by MJ Howson
“I . . . I need to know what happened, Eve. I need to know.”
Dawn stared at Eve and waited.
“Why won’t you tell me?” Dawn asked. Her heart raced, escalating as each second of silence passed. “Please, Eve. I have to know.”
Eve’s eyes clicked open.
“Yes?” Dawn asked.
“Ask the store owner,” Eve said.
Thirty Four
Fate
Dawn’s knees trembled as she stood atop the seven stone steps outside Zuni Store of Wonders. The late afternoon sun caused shadows to engulf the shop’s entrance. The darkness hiding behind the store’s glass front gave Dawn pause. She removed her sunglasses and cautiously descended the stairs as the wind whipped at her coat. Dawn’s heart seemed to stop when she noticed the Closed sign hanging inside the door.
“No!” Dawn cried. She approached the door and cupped her hands to her face as she stared into the blackness inside. Dawn began to slap the glass with the palm of her hand, each impact gaining in speed and pressure. “Hello? Hello?”
Leo appeared from behind the main counter at the back of the store. The cat slowly approached the door. He sat on the opposite side, staring up at Dawn. His eyes showed nothing but disinterest. Dawn stopped banging on the door. She squatted down low to get closer to Leo.
“Can you go get her?” Dawn asked, her warm breath creating moments of fog against the glass. She tapped the door with her fingernails. “Go find Janet.”
The cat sat there, unfazed by the distraction. Leo slowly spread out on the floor, rolled over, and looked away.
Dawn sighed and sat down on the bottom step. She reached into her pocket and pulled out Eve’s diary. The wind swirled around her, biting at her pink-tinged cheeks. Dawn began flipping through the pages until she got to the last entry. She reread the final sentence out loud. “I don’t trust anyone.”
Suddenly the door opened, startling Dawn. She looked up to see Janet standing in the doorway. Her black and gray drab outfit blended with the dimly lit store. Leo scurried away, jumping up onto the glass counter.
“Dawn?” Janet asked, her eyes fixated on the diary in Dawn’s hands. “Are you okay?”
“You’re here!” Dawn said, her voice suddenly filled with hope.
Dawn stood up and entered the shop, clutching Eve’s diary close to her chest. She walked over to the main counter, allowing her eyes to settle on the collection of jewelry and other trinkets inside the glass case. Dawn approached Leo and attempted to pet him, but he jumped to the floor and ran into the back room.
Janet joined Dawn at the counter. She tugged at her frizzy black locks as she inspected Dawn’s long black and white hair. She asked, “Are you okay?”
“Yes. Well, no.” Dawn opened the diary and began to flip through the pages. “It’s Eve’s diary. I . . . I reached the end. There are pages missing. Everywhere.”
“I’m sorry. I should have told you the diary was incomplete. But what remains is–”
“What happened to Eve? And the other children? Did . . . did they finally connect?”
“Connect?” Janet took the diary from Dawn, lowered her glasses to her face, and ran her fingertips across the worn leather cover. She opened the book to the beginning and let her eyes settle on the first entry, covering Annabelle’s birthday. Janet smiled as she allowed her fingers to caress the words covering the page. She sighed and said, “No.”
“Then what happened? The door! That black door. Eve worried about what was on the other side. She feared the worst.” Dawn shook her head and looked at the section of the counter where Eve once sat. “They all died, didn’t they?”
“Why would you think that?” Janet sighed as she closed the book and gave it back to Dawn. “Eve went through a ceremony.”
“A ceremony? What kind?”
“A beautiful one.” Janet flipped her glasses to the top of her head and walked back behind the counter. When she got there, Leo emerged from the back room. Janet bent down and scooped the cat into her arms. “She was saved. All the children went to camp to be saved.”
“Saved?” Dawn felt her panic and despair become replaced by total confusion. She looked at the diary and then at Janet. “And, um, where is Eve now?”
“Why, she’s . . . with you.”
“Me?” Dawn suddenly felt lost. She’d come here seeking answers but found herself with more questions. “I . . . I don’t understand.”
