Deceit (Gallows Hill #1)

11. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Skyla

I ’ve decided to wear a pair of dark blue jeans and a dark grey wrapped sweater since we are going to be outside. It’s comfortable but practical, and it’s about the most casual outfit I own besides leggings and a tank top, which is obviously not an option.

Maggie said she would meet me at my dorm, and we could walk together. Sure enough, a steady knock comes from my door seconds after I smear my nude colored lip gloss on.

I run a hand through my barrel curls as I open the door. Maggie’s wide smile dies on her lips as soon as she sees me. She’s gone a little edgier, wearing ripped black jeans and a Lynyrd Skynyrd crop top with some combat boots.

Maggie’s eyes roam over me, judgment clear in them as she shakes her head.

“Babe, what the hell are you wearing? It’s a bonfire, not a Lamaze class.”

I frown at her as I look down at my sweater.

“What do you mean? I like this sweater.”

“My grandma likes that sweater,” she deadpans. “You have a banging body. Why are you hiding it?” she asks.

I cross my arms over my chest uncomfortably before shrugging softly. A sympathetic look crosses her face before she nods.

“Sorry, I’m being a bitch. You look beautiful.”

I don’t quite believe her, but I don’t get time to argue before she’s pulling me out of the room by my arm. The door shuts with a resounding thud and my heart sinks.

“Maggie, my phone was inside and my key! How am I supposed to get back in?”

She waves me off as she continues pulling me down the hallway, like I’m a pet on its way to be neutered.

“It’s fine. You can crash with me. Let’s just go already!”

I roll my eyes at her carefree attitude as we step inside the elevator, whooshing down to the bottom floor in no time. Apparently, it’s a back to school tradition to hold a huge bonfire at the edge of campus. I wasn’t able to determine if it was sanctioned by the school or not, my guess is obviously that it’s not.

My suede knee-high boots cover the distance across campus, and soon a flicker of fire can be seen from afar. It gets larger and larger the closer we get, until we come right up to it and see it’s nearly twenty-feet high and ten-feet wide. Several guys wearing Gallows Hill football t-shirts are laughing, fueling the fire more and more with wooden pallets. Dozens of people are gathered around singing, dancing and laughing to the music coming from a huge speaker in the corner.

There are several kegs to the side, and nearly everyone has a drink in their hand. I glance at Maggie uneasily and she rolls her eyes before pulling me over to an empty area near the fire, shaking her hips to the beat. Her hands rest on mine, physically forcing me to move along to the beat as well. I can’t help but laugh before I finally stop fighting her, moving to the upbeat R&B song.

She grabs a beer out of some guy’s hand, winking at him as his shoulders slump and he walks back over to the keg where he got his drink.

“Who was that?” I ask.

“My neighbor, he’s too nice to say no to me,” she says in my ear over the thumping music.

“Maybe he likes you.”

She snorts and shakes her head.

“I fucked around with his sister last summer. He knows he’s definitely not my type.”

I can’t help but laugh at that. She’s so unapologetically her, it’s amazing. The comfortability she has in her own skin is something I admire deeply. I wish I could be as strong and proud in just one thing, as she seems to be in everything.

When the song changes, to something a little slower and more seductive, I watch as Maggie sets her eyes on a girl behind me. She gives her a sultry smirk before moving past me, grabbing her hips as she begins dancing again. The girl looks a little caught off guard, almost like she wants to push her away. The lust is apparent in her eyes though, even from over here and she quickly succumbs to my friend’s charm.

I genuinely think it’s Maggie’s mission to switch every straight woman on campus, at least for a night.

Laughing at my amazingly sexual friend I turn to step away from the fire, already sweating from the direct heat. Maybe a sweater actually wasn’t the best idea for a bonfire. I’m moving through a crowd of people when a familiar face pops-up in front of me. Her sleek black hair and bright blue eyes are nearly unforgettable, as well as the mental image of her naked body lying on my bed with Asher on top of her.

“Hey! You’re Skyla, right?” she slurs slightly, swaying a bit as she holds her drink a little higher like it will somehow counter her center of gravity.

I nod, but don’t say anything, and that’s okay because her drunken rambling continues.

“I’m Bridgetteee,” she exaggerates, before giggling to herself. “We met earlier this week.”

I give her a tight smile as I nod again. “I remember, you were bent over my bed.”

She snickers at that, covering her mouth as she nods.

“Sorry about that. You know how it is, when Asher Putnam asks you to jump, you fling yourself right off the bridge.”

I actually can’t relate to that statement, at all. I’m not sure I would willingly do a single thing for Asher Putnam. I give her a polite nod but take a step to the side, ready to be done with whatever this is. Her hand whips out, those long nails digging into my forearm as she holds me back.

