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

I did not want to be a messenger girl for the other side. I almost refused to say anything. But it would be quicker to just get it over and done with. “He said he loves you, too.”

“And I want him and Kelly to stick together. I know they can get through anything as long as they’re together.” I repeated it word for word to Michael. Tears started to well in his eyes as he listened.

“We can do that, Dad. I promise.”

“Can we go into the damn sewer and get Kelly now?” I asked. If they wanted to have a heartfelt conversation, they could wait a few months. It wouldn’t be too long before they were dead too with the way the city was going.

“Okay,” Michael agreed. We returned to the entrance to the small hovel and started the descent. It was much darker than I had expected it to be. No sunshine filtered in whatsoever. I had to hold onto the hem of Michael’s shirt to stay with him.

Once we were on level ground there was a light in the distance. It flickered, probably from a candle. We followed it as all my other senses took over. I was acutely aware of dripping water somewhere, the sound of footsteps apart from our own, and the smell of dirt – lots and lots of dirt.

And a stinking sewer that had seen better days.

We eventually made it to the source of the light, a lantern of candles half burned down to the wick. A few kids were huddled around as the tunnel went off in two directions. David said to go right so we went right. We traversed another long, dark tunnel.

There was a dead end with more candles. This one was filled with only one person. A girl. The spitting image of her father.

“Kelly!” Michael exclaimed as he ran for her. The pretty brunette blinked a few times before she returned his embrace. They hugged it out while I felt like a specter myself, watching it all happen but not a part of any of it.

That was how I was living my life.

The thought came crashing into me like a sledge hammer right to the stomach. I was just like David. I walked amongst everyone, wanting more but unable to obtain it because I wasn’t really alive anymore.

It felt wrong watching the brother and sister reunite so I started to walk away. I didn’t need to see it anyway, it was none of my business.

David stopped me. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” I replied. In truth, a small part of me was glad I had been able to help. Being alone in the city was miserable, I should know. At least Michael and Kelly didn’t have to go through that anymore. I doubted they would lose each other again.

As I stared at David, there was one question that burned on the tip of my tongue. “So what happens now?”

He smiled, a look of serenity and amusement washing over his features. “Now I leave you alone. Fight the good fight, Everly.” With that being said, he started to walk down the tunnel before he disappeared.

I half expected him to be swallowed up into some bright shining white light. But he didn’t. He just vanished. Into nothingness. Was that all that was out there? Nothing? That wasn’t a comfort.

Managing to make it aboveground with only a few stumbles, I had an overwhelming need to find Oliver. I needed to apologize for our earlier fight and make everything right with him again. He was the only person I still had, I couldn’t let our disagreement fester into something that would tear us apart permanently.

I had been relying on David’s directions to get me around the city before. I should have taken more notice of where we were because I quickly realized I had no clue.

Walking was the only way out of it. I turned down a street I thought we had come down and continued on, cursing myself the entire way. What I wouldn’t have done for some form of public transport.

The neighborhood started to trigger something in my memory. It wasn’t from earlier, but from years ago. I was in an area I rarely visited, but I did once have a friend that lived in amongst the lush apartments. I attended several of her birthday parties in the area.

Drawing from those memories alone, I managed to find my way back to the main road. From there, it was only a matter of following it back to the heart of the city that I once called home.

Oliver was waiting for me.

He stood the second he spotted me. It took more than a few minutes for me to reach him. I considered running into his arms and blurting out my apology but that wasn’t something I would do.

As it turned out, I didn’t have to.

“I’m so sorry, Ev,” he said the moment I was within earshot. I stood in front of him, ready to crumble from all the walking. “I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.”

The prideful part of me considered withholding my own apology but I couldn’t do it. “I’m sorry, too. You were only trying to help and I completely threw that in your face.”

He shook his head, like I was wrong. “I shouldn’t have pushed you. I want to help you so much but I really don’t understand what you are going through. That… clouded my judgment.”

Before the Event, I probably would have given him a big hug and we’d go out for a frappacino and everything would be right with the world again. We would never speak about it because nothing more needed to be said.

Now, things were more complicated.

“Let’s just admit we were both wrong,” I offered. “Besides, I have to tell