The Dreamwalker [ON HOLD]

Chapter Six

"I'm not." Evenie clarified. "Sometimes she'd come to the museum to chat with me during my shift, but that's about it. Most of the time, it's really her talking to me while I listen—as much as I can, at least. I don't really like her if I'm honest."

"She's not too bad..."

Evenie shrugged.

"Actually, now that you mention it, sometimes she'd do that with me, too, before I started working at the café—before my mother disappeared," Adela said. "But I think since the disappearance, she's been trying to give me some space, which is nice of her. Maybe she just feels lonely? It can't be easy having a mother locked away."

Adela made a mental note to check in on Rose more often, even if they weren't best of friends. She felt sad for Rose. She couldn't imagine being alone, with no one close to you for you to confide in, to the point that you must seek attention from strangers.

"Maybe," Evenie agreed softly. "It's been years since her mother's been inside. She told me that she had been only twelve when it happened. She then had to live with her father who became an abusive drunk and eventually left her on her own just before her eighteenth birthday. I can't begin to imagine the horrors she must have gone through."

"Oh God, I didn't know that."

"Yeah," Evenie said. "I don't think he's been back since—which is good, but like, just to see her, you know? See how she's doing."

Adela couldn't understand how a father could willingly leave their child behind. Granted, she had never known her own father. All she knew, from her mother's reluctant answers to her incessant questions about him, was that he had been on deployment for the Australian Defence Force for some months. A week before he was due to come home—a week before Adela was to be born—he'd been killed.

Adela inhaled sharply, accidentally swerving the car slightly over the lane. She pulled the wheel back and corrected, but Evenie noticed.

"Whoa, Dels. You okay?"

"Sorry, just spaced out for a bit there."

"Um, just a heads up: I don't really feel like dying right now."

Adela laughed. "I can assure you that your life is in good hands."

"Somehow, I doubt that." Evenie poked her tongue out and gave Adela a light shove.

"Hey! See! Things like that will definitely get us in an accident."

"Oh, shut up. I barely touched you."

Adela scoffed but didn't say anything.

After a moment, Evenie said: "All jokes aside, are you sure that you're okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she lied.

In that moment, Google Maps on Adela's phone announced a right turn to their destination. The institution came into view instantly as she made the turn. It was little more than a large house, almost looking like a private practice, which was expected for a small town.

They parked, and when Adela switched the engine off, she took a deep breath and said, "So, do you want to try open it now?"

"Yes, but I think you should try again," Evenie said, passing the diary over to Adela.

Adela ran her fingers along the clasp that held the diary shut. "What difference does it make? I've tried it once—no, a million times already."

"I want to see how you tried to do it."

Adela sighed and then, very carefully, picked at the clasp.