Free The Monster Hunter's Manual by Jessica Penot

grin. “I don’t know. I guess it isn’t.”
    â€œHave you ever done anything like this before?” I asked Uno.
    â€œAre you kidding me?” he replied. “I’m afraid of myself sometimes and I can’t even see my reflection in the mirror. I think I see my reflection and jump.”
    I laughed and Roger made a funny face.
    â€œSo I guess we should do it?” Alex said.
    No one moved to open the gate. They just stared at it. I could see the cemetery through the gate. It was pretty. There were traditional gravestones, modern stones, old angels praying over ancient graves, and graves so old they were hardly there. The Lantern of the Dead was not what I expected. When the old ones told us to light it, I had imagined it being a lamp. The lantern wasn’t a lantern at all, but a large, oblong tower that reached up above the cemetery.
    â€œI’ll do it,” Roger said and he pushed the gate open and walked inside. “Hello!” he called to no one in particular. “If there are any other dead people wandering around here make yourselves known!” His call was answered only by silence.
    â€œOK then,” Roger said. “It looks like Uno and I are the only living dead around. Let’s go in.”
    Alex went in after Roger and I followed him, but Uno hesitated and looked out on the cemetery with fear.
    â€œAre you coming?” I asked.
    â€œI don’t know.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œIt’s a cemetery.”
    â€œYeah,” I said. “And you’re a vampire. I thought vampires lived in cemeteries.”
    â€œI don’t like cemeteries.”
    â€œAre you afraid?”
    Uno shrugged. “A little.”
    â€œDon’t you have super powers? Aren’t you immortal?”
    â€œYeah, but we’re actually much more vulnerable than you think. I mean, stakes to the heart, garlic, holy water, tanning beds, bright lights, a good blow to the head. There are a lot of things that can hurt me. I don’t even think we’resupposed to go on hallowed ground, technically speaking, and cemeteries are hallowed ground.”
    â€œHe’s a big chicken!” Roger called.
    Uno didn’t even argue with Roger. “I’ll just watch from here.”
    â€œOK,” I said and I ran to catch up with Roger.
    â€œHe’s even afraid of the dark,” Roger whispered in my ear.
    â€œWhat? But light hurts him, doesn’t it?”
    â€œYeah, but he’s still afraid of the dark.”
    I walked away from Roger, who was still laughing at Uno and caught up with Alex. Alex was standing at the base of the lantern and looked up. It was beautiful in the soft light of the moon. It was covered in stone vines and angels that crept upwards to the window, where it could be lit. Alex took a deep breath.
    Alex took a lighter and candle from his pocket. I didn’t know where he had gotten them or even how he knew he needed them. “Lift me up.”
    I gave him a boost and he placed a small white candle in the stone lantern. He hesitated then lit the candle. I dropped him to the ground and he fell with a thud. We all looked out at the sky, waiting.
    â€œMaybe you should call their names or something,” Roger said.
    â€œMom! Dad! If you are out there, come see us!” Alex cried.
    Nothing happened. I could hear Roger doing some kind of silly dance on the grass, but there was nothing else.
    â€œDon’t call them Mom and Dad. Call their real names, idiot,” I said.
    Alex scowled at me. “If you know so much, you do it.”
    â€œCaroline Allaire and Bastian Allaire, I call you to come and seek your sons!” I yelled.
    â€œI knew this wouldn’t work,” Alex complained. He kicked the lantern and started to head out of the cemetery.
    Roger followed Alex. I hesitated and looked up. There was something wrong with the sky. It was getting brighter.
    â€œWait!” I called. “Don’t you see