Page 64 of Waste
Being with Ghoul reassured her. Most people would have been creeped out by the feel of his skin; it was clammy and almost rubbery, but Shelley wasn’t bothered. Nor did the sharp teeth so close to her skin bother her. Deep down, she knew she was safe.
Ghoul whisked her through Highgate’s West Cemetery, taking her down the infamous Egyptian Avenue. They passed the Circle of Lebanon, and she swore she saw the shadow of a man move.
Ghoul hissed, and whoever or whatever it was faded back into the black of the shadows. He wound his way through several graves and stopped at an old mausoleum. The stone was stained and had a thick, studded wooden door, which had seen better days. An iron bar gate covered the entrance, and she spotted a heavy-duty padlock.
“We’re here,” he hissed.
“Here?”
“Home. Safety,” Ghoul replied.
“In there?” Shelley didn’t know whether to be horrified or intrigued.
Ghoul chuckled with laughter. “Yes, safety within. Watch.” Ghoul moved to the back and pressed on a stone.
To Shelley’s surprised, a part of the wall swung inwards, and she gasped. “A secret door!”
“Yes. Nobody knew this existed other than me and now you. This, Shelley, is the one place I am completely safe,” Ghoul explained and carried her inside.
“Who owns this?” Shelley asked, leaning into his body as she spotted several coffins in carved niches.
“Me.”
“Who’s in those coffins?”
“The Frost family. I donated money to them when this was built so they could purchase this once-grand mausoleum. Then, I set up a trust fund for its maintenance. Nobody will tear this down while it’s looked after.”
“Okay.” Shelley nearly strangled Ghoul as a rodent scurried across the floor, and Ghoul hissed in laughter.
“You’re in the arms of a monster, yet a rat terrifies you. You have to get your priorities straight.” He moved over to the decorated arch, where the dead’s names were inscribed, and pressed on a couple of stone angels. The panel shifted backwards and then slid aside. Ghoul stepped inside, and the door slammed shut behind them.
“Oh!” Shelley cried. Her eyes couldn’t pierce the darkness they stood in, and fear crept into her.
“Hold on. I’m about to jump, and the landing may jar you,” Ghoul warned before leaping.
A little scream left Shelley’s mouth as they fell, and then they hit the ground. Ghoul didn’t say a word but began moving.
“Where are we going?” Shelley asked.
“Home.”
“This is your home?”
“One of them. Not even Mary Worth will find us here. There are no mirrors or polished reflective surfaces.”
“She can use them?”
“If the item is highly polished, yes, because it acts like a mirror. But she can’t portal through them, only observe.”
“That makes sense, I guess,” Shelley said. She wondered where they were going when Ghoul stopped and placed her on the ground. She automatically reached for him and grabbed his waist when light erupted around them.
“Oh,” Shelley gasped as she blinked to readjust her sight.
“Didn’t expect that?” Ghoul teased.
“No.” They were in a large cavern, with several exits coming off it. It was circular-shaped with a domed ceiling. There was a trough that ran around the top of the wall, and fire came from it. That was what was providing the light. Shelley guessed it was filled with oil, and Ghoul had merely lit it. There were five steps leading down to the floor, and Shelley saw furniture there.
“This is your living room?” she asked.
