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After dinner Yulia wanted to show him something she and Annie had been working on in art, the one class they had together. They made Hollis wait upstairs while they set up in the basement.

I like Yulia’s house. She definitely has money.

They’re from the city. Her pa’s a civil engineer, and they’re working on building a development near Rose Town, but not, like, on the haunted soil. It’s just taking a while. They’ve been here for a little over three years.

Walt went so quiet that it felt like he was screaming.

What?

How do you mean, “haunted”?

What? We’ve talked about this. I told you about Jorge—

No. The night we met, you said, “Jorge was cut up by ghosts or whatever” and you said it very sarcastically. I assumed another kid did it and you said that because you didn’t care who.

Hollis rolled his eyes.

No. Rose Town is definitely haunted; no one has been able to build there for years. Like almost a hundred years. There’s all these accidents and stuff. A bunch of people have died.

But you said you went there to get fruit sometimes, that first night. That’s what you told me the night we met.

Yeah... during the daytime. And it’s reckless to even be doing that. Why does this matter so much to you? Stop freaking out, I can literally feel our blood pressure going up.

Hollis, we need to talk when we get home. I don’t want to ruin this slumber party, but I have some things to tell you.

Or you could just tell me now.

I can’t—

“We’re ready!”

Fuck. Hollis—

Just calm down before you give my body a heart attack. We can do this later.