Page 67 of Deeper Than the Dead

Eve knotted both hands in the other end of the sheet and pulled. “Oh my God, she weighs a ton.”

They lowered her back to the floor.

Vera had not expected her to be so heavy. “I guess we’ll just ... have to drag her.”

The plan worked pretty well until they reached the stairs. The first time her head bumped against a tread, Vera flinched.

“Jesus! This might not work either,” Eve fretted.

“Let’s just get this done,” Vera urged. The tremor in her voice gave away her own uncertainty. “It’s not like she feels it.”

“Oh yeah.” Eve pulled on the sheet again, dragging her down a couple more steps.

Sheree’s head bumped along with a hollow thump-thump like a watermelon rolling down an uneven path.

Vera gritted her teeth against the panic that threatened and grabbed the sheet once more. Together she and Eve pulled the body down the stairs and along the hall to the kitchen. Now all they had to do was get her outside. Vera would get the four-wheeler with the utility trailer. They could drive to the cave. The real trouble would be in getting Sheree through that little opening.

Gotta do it.

By the time they reached the cave, Vera was sweating. Luna had fallen asleep in the carrier draped on her back. Vera was thankful. Though she doubted Luna would remember any of this, still it felt wrong for her to see it.

Eve climbed off the four-wheeler, where she’d sat nestled against Luna and Vera. “What now?”

Vera climbed off next. “We get her in there somehow.”

Eve nodded. “Okay.”

The fact that her little sister didn’t argue was proof of how exhausted they both were. The movies made carrying a body look so easy, but it was not.

Dragging Sheree across the ground ripped the sheet in a couple of places, but there was nothing they could do about that. Getting her into the cave was like trying to push and then pull a ball of wax through a keyhole. Once inside, they collapsed on the rocky ground. When they caught their breath, Eve went back to the four-wheeler for the flashlight Vera had remembered to bring. It was dark as pitch in that cave, even in the middle of the day.

“We’ll put her on that.” Eve roved the beam of light over the rock ledge on the far wall. “Cover her up with rocks.”

Worked for Vera.

They lifted Sheree onto the ledge. Eve posed her arms the way the folks they’d seen in caskets were done. Then they covered her with rocks. Eve gathered flowers to put on top. Vera decided to go back to the house and get Sheree’s purse and a suitcase with some of her stuff packed in it. Once those things were in place, they were done.

“We should pray or something, right?” Eve asked, her gaze glued to the mound of rocks. Even with nothing more than the beam of the flashlight, she looked pitiful in her dirty pajamas and with her frazzled hair.

Vera started to say no, but if it made Eve feel better ... “Sure.”

“Dear Lord,” Eve said, head bowed, eyes closed.

Vera closed her eyes as well.

“Please take this woman into your loving arms.” Eve paused. “I don’t know what to say next,” she whispered in that voice that was never a real whisper.

Vera rolled her eyes. “Yes, Lord, take this woman in your loving arms and ... and send her straight to hell where she belongs.”

Eve looked at her for a moment. Vera worried that she’d upset her, but then her sister said, “Amen.”

As they scrambled out of the cave, Vera told her sister, “We’ll have to burn this sheet and wash our clothes.”

Eve said nothing as they got to their feet and started forward. Then she stalled and stared back at the cave.

“Eve,” Vera urged. “We have to go.”

Reluctantly she turned to look at Vera, then nodded. “’Kay.”

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