16:28
More talking? More digging into the past? Enough, already.
Its voice is thin and depleted and Noah feels a flash of sympathy. It must be hard, fuelling all that malice, day after day.
Keep your sympathy. Who needs a little nobody feeling sorry—
Fine. Just keep quiet for now.
Noah has answered again, in his head, without thinking. Without even worrying.
He’s been listening to his father intently, taking notes, questions for later.
1. Joseph (Joe) Felix, criminal records?
2. Gabriel Felix/Martha Felix/Martha Groom(e).
3. Newspaper reports. Fire.
4. Police reports.
5. Dominic Groom(e).
Noah closes his notebook. His father will tell him now, everything he wants to know. He’ll get birth dates from him, and the name of the place where Martha was born. She doesn’t have much of a hold on reality, but maybe Noah will get a chance to talk to her about her family, and her husband’s. Already the left-hand branches of his tree are growing stronger, getting ready to carry all the members of his father’s family.
He turns his notebook over and looks at the back cover.
Noah Groome
5 Things About Me
There are lists and lists about him inside it. Some contain information he’s shared in group. Others are things he’s finally been able to tell Ms Turner. And now there’s more to write down, to talk about, but only when the time is right.
He has 2 weeks left at Greenhills.
The Dark hasn’t vanished, but ever since his father started talking, Noah has been in control. That’s definitely something else to tell Ms Turner.
Mr Bill is hovering. ‘Sorry, but it’s time for Noah to get going,’ he says. His phone beeps and he pulls it from his pocket, types something quickly.
‘Thank you.’ Noah’s mom smiles at him and her cheeks are pink. Thank you for everything. I don’t know what I would have done if—’
‘No need,’ says Mr Bill. ‘Glad to help. Especially when it’s these two.’ He looks at Juliet beside him, and then at Noah. ‘We’ll talk about all this in the morning.’
‘That’ll be fun,’ Juliet says.
Noah just nods. Yes, he wants to say, but it was worth it. Worth breaking all my rules. Worth it to have an old lady, his grandmother, look at him and say, ‘Is that you my Little Man?’
‘Right then,’ Mr Bill says, ‘let’s get going, before they send out a search party.’
‘Oh, Mom. Can’t Noah come home?’ Maddie’s tone is beseeching. ‘Just for a night? We can take him back in the morning. I mean he’s already going to be in so much trouble. Him and Juliet. They could both sleep at our house.’
‘I’m sorry—’ Mr Bill starts to say, but Noah interrupts him.
‘It’s okay, Mads. Really it is. Not much longer and I’ll be home. Back with you, and Mom.’ He looks over to where his father is sitting, quiet and wrung out. ‘And Dad, too. Things are getting better, Mads.’
Now is as good a time to ask as any and he gets his words out quickly. ‘Mr Bill, can I keep seeing Ms Turner, even when I’ve left?’
‘Of course you can, Noah. You can keep coming to group if you want.’
Mr Bill looks at Juliet.
‘I’ll come too,’ she says. Her voice is resigned, full of ‘whatever’.
‘I hope you will, Juliet,’ Kate says quietly, kindly. ‘I’ll phone your mom, meet her for coffee, tell her what a good friend you’ve been.’
Juliet blushes, disconcerted. ‘Yeah, well … Noah here, he’s a pretty good friend too.’
His father gets to his feet. ‘Noah. I—’
‘Don’t worry, Dad. We’ve got time. Lots of time. See you on Sunday?’
‘Sure,’ Dominic says. ‘I’ll go to Greenhills first and then I’ll come on here. Maybe Mom, or Maddie, will come with me?’
Noah hopes his mother will say yes, that she will get used to the idea of Dominic being Gabriel, a man who has a mother and a sister.
That’s quite a stunt your father pulled.
Noah shakes his head hard. There are more important things to worry about than the Dark right now.
His father has told them so much, he’s laid himself bare, hoping they won’t reject him. He’s also had a demon to fight, only his was a mean old man who lived and breathed in the real world. Noah’s demon lives in his head. He thinks of all the steps he’s taken to get rid of it. His mother, Maddie, Ms Turner, Juliet, Mr Bill – they’ve all helped him. All 5 of them.
His notebook is filled with facts, all things he’ll tell Ms Turner … one of these days. Today though, instead of putting it in his pocket, he stands and holds it out. ‘Mom, Dad. You can read this if you want. You too, Mads.’
There’s a startled silence. Still he holds the notebook out.
‘Noah?’ His mother is concerned, but that’s nothing compared to the state the Dark is in. It’s charging up, breathing hard and heavily.
Noah closes his eyes. He thinks of the pile of notebooks in his desk drawer, sees himself labelling a new one to see him through till next Sunday, when his family come to visit him. He sees himself walking up to Ms Turner’s door, knocking and maybe pushing down the handle – just that, 1 movement.
Maybe the voice will be silent, subdued. Maybe it will be frothing at the mouth.
If only you knew, Ms Turner. If only you knew. Our Noah has quite the surprise for you.
The thing is, Ms Turner does. She does know 5 things about Noah – and 5 and 5 and 5 things more, with more to come.
Noah’s hand wavers as his father reaches for the notebook, but he doesn’t change his mind. He lets his father take it.
Maybe the Dark will never fully let go, or leave him alone. For now, though, it doesn’t matter. He will tell Ms Turner more about it, all the parts it’s made up of. It’s shadowy, he’ll say. A shape-shifter. Impossible to hold in one place.
Noah’s dad is holding the notebook, turning it over and over in his hands.
‘Are you sure about this, Noah?’
‘Yes.’ Noah says. ‘I’m sure.’ Then he adds, ‘You can give it back to me next week. At visiting hours, Dad.’