so that’ll give us some moonlight.”
The four of us climbed out of the car and set off down separate paths. My body was mostly recovered from Cane’s emotional freeze. I clung to Bryan’s arm as we walked as fast as I could in my dress shoes. Thankfully, it hadn’t rained in a while, so the ground was hard and dry. Still, I stumbled along in the dark.
“Cane!” I called out. “Where are you?”
In the distance I could hear echoes of Aaron and Monica calling out also. If Cane could hear us, he wasn’t inclined to answer.
A break in the trees ahead illuminated a fork in the path. To the left was a steep incline leading up to the trails along the rocky bluffs. The right path wound around the base toward the river. It was the same trail I’d walked the night of my sister’s death. I felt a little sick to my stomach at the memory and quickly stuffed it down into a back compartment in my mind.
“You don’t think he would have gone up there, do you?” Bryan asked.
I shook my head. “He’s not that stupid. The trails get rocky and it’s too easy to slide around. It’s not all that safe during the daylight, but at night, it’s treacherous.”
We continued on, calling out to Cane as we walked. I could still hear Aaron and Monica, but their calls were getting more distant. When we reached the clearing before the river, I stopped short.
“What is it?” Bryan asked.
I cleared my throat. “I-I just haven’t been back here, you know?”
“Is this…?”
I nodded, pointing a shaky finger toward the train tracks. “Those are the tracks. I was with some people sitting by those boulders over there. We were waiting for Lony and Cane to catch up. She was hit right about there.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, wrapping a comforting arm around my shoulders. “Maybe we should turn around and go another direction. Cane isn’t down this far.”
I stood silent looking ahead at the tracks. I don’t know why it never occurred to me to visit this place before now. I never believed in things like ghosts and spirits before, but meeting Jinx and discovering that I’m an empath suddenly had me questioning everything. Maybe there was something of Lony still lingering here. I sure as heck never felt her presence at home.
“Can you give me a minute?”
Bryan kissed me on my forehead and let go of my shoulders.
I could walk a little easier now that there was more moonlight visible. I drew my jacket tight across my chest, more for comfort than cold. The long, weedy grass gradually gave way to gravel which rose up a short bank to the gleaming steel tracks. To my left, I spotted an area where the grass was more matted down. I walked over and found a patch of gravel a shade brighter than the rest. This must be the place, I thought. New gravel to replace the stuff covered in blood.
I knelt down on the rocks, not caring about the sharp pains in my knees. I placed my hand on the cold rail.
“Lony,” I whispered. “I feel like I never got a real chance to say good bye to you. In some ways, I still can’t believe you’re gone. Nothing’s the same anymore.” I swiped a lone tear off of my cheek.
“Cane told me about what happened, about the break up. I’m so sorry. I know how much you cared about him —how much you probably still do care about him wherever you are. He isn’t doing so well, Lon. The guilt is eating him up inside. That’s why I’m here tonight. I want to help him. Somehow, I know that’s what you’d want me to do. And don’t worry, I’ll take better care of Mom and Dad, too. I promise. I love you.”
I closed my eyes and reached out with my senses, but there was nothing in my range to connect with. Part of me had been hoping that if Lony’s spirit was still here, I would be able to feel her with my mind. Nothing.
“Cady!” Bryan cried. “I think I see him!”
Rising to my feet, I wiped the dirt from my knees. I looked back to see Bryan pointing up to the bluff. A figure was stumbling around, well off of the trail, on the side of the rocky face.
“Cane!” I yelled.
The person on the bluff looked in my direction. “Cady? I can’t get down!”
I ran back to Bryan. “He’s gonna fall!”