known—

I shook off those thoughts. There wasn’t time to dwell on that right now. I couldn’t do anything about Grandma. It had been months since she died and there was no body to pull her back to since she’d been cremated.

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