by Jade Frances
“Subtle young one, real subtle,” Taylor laughed at me and moved to the end of the bar to serve a customer.
I watched the guy curiously as he approached the bar and suddenly felt awkward. I had no clue what to say or do. Panic was setting in. Too late, he was right in front of me.
“Hi,” I squeaked.
“Just wanted to say sorry for the other night, my name’s Adam,” his voice was deep and low.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Taylor’s head snap up. Before I even saw him move, Taylor was suddenly standing right next to me.
“Evangeline, I’ll finish your shift. Grab your stuff, I’ll call a cab. Night,” he blurted out as he pushed me out the back. I glanced back at what did he say his name was, Adam, who was still just staring at me. A sadness filled his eyes. Sending what I hoped looked like an apologetic smile and a shrug, I let Taylor guide me the rest of the way. I could feel the heat burning my cheeks. I didn’t want to cause any more of a scene than Taylor already had. Once we were through the door, I turned on him.
“What the hell Tay!” I shoved him as hard as I could. He stumbled.
“What happened the other night? Who is he?” Taylor asked. A crease had appeared just above his eyes. I had never seen him so serious.
“What do you care! What’s your problem?” I stammered under the intensity of his gaze, but I was determined to hold my own. He started pacing the small staff room.
“Go home Evangeline, cabs outside.”
I walked towards him, but he recoiled. The snub hurt me.
“Now,” he shouted.
I flinched, grabbed my bag, and hurried past him toward the door, trying to hide the tears I knew were about to start falling. I don’t know what had gotten into him, but he was scaring me. How did he even know that the cab had arrived? I looked back into the restaurant as I climbed into the back seat of the car and saw Taylor at the door watching. There was no sign of the other guy. I flipped him the middle finger out of frustration. Giving the driver my address, I settled back into the seat.
CHAPTER FIVE
Once I was home, I ran a bath. I’d worked up a sweat working the bar on my own. The overwhelming feelings of being angry and confused by Taylor and the way he acted toward me were clouding my mind. While the bath ran, I walked out onto the balcony and took a seat. A familiar sound came from the alley, I peered over. Again, I thought I saw a tail. It wasn’t dark just yet, I’ll go look quickly. I didn’t like the idea of any kind of animal scavenging for food. Grabbing a jacket, I remembered to turn off the bath and ran back out of the flat and down the stairs. Stepping outside, the street was quiet and deserted for once. It was never like this, made it seem eerie. I crept along the side of the building and peeked round into the alley. The sun was setting low in the sky. I edged further in, crouching low, hoping if it were a rummaging animal, I wouldn’t frighten it away. A dustbin lid falling to the floor made me jump. It was getting darker the further into the alley I wandered. I had never known a sun to set so fast. Cooler in here as well. Even with my jacket on, I was shivering.
Time to give up and go home, I think before darkness falls completely. I turned to head the way I came in, but someone was blocking the entrance. Standing right in the middle of my path. I looked back behind me towards the darker end. No chance I was walking that way and back around the block. I would barge my way passed if I had to. I can be back in the flat in a couple of steps at a run, I thought. I focused on breathing slowly and took a few steps forward. The guy hadn’t moved. The closer I got, I could now see that it was Adam.
“What are you doing here?” I crossed my arms.
“What were you doing in there?” he asked in that low tone of his.
“What business is that of yours? I asked you a question first.”
“You shouldn’t stick around,” he told me with no expression at all and turned to leave.
“Hang on!” I fastened my pace, but as I reached the street, I couldn’t see him anywhere. Well, that was weird. I was freezing now and didn’t fancy standing in the street any longer. My bath was calling me.
