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off chance it was the right one. Empty. Dang. It wasn’t set up for anything, and the next one was set up but had no casket in it. I wondered if Marcia hadn’t come yet or if there was a holding room where she’d be delivered. The hall in the middle had to lead somewhere.
    I jumped when a clap of thunder rolled through the hall. It was early afternoon in a small town in Texas and I was spooked to be in a funeral home. Boy, had I watched too many movies over the years. Somewhere in my brain were grainy black-and-white pictures of zombies. The kid in me expected something to jump out and grab me, so I wasn’t surprised at my heart attack when a voice rang out.
    “Hi. Can I help you? I’m Tara. Are you Tali? I wondered when you were coming. Now let me show you the room you’ll be using.” The perky-voiced receptionist ushered me back toward the rooms at the front.
    I stopped. “Wait. Can you show me where Marcia is? I never got to really say goodbye, and I don’t want to intrude on the family time.”
    Tara hesitated. “I guess it would be all right. No one is here right now, except for me. We don’t usually let visitors go into the preparation room but let me see… wait, she’s in a closed casket, so you should be able to go in. No problem.”
    We turned around to go the opposite way, stopped halfway down the center hall, and entered a plain, no-frills room with several caskets lined up in a row.
    I shivered and Tara patted me on the shoulder, obviously assuming I was grieving. She murmured comforting sounds and left me alone in the room. Guilt coursed through me that I’d fooled a nice kid who was trying to be kind. Another rumble shook the room. I knew, deep in my soul, that a casket lid would open and a thing would sit up, climb out, and come after me.
    I couldn’t stand there and watch the coffins for movement. I needed to open this one and touch Marcia in case I could sense anything that would help us catch whoever caused her death. I took a deep breath, reached for the lid, and opened it. I kept my eyes on the end of the casket to avoid seeing her face again.
    No one had changed her clothes so she was still in her jeans. I guessed, since she would be in a closed casket, they must have re-dressed her in the same clothes after the autopsy. I reached for the hem of her jeans, expecting another clap of thunder. Instead, the room became quieter, hushed.
    I touched the denim and saw—nothing. Dark slammed into me, pushed at me. Red tinged the edges. Emotions flew through my mind—envy, fear, desire. Black emotions threatened to take over and I jerked back.
    I saw no concrete images, only colors, feelings, and strong evil. After slamming closed the casket, I ran out of the room and down the hall, ran into a dead end. Wrong way—dark hall—panic—shouldn’t have come.
    Trying to see what happened was dangerous, frightening, and if wicked energy touches you, it could stay with you. Whatever did this to Marcia was purely malevolent, and I felt as if it had touched me. I stumbled back the other way to find my way out before anyone came. I sought sunshine and light—well, at least light.
    I burst through the front doors into—a downpour.
     

Chapter Four
    I’d stopped shaking by the time I reached the school to pick up Sean. I still didn’t know what the vision meant. I hadn’t learned anything new. I could have guessed “something wicked this way” came without having to be touched by it.
    Sean and Rusty ran to the car and piled in, filling the car with the scent wet puppies and wet boys have in common.
    Sean turned to me, shaking his wet head. “Hey, Mom, did you get Halloween candy yet?
    “No. It’s over a week away and if I get it now, you will eat it.”
    “I wanted to make sure you got the right kind. I wouldn’t get into it or anything.”
    “Right and I got voted mother-of-the-year.”
    “Really, that’s cool.” Both boys said at once.
    “That was sarcasm, boys.” I turned the opposite