VII

Odette shot up from where she laid, clutching her blanket to her chest. She panted heavily, looking around the completely purple room. There were three pairs of eyes on her, all in varying degrees of concern. She wasn’t hurt, nor was she bleeding, but she was terrified.

“Odette? Are you okay?” Greer asked. She slid away from her nest of pillows and laid a hand on her shoulder.

Odette jerked away, fear in her eyes. “I …” she began. “I think I need to leave.”

She gave no further explanation. She gathered her belongings and sprinted out of the room. She found the stairs with ease and flew down the steps, threw the front door open, and ran down the path to the road.

It didn’t matter that she was still in her pajamas or that she had on flats over her fuzzy socks. It didn’t matter if the whole thing had been a dream. It didn’t matter that she felt a fainting spell coming, that didn’t stop her from how fast she was running. And it most certainly didn’t matter that it was seven o’clock in the morning, five hours before her mom said she would pick her up.

Her hair slashed at her face as the wind picked up. Every knot in a tree had eyes. Every bird was chirping her name tauntingly. The clouds were dark and angry looking. Odette glanced over her shoulder, nothing was behind her. Nothing she could see.

Paranoia chewed at her. She wouldn’t be safe until she was home. Odette pounded on the front door, knowing that, if her parents weren’t already up, they would be now. The house came alive, lights turned on, and she heard the panicked talk of her mother and father.

Her breathing was frantic and silent tears fell from her eyes. She couldn’t turn them off or stop them even if she wanted to. She spun around, making sure that she wasn’t followed, before she beat on her front door again.

The door swung open and Odette looked up to see that it was her father, dressed and ready for work. “Det? What’s wrong?”

Odette opened her mouth but a small voice spoke inside her head. Don’t tell them about the dream. They will think you’re crazy.

They’re going to think I’m crazy anyway, Odette though in reply.

The alarm on her heart monitor was blaring. Again, she opened her mouth, only to fall down in an unconscious heap on her front porch.

Odette was certain that she had been dreaming of something when she woke up but she couldn’t think of what it was. No, it wasn’t that terrifying nightmare she had at Greer’s. She could still recall bits and pieces of that dream but even those were fading. This one was different but she couldn’t figure out how.

Eventually, she gave up trying to remember and busied herself with something else. She glanced down at her portable monitor. There was a little heart pulsing on the upper right hand corner along with her actual heart rate displayed in large print beside it. She was stable for the moment as it stayed at eighty-four beats per minute.

Odette placed the ice pack beside her and sat up. Her joints protested against this and her head throbbed. It was going to be a bad day.

The TV was on downstairs. Her mother was probably watching her comedy movies, which she did when something went wrong with Odette’s health. It took her mind off of the horrid reality that she lived in. Odette didn’t mind, she would watch them with her to make her mother happy.

Right now, Odette didn’t feel like facing her parents and their endless barrage of questions. Instead, she walked around her room and picked up different things that might amuse her. No book caught her attention and she had no energy to doodle and she didn’t even want to look at her phone. She had no doubt that the twins had messaged her, asking what was wrong.

Nothing was wrong—she was fine.

Lightning flashed and illuminated the window seat in the hallway. Odette took that as a sign and followed her gut. When she came to the old window seat, she gently lifted the lid and pulled out the journal she found, along with some other photographs and loose-leaf papers. They seemed to be pretty ordinary but there was something thrilling about looking into someone else’s life. She settled back on her bed and flipped the journal open to the second entry and began to read.

“The logging company is laying off workers. Might be next. Ava says I’m too important, but that’s what every wife says to her husband.

R. met another boy today. Didn’t like him.

She’s too young for boys. Ava doesn’t agree. She says fifteen-year-old girls need dating experience. I was a fifteen-year-old boy once. Don’t want them anywhere near her.

Boys are giving their mother grief about going to see this magic show. It was advertised the other day. Twins. Not much younger than R. Trying to find a day to take them. Looks like fun.”

Odette skimmed the next few pages of the man’s journal. It was mostly him talking about average, everyday things with very short descriptions. A handful of them mention this “R.’s” dating habits and teenage mood swings. There were some things taped up inside, like business cards and a Sunwick Grove postcard.

She flipped a few more pages and came across ticket stubs for the Mages’ magic show. Odette ran her finger over them and turned her attention to the writing beside the tickets.

“Took the kids to see the magic show. I was impressed. They were very good for being twelve. R. was called up to be an assistant. The boy flirted with her. I laughed. He’s too young for her.

They put R. in a box and shoved swords in it. I didn’t like it. The trick could have gone wrong and killed her. When they opened the box, R. was gone. The crowd was really excited. The girl closed the door and reopened it, and R. came stumbling out. She didn’t look like herself.

When she came back, I asked if she was okay.

