Graveminder
Melissa Marr
To Dr. Charles J. Marr, teacher and poet, uncle and inspiration, thank you for years of conversation, letters, and encouragement for my lit-love. I love you, Uncle C.
Contents
Prologue
MAYLENE PUT ONE HAND ATOP THE STONE FOR SUPPORT; PULLING…
1
BYRON MONTGOMERY HADN’T BEEN INSIDE THE BARROW HOUSE IN YEARS.
2
REBEKKAH HAD SPENT THE BETTER PART OF THE DAY OUT WALKING…
3
WILLIAM SLID HIS PHONE ACROSS THE DESK, FARTHER OUT OF…
4
WILLIAM STOOD IN THE QUIET OF THE PREPARATION ROOM. MAYLENE…
5
WHEN BYRON PULLED INTO MAYLENE’S DRIVE AND SHUT OFF THE…
6
CHRISTOPHER HAD DRIVEN FROM MAYLENE’S HOUSE DIRECTLY TO RABBI Wolffe’s.
7
AFTER TAKING CARE OF ERRANDS AND GOING FOR A LONG…
8
REBEKKAH STOOD AT THE BAGGAGE CAROUSEL. THE AIRPORT WAS MOSTLY…
9
NICOLAS WHITTAKER WASN’T THE SORT OF MAN TO PATROL THE…
10
BYRON THOUGHT ABOUT THE THINGS HE OUGHT TO TELL REBEKKAH,…
11
ONLY A FEW HOURS LATER, REBEKKAH WOKE AFTER A FITFUL…
12
REBEKKAH WENT THROUGH THE MOTIONS, ACCEPTING CONDOLENCES AND listening to…
13
DAISHA STAYED OUT OF SIGHT DURING THE FUNERAL. SHE’D STOLEN…
14
AS THEY WALKED TOWARD THE CAR, LIZ HELD ON TO…
15
BYRON HAD BEEN SO FOCUSED ON WATCHING REBEKKAH THAT HE’D…
16
DAISHA STEPPED INTO THE BUILDING, CROSSING THE THRESHOLD WITH the…
17
REBEKKAH WAS GRATEFUL FOR BYRON’S SILENCE AS THEY RODE THE…
18
SILENTLY, BYRON FOLLOWED HIS FATHER. WILLIAM HADN’T BEEN WILLING to…
19
DAISHA WAS STANDING OUTSIDE THE FUNERAL HOME WHEN SHE FELT…
20
REBEKKAH SAT AT MAYLENE’S WRITING DESK. SEVERAL PAPERS WERE stacked…
21
BYRON SAT AT THE TABLE WITH CHARLIE AND HIS FATHER.
22
DAISHA LIFTED HER HAND TO KNOCK ON THE TRAILER DOOR.
23
AS THEY WALKED BACK TOWARD THE TUNNEL, BYRON TRIED TO…
24
IN A FEW HOURS, AMITY HAD TAUGHT REBEKKAH ABOUT MIXING…
25
FLIP THE SIGN, WOULD YOU?” PENELOPE CALLED OUT FROM THE…
26
LATE THAT NIGHT, HE SAT AT HIS PARENTS’ KITCHEN TABLE …
27
REBEKKAH HAD TRIED TO SLEEP BUT COULDN’T. AFTER A FEW…
28
REBEKKAH STOPPED. HER KNEES FELT WEAK. “YOU’RE NOT CRAZY, ARE…
29
BYRON?” REBEKKAH TRIED TO FOLLOW HIM, BUT WAS STOPPED BY…
30
BYRON FELT THE WALL VANISH AS HE FELL FORWARD ONTO…
31
DAISHA SAW THE MAN COMING TOWARD HER. HE STUMBLED AS…
32
PARTWAY INTO THE MULTICOURSE MEAL, REBEKKAH’S FRUSTRATION HAD reached uncontainable…
33
REBEKKAH?”
34
CHARLES WORRIED ABOUT ALL OF THEM, HIS NOT-ENTIRELY-DEAD-OR-ALIVE Graveminders. Such…
35
BYRON WAS GRATEFUL THAT REBEKKAH HAD BEEN SILENT AS THEY’D…
36
REBEKKAH WAS SPEECHLESS AS THEY WALKED UPSTAIRS AND INTO THE…
37
BYRON LISTENED TO THE WATER TURN ON UPSTAIRS AND DEBATED…
38
REBEKKAH SLIPPED OUT OF THE BED WHEN SHE AWOKE. IT…
39
BYRON AND REBEKKAH DROVE TOWARD THE SUNNY GLADES TRAILER Park.
40
REBEKKAH WATCHED THE SHERIFF LEAVE WITH A MIXTURE OF SYMPATHY…
41
ALICIA DIDN’T TAKE ANY OF THE BOYS WITH HER. BOYD…
42
A SHORT WHILE LATER, AS BYRON DROVE TO MONTGOMERY AND…
43
DAISHA RETURNED TO HER FORMER HOME. THE BODIES WERE GONE.
44
NICOLAS HAD BECOME MAYOR AFTER THE LAST GRAVEMINDER AND UNDERTAKER…
45
AFTER THEY LEFT THE MAYOR’S OFFICE, THEY DROVE IN SILENCE…
46
BYRON FOLLOWED REBEKKAH OUT OF THE ALLEY AND AROUND THE…
47
THE WALK TO THE FUNERAL HOME WAS AT A SLOWER…
48
BUT SHE HASN’T CALLED ME AT ALL THIS WEEK,” LIZ…
49
BYRON KILLED THE ENGINE OUTSIDE THE TRAILER, WALKED OVER, AND…
50
THE RIDE TO THE EDGE OF CLAYSVILLE WAS MOSTLY SILENT.
51
AT THE THRESHOLD, BYRON GLARED AT DAISHA. REBEKKAH STEPPED past…
52
DAISHA HEARD THE VEHICLE IN THE DISTANCE. WITH HIS LIVING…
53
BECKY.” CISSY STILL HAD HER HAND INSIDE HER HANDBAG, BUT…
54
IT ONLY TOOK A FEW MINUTES. AFTERWARD, DAISHA CALLED OUT,…
55
THE VOICES OF THE DEAD WHISPERED COMFORTING WORDS TO REBEKKAH…
56
FOR A BRIEF MOMENT, CHARLES THOUGHT THAT REBEKKAH HAD ACCEPTED…
57
REBEKKAH KNEW WITHOUT LOOKING BEHIND HER THAT BYRON HAD ENTERED…
Epilogue