Grave Girl Page 34
"There's nothing special about me," Anna replies quickly, almost defensively. "Are you sure you don't want me to try to pull that knife out?" she asks, clearly trying to change the subject. "I can do it really fast, so you won't feel a thing."
"No," Sam says, glancing over at her shadow. "I guess it has to stay there. I might go into town later and find a hat, though. You won't mind watching the place for a few hours, right?"
"It's not like I've got anything else to do," Anna replies with a sigh. "I always thought I'd get out of Rippon one day. Now look at me. Dead and stuck here." She pauses. "When you're in town, could you pick up some concealer for me? And maybe some blush?"
"You want make-up?" Sam asks, unable to hide the incredulity in her voice. Staring at Anna, she can't help but notice the distinct lack of flesh on parts of her face, or the fact that maggots are still making a home in her right cheek and eyeball. Still, there's a look of sheer desperation in the girl's eyes, and Sam feels an uncharacteristic pang of pity.
"Sure," she continues after a moment, realizing that it's not her place to make fun of Anna's desire to still look as good as possible. "I'll see what I can find."
Looking out across the cemetery, Sam sees Sparky standing on his plinth, looking like a normal stone angel once again. Having been injured while fighting the dark creatures the previous night, Sparky has declared that he needs time to recover and think, so he's planning to just stand in the sun for a few weeks while his stone body slowly heals itself. Death, meanwhile, has resumed his usual spot on top of the mausoleum, and although he offered a few more words of wisdom, he's since fallen silent. Still, Sam figures she hopefully won't need him any time soon. The past few weeks have been intense and crazy, but with Fenroc gone, she figures things might be a little calmer, at least for now. Then again, there's still the small matter of the Devil's grave, hidden deep beneath the cemetery, and Sam can't help but wonder whether anyone else might get the same idea as Gabriel Fenroc and seek access to the beast.
"Tea?" Anna asks.
Sam nods. "Tea's always good."
"And then can we paint the cottage?"
"Why?"
"Because it's dreary!" Anna replies, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Seriously, don't you want to liven it up a bit? I was thinking, while you rebuild the part that was damaged, I'll start adding some touches of color. Sparky said he'd help when he's fully recovered. What do you think of pink?"
"I hate it."
“Then you'll have to learn to like it.”
Sam stares at her for a moment, wondering how she's going to be able to live with a zombie cheerleader. She's not entirely sure if it's the zombie part that worries her more, or the cheerleader part. "Didn't you say something about making tea?" she asks eventually.
"You'll see it my way eventually," Sam says excitedly, getting to her feet and hurrying back toward the cottage.
After pausing to stare out across the cemetery for a moment, Sam finally starts limping across the grass. Checking her watch, she sees that it's almost 8am, which means that it's time to open the gate in case anyone wants to come and visit. Taking the key from her pocket, she unlocks the padlock and pulls the rusty gate open, while making a mental note to oil the hinges. She knows it's unlikely that anyone'll show up to visit a grave today, but rules are rules, and the gate has to be open. Figuring she needs to get on with fixing the damage from last night, she turns and starts limping back toward the cottage.
Up on top of the gate, a small mouse sits unnoticed and watches Sam's progress. After a moment, the mouse turns and scurries along the top of the wall. He takes one final glance back at the cottage, before hurrying into a patch of sunlight and disappearing into thin air. Nearby, a startled crow lets out a loud caw as it takes flight and soars high into the bright blue sky.
COMING SOON
GRAVE GIRL 2
ALSO AVAILABLE
Dark Season: The Complete First Series (All 8 Books)
When Sophie Hart is rescued from a mugging by a mysterious, silent vampire, she discovers that she is part of a dark prophecy. Patrick is the last vampire on Earth, having killed the rest of his species at the end of a bloody war, and he has plans for Sophie. But will she survive? This volume collects together the first 8 Dark Season books, covering the entire first series. Along the way, Sophie encounters not only a vampire but also werewolves, ghosts, evil maids with sharp teeth, crazed psychiatrists and dream-sucking Tenderlings. She travels to Gothos, the ancestral home of the vampires. She discovers a secret hidden inside the body of an old woman, and later she finds another dark secret hidden inside her own body. Out now - 180,000 words for just $2.99!
Dark Season: The Complete Second Series (All 8 Books)
Picking up where the first series left off, the second series of Dark Season follows Sophie's attempt to discover what has happened to Abigail. Meanwhile, the mysterious Nimrod has arrived in town and he's determined to gain his revenge on Patrick. This volume collects together the 8 books of the second series of Dark Season, plus the prequel book 20th Century Vampire. As Sophie tries to find Abigail, she comes up against Nimrod's blood-lust. From old country houses to the sewers of Dedston, and from the bottom of a haunted well to an underground hall filled with spiders, the second series of Dark Season takes Sophie to the brink of death and puts her faith in Patrick to the ultimate test. Out now - 180,000 words for just $2.99!