Waking up the next morning, I was sweating and felt shaken. The nightmare that had disappeared the last while, had now come back to haunt me. I had forgotten just how real it all felt. Rolling over, I realised it was a Saturday, no work today. I don’t want to just sit around though. I could go to the restaurant anyway, maybe to confront Taylor about his outburst last night. I had slept off most of the shock and anger I felt, now I was just tired and royally peed off. There was no need for his actions. First, he tells me there’s a guy staring, then he rudely interrupts the conversation before it had even started. It just made no sense at all. I got dressed into high waisted sweats and a crop top, tied my long hair into a high ponytail and thought about makeup. I never really wore much, anyway. One quick look in the mirror showed me puffy and blotchy eyes. Best put on some concealer and mascara. Once ready, I grabbed my keys and left my flat.
Walking toward the restaurant, I felt weirdly nervous. As I crossed the road, I sensed that something was missing. I could see through the window that Taylor wasn’t working, instead there was a new guy. I walked in and asked one of the managers if he was around.
“He quit, thought you would have been the first he told.”
Disappointment filtered through everything else I was feeling.
“Thanks Ron,” I mumbled as I left. The walk back was grim, I didn’t really take any notice of who was around. Climbing the stairs, I froze at the top, grabbing the banister to steady myself. My door was slightly ajar. Light filtered from my apartment hall into the lobby. What the--? Got to stop thinking that, Heather always told me off for the unspoken end to that question. I pushed the door open further and walked in slowly. My pulse raced as I wondered if someone had broken in. I hadn’t even gone out for long. Cautiously walking into the living room, I could see that nothing had been broken or taken. Relaxing a little, it caught me off guard when someone coughed from right behind me. My shoulders tensed and I slowly turned. Looking straight into brown eyes.
“What the hell, Taylor! You scared me,” I shouted as I backed up a couple of steps.
“Ev, I have to leave town. I’m sorry I have to go.” His voice sounded hoarse.
“I... I don’t… Why? There’s no reason for you to leave,” I started off stuttering but quickly found the confidence I needed to steady my voice. He is probably just pulling my leg, another silly joke of his.
“Ev,” he cut me off as I was about to speak again. “Don’t make this harder than it is. You need to stay safe ok.”
He turned his face away, so he didn’t have to meet my eyes. Slowly, very slowly, the reality sunk in. This wasn’t a joke; he would leave. Anger lit up deep in my stomach and rose within me.
“What the hell Taylor!! Need to be safe! Bloody safe! Don’t you think that just maybe, I might be safer with a friend around,” I shouted at him. “Safe from what?”
The feeling of abandonment was working its way through me, rising and bubbling to the surface.
I watched him turn and walk towards the door.
“Taylor. Don’t. You broke into my apartment. You’re telling me to leave, all with no explanation!”
He didn’t even turn to acknowledge me. I was finding it hard to breathe now. Panic was slowly setting in. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I hadn’t even realised when I had started crying. Taylor was my only friend other than Ava; he made my life fun; it was more of an adventure with him around. What could I say? What would make him stay and talk to me! Something must be wrong. He wouldn’t just up and leave for no reason. Nothing came to mind though, it seemed he already had his mind set and who was I to convince him otherwise.
“You’re all I have,” I whispered to his retreating form. He froze and slowly turned toward me. Closing the distance between us in two large strides, he looked angry, then sad. Then he looked like he was on the verge of tears, but the anger quickly resurfaced.
“No Evvy!
You hardly know me!”
I cowered away. Maybe he was right. In the couple of months, we had gotten to know each other, Taylor knew a lot more about me than I did him.
“I don’t need this friendship right now; you make my life more complicated. I don’t need this Evvy.”
His words cut through me like a knife in the chest. Anger shone through each word that he said, blow after blow to my heart. Each word cutting me deeper than the last. I crumpled to the floor, clutching my necklace for comfort. He looked down at me, grabbed my hand and pulled.
“Where did you get this?” I stared up at him, confused.
“Evvy, the necklace! Where did you get it?” he shouted. “I, what? It was given to me in a box.” I stuttered.
“From who?”
