II

The plush pews did nothing for the aching in Odette’s spine the next morning. She hadn’t slept well last night, not by a long shot. The large window had seemed pretty during the day but, at night, it was terrifying. It certainly did not help that her overactive imagination just wouldn’t stop creating horrid scenarios of what could be waiting for her out there.

Odette shifted again, holding the bodice of her all white sundress, discreetly fanning herself. The church that her mother had found, Lighthouse of Christ, obviously hadn’t had an update in the last fifty years. The air conditioner was shot, the walls were crumbling, and it was mostly filled with old people who were probably alive when this place was built. But it was the closest place to their house, a ten-minute drive with light traffic.

Lighthouse of Christ got its name from the large lighthouse that was only three blocks away from the church. It looked out into the sea but it had been unoccupied for at least a decade and was now used for teenage hookups. She learned this through the gossipy old ladies who sat behind her, wearing floral hats and bright red lipstick.

She couldn’t help but wince as the organ player began to play yet another hymn on his ancient instrument. It was loud and headache-inducing, causing her to wither slightly, shrinking back as the congregation rose to its feet.

Maybe if I faint I can get out of this mess, she wondered. But she knew that one of two things would happen. Either everyone would think that she had been touched by the Holy Spirit, or they would send her pitying looks and the “I’ll pray for you” would start. So, Odette suffered in silence until the hour and a half was up.

Odette gathered her purse and walked down the aisle with her mother, her father following behind, when she was suddenly surrounded by the “good” parishioners. Inside, she was screaming bloody murder.

“We just wanted to welcome you to our church, it’s so rare we see new faces,” an old lady said.

Odette smiled politely but it was more of a bared teeth grimace.

“Aww, thank you. I’m Pamela Sinclair and this is my husband, Jonah, and our daughter, Odette,” her mother placed a hand on her back, pushing her forward slightly.

“Nice to meet you,” Odette murmured, shaking their frail hands. They were almost as thin as she was.

One of the old women who had sat behind her spoke up next. “I have a granddaughter who might be around your age. She comes sometimes, but that girl has so much going on these days. How old are you, dear?”

“I’m seventeen,” Odette replied.

The women around her reeled, eyes wide and thin lips forming into “O.” It was as though she had become an alien or one of those cryptids that Odette liked so much. An oddity.

“You’re so skinny, sweetheart. Don’t you eat?” One of them asked.

Odette faltered, her smile slowly sliding off her face. “Err—yes. It’s a medical issue.” She silently wished that her mother wouldn’t elaborate, which was Pamela Sinclair’s favorite thing to do when it came to her daughter’s medical history.

Odette glanced her way and her mom kept her lips sealed.

Her mom, however, took her glance as a sign of weakness and wrapped her arm around her daughter to support her. Odette didn’t fight it. “It was a pleasure meeting you all; I think I should be getting her home.”

Odette gave them all a small nod and tried to walk as fast as she could with her mother half-carrying her.

As soon as they reached the threshold of the door, the summer heat hit her like a brick in the face, and she could feel the faint coming.

The dizziness set in and she stumbled backwards. She was ripped from her mother’s grip by gravity, Pamela’s nails scratching into her flesh and leaving long red marks, but that hardly bothered her. Her heart was pounding too fast, the bracelet on her arm beeping loudly.

Odette was on the ground before she knew it and the cloudy blue sky spun around her in a vortex of pain … and she blacked out.

The first thing she saw when she came to was the popcorn ceiling above her. Her body was stiff but she had an electrical sort of energy coursing through her. Enough energy, she determined, that she could easily sit up and function like a normal person.

Her attention was brought to her dress next. The white had been tarnished by the mud that she had apparently landed in, and it had dried enough to make it uncomfortable. It was chalky and flaking now, and she couldn’t help but wince.

She threw off the dress and slipped on another one, another white one but with purple butterflies.

Odette tip-toed out of her room, suddenly aware of the noises coming from the downstairs. The movers must have arrived. Two men who were rather brawny were carrying in the new couch that her parents had purchased for the new house. They maneuvered as carefully as they could around her parents, her father showing them where to put it.

“Mom?” Odette called out.

Her mother turned around quickly and a look of pity crossed her face. Odette hated that pitiful smile.

“Hi, sweetie. How are you feeling? You’re up, so that’s good.” She came over and smoothed over Odette’s hair in a comforting manner. “I was worried.”

Her face remained passive as ever, only looking out the door at the trees. “Mom, do you think I can go for a walk—just a small one! I need to stretch my legs.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Besides, we’re trying to move everything in right now and I can’t have you walk by yourself.”

“Please Mom. I won’t even go that far. I’ll take my phone and a bottle of water!”

Her mom gave an exasperated sigh. “No! I can’t risk you fainting on your walk and not be able to call for help. You don’t know the roads and someone could jump out and kidnap you or murder you or rape you!” She pinched the bridge of her nose.

Odette clenched her jaw and looked to the side; she felt tears welling up in her eyes. There was no point in arguing with her mother—this is something she learned after spending countless hours cooped up in her old room.

You wouldn’t understand anyway, Mother.

“Fine, whatever. I’ll just go lock myself in my room and contemplate my wonderful existence,” she snapped.

Her voice was heavy and strained but she refused to cry. Sticking her head up with false pride, she walked down the hall but didn’t go back up the stairs like she said she would. Instead, she walked to the back of the house where the kitchen was, nearly bare like everything else in the house.

