locket. ‘It looks very nice on you,’ he said, with a smile.
‘Thank you.’
I didn’t want to be a burden on the Greenwoods. Perhaps it was best if I left before they asked me to leave.
‘Carol, won’t you heat up my dinner for me?’ asked Mr. Greenwood.
Mrs. Greenwood teetered for a moment, looking as though she didn’t want to leave the two of us alone. Her eyes darted between us, and she opened her mouth to speak, yet no sound came out. Changing her mind, she closed her mouth and whisked herself away.
‘Look, I know I’ve put you in an awkward position,’ I said, wringing my hands together. ‘I’ll get out of your hair, I promise.’
Mr. Greenwood frowned. ‘Don’t be silly. You need to stay here, where it is safe.’
‘But I thought-’ I paused, slightly confused.
‘So, you think Jack will be here in a couple of days, then?’ Mr. Greenwood interrupted my train of thought.
‘Oh … yes, well … I couldn’t think of anywhere else he might go,’ I said, sheepishly.
Mr. Greenwood looked over his shoulder to make sure his wife was not eavesdropping.
‘Look, Avalon, I know you are in a spot of trouble. I’ve seen the posters in town-’
‘I know … I’m sorry.’ I wasn’t sure what I was apologizing for.
‘You aren’t safe here,’ he continued, checking over his shoulder again. He bent down and whispered urgently in my ear. ‘You don’t know who you can trust.’
‘I can trust your son,’ I said. ‘Jack would never-’
‘I don’t mean Jack,’ Mr. Greenwood said, gripping my shoulder. ‘But you can’t-’
‘What are you two whispering about?’ Mrs. Greenwood popped her head around the corner. ‘Sweetheart, your dinner is ready.’
‘Thank you, Dear.’ Mr. Greenwood straightened up and gave me a meaningful stare. What was he saying? That I wasn’t safe here, in this house?
Mrs. Greenwood was wiping her hands on her apron. ‘Avalon, dear, why don’t you get ready for bed? I’m sure you’re very tired. Feel free to take a bath.’
I nodded, looking around for my rucksack.
‘I put your things in Jaime’s room,’ she said. ‘You can sleep there tonight.’
‘Won’t Jaime need it?’ I asked.
Mrs. Greenwood waved a hand. ‘Jaime is sleeping over a friends house tonight.’
I was rather excited to have a bath. The relaxing water would do me good.
Entering the bathroom, I turned the taps and watched the bath begin to fill. I poured a generous amount of bubble-bath into the tub, which frothed immediately.
I stripped down and sank into the half-full bath, which almost completely covered me. I wasn’t sure how long I soaked for. I sat there for ages, thinking about Jack, and turning the locket over in my fingers. I must have been in the bath for at least half an hour because my hands were very wrinkly when I got out.
Wrapping myself in a towel, I walked down the hall to Jaime’s room. It was small and cluttered, with deep blue walls. Toys were scattered over the room, though there was something strange about the way they had been placed.
I saw my bag sitting on the bed, which was neatly made. Strange, considering the rest of the room was a bit of a mess. Closing the door behind myself, I crossed the room, avoiding the strewn dinosaur figurines. I rummaged around in my rucksack, looking for something to sleep in. I found an old nightgown, something I hadn’t worn in years. Jack must have thrown this in the bag.
Once I was dressed, I inspected the little wooden carvings painted in bright colours. I bent down and picked up the tyrannosaurus rex, turning it over in my hands. The toy was covered in a layer of dust, as though no one had touched it for weeks, maybe months. Examining the rest of the toys, I noticed that they were all the same. Dust coated every one of them. Not a fingerprint could be seen. The desk and shelves were the same, too. No one had been in this room for a while. So where had Jaime been sleeping?
Perhaps I was thinking about this
‘Thank you.’
I didn’t want to be a burden on the Greenwoods. Perhaps it was best if I left before they asked me to leave.
‘Carol, won’t you heat up my dinner for me?’ asked Mr. Greenwood.
Mrs. Greenwood teetered for a moment, looking as though she didn’t want to leave the two of us alone. Her eyes darted between us, and she opened her mouth to speak, yet no sound came out. Changing her mind, she closed her mouth and whisked herself away.
‘Look, I know I’ve put you in an awkward position,’ I said, wringing my hands together. ‘I’ll get out of your hair, I promise.’
Mr. Greenwood frowned. ‘Don’t be silly. You need to stay here, where it is safe.’
‘But I thought-’ I paused, slightly confused.
‘So, you think Jack will be here in a couple of days, then?’ Mr. Greenwood interrupted my train of thought.
‘Oh … yes, well … I couldn’t think of anywhere else he might go,’ I said, sheepishly.
Mr. Greenwood looked over his shoulder to make sure his wife was not eavesdropping.
‘Look, Avalon, I know you are in a spot of trouble. I’ve seen the posters in town-’
‘I know … I’m sorry.’ I wasn’t sure what I was apologizing for.
‘You aren’t safe here,’ he continued, checking over his shoulder again. He bent down and whispered urgently in my ear. ‘You don’t know who you can trust.’
‘I can trust your son,’ I said. ‘Jack would never-’
‘I don’t mean Jack,’ Mr. Greenwood said, gripping my shoulder. ‘But you can’t-’
‘What are you two whispering about?’ Mrs. Greenwood popped her head around the corner. ‘Sweetheart, your dinner is ready.’
‘Thank you, Dear.’ Mr. Greenwood straightened up and gave me a meaningful stare. What was he saying? That I wasn’t safe here, in this house?
Mrs. Greenwood was wiping her hands on her apron. ‘Avalon, dear, why don’t you get ready for bed? I’m sure you’re very tired. Feel free to take a bath.’
I nodded, looking around for my rucksack.
‘I put your things in Jaime’s room,’ she said. ‘You can sleep there tonight.’
‘Won’t Jaime need it?’ I asked.
Mrs. Greenwood waved a hand. ‘Jaime is sleeping over a friends house tonight.’
I was rather excited to have a bath. The relaxing water would do me good.
Entering the bathroom, I turned the taps and watched the bath begin to fill. I poured a generous amount of bubble-bath into the tub, which frothed immediately.
I stripped down and sank into the half-full bath, which almost completely covered me. I wasn’t sure how long I soaked for. I sat there for ages, thinking about Jack, and turning the locket over in my fingers. I must have been in the bath for at least half an hour because my hands were very wrinkly when I got out.
Wrapping myself in a towel, I walked down the hall to Jaime’s room. It was small and cluttered, with deep blue walls. Toys were scattered over the room, though there was something strange about the way they had been placed.
I saw my bag sitting on the bed, which was neatly made. Strange, considering the rest of the room was a bit of a mess. Closing the door behind myself, I crossed the room, avoiding the strewn dinosaur figurines. I rummaged around in my rucksack, looking for something to sleep in. I found an old nightgown, something I hadn’t worn in years. Jack must have thrown this in the bag.
Once I was dressed, I inspected the little wooden carvings painted in bright colours. I bent down and picked up the tyrannosaurus rex, turning it over in my hands. The toy was covered in a layer of dust, as though no one had touched it for weeks, maybe months. Examining the rest of the toys, I noticed that they were all the same. Dust coated every one of them. Not a fingerprint could be seen. The desk and shelves were the same, too. No one had been in this room for a while. So where had Jaime been sleeping?
Perhaps I was thinking about this
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