Read Online Shake Down the Stars by Renee Swindle - Free Book Online Page B

how time heals all wounds, and I don’t want to hear about how God has a plan and how everything happens for a reason.”
    He holds me closer. “But I know you’ll get through this.”
    â€œOr that,” I say, pushing him away.
    I pull at a swath of grass and look up at Venus. Beautiful star. Horrible planet. Almost the same size and weight as Earth but nine hundred degrees and full of noxious fumes.
    Selwyn says, “But I do know you’ll get through this. I understand your pain.”
    I suck my teeth.
    â€œI haven’t experienced what you’ve experienced, no. I won’t try to compare, but I do know loss.”
    â€œWho?”
    â€œMy brother, Sylvester. We lost him years ago, but that doesn’t matter much. Still feels like yesterday. He was only twenty-two. We were eleven months apart. More like twins when you get down to it. Everybody said so, too. You saw me around town, and you saw my brother. That’s how tight we were. I mean, we did
everything
together—football team, baseball, all that. Sylvester and Selwyn.
S and S!
Everybody knew us.” His voice drops. “Yeah. Cancer. Broke my heart when he died. He may as well have taken a part of my soul with him.”
    I reach over and take his hand.
    â€œI just want you to know in some small way I understand. You’ll get through this.”
    â€œNo, I won’t actually.” I bury my head in my knees. I feel Selwyn gently run his hand up and down my back. He’s smart enough to keep his mouth shut, and we stay like that, me with my head tucked and Selwyn stroking my back, for a good while. Several minutes pass before I feel him give me a good hard shake.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œYou hear that?”
    I lift my head. “What?”
    â€œSomeone’s coming.”
    He points the flashlight toward a grove of trees. Finally I hear it, what sounds like an army of footsteps coming our way.
    â€œWho do you think it is?” he whispers.
    â€œI don’t know, but try to calm down. Other people are allowed to come here, too.”
    â€œYeah, but not at this hour.” He starts to move as though ready to take on a drove of zombies.
    I touch his arm. “Calm down.”
    He sits but grabs my hand as if we’ll have to flee in any minute.
    All too soon, a pack of teens crests the hill. They wear long black trench coats, white powdered makeup, black boots and heavy eyeliner. As I suspected, we have nothing to fear. The group is made up of what I call the vampire kids, teens and twenty-somethings who come to the cemetery at night to celebrate vampires and all things goth.
    Selwyn starts to stand as they approach, but I pull him back down. “It’s okay. They’re just a bunch of kids.”
    There are codes of behavior in the cemetery he knows nothing about, and except for the few times I’ve heard their laughter in the distance, the vampire kids have always been respectful.
    There are nine kids in all tonight. When they reach us, Selwyn aims the flashlight on each of their faces one at a time, as if they’re under criminal suspicion. He holds the light on one kid in particular, who wears white makeup and black lipstick. Piercings punctuate his cheek, nose, and eyebrows; his face is a mask in the stark glow of the light. He winces and starts to say something, but the guy in front, lanky and long-haired, who, I’ve assumed, is the lead vampire, recognizes me and lightly slaps his friend’s arm. “No worries,” he tells his friend, “she’s cool.” He tosses his pierced chin my way. “Hey.”
    â€œHey,” I return.
    He offers a gentleman’s nod before waving his friends on. A girl of about fifteen stops in front of us and offers a childlike wave before bursting into a fit of giggles. The guy next to her shushes her and drags her along.
    The entire group is gone before Selwyn has a chance to take out his stake and cross. He exhales