"I don't want to wake her..." I hear my mom's voice at the door. My back is to them and one eye pops open as my dad starts to speak.
"Me either, should we just write her a cute goodbye card?" He questions and I can feel my mom rolling her eyes. The dreaded "G" word. I consider it a bad word in my vocabulary.
"We can accidentally be loud?" I hear her whisper and now both my eyes open up.
"I'm awake..." I say and raise my arm up.
"Oh good, we didn't want to wake you." My mom says and they both walk in. I sit up in bed, yawning as I wipe the sleep from my eyes.
"What time is it?" I question.
"Six in the morning." My dad brightly smiles. He's always been an early bird, as for my mom and I, if we could sleep in forever we would.
"We have work tomorrow so we're leaving early. Long drive....But we will be back by the end of summer." My mom whispers, quickly adding in the last part. I nod, my voice too tired to respond, and if I say anything I might cry. My mom takes my hand in hers and she breaths out...here it comes.
"Haven't I taught you anything?" My mom says, her tone snipped. I hold back on rolling my eyes. "You were absolutely rude yesterday, leaving without saying bye..." My mom continues her rant, she's smooth, her wording careful. I look over to dad. He's nodding, agreeing to what she's saying, his eyebrows creased.
She's making a big deal out of nothing, no one noticed I left.
"I know, I know.." I try cutting in but her dagger eyes stop me.
"No. I don't want to hear the excuses." My mom closes her eyes. I actually don't have an excuse I just wanted to leave.
"Can you give me this lecture some other time. I promise I won't do it again." I plead as I'm snapped out of my sleepy state.
"It's rude to leave during dinner." My dad cuts in. All I do is nod.
At this point I think I would have preferred the cute note. My mom probably would have gone off in there too, lecturing me, so the note probably wouldn't have been cute but at least her angry voice would be in my head and not right in front of me.
"Okay, we have to start heading out." She says and looks around the room. I hate saying bye especially when I know they'll be gone for a long period of time. I hate saying bye no matter how long or short a time. I nod and my mom comes in for a hug.
"Be good." She warns and kisses the top of my head. "You're going to apologize to them, Whit will make sure...." my mom whispers harshly into my ear.
Great....
"Have fun, Maeve. And don't get into too much trouble." My dad says as he kisses the top of my head. He slips something into my hand and I look down, a wad of cash.
"The card is for emergencies or if you make friends and they invite you somewhere. Spend the money wisely. I'm sure Whit will teach you a lesson or two." My mom says and I nod once again.
I probably won't end up using it. I'll be spending my days reading and drawing.
"Anything else?" I question. They both stand together looking at me, admiration crossing their features.
"We did good." My mom whispers to my dad and my dad nods. I throw myself back into bed and I hear them both laughing as they walk out.
I breath out, glad that's over with. This is the first year I held myself together, I didn't cry.
I let myself fall asleep for a few more hours and I hear a couple of knocks at my door. I slowly open my eyes and stretch.
"Maeve, lunch is ready.." I hear my uncle call out. I quickly get up, I slept till noon. If my mom ever found out I did that, she would call me lazy.
I slowly get up and walk to the door. Whit is standing there and he takes one look at me and smiles.
"I thought I'd let you sleep in. But your day will not be wasted and don't expect this the whole summer." He says and leads me downstairs to the kitchen.
I stop listening to his rant as soon as food is placed in front of me. Avocado toast with macaroni salad and water melon.
"Tell me, Maeve, are you easily inclined to vomit?" He asks as he sits across from me. I stop mid chew and look up at him.
One thing about my uncle is he loves to show me the weirdest things he finds from all around the world. Sometimes I think it's his mission to actually make me vomit, but my stomach is pretty strong and I don't get grossed out easily.
"Don't think so..." I tell him and he nods, curiosity filling his eyes.
"Meet me down stairs as soon as you're done. Your first lesson shall begin.." He says with excitement and he marches downstairs.
Downstairs, the basement. Me and basements really don't get a long. Still getting over the couple of times I've accidentally locked myself in a basement and having to stay in a dirty dark place.
I take my time eating, dreading every moment I have to go downstairs. When I take the last bite my stomach sinks.
Just get this over with so you can go back to reading.
I walk downstairs and I see Whit writing in a journal and doing a voice recording.