“I thought you’d learn about Eve by reading about each child’s last day at camp–from Eve’s perspective. Didn’t you learn about her?”
“I . . . I guess.” A smile slowly spread across Dawn’s face as she recalled the stories from the diary. “I learned that she’s tough. A fighter.”
“Exactly.” Janet kissed Leo and placed him on the counter. The cat walked a few feet away and stopped to sit and stare at Dawn. Janet reached across the counter and took Dawn by her hands, running her thumbs against Dawn’s palms. She said, “And she chose you. Fate brought you here.”
“Fate.” Dawn’s tension and puzzlement drained away as Janet massaged her hands. She thought back to the first time she came to the store and how Janet told her no one had ever been able to take Eve home. Dawn asked, “Is that why I can hear her?”
“You hear her?” Janet let go of Dawn and stood upright, obviously startled. She took a small step back, her jaw agape. “You . . . you hear Eve?”
“Yes. At first, I thought it was just a voice in my dreams. But then I started hearing her while awake.”
“Really?”
“We talk now. All the time.” Dawn nodded and then frowned. “Although she doesn’t always tell me what I want to hear. She’s a bit . . . bossy, too.”
Janet covered her mouth as tears welled in her eyes. She said, “I knew you were the one.”
“So, she’s safe? Eve?”
“She’s with you now. Don’t you understand? You must protect her.”
“Protect her? How?” Dawn bit her upper lip and shook her head. “If anything, Eve’s the strong one. She’s been trying to protect me.”
“Eve was always the strongest of the seven. She’ll keep you safe. As long as you do the same.” Janet walked around the counter and put a comforting hand on Dawn’s shoulder. “Remember, Dawn, she chose you. She’s your responsibility now.”
“She’s my world. Trust me. I take the best care of her.” Dawn suddenly regretted not bringing Eve with her. “Eve gives me the best advice. She makes me believe in myself, you know?”
“I’m not surprised. Of all the wonders in this store, Eve is the most powerful. She’ll always take care of you.”
“I believe that.” Dawn slid the diary into her pocket and smiled. She thought back to the recent confrontation with Gwen on the High Line. “She gives me strength. Confidence.”
Janet nodded, her eyes moist with tears. Leo walked up to Janet and ran his nose against her arm. He began to purr as Janet stroked his neck.
Dawn looked around Zuni, taking in the paintings, sculptures, furniture, clothing, candles, and assorted knick-knacks. She glanced at Leo and smiled, remembering how he brought her here. Although Janet hadn’t fully explained what happened to Eve, Dawn felt like she knew enough. Eve was hers, and she was Eve’s. That’s really all that mattered now.
“I should probably get back to her,” Dawn said. She walked to the door, stopped, and looked back at Janet. “Thank you. I promise to always protect Eve.”
“Thank you, Dawn. And good luck. To both of you.” Janet picked up Leo and kissed the cat’s head. “I hope to see you again. Remember, there are many treasures to be discovered here.”
Dawn left the store and ascended the stone steps to Charles Street. She paused at the top of the stairs and took a deep breath as she pondered everything Janet had told her. The cold December air seared its way into her lungs, invigorating her.
The walk home from the West Village was cold and windy, but Dawn didn’t mind. She took her time, rereading sections of
Eve’s diary as she strolled the High Line back to the Spire. The people rambling along around her suddenly seemed so happy to Dawn. Even the ones with their heads down who didn’t acknowledge her. All Dawn could see now was joy wherever she looked. Knowing that Eve was safe, but also hers to care for, gave Dawn a sense of peace.
Dawn slid the diary into her pocket as she rode the express elevator to her apartment. The higher she rose, the more excited she became. Dawn knew Eve would be there waiting for her. Suddenly she felt like her life had purpose again.
Dawn entered her apartment, relishing the warmth that greeted her.
“Evelyn, turn on the fireplace,” Dawn said.
“Turning on the fireplace,” the voice assistant responded.
Dawn removed her coat and boots as the glass fireplace sparked to life. Although desperate for a cup of coffee, she couldn’t wait to see Eve and tell her what happened at the store.