“Wait, I wanted to say I’m sorry and hopefully we can start fresh. I swear, I’m not the bitch I seem to be. I just like him,” she says softly, a hint of vulnerability peeking through the drunken haze.

I shrug at that. “Well, you can have him. Honestly, I have zero interest.”

She laughs, like I just told the most hilarious joke, before she stares at me like I’ve grown a second head. It looks like she’s about to say something before she shakes her head.

“Have you been to the spot yet?”

“The spot?” I question with a shake of my head.

She rolls her eyes before practically squealing. “Oh my godddd. C’mon. You have to come check it out, it’s like a tradition for new students.”

I frown at that and look over my shoulder to see Maggie making out with the girl she was just dancing with. Damn, she moves fast.

Bridgette’s hold on me is practically iron clad and her coordination isn’t all that bad considering we are walking through grass and she’s wearing heels, obviously drunk off her ass. We quickly round a corner behind a building before coming up to an iron gate. There is a sign above it that says, ‘Gallows Hill Cemetery’.

A chill runs down my spine as we cross the threshold, goosebumps immediately erupting over my skin. My feet begin to drag, suddenly not as willing to follow this drunk girl into a wooded cemetery.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“I told yous,” she slurs. “The spot!”

I want to shake her stupid drunk self and tell her she didn’t answer my question, as we weave around the graves surrounding us. My eyes catch on a few of the dates from the headstones.

1692, 1693, 1695.

My god, these graves have been here for over three hundred years. Part of me is completely fascinated that this cemetery is so old, especially considering its nearly immaculate condition. A bigger part of me is completely creeped out by the fact that the college has a three-hundred-year-old cemetery on campus.

We walk a little further before I see a tiny bright red light in the middle of the darkness, at least that’s what it looks like. As we get closer my eyes adjust, and I realize it’s the end of a cigarette. The owner of said cigarette is instantly recognizable, and I don’t even try to hide my irritation.

“What are you doing out here, Princess?” Asher draws out lazily, taking a large inhale as Liam smiles at me beside him.

“She was showing me the spot,” I say as Bridgette pulls us to a stop, giving Asher unashamed goo-goo eyes.

Asher nods, as he pushes off the headstone he was leaning up against, unfolding himself to his full height as he looks at the ground in front of him. He pulls the cigarette from his mouth and grabs a beer bottle from the floor, twisting the cap open before he speaks.

“Looks like you found it.”

I frown at that, looking down at what I can now tell is an empty grave. It looks to be the size for a coffin, but appears to have been dug years ago based on the dirt and surrounding grass. Asher closes the distance between us, stopping inches before me as he rests his free hand on my shoulder.

“Wha—”

My words are cut off as Asher shoves my shoulder– hard. The ground literally slips out from underneath my feet as my body falls right into the hole, landing with a rough smack into the dirt. Cackling comes from above, and I have to push the dirt away from my eyes to look up and see Bridgette smiling down at me with an evil smirk.

Asher is laughing hysterically, and Liam is chuckling to himself lightly.

“What the hell?” I shout, before forcing myself to my feet. A twinge comes from my left ankle that leads me to believe it’s at least sprained. Great.

The soft ground beneath me sinks, practically swallowing my shoes as I stand. I try to grip the edge of the grass and pull myself up, but I can’t even reach. This thing is at least ten-feet deep, equal amounts of irritation and panic fill me.

“Get me out of here!” I demand.

“Nah, I think you are right where you belong, but I’m not a total monster. Let me get you something to drink,” Asher says before standing over me, tipping his beer bottle upside-down. The cold sticky liquid hits my hair first, streaming down my face and my back as he empties the entirety of its contents over me.

I squeal at the feeling, doing my best to protect myself with my hands before Asher tosses the bottle into the grave with me. I don’t even have it in me to be humiliated right now. Instead, I’m just pissed.

“You asshole! Get me out of here, right now!”

He looks down at me, sneering as he wraps an arm around an eager and actually very sober looking Bridgette.

Nice acting, little bitch.

“Pass.”

I watch as he begins walking away, before glancing to see Liam still standing there, a frown tugging his full pink lips.

“Ash, we aren’t leaving her all night, right?” he asks, hesitance in his voice. “There’s a shit ton of coyotes, man.”

Asher looks over his shoulder at his friend, shrugging nonchalantly.

“They can have her.”

Anger burns inside me and right now, I’ve never wished anyone would be struck dead by lightning more than him. His little groupie right along with him.

“Liam,” I ask, hoping I can appeal to the humanity in him that is obviously trying to poke through. “Please,” I whisper softly, allowing the deep-seated fear inside me to bleed through.

