The Dead #2 Cover Novels & Stories

That had possibilities, if it wasn’t all crap. The old man at the front, a bundle of wild whiskers and armpit hair long enough to braid, wiped his nose on his Grateful Dead shirt and thumbed through the book. The image on the shirt caught Jon’s eye. It was a skeleton in blue, carrying a bindle in one hand and a red rose in the other. Arms outstretched, head upwards, it was about to step off a cliff. There was something there. The red rose— “This is kind of a collector’s item,” the old man said, distracting him.

Edward was dead. He had a heart attack after Jenny enraged him, and despite attempts to revive him, he died on the spot. With a heavy heart, I took care of Edward’s funeral arrangements before immediately calling the police. From that day on, Jenny and Marcus Grange, along with those thugs, would pay dearly for what they had done! In the past, I might have let them off the hook out of respect for Edward. However, now that Jenny had killed the only person protecting her and caused her own father’s death, I would make her suffer a thousand times over!

However, Connor touched my thigh the next second, and my breathing paused instantly. 'Is he going to find out?' I wondered. I had a black birthmark on the inside of my thigh. He once thought it was ugly and asked me to get it removed with laser treatment. Connor said, "There seems to be a burn here. The deceased's leg may have been burned by something." I smiled bitterly before remembering that the man had ignored my screams and pressed a burning knife on it to cover up my identity. Now, there was nothing there except the burn marks.

********* Two days later. Cara's POV I am feeling everything at once, but in the same time, nothing at all. My inside feels heavy yet light. I am cold, I am so cold. I can feel myself breathing, I feel the air push in and out of my lungs, I can feel my heart beating, pumping against my rib cage. I am alive, I know that I am alive but a part of me dies as they lower the casket into the ground. The coffin is dark stained cherry and it is perfectly polished. It has a cushioned and a silky lining. I want to touch it, will they let me touch it? I want to open it and see him one last time, would they let me do that?

Off the main hallway, to the right, there was a large sitting room. This room contains original wallpaper including ceiling panels of small birds and orange flowers with vibrant leaves of green and yellow set upon a light blue background. There was also a large fireplace with candles above it. Everything was done with taste. There were two or three pictures of men in black suits with cigars in their mouths. Typical of him. We also went up to the second floor, where he took me to a room with a large, beautifully designed bedroom, huge curtains and a beautiful view. "I see you're obviously trying to buy me with your luxury houses." I said.

The morgue was cold, carrying a foul, sterile smell. Expressionless staff pushed me into a metal drawer. With a soft "click," the door closed. The system's voice echoed in my mind. [Death confirmed. Final storyline completed.] [Countdown to soul departure: 71 hours 59 minutes.] [Please await the opening of the passage.] I drifted in the cold, hollow air and let out a breath. Finally, things were coming to an end.

The pain in my neck was gone. I realized I could fly. My body floated through the air as light as a cloud. Drifting upward, I looked down. Below the balcony, a boy in a blue winter coat hung from a strand of bunting. His body was swaying gently in the freezing wind. His face was a bruised purple, and his wide eyes were staring blankly into the distance. Why did he look exactly like me? That was when it hit me. I was dead.

I knew better; the fish I gave her was boneless. Jane's lips trembled as she tried to steady her voice, "That's because the nurses cleaned her up before they brought her here." "Cleaned her up, huh?" My voice turned icy. "Then answer me this: after death, the body cools, starting with the limbs." I pressed down on my daughter's rigid arms and belly. "So why is her stomach colder than her arms and legs?" I yanked up her sleeve to reveal more than just cold skin. "Livor mortis already? That was fast."

When I woke up the next day, it was already noon. Sharon came over with a flattering smile and wrapped her arms around me, her voice impossibly gentle. "Honey, I made a whole table of your favorites. You're gonna love it." I calmly pushed her away and pulled back the blackout curtains. The moment the room filled with light, her expression tightened. Her eyes locked onto the suitcase by the wall and the Aurelian C-2 certificate beside it. Her face drained of color.

"A-Aria is truly beyond saving, Alpha Carl." Carl's eyes were completely bloodshot as he roared in refusal, "That's impossible! Aria can't be dead! It is surely another one of her elaborate ploys, a grand attempt to trick me!" Carl carried Aria's lifeless body to his bedroom, a place he had always barred Aria from entering since he claimed that she was tainted. He, however, was personally carrying her into his bedroom now that she was dead. He then ordered the maids to thoroughly wash Aria's body and change her into a set of clean clothes.