Ghoul Interrupted Read Online Free PDF Page B

then.
    When we got to Ari’s car, Heath held his hand out for her keys. I was relieved; she was in no condition to drive. I hopped into the back of her small sedan and we were soon off again.
    In the daylight, I had the opportunity to take in the passing landscape. I’d never been to the Southwest, and was surprised at the incredible beauty of Santa Fe. Vast expanses of relatively flat land fanned out from the highway, corralled by a huge purple mountain range in the distance. Grass was sparse, and most of the homes we passed looked like those adobe mud structures the Southwest is famous for.
    It was all a far cry from the cottage feel of New England or the plantation classical-Greek-inspired architecture of my hometown of Valdosta, Georgia.
    The three of us drove in silence, and the drive was fairly long. We made our way west along a well-paved highway, then north for a bit to a smaller two-lane road, and the scenery just got more breathtaking with every passing mile.
    Finally, Heath turned down a road with a signpost at the entrance that read ZANTO PUEBLO. I had a moment to reflect that years ago the sign probably would have read ZANTO RESERVATION, and I was glad we’d come a little further in our sensitivity toward American Indians.
    The road we turned onto was lined with windblown scrub and it inclined up slightly at first before reaching a much higher grade. We drove up into the heart of a small mountain, and I peeked over the side to see the edge falling away. After about ten more minutes we leveled out again, and Heath turned at a crossroads lined on all four sides with more of those adobe-styled homes and drove straight for an official-looking building with a sign indicating the Pueblo sheriff’s office. He parked and turned to look back at me. “Will you stay here while Ari and I go in and figure out what’s going on?”
    I was surprised that I wasn’t included, but I certainly wasn’t going to protest. “Sure,” I said.
    “Thanks,” Heath told me. “And please, don’t get out of the car until I get back. I’ll leave the heat on for you in case you get cold.”
    “Um . . . okay.” I could feel my cheeks flush, because it felt like I was being treated like a little kid. I tried to push it off as Heath’s anxiety after hearing about his aunt’s death, but it still stung a little.
    I watched while he and Ari headed inside and maybe I muttered something immature about being left behind, but whatever.
    To distract myself, I reached for my cell and thought I’d call Gil to let him know what was going on, but his phone went straight to voice mail and the message said that his mailbox was full. “Crap,” I said, tucking my cell away.
    I eyed the area around the building. There didn’t seem to be anyone about. Smoke from a nearby home curled out of a chimney, and behind one of the other homes a dog barked, but the small-looking village was eerily void of human activity.
    I’m not sure if it was how still the place was or something else that gave me the creeps, but after a few minutes of sitting in the car alone with nothing to do, I noticed a definite shift in the atmosphere and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise and goose pimples form along my arms.
    There was also the feeling of being watched—something I’m used to after several years in the ghostbusting business, but whoever was laying eyes on me now wasn’t friendly. The palpable anger and menace floated around me like a foul breeze.
    Working hard not to react, I kept my sixth sense alert, and focused on taking even breaths while remaining calm. I knew that I would only be feeling this way if whatever was lurking nearby was from the spirit realm, and negative forces can feed on your fear. It can give them a boost in energy and power, so whenever you encounter something creepy or scary, it is very important not to give in to your own fears. Just breathe through it the best you can.
    I was so focused on my breathing that I didn’t