Dawn of Eve - MJ Howson (read full novel .txt) 📗

me when this is over. I also gave it to Billy the day he left. We can all try to meet.”

“Oh, okay.”

“You should hide it. You can’t let Caretaker find it.”

Hugo nodded and glanced over at the cedar-lined armoire. The serpent’s head atop the cabinet appeared to stare back at him. He tossed his flannel blanket aside and shuffled across the floor. Hugo opened the cabinet’s twin doors. His belongings were crammed into the shelf just below Eve’s. The rest were all bare. He shoved the note inside the folds of one of his T-shirts. Eve yawned as she walked over to stand beside him.

“Will you be okay?” Hugo asked. “After I’m gone.”

“I guess.” Eve yawned again and rubbed her eyes, surprised by how tired she felt. “It’s going to be a long few weeks.”

Hugo gave Eve a hug. He said, “You have to stay strong. You’ve always been the strong one.”

“I’ll be okay.”

“What will you do?”

“Write.” Eve pointed at the pillow on her bed. “In my diary. I’ve been writing all the important things down. I don’t ever want to forget this horrible place.”

The faint rattle of Caretaker’s keyring echoed from the hallway. Eve and Hugo locked eyes and held hands.

“I’m scared, Eve.”

“I . . . I can try and follow you. Like I did Suzie.”

“Would you?” Hugo’s palms began to sweat. “How?”

“Don’t worry.”

“Okay.”

The lock on the door snapped open. Hugo headed back across the room. Eve sauntered to her bed and slowly slid beneath the covers. She slipped her hand beneath her pillow and ran her fingers across a metal butter knife.

The hinges on the heavy wooden door squeaked as Caretaker stepped inside. She looked at Hugo and then Eve and said, “Good evening, children.”

Neither Eve or Hugo responded. They watched Caretaker come inside carrying a tray with two glasses of water. She stopped beside Hugo’s bed and placed a glass next to the platter with the birthday cake.

“Did you like your cake?” Caretaker asked.

“Yes, Caretaker.”

“You know I want to make you happy.” Caretaker looked over at Eve and added, “Both of you.”

Caretaker walked over to Eve’s bed and handed her the other glass of water. Eve looked at the empty tray and furrowed her brow.

“No vitamin to make me sleep?” Eve asked.

“You already took it.” Caretaker smiled. “It was sprinkled in the water you had with your cake earlier tonight.”

Eve tried to sit upright but suddenly found herself lightheaded. She glared at Caretaker and asked, “What’s behind that black door? Where are you taking Hugo?”

“His parents are waiting for him. You worry too much.”

Caretaker turned and walked back to Hugo’s bed. She smiled and picked up the birthday cake and placed it on the tray. She said, “No more cake for you. Get some rest.”

Eve struggled to fling her blanket away. Her feet and knees seemed to be tangled between the folds. She wondered when and how Caretaker had gotten the pill into her water. Her heart pounded, and her head wobbled as she tried to stand up. Soon the blankets engulfed her, and her eyes closed.

Caretaker whispered, “Relax, Eve. You can trust me.”

When Eve opened her eyes the following morning, she looked over to see Hugo’s bed stripped bare. Eve sat up and gazed around the vast room. The morning sun peaked through the high-mounted windows, causing shadows to fall from the iron and wood chandelier. As the radiator began to clank, Eve sighed and said, “I’m the last of the seven.”

∞∞∞

Dawn awoke, relieved to have slept soundly and without any nightmares. She reached over and rolled Eve onto her side. Light spilled into the room, illuminating the doll’s white porcelain face. She ran her fingers through Eve’s wavy copper hair and adjusted her disheveled bow. Dawn sat upright and pulled Eve closer, causing the doll’s eyes to click open. A single streak of red ran from Eve’s right eye, through her rose-colored cheek, to her pink painted lip. She licked her thumb and began to clean the stains.

“It’s Saturday,” Dawn said. “What should we do? Paint? Shop?” Dawn looked at Eve’s filthy red velvet dress and frowned. “I never did get you any new clothes, did I?”

Eve remained silent.

“Maybe we give Jacob a call?” Dawn sighed and shook her head. “I really don’t know what to do with him.”

“Don’t trust him,” Eve said.

“Why . . . why do you keep telling me that?”

Thirty

A Time and Place

Dr. Cole tried to enjoy the view through the windows overlooking 10th Avenue, but his mind was elsewhere. The cold air and overcast sky meant few people were seated at the sunken benches along the High Line. He was alone, dead center, in the front row. His eyes teared up as the wind swirled around him. Dr. Cole closed his eyes and wondered if the tears were caused by the wind or his rattled nerves.

Weekends were typically his time to relax. He’d usually spend them with Flo at home or running errands. Dr. Cole was supposed to be at a grocery store right now, getting a few things for his wife. And he would get there, eventually.

Dr. Cole’s hands were buried in his coat pockets, each gripping a cell phone. The left pocket held his blue phone, the other the red one. Dr. Cole maintained a deadly grip on the red phone as he anxiously waited for a notification from Taylor. Part of him hoped he’d get a cancellation message.

A buzz in his pocket briefly rattled him until he realized it was the blue phone. The message came from Flo.

Can you also pick up butter? I won’t have enough to make biscuits.

Just as he was about to reply, his other phone buzzed. Dr. Cole placed the blue phone on his lap and checked the red one. It was Taylor via the SAM app.

2 mins. Wearing?

Dr. Cole hesitated, staring at the tiny words on the shattered screen. Was it too soon to cancel? He could walk away and block Taylor on the app. The blue