Dawn hurried up the spiral staircase to the nursery. The curtains were still closed, and the nightlight’s rainbow of nebulas cascaded across the ceiling and walls. She tiptoed to the crib to find Eve right where she’d left her, wrapped in the blanket, her eyes closed. Dawn gently scooped Eve into her embrace and went to the rocking chair.
“It’s just the two of us now,” Dawn whispered. She sat down and began to slowly rock back and forth. Dawn gently twirled the tattered bow in Eve’s hair between her fingers. “No more Jacob or the doctor. I still can’t believe all that time I wasted on them.” Dawn let go of Eve’s bow and let her hand cup the doll’s head. “All those therapy sessions. And those pills he forced on me! Jacob, acting like he didn’t know my doctor.” The chair creaked louder as Dawn thrust the balls of her feet deeper into the carpet. “They tried to make a fool of me. I’m done with them, Eve.” The tips of her nails whitened as her grip on Eve’s head strengthened. “No more bad men in my life.”
Eve’s eyes snapped open. She said, “Bad men must be punished.”
Dawn stopped rocking and turned Eve so that the doll faced her. She asked, “Punished?”
“Bad men must be punished.”
“Maybe. But . . . .” Dawn pulled Eve against her chest and began to rock again. “I’m not a vengeful person.”
“Hurt them like you hurt Gwen.”
“Gwen?” Dawn tilted her head back and smiled as she watched the stream of colorful stars flow across the ceiling. “I did feel better after that. But I’m happy now. I have you. We have each other. Isn’t that enough?” Dawn glanced down at Eve and watched the stars and nebulas reflect against the doll’s jewel-like sapphire eyes. “Isn’t it?”
“You must punish them.”
Dawn thought back to the afternoon she found Jacob and Dr. Cole sitting on the bleachers overlooking 10th Avenue. She recalled the laughter, followed by the lies and denials to her face. Dawn stopped rocking and looked down at the doll. “How, Eve? How should we punish them?”
Thirty Five
Camp
Dr. Cole opened the middle drawer of a steel gray file cabinet at the back of his office. Each patient had a folder with his handwritten notes, organized by session date. A second cabinet contained Dawn’s session recordings Dr. Cole intended to use to write his book. Dawn was one of five people he’d been documenting. Flo came in once a week to double-check everything was alphabetized correctly for him. Dr. Cole also maintained electronic copies of his files, but he loved having the originals. He’d used this filing system since he first opened his practice, and it had served him well these past decades.
Flo, busy in the front office, typed fluidly at her computer. The hissing radiators beneath the window did their best to warm both rooms. A ringing phone caused Dr. Cole to glance through the open door into the waiting room. He watched Flo answer the call and then returned to his filing system to prep for his next appointment, doing his best to ignore the chatter.
Dr. Cole removed a folder marked Easton-D 2019+ from the file cabinet and placed it on his desk. Transcripts from Dawn’s thirteen sessions filled the packet. He sat in his chair and flipped to the end with his notes from last week’s meeting. He then dragged a blank yellow-lined notepad closer and jotted Easton-D 12/20/19 #14 on the top line. As he finished writing, Flo knocked on his door. Dr. Cole glanced up and asked, “Yes?”
“Don’t bother prepping,” Flo said. “She just canceled.”
“Dawn?”
“Mm-hmmm.”
Dr. Cole shook his head and sighed. He tossed his glasses onto his notepad, looked across the room at Flo, and asked, “Did she give a reason?”
“She said she’s done.”
“Done?”
“With therapy. She said she doesn’t need you anymore.”
“What?” Dr. Cole stood up, somewhat stunned, and walked to his office door to be beside Flo. Luna scampered between them and began rubbing against his legs. “She can’t.”
“She did.”
“Call her back. I need to speak with her.”
Flo shook her head and walked back to her desk in the waiting room, leaving her husband standing in the doorway. Luna followed her and jumped onto the desk. Flo sat down and said, “She told me that . . . .” Flo picked up a yellow sticky resting beside her phone. “Hold on.” Luna quickly tried to swat the paper away. Dr. Cole slowly approached her desk, still shocked by the news. Flo looked at the note and said, “She said she knows about your meeting at the 10th Ave overpass.”
