Oblivion by Karolyn Cairns [paranormal/YA] Read Free Book Online Page A

“That’s the thing about getting murdered. Something happens to keep you from seeing it. Don’t know why. Best thing to do is just wait for enough pieces to come back to put it together. This guy was the last one with you. Hate to say it; but he’s the dude who wacked ya.”
    “Cam has no reason to kill me! I’m his best friend!”
    “Sometimes people just kill for fun. I know it ain’t right, but there it is. This kid might have just wanted to know what it felt like, or he just hated your guts and you didn’t know it.”
    Jace refused to believe Cameron killed him while he waited for him to relieve himself on the side of the road. It made no sense. He and Cam had differences recently, but it was all resolved. Or was it?
    He thought of the circumstances and stiffened. He felt a rush of fear and anger, and dread. He recalled Cam begging him to run him out to Marnie’s, even knowing he had a half hour before Dougie was done with his counseling.
    “Why can’t I remember it?”
    “The mind protects itself from the truth. Trust me you wouldn’t want to see what he did to you. Look at all the blood all over you. He messed you up good.”
    Jace refused to accept it despite the insidious feeling Merrick spoke the truth. The horror of it made him stumble slightly and he felt lightheaded. The thought he would never see Lindsay again filled him with sorrow. Then there was Sara and Dougie. What would become of them now?
    “Easy, I know this is too much for you to handle right now, but you gotta get a grip,” Merrick said and looked watchful as he looked at the alley opening. “My place is on the other side of town. We gotta get you out of here. You’re a sitting duck for deadheads. I’ll help you as much as I can to get by down here, but the rest is up to you.”
    “Do you have a phone?” Jace asked again and Merrick swore under his breath.
    “Kid, you need to take my advice and accept my word for it. You’re straight up no comin’ back from it dead!”
    Merrick gestured for him to follow him and Jace had no choice but to go, still unwilling to believe this wasn’t all just a dream. They walked through the dark grim city, avoiding the occasional other presences Merrick seemed to see and hear before him.
    They walked a couple miles and came to a warehouse. Merrick punched in a code on a keypad and a buzzer went off. The garage door opened and he stepped inside. Jace followed and Merrick punched a button along the wall and the door shut. He flipped a switch and lights went on inside the warehouse.
    Jace looked around at the sight of old cars, new cars, and work benches and swallowed hard to see all the weapons hanging there. It looked like a military arsenal within. Merrick gestured for him to follow him upstairs. They took the steel stairs up to the second level. Merrick opened a door and stood aside, letting Jace inside.
    The lights came on and it looked like a pretty normal apartment within. Merrick led him to a room and opened the door. Inside was a bed and little else.
    “I reserve this room for Newbies. Sorry, but you’re my fourth one this week. I didn’t have time to change the sheets. You can use a shower and get you some new duds. When you’re cleaned up; we can talk more,” Merrick told him, his brown eyes meeting his solemnly. “I’m sorry, Kid. It’s a tough break. But you’ll find once you accept it, things will go better for you.”
    Jace didn’t know what to say. Merrick shut the door and left him. He went inside a private bathroom and saw only a walk-in shower there and a sink; no toilet. He was confused over it, but shrugged and disrobed. He tossed all the bloody clothes in pile and started the shower. When the water was hot enough, he got in, sighing under the spray.
    Once he was clean, he wrapped a towel around his waist and stepped out of the room. In a closet hung gear like Merrick’s. He leafed through them and found a set his size. He dressed and was relieved to find a pair of