Dark Season: The Complete Third Series (All 8 Books)
The third and final series of Dark Season tells the story of Patrick and Sophie's daughter Abigail, and her journey to discover the truth about her own identity. Having been raised as a normal human, Abigail is suddenly thrown into a dangerous new world as she discovers that she possesses unique vampire DNA. With Sophie dead and Patrick having apparently vanished, Abigail quickly falls under the wing of the mysterious Benjamin and his organization, the Watchers. This volume collects together the 8 books of the third series of Dark Season. Out now - 180,000 words for just $2.99!
Asylum: The Complete Series (All 8 Books)
After killing her younger brother, Annie Radford is sent to Lakehurst Psychiatric Hospital. But Lakehurst hides some dark secrets. Patients are regularly subjected to 'special treatment' in the basement, while the cruel Nurse Winter rules the hospital with an iron fist. As Annie struggles to retain her sense of identity, she finds herself being drawn deeper and deeper into the mysteries of Lakehurst. Suffering under the horrific conditions imposed on her at Lakehurst, Annie starts to doubt her own sanity, especially when she once again starts to hear the voices that plagued her when she was younger. Who is the strange old man in the attic? What does Jerry keep in a jar in the basement, and why is he so keen to continue with his macabre and vicious experiments? Where did the husks come from? And how is this all linked to mysterious radio signals being monitored in a forest hundreds of miles away? This volume collects all 8 books in the Asylum series.
The Night Girl: The Complete Series (All 8 Books)
When she starts her new job as a night shift assistant, Juliet Collier has no idea that she's about to meet a mysterious entity that lurks in an abandoned part of the building. Soon, Juliet finds herself granted a gift that means she can kill indiscriminately, and apparently without consequences. Meanwhile, eleven years earlier, a young Juliet makes a terrible mistake that sets her on a dark course. This is the story of a girl whose decisions lead her to a devastating end-point, as she struggles to reconcile the voices in her head with the reality in front of her eyes. This volume collects all 8 books in the series.
Devil's Briar: The Complete Series (All 8 Books)
In the remote wilderness of Colorado, Bill and Paula Mitchell discover an entire lost town. Devil's Briar was abandoned many years ago, and has fallen into disrepair. But it soon becomes clear that the town contains some special and highly unusual qualities, and that elements of the past are seeping through into the present. As she tries to get to the bottom of the mystery, Paula finds herself drawn d
eeper and deeper into the bizarre time loop that keeps the entire town trapped in eternity. Soon it becomes clear that nothing in Devil's Briar will ever be the same again, and that two time periods are merging with horrific consequences. This volume contains all 8 books in the Devil's Briar series.
Broken Blue: The Complete Series (All 8 Books)
Returning home for her father's funeral, Elly Bradshaw soon finds herself drawn into the dangerous world of billionaire Mark Douglas. Although she finds Mark irresistible, Elly learns he hides a dark secret. She's quickly pulled deep into a dark sexual game that threatens to change the way she views the world forever. Meanwhile, back in the late nineteenth century, another set of players are caught up in the same game. Tortured by his role as Mr. Blue, Edward Lockhart sets out to end the game forever. His failure, however, results in the arrival of Jonathan Pope onto the scene. Cynical and only interested in a payday, Pope begins to investigate the shadowy trio of players who keep the game alive. This volume contains all 8 books in the Broken Blue series.
Lupine Howl: The Complete First Series (All 8 Books)
Arriving in London, penniless and alone, Jess finds herself forced to live on the streets. She soon encounters Duncan, a mysterious man who seems to be caught up with some very dangerous people. Duncan is a werewolf, forced to scavenge on the streets of the city and unable to break free from his master, a vicious, cruel man named Thomas Lumic. But there's a war coming. Humanity is no longer prepared to tolerate the existence of the werewolves. Along the way, Jess encounters some truly hideous and bizarre creatures, including the haunting Flesh Weavers, the vicious Loom People, the mysterious Wormwood, the hideous Golvs, and a flesh-sucking little boy who rules a circus of fear. Out now - 180,000 words for just $2.99!
Lupine Howl: The Complete Second Series (All 8 books)
The second series of Lupine Howl begins with Duncan and Jess being recruited for a dangerous mission, and ends with them fighting for their lives against one of the most evil creatures that has ever lived. From the moment he receives a message from Black Annis, Duncan is convinced that someone or something is manipulating things behind the scenes. His suspicions are heightened as he and Jess find themselves facing a series of unusual creatures, until finally the truth becomes clear: Thomas Lumic is still alive, and is determined to gain his revenge over Duncan. Meanwhile, Jess discovers the truth about Anna, the girl who once traveled with Duncan and whose death has haunted him down the years. Out now - 180,000 words for just $2.99!
Ghosts: The Complete Series (All 8 Books)
Having been brutally murdered by her own father, Beth Keneally wakes up and discovers she's now a ghost. Determined to protect her little sister Elise from becoming her father's next victim, Beth finds herself forming an alliance with an unlikely group of other ghosts who have all found themselves trapped on Earth. Meanwhile, an angel named Kal has arrived in town to hunt down God and Satan, who have made a bet with each other that they can wipe their memories and live as humans for an entire lifetime. This volume collects together all eight books in the Ghosts series, which includes encounters with creatures such as the mysterious Red Man and a living plague. Out now - 160,000 words for just $2.99!