Taylor’s face looked a picture of rage. When he realised I wasn’t going to answer, he turned and walked out.
“I don’t know,” I whispered after him.
The room started spinning around me. Why would he be acting like this? It was in that moment that I realised just how heavily I relied on his friendship. Just how much I really loved having him in my life. I struggled to breathe, trying to push away the loneliness I had grown so used to in my life. I tried to move, tried to pick myself up. It wasn’t working. Finally, I stopped fighting the feelings inside and let them come to the surface. Uncontrollable tears streamed down my face. I wrapped my arms around my knees and curled into a ball. I laid there for what seemed like hours before I finally cried my last tear. Praying that I would wake up from this nightmare soon. This was the type of pain that was everything I feared when letting someone new into my life. The feeling of abandonment if they ever left. Leaving me alone. It was an endless cycle that I always noticed with those around me.
CHAPTER SIX
The next couple of months dragged on endlessly, but the pain and rejection weren’t there as much anymore. I had pushed memories of my friendship with Taylor to the back of my mind. There were still minor things that would remind me, but I pushed them away. I was kind of back on track and felt half normal again. The small group of people I had attached myself to treat me like I would break at any moment though. I didn’t feel completely normal. Something in the back of my mind told me I was overreacting over a simple friendship. I guess I just didn’t want to feel lonely. I remember walking down to the small shop to buy my daily magazine and newspaper, Payton had been much kinder than she had on our first encounter. Although in my depressed state I recalled her saying,
“don’t worry dear, it isn’t forever. You still have your glow.”
Then she stopped herself, acting as though she had said too much. I had asked what she meant and how she could know what had happened, but she shuffled away and ignored me. It was yet another mystery in my life. As I lay in the bath thinking it over, I knew it was one I wanted to solve. But how? It had been a confusing couple of months; they had passed so quickly, yet barely anything had changed. Change, that was what I needed. I dipped my head underneath the water, washing all bad feelings and memories away. Time to focus. Something was tugging away at my brain, waiting for me to unlock it, I could feel it. Then it came to me. Jumping out of the bath, my body was way ahead of my mind and before I knew it, I was wrapped in a towel and pulling out the box of what I had initially thought was junk. The box I had found my necklace in. Flicking through the papers, I couldn’t see anything obvious that jumped out to me. But there has to be something in here. My hand wandered right to the back and pulled out an old, stained napkin. There was writing on the other side and the ink was fading.
If you are reading this, something has gone terribly wrong.
You can’t be out there in the world alone, my angel.
Find the gifted, relax and listen to your instincts, it will tell you who you can trust.
You will hear them, the Siren Calls.
Love always, Mum
Throwing it to the floor, I gasped. Mum. Slowly picking it back up, I read it repeatedly. That’s who this box belonged to. I had never given much thought to my parents. No one ended up in a children’s home if they were loved and wanted. I felt a strange detachment from the word mum. It didn’t resonate any feelings in me. Much like everything else about my life, it made no sense. The note had been scrawled in a rush. Maybe I wasn’t reading it properly. Maybe I just had no idea what it meant. Chucking it back in the box, I sighed. It didn’t help any. Focusing again, I tried to think. Siren calls, the note said. I had never heard of them before, yet now the word was popping up in the strangest of encounters. I thought back to when I tried to talk to Taylor and how dismissive he had been. Yet, Payton had also muttered it in the shop, I wasn’t sure I had heard her as she was talking to herself. But she definitely muttered the word siren when she had asked about my necklace. She had a panicked look on her face at the time. I was almost certain she would know something about the myth.
Within minutes, I had my clothes on and was walking out the door, heading towards the little shop on the corner. My heart was beating twice its normal rate, my palms were sweaty, and I wondered if this was a good idea. Maybe I had misheard her. I was already outside the shop, though. No point turning back now. Taking a deep breath, I walked in. There was a young boy behind the counter. I looked around but couldn’t see Payton.
