Page 38 of Inception

I’m glad no one felt the need to mention this to me until now, being that I was new,anda girl. Was a small welcome basket with a news bulletin insert too much to ask?

A cold chill traveled up my spine as an unwanted thought crept into my mind. What if this was vampire-related? What if there were vampires right here in Hollow Hills? What if this thing mutilated that poor girl and was still out there, hunting for its next victim at this very moment?

Did vampires even do stuff like that—mutilate? Did they stalk their victims or were they randomly selected? I had no answers and felt completely sickened.

“You don’t think it’s related to Linley’s death, do you?”

Ben shook his head. “They didn’t say anything like that.”

“Who’s Linley?” I shared looks between the two.

“Trace’s sister,” answered Ben, somber.

My heart sank.

“But why would her death be related?” I asked thoughtlessly. I had always assumed her death was by natural causes. Some unfortunate, degenerative illness that took her away too soon.

Ben answered before I could take the question back. “Because she was murdered,” he said, pained by the memory.

“Can we please talk about something else?” said Taylor, frowning. “Anythingelse. It’s just too depressing.”

The conversation quickly redirected to brighter topics like their week-end plans and upcoming parties, though my own mind stayed with Trace and his sister. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him; for his family to lose their daughter in such a horrible way.

My eyes ventured across the room as I tried to steal a quick glance at him. He was sitting sideways on his chair, his legs stretched out in front of him, tapping his thumb on the desk as Nikki went on about something he didn’t seem vaguely interested in. As if sensing my stare, his cobalt eyes flickered up to greet me, catching my gaze and holding onto it without abandon.

I broke eye contact first, focusing my attention back in on Ben who was still rambling on beside me. When I looked back at him a few moments later, he was still staring at me with the same unreadable expression on his face:

Distant. Guarded.Curious.

His dimples pressed in and I swore I could see the semblance of a smile forming—a perfect, barely-there smile that caused myalreadyerratic heart to jump a few more beats.

“There they go again,” laughed Taylor, her voice jolting me out of...well, whatever the heck that was.

I gave her a warning look and put my head down on my desk. I didn’t look back at him for the rest of the class.

Rainy weekday nights at All Saints were fast becoming my favorite shifts to work. The place was a desolate wasteland save for a couple of regulars watching the game up at the bar and a few familiar faces from Weston. It turned out Mr. Macarthur wasn’t kidding when he said I’d be able to do my homework here, and that I wouldn’t be the only one.

Taylor, Carly, and Hannah were all lined up in the banquet seat against the back wall. Their math books spread out in front of them like a tablecloth while Ben sat in the chair beside me; fidgeting, distracting me, andnotdoing his math homework.

“We need more popcorn, Jem,” said Ben, shaking the wicker basket in my direction. His brown eyes glistening as he grinned.

I was just about to tell him that if he wanted some popcorn, he needed to get off his cushioned backside and get it himself. And then I remembered I worked here, and it was actually my job. I took the basket from him and went to refill it at the popcorn machine by the bar where Zane was spinning the rumor mill with an older blond woman I’d never seen before.

They were talking about the murdered girl in town, but I could only make out little pieces of it before my head jerked up at the sound of the entrance door crashing open.

Nikki drifted through the threshold with scowling Morgan in tow as thunderous flashes of lightning illuminated the pitch-black night behind them.

As if Nikki Parker didn’t look scary enough before, now she had special effects.

I walked back to the table at a slightly more accelerated pace and dropped the basket in front of Ben just as Nikki and Morgan made a beeline for the table. By the time they started peeling off their soaking rain coats, I was already halfway to theemployees onlyarea.

Trace was leaning against the stainless steel counter talking with Sawyer when I walked into the kitchen.

“What’s up?” he asked, noticing my frazzled expression.

“Nikki’s here,” I said simply as though that should clear up everything. “If anyone needs me, I’ll be cleaning the washrooms.”

His eyes widened.

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