She didn’t answer. I’m worried.”

The next entry was much shorter.

“R. went out and got a job. The Tent of Mystery. The boy walked her home.”

A photograph of a girl had been hastily taped inside the book. It was blurry and there was a finger blocking the top half corner, which covered her face. She wore a purple button up and a pair of black ripped jeans along with a little black tie.

On the next page, there was a photo of the girl, “R.,” in a booth, serving food. She looked furious as she handed an unknown customer a bag of popcorn. Her hair was tied into a loose ponytail and her shirt had wrinkles in it.

“That boy follows R. everywhere she goes. Still walks her home. Sometimes walks her to the Tent. Found her diary and saw his name mentioned, so I read it. Says that he hardly leaves her alone and only leaves when he has to. Told her multiple times that he’s going to get her a new position inside the Tent as a tech person or something. She thinks he has a crush on her. I don’t like him. Not just a dad thing. He’s dangerous. I can feel it. Too smug and flirtatious for a normal twelve-year-old boy.

We were invited to their house for dinner. Wanted to refuse. Ava accepted. That boy was smirking.

Update: Turns out they live down the street. Didn’t know that. R. was quiet all day and locked herself in her room. Worried. Dinner was fine. The grandfather seemed just as shady. The girl was nice. The boy seemed too nice. Must know I don’t like him. R. chatted with him and his sister, nothing else happens. When we were leaving, the boy kissed R.’s hand.”

Odette pursed her lips. This family, presumably the ones who lived there first, was connected to the Mages twins. An ugly nauseous feeling twisted in her gut but she forced herself to keeping reading.

When she flipped the page, the date read that it was the next month. That was a large jump in time for this guy. Taped inside was a picture of the inside of a journal. She had to bring the book close to her to make out the words on the page.

“He won’t leave me alone. I’m really scared, to be honest. He’s … everywhere. I’ve been moved inside and promoted to ‘backstage manager’ even though all I do is stand there with a headset and a clipboard with copy paper. I doodle during most of the shows.

Grays is a nice boy. He was a nice boy. Maybe he still is. He is always watching EVEN during the show, which is totally weird. I’ve been telling my friends about it. Ian thinks that he’s just having his first crush and not to worry. Kalum is weary of him. Bree is on Kalum’s side, especially since our sleepover. I didn’t tell Mom and Dad about what happened.

When I go to sleep at night, I dream of these eyes watching me. They’re his eyes. I don’t know. Maybe I just need to tell him I’m not into him like that.

Anyway, Westley is taking me out tomorrow. I think I’m going to–”

The photo didn’t show the rest of the sentence but the father’s journal picked up right after.

“I knew it. I KNEW that kid was messing with her. She’s paranoid now. Doesn’t help that she’s keeping more things from us now. Ava is starting to worry as well. R. really isn’t herself. Very jumpy. Won’t watch scary movies anymore. Happy she’s found friends her own age. Going to keep a closer eye on this boy.”

“Oh good, you’re up!”

Odette screamed. She slapped her hand over her mouth, cutting it short.

“Geez, I’m sorry. I thought you heard me coming up,” Pamela apologized. She turned on the light in Odette’s room and walked in to sit next to her daughter. “Det, I’ve told you about keeping the light on while you read.”

Odette sighed and laid the journal aside facedown. “Yeah, I know.”

“So,” her mother began, “do you want to talk about what happened today?”

She winced, tugging on her pointer finger. “Um … I just had this really bad dream and it scared me. I can’t remember why I ran, I just did.”

Her mom gave her a pitying look and pulled her into a hug. She stroked her hair in a way that she thought was soothing but Odette winced with every touch. “Oh sweetie. I’m so sorry. Do you want to talk about it?”

Odette hesitated. “I—uh—don’t remember what it was about.”

“That’s good, I guess. While you were out, your friend, Greer, stopped by with a dress and some shoes for you to wear at a gala next Friday?”

She nodded her head, a knot forming in the pit her stomach. “Yeah,” she said quietly. “It’s supposed to be a big deal. She gave me a dress and shoes to borrow. I just forgot them on the way out the door.”

Odette knew that if her Mom found out that Greer had bought those for her, she would demand that for them to be taken back to the mall.

“Aww, that sounds like so much fun. I’m excited for you. Do you want to come downstairs with me and watch some movies? Clueless is next on the list,” her mother nudged her with her shoulder. “I have extra buttery popcorn.”

“Yeah, that sounds great. I’ll be down in a minute; I want to change my clothes.”

Her mom winked at her and left the room without another question.

Odette sighed with relief and took the journal and placed it on her bookshelf. It was hidden in plain sight. The photographs and papers were stuck inside her pillowcase and inside a boot that wouldn’t be worn for a while. She wouldn’t want anyone finding those.