My eyes scan the large room, books everywhere. A couch that's indented in with the shape of my uncles body. A large table in the middle of the room and see through refrigerators with different colored vials of liquid.
I would be terrified if I were a random stranger who stumbled upon this room, but knowing my uncle is a doctor and researcher it puts me slightly at ease.
"Freeze." My uncles says as I hit the last step. I stop and watch as he continues to write. "Put on a mask and a gown." He says and points at the locker that's to my right.
I suit up and wear the protective gear he wants me to wear and walk over to him.
He points behind me and I turn around to the large table. I walk over to the table and see something large with a blue cover over it.
"Remove the blanket." He says. He still hasn't look at me and I do as he says.
The smell hits me first as I slowly remove the blanket. I was not expecting there to be a sad body, but lo and behold, a dead body. I know he wants a reaction from me so I stay put. Every fiber in my being just wants to run back up stairs.
"What do you think is the cause of death?" He says and he lifts his head up to look at me.
I examine the face of the patient. Hmmm, it's a women, in her late forties, can't really tell.
"Has to be some kind of disease...look at the face." I point. Whits brown eyes are fixed on mine, his eyes hold interest at what I'm saying, and he softly chuckles.
"Do illnesses just happen? Can a disease manifest in a body with no help?" He questions and I look at the body again, the large boils on her face, the dried blood running from her mouth, ears, and nose.
"Sure?" I question, not really knowing the answer.
"Well then, do you know that diseases can move from one person to another, but how?" He questions.
"Contact." I say, not really knowing where he's going with all of this.
"So then you agree that when something moves from one sick person to someone healthy then they get sick as well?" He questions further, but I just stare at the boils that look like they're ready to burst. He doesn't wait for me to answer and continues with a story.
"A few years ago, I was in Paris. I was working in a hospital and would notice that the family doctors would visit and treat sick patients and later on that day they would help birth babies. Except all these babies were getting sick or dying. So I asked myself what is happening, obviously nothing was being sterile and doctors although protected themselves with gloves and masks, would never wash their hands. As soon as I set up the rule for doctors to wash their hands after every patient the amount of dying and sick babies decreased immensely. Hence the amount of sinks in here and hand sanitizer machines." He says and pointing to at least three in the room.
I look at him, but this is just his way of telling me I should be professional and build the happy of washing up.
"Very well you're free to go. But be prepared tomorrow, you'll be examining a different body." He says and I nod. "Dinner is at six, don't be late. Throw your mask and gown in the hazard bin."
"See you at dinner." I tell him and rush to take everything off.
"Lave t'es mains." (French: Wash your hands) My uncle shouts and I rush to the sink and thoroughly wash my hands.
I rush back upstairs and take a long shower and get ready for the day.
I walk outside, already dreading my choice. It's humid and my hair will get frizzy. The smell of summer enter my nose and I relax. I walk to my favorite spot and sit under the biggest tree in his yard. Even in the day the woods look dark and scary, more mysterious than the ones at home.
I start reading but I'm easily distracted when I hear grunts. I look up and see I think Sawyer all the way at the end of his back yard. I watch as he practices soccer. I try going back to reading, but he seems so into the game I can't help but watch. The way his feet dance with the ball, swiftly and smoothly. It looks like he's been playing all his life.
I go back to my book and every few minutes I glance up to see him jogging around with the ball.
"For a city girl, you're as boring as I expected." I hear his deep British voice and I look up. He's as tall as I remember, and I feel intimidated since I'm sitting on the ground.
"I can say the same to you..." I tell him and go back to reading my book.
"You've been watching me for half an hour." He says, and I hear the smugness in his voice.
"How do you know?" I ask, my nose still in my book, reading words but not comprehending. I hear a soft thud and I feel him sit next to me.
"Listen..." He says and I look up at him, a little confused. He's breathing hard, from running. His curls are drenched and his arms are showing, they're laced with tattoos. Something I didn't notice yesterday. His finger is on his lips and he closes his eyes.
I listen and try to hear, and all I hear is the stiffness of the air.
"Birds, there are birds in every other tree except this one. It means one of two things, nature was interrupted by a person or the tree died. I knew you were here the moment you stepped out of Whits house." He says and I look at him again.
My uncle is the only person in the world who comes close to being a Sherlock Holmes and here is this guy knowing everything that's going on.
"Im guessing you and my uncle are pretty close?" I question and his features harden.
