"Ghosts don't scare me, you know," you say, but even the word "ghosts" summons goosebumps from your skin. "Because they don't exist. I know that because I'm not an idiot."
"Um, all right," Ashley says. "I think I'm confused. Why are we talking about ghosts?"
The word "ghosts" does it to you all over again, and you're pretty sure you visibly shudder.
"Here, look at this," you say as you hand her the piece of fabric.
"That's from Rex's jacket," you tell her. "Go ahead. Smell it."
She stares at you like you're crazy and you realize that you've phrased that just about the worst way possible. Addy groans quietly behind you.
"We found it on Burbridge Island. Torn off by a branch it looked like. Probably because Caleb fell into it, I don't know, I noticed it smells like Rex. I mean like his cigarettes. You know, the menthols he smokes. Used to smoke," you say, starting to ramble because you're panicking.
With great hesitance, Ashley lifts the fabric closer to her face to smell it. Her expression changes, but she still doesn't seem to believe you.
"I mean, it smells kind of like the brand Rex used to smoke sometimes."
"We know Ennis sent Caleb after me," you tell her, hoping showing some confidence will help you out here. "I saw him out there in the fog, watching me like a creep and dressed up like Rex."
Ashley shakes her head. "Caleb wouldn't wear Rex's stuff."
"I saw someone dressed like Rex in the fog," you say again. "If it wasn't Caleb, then who was it? You have to tell us what's going on here."
After staring out the window for a time, Ashley sighs. "I didn't want him to do it. Ennis gave him some kind of mask to wear. He was supposed to jump out and scare you when you got to where they found Rex's body. He said you never showed up though, so I don't know what this is," she says, handing back the strip of fabric. "I saw him before he left. He wasn't wearing Rex's clothes."
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