The Monster Hunter's Manual by Jessica Penot Read Free Book Online Page B

couldn’t she? It doesn’t matter. I like her either way.”
    â€œYou are common, Roger, and I’m your better and you should treat me with respect,” Eleanor said.
    â€œI am no more common than you,” Roger argued.
    â€œYes, you are.”
    â€œIt doesn’t matter,” Alex said. “We’re common too. No one is royalty any more. Who cares anyway?”
    â€œNo, Alex, You are wrong. You are everything but common. You are the heirs of this kingdom. You are lords,” Eleanor said passionately.
    I laughed despite the seriousness of Eleanor’s tone. I couldn’t help myself. Lords of what? Lords of a rubble?Orphan kings of a broken castle in a village in the middle of nowhere? And we were hardly lords of even the rubble.
    â€œI can go if you just came to laugh at me.” As soon as the words were said, Eleanor began to fade away. She vanished as if she had never been there at all and only the memory of her remained. I had almost forgotten that she was a ghost until she faded away. I peered into the darkness looking for any piece of her in the shadows.
    â€œWait!” Alex cried. “Don’t go! My brother’s an idiot. He didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
    â€œI’m sorry for laughing,” I muttered. “I really didn’t mean to be rude. I just don’t see myself as a lord.”
    She looked at our faces and smiled. “All right, but those two can’t come with us.”
    Eleanor became bright again – a light in the darkness. She glided across the room to stand as close to Alex and me, and as far from Roger and Uno, as she could. She scowled at them and crossed her arms.
    â€œThey are our friends,” Alex protested. “Roger said he was sorry. Can’t you just pretend they’re our servants or something?”
    â€œOh,” Eleanor said softly. “I guess that’s fine.”
    â€œI am no one’s serving person,” Roger declared and with that, he made an ugly face at Eleanor and ran down the stairs.
    Uno stayed on inching slowly closer to Eleanor.
    Eleanor watched Roger go with a hint of anger.
    We could all hear Roger as he stumbled down the stairs and out of the door. The door slammed shut, with a bang and I could almost hear him as he stomped through the courtyard and back into our little portion of the castle. I felt bad for him. I imagined him going up to his attic and sitting alone surrounded by cans of diet blood and old board games. It seemed like a pretty depressing way to spendyour day.
    â€œYou shouldn’t treat him like that,” I said.
    Eleanor cast me a wicked glance. “Why not?”
    â€œBecause he’s a good guy and because we’re alone in this castle. We should be nice to each other.”
    Eleanor’s face softened a little. I almost thought she was going to call after him. “I’ll be nicer to him next time.”
    â€œThank you,” I said.
    Eleanor smiled. “Would you like me to show you more of my friends?”
    I nodded eagerly, but Alex had something else on his mind.
    â€œI was wondering…” he spoke hesitantly. It was a tone that wasn’t common for Alex. “I, um…” His voice trailed off and we waited. “…You’re dead. And I just wanted to know if you ever see any other dead people while you are, you know, being a ghost in the ghost world?”
    Eleanor’s eyes filled with genuine empathy. “I’m just a ghost,” she whispered. “A phantom. I have no more power or knowledge than you.”
    â€œBut you must know something,” Alex said. “You died. What happened after you died?”
    â€œI think I was supposed to leave. I should have followed the light, but my mother was weeping, so I stayed and the light faded and I stayed here.”
    â€œSo, don’t other people stay here? Can’t we find the other people that didn’t follow the