"He taught me a lot." He says with a shrug. Makes sense, he's as intuitive as my uncle.
"Like what?" I question and I feel angry. Jealous even, my uncle treating a random neighbor like his own son. And I only get to see him in the summer. I'm his flesh and blood.
"You ask a lot of questions...has anyone ever called you nosey?" He questions.
"Asking questions is the only way to find things out, and my uncle would call me inquisitive..." I counter, but he doesn't seem the slightest of amused.
"There are a lot of rumors going on about your uncle. Ones about dead bodies, how he kills. How he buries his victims, dead bodies all under his house and in the yard." He says and I look at him, not sure whether to believe him or not. "Look it up." He says with a shrug.
"Right..." I say with an eye roll, already annoyed and put off by him.
"I've seen it..." He says and that catches me off guard.
"What do you mean?" I question but I'm interrupted.
He can't expect me to believe this bull?
"Sawyer, What are you doing?" A cutting voice of a woman is heard. We both look up and I watch as an elderly woman with an apron, angrily walking toward us.
"Your mom wants you present during dinner. No running off like you do everyday. Don't keep your parents waiting." She started to turn and walk back into the house. "Dinner will be served with or without you. Your friend isn't invited." She says, and eyes me with slight disgust. My eyes widen, my face blushing with embarrassment. She walks back inside and Sawyer is already standing.
"She's not very fond of me at the moment." Sawyer says with a shrug, not bothered by that woman's small outburst.
"I don't think she's fond of anyone." I tell him and slam my book closed.
"Sawyer, there you are." Avery comes walking into the yard.
"Avery dear, will you be joining us for dinner?" Elderly woman says and Avery turns to the voice
"Hello Nancy, yeah sure count me in." Avery says with a smile. Sawyer walks over to Avery and the walk side by side back inside.
I stay reading for a few more hours and can't help but feel like Sawyer is right. My uncle is too much of a sweetheart to even consider it.
"Hey..." I look up and Jospeh is standing above me.
"Hey." I smile, glad to see a friendly face.
"What happened to you yesterday?" He asks and my cheeks heat up. I didn't think anyone would notice.
"Sorry about that." I apologize, it counts if I apologize to one person from the Pierce family, right?
"Eh, don't worry about it. You were pretty quiet, yesterday." He says and I softly laugh,
"I'm always quiet..." I tell him and he bends down to my level.
"Don't blame you, everyone trying to talk over you and pelting you." He says with a sad smile. "Hey you should join us for dinner, again. You can sit next to me." He says and I smile almost taking the offer, but remembering the mean old lady.
"Oh, no it's okay. Thank you for the offer, but I'm going to catch up with my uncle." I sadly smile.
He looks at me and looks down at the grass,
"We can go for a pizza?" He questions further and I look at my uncles house. Would he be upset I'm going with a boy to have pizza?
"I can't...I have homework." I tell him. Knowing Whit, he would give me homework, so a perfect excuse.
"It's fine, maybe next time." He shrugs, his smile never faltering. He's cute, why am I pushing him away.
"See you..." He says and I nod.
I walk back inside, my uncle is still downstairs working.
I walk over to the ancient computer he has in his office and start searching stories. There are pictures of his house all over the internet, accusing him of murdering patients and conducting unnecessary experiments.
"Maeve?" I hear him call from downstairs and quickly exit out of the computer and rush to the living room.
"Yeah?" I shout.
"Mind running to the corner store and grabbing a few things?" He questions and I walk to the entrance of the basement.
"Uh, sure." I say, I'm bored I could use a little exploring.
"List is on the fridge or counter. Money is, money is on the entrance drawer." He calls out and I don't bother answering.
I walk out and trip over something on the floor.
"What the?" I whisper to myself and look to see if anyone is outside, no one. I pick up the book from the ground, it's a ghost novel.
Opal, we need to talk. Meet at the treehouse at 10:30.
Joseph
Why would Jospeh want to talk to me? I fold the paper up and stuff it in my pocket. I smile, maybe this is the beginning of a summer love story?
———————————————————————
Hey >.<
How is everyone?
I want to thank you all or those of you following this book. And also thank you for finishing the last one with me. I had fun and I'm glad you guys stuck with me.
Onto a new book and new adventures! I hope you enjoy this chapter ❤️❤️