wasn’t really sure how long they were supposed to live.
There was one other item, tucked into the back of an album, that caught her interest briefly. It appeared to be a copy of her birth certificate; she remembered when her mother had retorted to her that her father had never let her see the original. She must have been right, because the certificate (which she decided to keep in a bathroom drawer for fear of having it confiscated) was almost entirely blank. It had her birth date on it, and her parent’s names—that was all. Lena wondered how much her father had kept from her.
“Mom, is Abilene my real name?”
“Of course it is. Why wouldn’t it be?” They had run into each other in the library. Ava hadn’t been nearly as clingy since the incident with David. Lena wasn’t sure what Ava had been doing with her newly found free time, but she was definitely glad to have the extra freedom.
“I don’t know. It’s just…” Lena almost brought up the blank certificate to prove her point, but stopped herself just in time. If her mother didn’t want her to know, there was a good chance the certificate would be taken away if she found out. Lena smiled, “I’m starting to…you know…question a lot about dad.”
“Oh?”
It was almost painful, but Lena tried her best. “Yeah…well, he wasn’t exactly truthful, was he?”
“Well,” Ava sat down on one of the couches, “Well no, he wasn’t. Aaron was like that.”
Lena glanced over at the staircase and sighed. Ava noticed.
“You can see it then? You’ve never noticed it before…”
“See what? The staircase? Yeah.” Lena didn’t like the look on her mother’s face. It screamed of Ava becoming her shadow again.
“You haven’t been up it?” Ava’s eyes were wide.
“No…”
“Howard works up there. And your…grandfather…too.”
“So?”
“You’re not allowed.”
Lena had begun to learn her mother’s game. When she cooperated, her mother didn’t worry.
“Okay.” Lena shrugged. “I’ll leave it alone.”
Ava stood to go.
“Mom?” Lena asked quickly. “When can I meet Grandpa?”
Ava turned around, shocked at Lena’s choice of words. “Your grandfather. He’s a busy man. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s quite a while until you meet him. I don’t think he wants to bother with you.”
“Oh. Okay.” Lena faked a smile. Ava smiled back, and walked away.
She stared up at the ceiling patch where the staircase ended. She knew he wanted to meet her; he had left her gifts of clothing. She had seen him watching her out the windows. She hoped it wouldn’t be long. If both Ava and Howard didn’t want her to meet him, he had to be the one with the answers.
That night, while she slept, she dreamed. Lena had dreamed often, lately; but it had been a long, long time since she’d had one of these dreams.
Girl…girl!
“Dad!” She sat bolt upright in bed. “Dad, it’s late…it’s… Dad?”
Across the room, a pair of glowing eyes were slithering toward her. She shut her eyes again. “It’s a dream, it’s a dream, it’s a dream... It’s a dream.”
She opened them again. No eyes. The room was dark except for the moonlight casting through the windows and onto the floor. Something reached out and touched her shoulder. In horror, Lena looked over.
There they were. Right up next to her face. A tongue shot out and licked sharply pointed teeth, and Lena sat terrified. It had one paw rested on her shoulder. The cat was seated on her nightstand. It got up and started for her door, which Lena didn’t remember leaving open. It was then that her senses returned to her.
The cat from the photograph! She shot out of bed and ran to the door.
“Cat!” She whispered as loud as she dared to. “Cat!”
It had already disappeared into the darkness of the other end of the hall. There was only one window in the second floor hall, and it was in the wrong spot to let in light from the moon; Lena closed her eyes tightly
There was one other item, tucked into the back of an album, that caught her interest briefly. It appeared to be a copy of her birth certificate; she remembered when her mother had retorted to her that her father had never let her see the original. She must have been right, because the certificate (which she decided to keep in a bathroom drawer for fear of having it confiscated) was almost entirely blank. It had her birth date on it, and her parent’s names—that was all. Lena wondered how much her father had kept from her.
“Mom, is Abilene my real name?”
“Of course it is. Why wouldn’t it be?” They had run into each other in the library. Ava hadn’t been nearly as clingy since the incident with David. Lena wasn’t sure what Ava had been doing with her newly found free time, but she was definitely glad to have the extra freedom.
“I don’t know. It’s just…” Lena almost brought up the blank certificate to prove her point, but stopped herself just in time. If her mother didn’t want her to know, there was a good chance the certificate would be taken away if she found out. Lena smiled, “I’m starting to…you know…question a lot about dad.”
“Oh?”
It was almost painful, but Lena tried her best. “Yeah…well, he wasn’t exactly truthful, was he?”
“Well,” Ava sat down on one of the couches, “Well no, he wasn’t. Aaron was like that.”
Lena glanced over at the staircase and sighed. Ava noticed.
“You can see it then? You’ve never noticed it before…”
“See what? The staircase? Yeah.” Lena didn’t like the look on her mother’s face. It screamed of Ava becoming her shadow again.
“You haven’t been up it?” Ava’s eyes were wide.
“No…”
“Howard works up there. And your…grandfather…too.”
“So?”
“You’re not allowed.”
Lena had begun to learn her mother’s game. When she cooperated, her mother didn’t worry.
“Okay.” Lena shrugged. “I’ll leave it alone.”
Ava stood to go.
“Mom?” Lena asked quickly. “When can I meet Grandpa?”
Ava turned around, shocked at Lena’s choice of words. “Your grandfather. He’s a busy man. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s quite a while until you meet him. I don’t think he wants to bother with you.”
“Oh. Okay.” Lena faked a smile. Ava smiled back, and walked away.
She stared up at the ceiling patch where the staircase ended. She knew he wanted to meet her; he had left her gifts of clothing. She had seen him watching her out the windows. She hoped it wouldn’t be long. If both Ava and Howard didn’t want her to meet him, he had to be the one with the answers.
That night, while she slept, she dreamed. Lena had dreamed often, lately; but it had been a long, long time since she’d had one of these dreams.
Girl…girl!
“Dad!” She sat bolt upright in bed. “Dad, it’s late…it’s… Dad?”
Across the room, a pair of glowing eyes were slithering toward her. She shut her eyes again. “It’s a dream, it’s a dream, it’s a dream... It’s a dream.”
She opened them again. No eyes. The room was dark except for the moonlight casting through the windows and onto the floor. Something reached out and touched her shoulder. In horror, Lena looked over.
There they were. Right up next to her face. A tongue shot out and licked sharply pointed teeth, and Lena sat terrified. It had one paw rested on her shoulder. The cat was seated on her nightstand. It got up and started for her door, which Lena didn’t remember leaving open. It was then that her senses returned to her.
The cat from the photograph! She shot out of bed and ran to the door.
“Cat!” She whispered as loud as she dared to. “Cat!”
It had already disappeared into the darkness of the other end of the hall. There was only one window in the second floor hall, and it was in the wrong spot to let in light from the moon; Lena closed her eyes tightly
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