He grimaces as he looks at me, before looking over to see Asher watching him carefully. Liam gives me an almost pained look, before he shakes his head and begins walking away with Asher and Bridgette.

Fuck!

“Liam!” I shout desperately. “Please! Asher! Get your asses back here! You can’t leave me out here! Help! Someone help me!” I scream.

I hear Bridgette cackle again and it becomes more faint with each step away from me that they take.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

I reevaluate the dirt walls surrounding me, digging the toes of my boots into the side in hopes I can make footholds of sorts. Unfortunately, the ground is practically rock-hard, and my efforts are completely useless. My ankle twinges in pain again, forcing me to grimace. Fuck.

A cold chill sweeps through the air, forcing me to shiver.

At least a half an hour goes by as I try and try to get out of this stupid hole, all attempts completely failed. A howl suddenly sounds out in the night sky, followed by more than I can count. Liam’s words about coyotes come to mind and my stomach turns. I’ve never seen one before, but it’s related to a wolf and that’s enough information for me.

My hands quickly scramble against the dirt wall, digging my fingers in as deep as I can to try and at least get closer to the top. As soon as I’m able to get a firm grip though, I realize how truly screwed I am. All that I’m doing at this point is burying more dirt beneath my nails.

In the next moment a noise comes from my left, all of the breath from my lungs being sucked right out as I hear another.

“Hello? Is someone there?” I ask, only to be met with silence.

The sound of a twig snapping on my right has my head snapping in that direction, but I can’t see anything.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

I’m not a baby when it comes to scary things. I can watch horror movies and I have no problem with the dark but I’m trapped, in an abandoned grave, in a practically ancient cemetery, where there are definitely coyotes coming in my direction. Tell me you wouldn’t be ready to throw up right now.

“Hello?” I call out again, my voice quaking this time as I begin to spiral into a full-blown panic.

Ghosts aren’t real, right? Just because this cemetery is over three-hundred-years-old doesn’t mean that it’s haunted. Even if there were ghosts out here, it’s not like they can materialize enough to snap twigs and actually make noise….right?

One more sound comes from just a few feet to the left of me. I practically jump out of my skin as my heart sinks and my voice shouts. In the next moment, a pair of black boots comes into view before two legs crouch down to look at me.

My eyes trace over the black clothed man, surprised when I see that it’s Vincent Griggs, staring down at me like I’m an insect he found underneath his boot.

“Vincent?” I question, half disbelieving but also half in relief. “Can you help me out? Please?”

He doesn’t respond, instead, just choosing to stare at me. My relief quickly begins to shrivel inside, replaced with the acceptance that I will probably live out my remaining moments in this grave, before I’m killed by hypothermia, coyotes, three-hundred-year-old ghosts or maybe even Vincent himself.

We end up just staring at each other for what feels like minutes, suspended in time. My mind races with what I can use to defend myself. I think I saw a rock half buried in the wall to my right. Maybe if I can pull it out, it would give me some sort of fighting chance. Go out swinging and all that.

Slowly, Vincent’s tattooed hand reaches down into the grave, extending his fingers to me. I hesitate for only a moment or two, before I greedily accept his help, practically scrambling to latch onto his arm as he begins pulling me up. Pushing my feet into the dirt wall I try my best to ease the burden, but it doesn’t seem to be much of a task for him. He practically yanks me up and out of the grave, without so much as a strained muscle.

I land on the wet grass with a thump and quickly roll onto my back before standing up.

“Thank you! Thank you so much! I thought I was going to freaking die out here,” I say, the building tears beginning to let loose as I throw my arms around him.

He immediately tenses beneath me for a moment or two, before roughly shoving me. I right myself before I fall again, and I look up to see him staring at me, with that same angry look he seems to always have ingrained in his features. I open my mouth, to say what? I’m not sure, but I don’t get the chance before he turns and begins stalking deeper into the cemetery, without a single word.

What the hell?

Part of me wants to ask what his deal is, but another chill runs through the air sending goosebumps down my arms. I decide to hell with it, as I practically sprint out of the graveyard. As soon as I pass through the gates, that foreboding fear deep in the pit of my stomach eases, as if I was officially out of danger or something.

As I limp my way back towards the party, I find it alive and well. My eyes scan over the crowd in search of Maggie, but I come up short. Seriously? Not only did she not realize I was gone, but she left me too? Rationally, I hope she is looking for me or maybe assumed I decided to leave early, but irrationally I’m pissed that I was trapped in that grave for nearly an hour.

Screw this, I’m out of here. I begin making my way towards my dorm, craving nothing more than a warm shower and my bed. On the negative side, I’m cold, beer soaked and caked with dirt and mud. On the positive side…nope, all negatives. This night sucks.