1|| Behind the Broken Truth

Chapter 2

Oh brother. 

I left Jacob gaping at me because of what I'd said about the attic. Honestly, there was nothing to be scared about. Just a few minutes ago, he'd started screaming because of a bug he killed. I rolled my eyes and skipped down the last few steps.

"Evie? Do you mind taking the duster and heading to the attic to dust it?" Millie asked as I approached her.

I inwardly flinched at the nickname. It was what mom used to call me. Not even Jacob called me that. Millie had no right to call me that, especially now! But I nodded to show I'd heard and grabbed the fluffy gray-pink object and headed up again. I passed my brother's room on the way and noticed that the door was only a crack open and he was still inside. 

The old me might've walked in to check on him but now I walked right past the door without a second thought.

Because I didn't care anymore.

I didn't.

The attic door was dusty and locked. I tried a few different techniques to pick the lock, but at the end I pulled out a pointy hairpin from my long brown hair and stuck it through the keyhole. I hooked the point and used all the strength in my arm to twist it.

It flew open so fast it almost whacked me in the face. I took a few steps back to steady my breathing.

I felt footsteps behind me. A second later, Andrew spoke. "Need help cleaning?"

"No thanks, I can do it myself," I answered. He shrugged and left. They're always harping on me. Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I'll have a harder time than my brother dealing with this stuff. 

The attic was crusty, dusty, and musty. The place looked strewn with black furniture coverings and spiders who'd called the place home's webs. 

I felt around my jeans' pockets and pulled out a pair of airpods and my phone. Scrolling through the music, I put on some Ava Max and popped the airpods in. 

The rhythm distracted me from the general spookiness and for a while I managed to get through killing off spiders and dust-bunnies.  

The second the song stopped playing, however, everything fell silent.

Too silent.

I decided to take a better look around the place. Maybe I could find something to distract Jacob.

I found myself in a damp smelling corner. In the attic, the doors were Victorian styled and the walls painted black. Yet, something felt off.

I turned around and realized I was almost pressed against the back wall and found myself facing a veil of black. It was covering a large circular object. I reached forward and yanked the covering off. My eyes widened.

It was a vanity mirror. More specifically, an antique. The sides were lined with turquoise, a color both my mom and I had called our favorite. 

The patterns were breathtaking. They looked like stained-glass flowers, except instead of smooth, they seemed rough, like the stones we used to collect at the beach. I leaned closer and noticed a small etching of a woman and a little girl running in tall grass at the bottom of the mirror.

It felt like everything my mom and I were before things went wrong.

Before my world fell apart.

I couldn't stay here. It was bringing old memories back. As I inhaled sharply, scrambling backward,  I couldn't stop myself from remembering.

"Evie!" a musical voice interrupted 6 year old me from picking at the flowers in our front-yard. 

"Evie," the voice continued, "what have I told you about picking flowers?"

"Don't?" I replied cheekily. My mother laughed.

"Yes. Look, the flowers come in different shades and sizes and they look pretty, don't they? These are nature's gift to the world. You'd rather keep them living and colorful than dry and withered, wouldn't you?" my mother explained.

Those were the wise words that had kept me away from messing with the vibrant buds in our yard.

My brain flashed to a year later when my brother, who had had a speech delay, finally learned to talk.

"Evelyn look! Jacob's talking!"

These words thrilled me. Maybe they would let me play with my brother now! As excited as I was, when I saw how much attention the 4 year old was getting, I got a little jealous.

I shied away, hoping to go unnoticed, but my mom had the eyes of a hawk. She just caught me escaping and pulled me aside.

"What's wrong?" A look of concern crossed her pretty features.

I just quietly shook my head and answered, "I just got into a fight with Linda at school."

Now, mom frowned. "Don't lie, I know you and Linda never fight. Just tell me what's wrong."

"I don't get attention anymore!" I blurted out. "In a few years, Jacob will be ready for school and no one will have time and forget about me!"

To my surprise, she just smiled. "Sweetie, even if I had a hundred children, you'll always hold a special place in my heart. Never forget that."

Then I flash-forwarded to a recent time.

"NO! Mom! Please, you're OK. Dad's gonna get you to a hospital and you'll be fine in a week!" I insisted.

Jacob stood behind me, stricken and shocked.

My mom, who had collapsed to the floor, weakly forced words out. "Evie, Jacob, listen to me. It's too late for me. Please get your father. I love you both. And Evie, remember to look at the letters. The letters. Promise you won't forget."

"I- I promise," I choked out. Jacob grabbed my arm and we ran downstairs to where my dad was. He was unusually silent and staring straight ahead into the driveway.

"DAD! Mom's really si-" I broke off because he acted as if he hadn't heard. He grabbed a briefcase and his car keys, then rushed out the door. We both heard a car speed away, then a scream.

Alarmed, the two of us rushed back upstairs.

By the time Jacob and I got back to the room my mom had fallen, she was dead.

I shook my head as heard as I could. There was no stopping the tears now. I tripped backwards and crashed into a part of the wall. It gave way, and I toppled in.

I was sitting inside a room-like groove. The floor was covered in letters. Red envelopes, pink and white. 

Look at the letters.

I backed out, deciding to get Jacob.

I remembered these last painful months when I knew I didn't care anymore.

Looking at these papers strewn across the floor, I wasn't so sure.