Page 68 of Chalk Outline

The forest hums with activity tonight, and distant howls echo as I gaze at the body. The sheet is wrapped around him, and the ends are secured tightly with a rope.

“Do you know him?”

“Do you?” I reverse the question back at him.

He lifts his shoulders a few inches and shrugs.

“I don’t either.”

“Are you ready to get rid of him?” Jason asks softly.

“I’m ready.” I nod as I rise to my feet and offer him my hand.

He takes it and says, “Any last words?”

“Besides, good riddance.”

Jason starts laughing. It’s strained but present. “You’re funny. I bet by the end of the year, you will switch careers and pursue entertainment.”

I let out a short, half-suppressed laugh. “Look who’s talking.”

He rolls his eyes playfully and lifts the body over his shoulder. I tuck my gun back into its holster, and we walk together to the cliff’s edge. Jason drops him onto the ledge, the mud squishes beneath the sheet, and Jason kicks him off the cliff.

The body falls before it hits the surface of the water with a mighty splash. It quickly floats down the stream with the rapid flow, screaming bloody murder.

How easy it is to take a life; it can happen in the blink of an eye. But how hard it is to live in a world like this.

Eternal abyss.

A sinner’s refuge.

I know this feeling won’t disappear as if there were a cure that could magically take it away. Like Jason said, we learn to live beside it.

Even though I can’t escape the memories, I’ve shared many moments worth remembering with my husband—my bodyguard.

“You’re not here to watch over me anymore,” I whisper. “You belong to the heavens now. It’s time for me to lift the weight off your shoulders. I’ll wear the heavy chainsyoucarried aroundmyneck this time.”

“Winona, that’s your new bodyguard, Reeve. And this is my granddaughter, Winona,” Grandma introduces us with a wide smile. I’ve never seen her smile at anyone but me.

We’ve done this so many times that I couldn’t care less. He’s not going to last long. They fall like flies around here. Though I’m curious, he seems... young. About my age. Maybe a little older.

The longer we stand here, the more intense his scowl becomes.

“Do you like bikes, Reeve?” I step closer to the pillar of a man, he is. It’s pretty alarming. The scent of mint, cigarettes, and sandalwood cloaks him so tightly that I’m forced to inhale it before I shoot him a sly grin.

“Sure, they’re loud,” he responds brusquely, cutting through my essence as he dares to gaze down at me, and in that moment, it feels like the stars align. Something clicks. The vibrant energy radiating from him surges through me as well.

“Can you stay out of my way while you babysit me?” My eyes narrow a fraction.

“Within reason.” Now his tone is lighter and more playful. We’re making progress.

“Do you believe in ghosts?”

“Perhaps.” He licks his lips slowly, sizing me up. “I’m more into aliens.”

Aliens work for me.

“Pizza and Coke?”