Almost Dead (Dead, #1) (20 page)

The next stop on the Chase-drives-around-town tour is a tiny café where
he and Laney had their first date, and, apparently, their first croissant. A foldable blackboard greets customers at the entrance, with a chalk-written list of specials for the day. Flashing from the massive window at the front is a neon red-and-blue OPEN sign, and the wooden shop display hanging above the entry reads:
Sweet & Scrumptious
.

“Why have I never heard of this place?” I inquire, narrowing my eyes
at the hole-in-the-wall restaurant like it’s offended me. In all honesty, perhaps I do know of it but don’t remember. After all, my memories are vanishing.

“Because you’re a hermit, that’s why,” Laney replies
in her classic, straightforward manner.

Chase doesn’t find what he’s looking for—which is Laney, obviously—so he returns to
the vehicle, disgruntled and blowing air from behind his lips, causing them to temporarily puff out.

“Oh, I’ve seen that look before,” says Laney. “It’s his worried face, the one that proves he has too much on his mind.”

A ripple of strength leaves my spirit form, and I let my head drop. Laney catches me before I fall. Squeezing my eyes closed, I silently wish for my end to ford tbe quick and painless, since it’s near.

“I
’ve got you,” she declares, holding onto me like her life depends on it. Well, it kinda does.

In an attempt to distract from the present situation, I state, “He only has
one thing on his mind, you know, and that’s you.” I smile, though it’s feeble.

Laney’s chin trembles. “What’s it like?
Fading away, I mean…”

“It’s like when you
step off a treadmill after jogging for an hour. The weightless disconnect your legs experience is the same. At least, that’s what I think is happening.” I snort. Who knows? I might be totally wrong.

Glancing out the window, Laney’s eyebrows cinch together. “Flora, look!”

My head gradually rotates toward the glass, so I can see. Oh, my God. We’re beside Death’s Cliff.

“He’s pulling over,” Laney states, her
sight focused on Chase. “We’re at the overlook.”

“Laney,” I deadpan, “I’m
frail, not blind.”

“Sorry. It’s just…
I don’t know. Do you think he’ll see your car? We’re on the same side.”

Chase gets out and walks to the edge of the overlook, peering down into the forest below.
Too bad the trees are in the way. If he’d look around, he’d notice a chunk of guardrail is missing, or that tire marks spread across the asphalt. Instead, he appears to solely concentrate on where Laney might be, so he’s missing the bigger picture.

She’s right under your nose, dude, and you don’t even realize it
.

“
Don’t look at me like I’m crazy,” Laney begins, “but I have an idea that might save us.”

I glare at her like she’s lost her mind.

“Just listen. We have to move quickly, okay? This will probably drain the energy you have left, and it may or may not kill you, but it’s worth a shot.”

Um, what?
I don’t recall signing up for this.

“Have you lost your damn mind?” I shriek.
“I’d prefer to stay alive until they find our bodies.”

She
releases me, and I let go, dropping through the vehicle and smacking onto the pavement.

“Well, what I have in mind requires both of us to use our energy, so we can either be
found or we can cross our fingers and hope for the best. Which would you prefer?”

I lie back, like I did at the lake, my hands tucked bhan>
This is not how I planned my visit to the Shadowlands. I thought this would be straightforward and quick, that we would’ve been found and rescued by now. But no… I’m taking strategic advice from Laney Tipps. What has my life turned into?

With a heavy sigh, I respond, “Fine. Let
’s hear your grand plan.”

“We push Chase’s vehicle over the side of Death’s Cliff.”

That’s it. Just like that. No maps or diagrams. No long speeches. Laney doesn’t mess around, especially when her life is at stake.

I sit up
, slowly. “You’re not serious…”

Simultaneously raising an eyebrow and cocking her head to one side, Laney responds with,
“Of course I’m serious. It’s the simplest solution, and we don’t have a lot of time. So, let’s do this.” She gestures for me to follow.

Rising to my feet is like
having a ball and chain wrapped around my waist, only pulling me back down. Even my spirit form is responding like my physical body should. Twice I attempt to get up, and twice I collapse. Laney helps me stand, and I use what little energy remains to lean against the vehicle’s rear bumper.

Laney sticks her head in the back.

“What are you looking for?”

“
One of those things that lifts a car when you have to change a tire.”

“A car jack?”

Laney shrugs. “I don’t care about the name. I care about getting it out of his vehicle so we can use it as a head start.”

“I’m surprised you know what it’s for.”

Her eyes pin me with a fierce glare. “Chase blew a tire last time I was with him, and he had to use this thing. Here it is.” She pulls it out from under a bunch of other crap.

Laney squeezes her eyes closed and
yanks the jack through the rear of the SUV. Puffing out a relieved sigh, she places the lift underneath the trim, near the back tire. Pumping the lever, the vehicle slowly begins to rise off the ground.

“Okay, that should be enough. I’ll go to the front and attempt to raise that end. Ready?”

“No, but this is our final option, so I don’t have a choice.”

