Page 64 of Haunting Goats

The reaper seems to consider before saying, “Who is she? What kind of human will I be retrieving?”

This whole interaction has me feeling the need to hold my breath, and I remember that old habits die hard. The anticipation of it all is killing me, and I give Lyr a gentle squeeze. I need her to know that I’m here, just as much as I need to know she is and that she’s not going anywhere.

“She’s my mother. She’s an absolutely horrid human being. My stepfather is there, too. But by the standards you require, he would be a discouraged proposition.”

I can’t believe my girl is negotiating with the grim reaper—for me.

She’s choosing me.

My guilt builds and gnaws at my insides, and I shove the uncomfortable feeling away. Nothing is going to keep me from Lyr—not even myself.

The Reaper taps its scythe and says, “Discouraged, you say? And why is that?” it asks curiously.

I look anxiously at Lyr, her hesitation makes me nervous, but I understand it. How do we tell the Collector of Souls that the other soul is still, unfortunately, breathing?

“You will be unhappy to hear that the other soul is not ready. He’s still very much alive.” She says shyly.

The reaper contemplates the news and the deal, settling on an agreement.

“Two for one,” he says with finality. “Finish the deed. When I have detained both souls, you will be free to stay in the In-Between, and I will not come for you again.”

And with that, the grim reaper disappears.

“Lyr…” I go to hug her, and she pulls away from me, turmoil written all over her face.

I’m afraid I’ve made a mistake. What if she hates me now? What if that was just for show and she leaves me, regardless of the deal?

“Dammit, Attie. How could you?” She shoves me, not hard enough to budge me, but enough to startle me. This isn’t her.

“What happened to help me find peace? What is that saying—if you love something, let it go or some shit? What happened to that?”

“Fuck that.” I can feel the hurt at the forefront of my emotions.

“I love you, Lyr. I know what I said, but I can’t lose you. Please understand⁠—”

“No, you need to understand…” she sighs, going from angry to level-headed in a matter of seconds, “I… I love you, too. Now let’s get back in there. We’ve got work to do.”

CHAPTER 41

LYRIC

As we head back into my childhood home, I think about our interaction with the Reaper. It never said why it finally came to get me, what the delay was, if I had done something that triggered it to show up… nothing. Just that it was here for me, and it frustrates me that I don’t know what summoned it.

I want to go with it, but I can’t bear to leave Attie—not after that confession—not now that I know the whole truth. He’s been the only thing to keep me grounded. I don’t know what I would do without him if I couldn’t bring him with me. And taking him with me didn’t sound like an option, which means leaving isn’t either.

We enter the room, and Cash and Kristine are exactly where we left them. In fact, it looks like Cash decided to take a little snooze while we were gone, and Kristine continues to prop herself against the wall, staring at nothing. I know my mother well enough to know that she’s checked out. I wonder if it’s all starting to sink in now.

Attie clears his throat and startles my mother.

“You’re back,” she states matter-of-factly.

“We’re back.” I say, rolling my eyes.

I can see her out of the corner of my eye, observing me as I close in on Cash. I try not to pay her any mind. Focusing on the task at hand, I lean over my stepfather and will myself to slap him hard across the face. He jostles awake and roars.

“What the fuck was that for?” His eyes flicker around the room as he comes to.

I catch myself smirking and attempt to rein it in. God, that felt good. I’m so proud of myself. Learning how to navigate the world beyond the Veil has been difficult, and I’ve come a long way.