Terror. Absolute, shrill, make-your-hair-stand-on-end terror.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a light come on.

He sucked in a quick intake of air as he turned to see a small spotlight shining on a single tombstone, about thirty yards deeper into the cemetery grounds. Compared to the heavy darkness around him, it seemed like the sun itself had changed its mind and come back for a nighttime visit. Realizing he hadn’t seen a spark of electricity since leaving for his house and returning, Tick felt like he was witnessing some kind of magic trick.

Curious, he walked toward the light, ignoring the fear constricting his chest.

He stepped around several large graves, almost tripping on a stone border around a particularly wide one. He kept his eyes riveted on the bright spot, scared it might be a trap, but not knowing where else to go. As he got closer, he saw that the light came from a large flashlight, sitting alone in front of a grave. He looked around the area, squinting his eyes to see if any monsters or zombies were hiding in the shadows, readying themselves to jump out and eat him.

The light hurt his vision, and he knew if someone was out there, he wouldn’t be able to see them. He focused on the brightly displayed tombstone, now close enough that he could read the etched words, dusty indentations on an old black-gray slab of granite.

Everything in his mind immediately vanished, all fear and thoughts washed away in the disbelief of what he saw before him. Tick fell to his knees, unable to take his eyes away from the words on the grave marker.

Tick looked at the dates.

According to the tombstone, he’d been dead for three years.

Chapter

38

~

Sitting Down

Before Tick could completely process the fact he was looking at his own grave, he heard a noise behind him. He twisted around, still on his knees, and for a split second thought he saw the reincarnation of Frankenstein’s Monster. A scream formed in the back of Tick’s throat. But it quickly fell mute when he realized the figure was someone very familiar, standing just a few feet away, towering over him.

Mothball.

Tick quickly stood up, relieved to see a familiar face, the questions flying out of his mouth before he had his feet under him. “Mothball, what’s happening? Where am I? How did—”

The tall woman held up a hand. “Best the little sir keep quiet for a moment, let yer tall friend do the talkin’ for a bit.” She stepped forward and bent over to pick up her flashlight, grunting with the effort. “Not every day ya get to see yer own tombstone, now is it? Downright spooky, it is.”

“Mothball, what’s going on?” Tick felt tears forming in his eyes now that the initial shock of seeing his name on the granite slab had settled into a stark reality.