Taking her position at the front, Laney says
, “On the count of three. Three…two…one…”

“That’s a countdown to one, not on the count of three.
Try again.”

“Oh. Oops. Okay, here we go.
One…two…three…”

Concurrently
, we hone in on our energy. Mine is supplied to my hands, where the majority of force goes. I’m confident Laney does the same. We manage to tilt Chase’s SUV a few inches, but gravity wins out. The vehicle falls into place once again—this time without the car jack. Chase just about breaks his neck gawking at his SUV, then runs over to check it out, eyeing the sides and interior of the vehicle.

“
Damn it,” I murmur, resting my head against the rear window. “We have to hurry, Laney.”

“I’m trying!” she screeches, placing the jack in the same spot as before and pumping vigorously.

Chase notices.

“Ah, shi
t. Laney, you have to hurry! He can see you.”

“There. Got it.”

Chase’s eyes widen in disbelief. He fumbles for his keys, drops them, then scrambles to pick them up.

“Hurry!” I scream.

Using the little bit that’s left, I center my energy on flipping this stupid vehicle over the edge of Death’s Cliff. This might be our only shot, especially if Chase continues to ride around town, searching for her. The SUV momentarily appears weightless, then falls onto its side. Throwing his hands up into the air, Chase paces nearby and pulls out his cell phone.

We
press our hands against the frame and begin pushing. The SUV teeters on the border for a split second, then Laney gives it one last shove, propelling it over the edge. Arms flailing, Chase makes a feeble attempt at stopping his SUV. Of course, unless he’s secretly Superman, he can’t stop it.

Side by side, Laney
and I stand at the precipice, staring into the dark abyss below. We did it. We actually accomplished our mission in the Shadowlands.

Laney nudges me and nods toward Chase.
The poor guy strides back and forth along the boundary. Good. That means people will go down there to pull his vehicle out, which means they’ll see my car, and me. Soon, this will all be over. Laney and I will wake up to the florescent lighting from our hospital beds, our families by our sides.

Am I…smiling? This might be the first time I’ve been able to experience anything other sadness and frustration since the crash.

“Oh, no.” Laney’s excitement has all but diminished, her expression now grave. “They’ll see you, but they won’t see me. What if they don’t know I’m on the other side?”

“They’ll find you,” I reassure her. “Chase won’t give up.”

She nods and licks her lips. “Yeah, you’re right. He won’t stop looking for me.” She smiles, but it’s weak and forced. So many questions are lurking behind her eyes.

But I don’t ha
ve a chance to ask a single one. My legs fail me. What small amount of luminosity there was before has all but disappeared. Now, the former gray world of thay t>

D
o I need to write a eulogy? I mean, one minute Flora Mackey is here, and the next she’s not responding. Is she dead? I don’t know. It’s not like we have a pulse in the Shadowlands. We’re freaking ghosts, for God’s sake.

“Flora!” I shriek, sprinting over to her motionless figure. Gently pressing on her arm doesn’t trigger a response. Shouting her name doesn’t, either. I don’t know what to do. It’s not like I can perform CPR on a ghost…
“Flora! Can you hear me?”

No response.

Ugh
. This isn’t good.

Chase continues to stare up and down the road, like he’s waiting for someone. Probably the cops.
I mean, who else is he going to call after he witnesses his vehicle rolling into the gorge on its own? Ghostbusters? At least I now know what happens in the afterlife, that it exists and isn’t a figment of people’s imaginations. The idea of ghosts won’t scare me anymore.

Distantly, lights flicker, capturing my attention.
The nearer they become, the bigger my smile grows. Not to sound silly but they’re like hope on wheels. Maybe even a little bit of relief, too, because the end is in sight. My life will once again return to normal. Chase will hold me in his arms, Mia will stop drinking for five minutes, and my parents will catch the next flight home. Everything will be perfect.

And then the idea of flawlessness crumbles. There are only police cars
pulling over. No ambulances. No fire trucks. No rescue squad. How long before the others show up?
Will
they show up? I mean, it’s a team effort to get a car out of a gorge, right?

By the time they haul her car and body out of here, I may be in the same position she’s in now.
And, as far as I know, there’s not a way for me to notify law enforcement or anyone else, unless I roll another vehicle over the opposite side.

Oh, this is
all
wrong.

In my state of mind, I can’t think of what to say or do, especially without the help of Flora
. With quick strides toward Chase, I begin shouting. Will it work? Probably not, but it’s worth a chance.

“Chase, if you can hear me, I’m on the other side!
Please don’t give up on me. You’re in the right spot. Keep looking!”

There. That’s all
I can do for now, except wish that my words will leak into his subconscious.

I stand on the sidelines as the pay t>ow, excolicemen speak with Chase. Even though I can’t hear what they say, it’s obvious what they’re talking about. And Chase being Chase, he won’t have a clue how to explain
his vehicle rocking back and forth, then tumbling off the edge. The cops probably imagine he’s on some sort of medication, or drugs. I don’t blame them; I’d think the same in those circumstances. Poor Chase.