The ghost returned that night, but it was worse the night after that. Graden squeezed his eyes shut, tried to ignore it, thought about the door between his room and Louk’s. He didn’t want to bring a vengeful spirit into the doctor’s bedroom so he waited. The ghost had been leaving recently, hadn’t touched the blankets again. The smell was bad but Graden had gotten used to bracing himself against it.
Her terrible voice, though, drew shudders down his spine, and she seemed particularly close tonight. He swallowed hard and rolled over, put his back to her. The air in the room whipped about, chill and fetid, her disconnecting words fading away. Then the air washed over his face in a flow like an exhale, making him gag.
Graden opened his eyes. She was right there, right in front of him, her f
