⠀⠀Isaac notices the hesitation in Ellington's expression and straightens up, stepping closer. "C'mon, man. I could use a break from raking leaves. Plus, I can keep a secret."
⠀⠀Ellington studies him for a moment before sighing and nodding. He can't say no to Isaac—not when he looks like that. "Alright. C'mon." Isaac grins wide and drops onto the bench beside him, leaning in to get a better look at the notepad. "What's all this?"
⠀⠀"Some cryptic code from a video game Ettie plays," Ellington lies smoothly, surprised at how easily the excuse rolls off his tongue. "She's paying me twenty bucks to solve it."
⠀⠀Isaac narrows his eyes at Ellington for a moment like he's trying to see through him but eventually shrugs and looks down at the notepad instead. "So you've got 'you have to remember,' and now you need..." He glances at the top of the page where Ellington has copied the runes and mapped out the number of letters and words in the phrase. "Three more three-letter words." He stares at the runes for a beat before pointing at them. "What language is this?"
⠀⠀"The entire Runic alphabet," Ellington says with a dry chuckle, already regretting agreeing to take care of this for his sister.
⠀⠀"Well," Isaac says with a laugh, "I don't know much about Runes, but I do know that after 'you have to remember,' it could be something like 'who you saw'...uh... oh!" He straightens up suddenly, chuckling like he's cracked it wide open. "Man, this is easy. It's probably 'you have to remember who you—'"
⠀⠀"Are," Ellington whispers before Isaac can finish.
⠀⠀"Yeah," Isaac agrees with a grin. "Sounds like a cool mind game."
⠀⠀Ellington doesn't respond right away. The words you have to remember who you are keep playing over and over in his head, growing louder with each repetition until they feel like they're coming from somewhere else entirely—somewhere deeper. His head pounds as he shuts his eyes tight against it, but the voice persists. It isn't his voice—it's deeper, familiar in a way that makes his skin crawl: "You have to remember who you are. Both of you. Nobody can take that away if you don't let them."
⠀⠀Ellington's eyes snap open as he scribbles down the rest of the phrase on instinct, leaving out the two other sentences that somehow echoed in his mind. I'm losing it, he thinks grimly.
⠀⠀"Hey," he blurts suddenly, "is it okay if I leave early?"
⠀⠀Isaac blinks in surprise but doesn't hesitate long before replying. "Uh... yeah? Sure." His eyebrows shoot up as he adds, "I mean, you've got thirty minutes left on your shift, but I can cover for you."
⠀⠀Ellington knows he's putting Isaac out by asking—especially since Isaac's dad owns the cemetery and signs Ellington's paychecks—but something about those words won't leave him alone. And then there are those bruises Isaac claims are from lacrosse but clearly aren't.
⠀⠀"Thanks," Ellington says quickly as he gathers his backpack and notepad. He pauses before leaving and looks directly at Isaac. "You know you can always crash at my place, right?"
⠀⠀It's something Ellington always says when they part ways—and every time, Isaac gives him that same small smile and replies softly, "I know." But he rarely takes him up on it.
⠀⠀Ellington lingers for just a moment longer before tearing his eyes away and heading out of the cemetery. The cool air hits him as he walks down the block, but an unsettling prickling sensation creeps up his neck—the familiar feeling of being watched.
⠀⠀He glances over his shoulder sharply but sees nothing but thick trees and shadows shifting between patches of foliage where he looks. 
⠀⠀Still...something feels wrong.