Page 82 of Stay Buried

Mini didn’t feel safe, though. She felt eyes on her watching from all directions. She imagined the trees, the old dead grass, even the rocks spying, and that later they would whisper their secrets to the knackerman.

She passed the back side of the church, with the yard where they held picnics and festivals several times a year. Just beyond it, she turned and walked into the cemetery.

Ashley was waiting for her next to the knackerman’s nameless grave.

“I’m glad you came,” Ashley said with a smile.

Mini was quiet for a few seconds, looking at the ground. She could feel Ashley’s eyes on her and she didn’t like it.

“And I’m glad you didn’t knock on my door. If my parents found out I was out here yesterday, I’d be in even worse trouble than I already am.”

“What kind of trouble are you in, Mini?” Ashley asked.

Mini shook her head, kept her eyes on the smooth black stone that marked the grave. “The worst kind.”

Her throat felt thick and strange, and tears started up in the corners of her eyes.

Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry.

She concentrated on the sounds around her: the chickadees in the bushes, a dog barking somewhere far away, the ticking of the watch inher pocket.

“Tell me,” Ashley said, voice soft and soothing. “Maybe I can help. See, I happen to know a thing or two about trouble.” She gave Mini a sad smile, and in that smile Mini knew it was true.

But there was no helping Mini. Not with this.

Mini just shook her head, said, “Thanks for bringing my horse.”

“He’s a pretty horse. Does he have a name?”

“Justin. After Justin Morgan. ’Cause he’s a Morgan horse.”

“Is that so?” Ashley said, moving so that she was beside Mini, not staring her down anymore. She passed the horse over. “I have to admit, I don’t know a thing about horses. To be honest, they’ve always kind of freaked me out.”

Horses were one of Mini’s absolute favorite animals. She couldn’t imagine why anyone would be scared of them.

“How come? Did you get thrown or something?”

Ashley shook her head. “No. Nothing like that. I’ve just always been a little afraid—well, maybe more than a little afraid—of them. It’s their size mostly. And their teeth. Those huge blocky teeth. And they can run so fast. If a horse was chasing you, you wouldn’t have a chance.”

“Horses don’t chase people. Not unless a rider makes them.”

“I’m not saying my little phobia has any basis in reality. I guess that’s the true definition of a phobia, right?”

Mini nodded. She knew she should go. Should get back home before someone caught her. But she liked talking to Ashley. Ashley didn’t treat Mini like she was a dumb kid, say something like,You know what a phobia is, right?Mini read a lot of books. She knew more than most kids her age about a lot of things.

“Mine’s spiders,” Mini admitted. “Most animals I love, even all the creepy-crawly ones like ants and bees and those orange-and-black beetles that eat dead things. But spiders scare me.”

Ashley nodded. “That’s a pretty common one. Malcolm, my brother, he’s terrified of snakes. And he faints if he sees blood. Butdon’t tell him I shared that with you, okay? He’s a little embarrassed about it.”

“I won’t tell,” Mini promised, and meant it. She was a good secret keeper.

They were quiet a few seconds and Mini liked it. Most people didn’t like lulls in conversation and kept talking just to fill the silence. She liked that Ashley didn’t feel the need to do that.

“Why’d you come here?” Mini asked, knowing she shouldn’t, but she longed to know. To understand. “No one comes to Boone’s Ferry. Well, hunters sometimes, but you and your brother aren’t hunters, are you?”

Ashley looked around the cemetery. “We had family here once. My great-grandfather was the town doctor a long time ago. Back during the flu.”

“Dr. Endicott?” Mini said.