All The Pretty Ghosts (The Never Series Book 1) by Jamie Campbell (my miracle luna book free read .TXT) 📕

All The

 Pretty

Ghosts

All the

Pretty

Ghosts

JAMIE CAMPBELL

Ghosts crowd around the square at night

Waiting, waiting, to give you a fright,

Be careful when you see the dark,

It just might be a spirit, having a lark.

Chapter One

All these people were seriously starting to tick me off. They never shut up. It was a constant chatter that formed the soundtrack to my pointless, miserable life.

Just one minute alone, that was all I needed. If I could have that minute I would be able to breathe. I could take a deep breath and be still for a moment. It wasn’t much to ask but it seemed the likelihood of getting my wish was practically non-existent.

“What do you think she’s doing?”

“What does it look like she’s doing? She’s reading a damn book. Put your glasses on already.”

“I don’t need glasses. I can see her perfectly well.”

“Sure you can. You’ve been telling me that story for years now.”

I called those two the happy young couple. Even though they weren’t happy, nor were they young. Old, bitter, and annoying were the three words that described them perfectly. But that wouldn’t be polite, would it?

If they didn’t shut up soon I was going to run for the edge of the cliff and throw myself over. That’s what I had wanted to do for almost a year now. So far, I managed to refrain but I feared that day would arrive soon.

Very soon.

Especially if they didn’t shut up. “Be quiet. Everyone, can you please just be quiet?”

“She’s trying to read, y’all.”

“What’s so good about a book anyway? Can a book hug you goodnight?”

“A book opens the mind, it expands the conscious.”

“For what? A lobotomy?” Chuckles filtered through the crowd.

“She should be going into the city, that’s what she should be doing.”

“There’s nothing there for her anymore.”

“She’s happy here, with us.”

“Does she look happy?”

“I don’t think she’s happy.”

Well that worked well.

Apparently, instead of shushing them, I had given the group a new topic of conversation. Everyone, all forty-three of them, seemed to have an opinion about what I should and shouldn’t do. I knew from experience they could go on for hours debating the merits of how I chose to live my life.

I desperately tried to concentrate on my book. It was the only way I could drown them out. If the book was good enough, I could escape for at least twenty minutes before they started creeping in again.

“We should get her out of the house. A seventeen year old girl should not be cooped up inside with all of us.”

“She doesn’t want to go out. We can’t force her.”

“We can encourage her.”

“She’s old enough to make her own decisions, leave the poor girl alone.”

“We should play cards. Who’s up for some poker?”

“Poker, yeah right. No way.”

“Someone needs to watch Everly and make sure she’s okay.”

I snapped the book closed, today was not going to be the day for reading. Clearly, my housemates had other plans. “Seriously, you should all go and play cards. I need some peace and quiet.”

They all looked at me, all forty-three of them. If I ever wanted an audience I wouldn’t have to go far. Pity I wasn’t a precocious, spoiled brat, I probably would have enjoyed it.

“I just need some time alone. Please?” I begged them. I would have crawled down on my hands and knees if I thought that would help.

But it wouldn’t.

It never did.

“She wants some quiet time.”

“Apparently we annoy her.”

“It was you, Bill, with your big mouth.”

“I don’t have a big mouth.”

“Yes, you do.”

“Who says?”

A wind whipped up and knocked on the door, a big banging sound that couldn’t be mistaken for anything else. I opened my book and leaned back in my chair. There was no way I was going to answer the door.

Not today and not any other day.

“Someone’s at the door.”

“You should answer it, Everly.”

“You can’t ignore it.”

“Come on, he came all this way.”

“Hurry or he’ll leave.”

“He might not come around next time.”

I sat back up again. “I’m not answering it. Now shush.”

Agatha, one of the few voices of reason amongst them, stood by the arm of my chair. “Everly, honey, you really need to answer the door.”

“I can’t. If it’s him, he’ll go away again. He always does… eventually.” It wasn’t a topic open for discussion. Oliver and I always played the same game. He would trudge all the way up the hill to stand at my door and I would ignore him.

It’s how we rolled.

“Maybe today you should speak with him.” Her eyes were caring as they looked at me gently.

“Today is no different than all the other days.”

“But it is and you know it,” Agatha argued with me. She was right but I didn’t want to admit it. “It’s time to talk to him.”

I really didn’t want it to be the time that I spoke with Oliver. The general consensus amongst everyone was that I should. But they said that every time he came to the door.

The only person I listened to was Agatha because I was certain she was the only sane one in the house. And that included me, too. She gave me a slow nod, patting my arm silently to tell me I needed to do it.

“Fine, if it will shut everyone up,” I grumbled as I placed my book on the table and stood. They made a pathway for me to get through so I could make it to the door. They were all nosy enough to stick around and listen to every word we said.

My hand hovered on the doorknob as the person on the other side