There were snacks that littered the kitchen counter but none of them appealed to her.

In the back of the room there was a door with a small window covered by a gauzy white curtain that casted pretty shadows over the room.

A surge of defiance took over her and she made sure to grab a bottle of water (like she said she would) and opened the door.

The grass reached up to just under her knees, desperate for a mowing, and swayed with the humid summer air. Everything was very green, like a highly saturated photo, and it was near impossible to look at without squinting.

She looked over her shoulder once more and stepped outside. The warmth was never something she particularly enjoyed, but it was better than just being locked inside like a fictional princess.

Odette trudged through the grass and through the trees, so she would not be caught by her parents. She looked around her surroundings, taking in all the beauty that she beheld.

She never really liked the forest or nature in general before she was sick. It was filled with bugs and—ugh—dirt. Saying that she was a bit of a girly girl was an understatement. Now, things were different. When you spend so much time indoors, you can’t help but want to be anywhere else, even with mosquitos and flies.

When she was a safe distance from the house, Odette exited the “safety” of the trees and onto the open road. It obviously wasn’t traveled much except for those who lived in this area. The road was mainly dirt and gravel, which was annoying as the little rocks would get in her sandals.

She walked for less than ten minutes when she came across her (only) neighbor’s house. Odette’s eyes went wide. It wasn’t a house, it was a mansion.

There was a large wrought iron gate, the metal mimicking twisting ivy and leaves and honeysuckles. No name had been welded into the bars, though. None that she could see anyway. The house itself was humongous, with a large wraparound driveway and a fountain in the center.

She had only ever seen places like this in pictures or on television, but being so close to it in real life was breathtaking. Ivy crawled up the dark stone walls but it was clearly a well taken care of house. Nothing looked out of place from the outside. There was a garden further down the way but it disappeared around the corner of the house and Odette couldn’t see any more of it.

One car sat in the driveway, it looked very expensive. That made sense, though. Whoever lived in the mansion must make good money.

Something in one of the upstairs windows moved. Odette squinted to make out the person. It was hard to see anything with the sun beating down on her like it was, but she just knew that they were looking at her. Neither of them moved for several seconds.

It was that person who moved first. They disappeared behind the curtains and Odette felt herself sigh in relief. She didn’t want to loiter any longer, though, and tore herself away from the house. She had to get back before her parents realized she was gone.

The back door was still open slightly, allowing her easier entry. Odette cautiously peeked through the door, sighing in relief upon discovering that it was empty. The movers still made a ruckus, bringing things in the house.

She knew she wasn’t in the clear just yet, especially if either one of her parents had gone looking for her during the fifteen minutes she had been outside.

Odette sat down on the counter, chugged her water bottle, tossed it in the trash, and braced herself for a fit.

Her mom saw her and sighed, shaking her head. “We’re almost done; they have to bring in the kitchen table and chairs but they’ll be finished really soon. Then, if you want, we can look through town for a place to eat.”

Odette bit her lip but the yelling didn’t start. “Yeah, yeah, that’s great. I’ll just get freshened up.” She walked up the stairs two steps at a time, just in case, and reached her room with her frail heart beating way too fast.

She noticed that her bed frame had been brought up the stairs along with her desk and a mirror. Her mattress had already been laid out and folded up sheets sat on top, waiting to be fitted. Odette didn’t bother with this and went to the mirror, inspecting her sweaty face.

I’m surprised she didn’t interrogate me, Odette thought to herself. But who am I to question good luck when it comes my way?

The diner that Pamela had chosen was not at all what Odette expected. She had pictured greasy tables, trash littering the floor, and a bathroom that you could catch an illness from. What she got was a quaint little ’50s themed restaurant, very clean and, unlike the Lighthouse of Christ, actually had a lot of young people around.

Their waitress was a thirty-something woman with lively red hair. After placing their drinks on the table, she began to speak. “So, are you guys here for the Tent of Mystery?” she asked enthusiastically. She smiled at Odette but the girl was lost on its meaning.

“No, we just moved to town, actually,” Pamela explained. “But my daughter and I will be seeing the show tomorrow evening for my work.”

The woman, whose name was Patti, gasped. “Oh! It’s wonderful to meet you guys. We are a pretty tight knit community and everyone gets to know everyone! You are both going to love the Mages’ magic show, especially you, hehe.” She winked teasingly at Odette again but she was still very much at a loss as to why.

“Are they really that good?” Odette asked. “I hadn’t heard of them before we came here.”

“Oh yes.” Patti nodded along, suddenly serious. “The Mages Twins are amazing. Their tricks are just … just out of this world. They are what bring in so much money to Sunwick Grove, you know? And it isn’t even the tourists that go and see them so often but the locals too. They’re celebrities.”

She held in a snort of disbelief, Yeah right.

Odette let her gaze shift from their waitress to the flyer advertising the twins’ show behind her. She had seen similar papers on their drive to the restaurant, in alternating purple and blue. They all just read the same thing—“Tent of Mystery” and then the times and dates of their shows for the summer.

“Those twins, they have a pretty charmed life, I’ll tell you that,” Patti continued. “They just popped up out of nowhere several years back and became instant stars. They just have this quality about them. Everyone loves ’em …. Ah, anyway, what would you, guys, like to eat?”