Convincing You I'm Me

Chapter 13: Sixth Sense

"You put the little brick here, and then it will create an entrance to the Ferris wheel," Isla instructs Jamie as he sits, rubbing his chin and nodding. "You've done this part wrong." She starts taking out bits of the wheel and then replaces them with bigger pieces, Jamie just looks on in awe, I've never seen him concentrate this much. 

Jade and Jessie are playing on their tabs, sitting quietly on the couch, I haven't heard a peep out of them.

Moments later, the door starts banging like someone is trying to break through it. I swing myself around the archway and I open the door calmly, meeting the eyes of a frantic couple that don't even stop to speak, they push straight past me and enter my house like I've telepathically invited them inside.

"Where is she?" the woman demands. "Isla?"

She turns into the archway and the man follows her, I close the door and I take my time going back. I fold my arms against the frame of the archway as the woman picks Isla up and embraces her.

"You've had us worried sick!" she chokes out. "We thought someone had taken you!"

"I'm sorry," Isla responds, glancing at me over her mother's shoulder. "I had to come. I had to see him."

"Stop talking like this!" 

I narrow my eyes. "What does she mean by that?"

The man, Isla's father I assume, spins around and meets my eyes. "Isla is a very confused child. Don't pay attention to her."

"She doesn't seem confused to me," I say. "She's a bright kid."

"You don't know the half of it," mumbles the woman.

"Then enlighten me," I say. "What is going on here?"

They exchange a look and the woman pushes some fallen loose curls behind her ear, folding her arms and sighing. "Isla has been talking about Beacon Drive for years. We thought it was just a phase, that she had probably heard it being mentioned before and copied it. But she never stopped talking about it."

"She's convinced that she lives here," the man says. "Even after counselling she still believes it."

My mouth falls open in shock. "You put your child in therapy?"

"What other choice did we have?" the woman looks down to her daughter and back to me with tears in her eyes. "Is it normal behavior for a seven year old? A three year old, actually. Like I said, she's believed it since she started learning to talk. She's been trying to come here for months."

"Look no offence," the man says. "but, we've just met you, and we're grateful for your help but this is our business. We need to get Isla home."

"Of course," I nod. "I hope she gets the help she needs."

The man puts his hand out for me to shake. "Thank you. . ."

I slip my hand into his and I shake. "Jason."

His eyes suddenly widen and his face turns a pale white like he's seen a ghost. He glances at the woman and her lip trembles.

"J-Jason?" she stammers. 

I look between them. "Yes, do you know me?"

They glare down at Isla in some sort of shock and she looks up at me with her small face and smiles. "I told them," she says. "About Lily."

"What?" I say.

"Mum?" Jade says, confused. "What about her?"

"We need to go," the woman says, gripping Isla's hand. "Come on, we need to get out of here."

They drag Isla to the door and I rush after them, trying desperately to get Isla's attention so she can expand on exactly what she knows about Lily. 

They jog down the driveway to their car and I shout from the doorway. "How does she know about Lily?"

"She's confused," the woman shouts. "Thanks for everything."

They slam their doors closed and the car begins reversing, I stare after it, lost in an irritating, frustrating bubble.

"They were weird," Jade says from below me, making me jump. "How could that girl know about Mum?"

"I don't know," I say. "Maybe she saw it on the news a few years ago."

"But wasn't she born when Mum died?"

"Yes, she was," I choke. "Did Jamie say something to her?"

She shakes her head. "Not that I heard. Can we have ice cream now?"

I glance down with a smile. "Sure."

"Yes!" she squeals, running back inside the house to tell the others. 

I stare out at the road for a moment, and then I close the door. 

Whatever that was, it wasn't random. That girl knew exactly what she was doing and exactly where she was going. It was like she was acting on a sixth sense, something that I'd heard about before. But either way, I'll never see her again and hopefully she can get the counselling she needs to get my address out of her mind.

Hopefully.