“Excuse me, is your mother here?” I asked, before I even thought about whether Payton could be his mother.
By the shocked look on his face, she was not.
“Um no, she doesn’t work here, maybe you’re looking for someone else?” His eyebrows were furrowed, I had puzzled him.
“Send her through the back young one, it’s ok,” a small timid voice came floating through some hanging beads to the left of him.
I had never heard that voice before. I assumed the beads led into the back of the shop. It was very dark through there. I couldn’t see who the voice belonged to. I looked towards the boy and he gestured towards the beads. Before I went through, I took a quick glance back. He was staring after me with an expression I couldn’t quite grasp. Walking into a small hall, I noticed it was cold, dark, and smelt slightly damp. I carried on through the narrow passageway, realizing there were various doors on either side of me.
“Back here, dear,” the voice directed me back to a door I had already passed.
As I hesitated to go in, something in my mind said what the hell, nothing to lose. Stepping into the brightly lit room hurt my eyes. It was a stark contrast to the dim hallway. There was furniture scattered everywhere, seemingly in no kind of order. There in the middle of all the chaos was a little old lady in a rocking chair.
“Come on then dear, don’t hover around the door. Take a seat. I’ve been expecting you for a while now.”
A wide smile crossed her face that made me feel quite uncomfortable. Who was she? Not Payton, that much I knew. Nevertheless, I took a seat on a sofa in front of her.
“I’m sorry to bother you, I just have a few questions. Is Payton here?” my voice was shaky, not helped by her glancing at me, then at the floor and muttering to herself. She was talking so fast I couldn’t catch a word of it.
“I knew this was coming, shouldn’t have opened my big gob.”
It shocked me the way her tone had changed. Gone was the small timid voice. Was I even welcome here; she had said she was expecting me? Seeming to snap out of her mood, she looked directly at me.
“Well dear, don’t be so rude. What’s your name?” her voice was back to normal, but an air of authority hummed around her.
“It’s um Evvy... well Evangeline, but I prefer Evvy,” I looked towards her.
From a distance she looked old, but up close her skin was smooth, and her lovely blue eyes sparkled in the light. The way she spoke and carried herself reminded me of someone.
“If your name is Evangeline, then that is what I shall call you dear. You have a name for a reason why shorten it. My name is Avetta and please for your sake do not attempt to call me anything else.”
I
chuckled at her. She glared. Whoops, not a joke then.
“Well Evangeline, I am sure you are here to ask about sirens and what link it has to you. You feel different and this has always been confusing for you, is that correct?”
I was taken aback. How would she even know that?
“Um, yes... yes I am and that is true but how...” Confusion swept over her face and she interrupted me before I could finish my sentence.
“You really know nothing about this do you? Absolutely no idea? Your energy is weak, but I thought you would know at least something. Payton said someone gifted your necklace to you. Tell me about yourself, please.”
I could see that half of her was with me in the room and the other half far away in thought. I wasn’t sure I should tell a stranger anything but seeing as there wasn’t much to tell I went ahead.
“Well, I was orphaned at eight years old, remember nothing from before that. I spent my life until this year in the children’s home. I received a box of my mother’s possessions that had this necklace in. I was drawn to it, so I put it on. Had paid little attention to it until Payton asked about it. That’s it, really...”
I lingered on the last word, half expecting her to jump in and interrupt me. Avetta was staring somewhere above my head, a glazed look in her eyes.
“May I do something? I just need to touch your face.”
Her hands were already reaching towards me, I don’t think she was really giving me a choice, but I nodded in agreement, anyway. Avetta put a hand on either side of my face. Her hands were very, very cold. Within a couple of seconds, she gasped and jumped back. Her face had gone pale, almost white, and she was staring at me, wide-eyed.
“It’s you. Leave.”
What! What the bloody hell was happening now!
“Don’t come here again. Wait until I contact you. Do as I say, and you will benefit.”
