Riley's Curse, A Moon's Glow Prequel Read Online Free PDF

her. Although I was losing memories of her alive, I
couldn't forget her death. I remembered in vivid detail the night
she died. Her lifeless face was seared in my brain. It was there
every night before I went to sleep, and every morning when I
woke.
    One Saturday, I was working for my father at
the store. He had gone to Macon City for supplies.
    There were a few customers wandering through
the aisles browsing. I was stacking boxes of food on a shelf when I
sensed someone standing at the end of the aisle watching me. This
was another new ability I seemed to be blessed with.
    “Hi Nathaniel, how are you doing?” I turned
my head to see Eva, Lucy’s best friend standing beside me.
    “I’m doing okay Eva. How are you?” I stepped
down from the ladder I was using.
    She took a deep breath to suppress her tears.
“I really miss her, but it’s getting easier with time.”
    I nodded in agreement. I understood what she
meant. I just did not want it to get easier for me.
    “A few friends are getting together tonight
for a bonfire near the beach. Henry told me to ask you to come. He
would have done it himself, but he’s stuck at the lumber yard.”
    The idea of an evening with friends, sitting
around a fire doing nothing but laughing, and joking sounded ideal,
if not strange. It felt like an eternity ago that I had done
anything like it. For the last few weeks, my mind has focused on
death and worries about my new condition. Was I even capable of
still having fun? “Sure Eva, I’ll be there. I’ll meet everyone at
the beach after supper.”
    She smiled. “Good, you need some fun in your
life. You have to stop punishing yourself for what happened.”
    I gave her a puzzled look.
    “My mother and your mother are friends
remember?”
    “That’s right, but that is something I do not
wish to discuss.” I glanced over at the register and saw Mrs.
Grayson waiting impatiently.
    “Sorry Eva, I have to go. I’ll see you
tonight.”
    She said goodbye and left the store without
purchasing anything.
    I hurried to the front counter. “Sorry for
the wait Mrs. Grayson,” I said, ringing up her items. She scowled
at me, and except for a few exasperated sighs, made no reply. Mrs.
Grayson wasn’t known for her charming personality. The navy blue
dress she wore was practical and severe, and her hair as always,
was pulled tightly in a bun. She never smiled; her face always
seemed hard and cold. Not an easy woman to talk to.
    I handed the packages to her and after she
paid, she left the store without speaking a single word.
    The bell over the door signaled a new
customer. I glanced up from the counter I was wiping and stared at
the woman I saw at Lucy’s funeral a month ago.
    She was older then my eighteen years, maybe
twenty or so. She carried herself well, with long curly red hair
that was swooped up loosely and hidden under a large white hat. Her
grey eyes pierced through me as she stared, not once looking away.
She was wearing a long pink lace gown and carrying a closed parasol
in her hand.
    She approached me slowly, stopping on the
other side of the counter. I could smell an odd scent coming from
her. It wafted powerfully through my nostrils and all the hairs on
my body stood on end. There was something about her that brought
the chill I felt at the funeral back. The sudden urge to run was
overwhelming.
    “Nathaniel Riley?” she asked in an accent I
wasn’t familiar with.
    “Yes,” I replied, uneasiness began to spread
through me.
    “My name is Charlotte Burns. I am staying at
the boarding house. I’ve been here visiting some friends and I'm
leaving tomorrow. I thought I would come and introduce myself to
you.” Her smile was all teeth, predatory, was what came to mind
    There was something about this beautiful
woman that I did not trust. I just didn’t understand why I felt
this way. “Why would you introduce yourself to me?”
    “Well, you and I have a special bond after
all,” she said, placing her parasol on the