“10th Avenue?”
“The one on the High Line, Winston. With the sunken bleachers.”
Dr. Cole stopped and took a few steps back. He placed his hand on his chest as his heart seemed to freeze momentarily. Taylor, he said to himself. His mind immediately became flooded with questions. How could Dawn know about his meeting with Taylor? Does she know him? Was she there? He struggled to clear his thoughts as his brow filled with beads of sweat. The entire time, Flo’s big brown eyes remained fixated on him, never blinking. Another thought formed. What else was on that note?
“That’s not all,” Flo said. Luna, now on her lap, purred as she enjoyed a much-needed ear massage. “She also said you were a liar. Started ranting about trust and bad men.”
“Is . . . is all of that on your note?”
“No.” Flo held up the yellow sticky so he could see it. “All I wrote was the location. She sounded kind of hysterical to me. Pissed off about her boyfriend Jacob, too. I figured you’d know what she meant about 10th Ave.”
Dr. Cole’s eyes darted between his wife and the note in her hand. The blank look on her face told him there was nothing more to the story and that she had no knowledge of what happened with Taylor at the bleachers. He took a deep breath and said, “I have no idea.” Dr. Cole ran his fingernails through his beard, trying to ignore that he just lied to his wife and was about to lie again. “I’ve stopped there for coffee now and then. If I remember, she told me she likes to walk the High Line in the mornings. Maybe . . . maybe she saw me?”
“Did you stop there recently?”
Dr. Cole shrugged and glanced out the window. He did his best to present a sense of indifference, but inside, his heart pounded against his chest like a caged animal.
“She said something about a secret meeting,” Flo said.
“Secret?”
The air surrounding Dr. Cole suddenly plunged twenty degrees. He wanted to drop to his knees and confess everything. The walls collapsed, and the office shrank. Guilt and anguish wrapped around him like a lead blanket, causing his knees to weaken.
“Are you okay?” Flo asked.
“I’m . . . I’m just confused.” Dr. Cole lowered his head as he tried to think of what to say. Deep down, he knew he could never tell her the truth. His heart sank as he conjured up an explanation. He cleared his throat and said, “Now I remember. The day I went grocery shopping. I’d taken a stroll on the High Line. Some tourist was asking me for directions.”
“Tourist?” Flo frowned and crossed her arms. She arched her eyebrow and asked, “Was sh
e pretty?”
“Not as pretty as you.”
“Good answer.”
Flo’s smile brought the doctor a huge sense of relief. He said, “But I don’t remember seeing Dawn anywhere.”
“Why would she get so upset that she’d cancel?”
“The tourist, um, sort of gave me a hug.”
“Mm-hmmm.”
“It was all completely innocent, Flo. Nothing–”
“I know I can trust you.”
Flo’s smile and words hit him like a gut punch, knocking the air from his lungs. Dr. Cole took a deep breath and said, “Look, Flo, Dawn’s not well. She–”
“Oh, I know. I’ve seen that freaky doll.”
Guilt ebbed and flowed through Dr. Cole’s soul as he absorbed how badly he’d just lied to his wife. The repercussions of this, if any, would need to be handled another time. Dr. Cole said, “I’m convinced she’s suffering from schizophrenic affective disorder. But she’s at risk of becoming psychotic. Like her mother.”
“Mm-hmmm. Freaky dolls will do that.”
“It’s not the doll, Flo. Her obsession with Eve and that diary are simply–”
“Oh! Shit! The diary and those kids.” Flo crumpled up the yellow sticky and tossed it in the nearby trash bin. She motioned her husband to come around to her side of the desk. Flo began typing away at her keyboard with a speed and accuracy that still impressed him. “It took me some time, Winston, but I found how those kids are all connected.”
“The ones in the diary?” Dr. Cole walked behind his wife’s desk and stood behind her chair. He gently rested his hand on her shoulder. “What did you find?”