One of the other game devs at the booth, a pink-haired Moroccan woman in her late twenties, laughed. “He’s right, you know. You think there are people who aren’t constantly anxious? In this economy? No way. Anyone who tells you they aren’t afraid is lying. But that’s how you know you’ve found your people. When you can be scared together but also stronger together. And at some point, you discover if you’re going to be afraid anyway, you may as well do the things that scare you.”
“Thanks for your wisdom, Grandma Nour,” Damien teased, and something about the way they interacted told me they’d had variations of this conversation countless of times.
Nour grinned. “You’re welcome, young ’un.”
Damien swirled back to me. “So ask them out.”
“Cosigned,” Nour added.
Now, in the dark, Ever holds me until the tension drops from my stance—and theirs as well—and I breathe out sharply.
We shouldn’t stand here. We shouldn’t make targets of ourselves.
“I know it’s hard to trust anyone,” they whisper into my shoulder.
I tremble. “Ever…”
“But pushing everyone away will only make you more vulnerable.”
“You’re one to talk,” I mutter.
“I know.”
“Would you lie to me?”
“We all lie on occasion.” They grimace. “But not about anything worthwhile. And besides, that’s not the point. We’re not going to split the party again, because even if you don’t know how to trust us yet, we have your back. We’re in this together and we’ll get out of this together. It seems someone put a lot of thought into terrifying us, but we can’t let that get to us. Clear heads. We won’t sit by and start a fight amongst ourselves.”
“And then what? Walk down a mountain in the dead of night? We can’t safely run away if there’s anything outside waiting for us. I can’t navigate those boulders in the dark.” I can’t help the edge of panic and impatience in my voice.
“Not on your own, but we can manage it together.” They disentangle and take a step back, looking me in the eyes. “Come on, are we adventurers or not?”
I almost laugh derisively. “In a game.”
“Do you trust me?”
This time, I don’t hesitate. “Unconditionally.”
“Then trust me with this. We go and find Carter. And then we go home.”
Fifteen
Carter
Going back was a ridiculous idea. I shouldn’t be here. But Maddy was so upset, and it hurts me to see her hurt. I know she needs her pills, she needs something against the pain, she needs something to ease her nerves. She started talking about going back in, and I couldn’t let her.
Of course, a tiny voice in the back of my mind wonders whether it’s really a better idea to leave her on her own, outside, but the handprints led in too. She’ll be safe outside.
She will be safe outside. Right?
Besides, this mountain can’t be haunted for real. This doesn’t happen to people like Liva. It doesn’t happen to people like me. But it mostly doesn’t happen to people like Liva.
As long as I keep telling myself that, a better explanation will show up. An explanation for Liva’s disappearance. The blood. The fireplace.
The mountain is hungry. The night has teeth. And both demand to be paid their price in blood.
I really shouldn’t have gone back in.
I push my hands into my pockets and find scattered coins there.
Break the rules.
I wish I still had some of the bravado from earlier. I kept thinking whoever put those coins there meant I’d lose the game we were all playing. Now I can’t help but wonder: What if this is the game? What if Liva’s disappearance is only the start of it, and we’re all pawns in a ghost story, on a board we’re not aware of? What if the coins weren’t the warning, but the note?
Lose the game.
I pull my hands from my pockets and shrug my coat closer. The cabin creaks around me, and I run without caring what’s in my way. I’d rather fall down than not try. Games aren’t won by being too careful.
If I play by the rules, I’ll lose too. I know that all too well.
It’s why I started stealing from my work.
I didn’t even want the job at first. When my father first brought up the idea of spending my afternoons and weekends there, right after sophomore year, I’d told him, “I’m not sure insurance is the career for me.” I had other dreams. I wasn’t sure what they were just yet, but wasn’t that what college was for? Figuring yourself out?
He was adamant. My mom worked at Liva’s dad’s office and could get me a job. If I followed my parents’ plan, I could save up before college and wouldn’t drown in student debt. He told me the responsible thing for any man to do, especially in insecure times, is to secure that money early on. Anything less, according to him, would be lazy, careless, and stupid.
Ever wanted to punch him when I shared that remark with them.
I very nearly took them up on the offer.
But then I got my first paycheck. It was less than I expected, but it was still more money than my parents ever gave me. I could buy the clothes I wanted, the gifts my friends wanted. I could buy friendship itself. I barely felt out of place next to Liva—or Zac.
I grew used to it. I forgot about the idea of other dreams; they were childish anyway.
Instead, I started to pay attention and found ways to be better. I noticed I did the same work as fully salaried employees, but because I was “young” and “inexperienced” and “technically an intern,” I got paid a pittance for it.
I hid when Liva walked around the floor to bring messages from her father, because everyone tensed up and she pretended not to know me. Or maybe she truly didn’t see me.
I snooped around because
