The Budding Metalinguist

XXXV

Lillian's phone buzzed, and she fished it out of her pocket in a familiar motion, then swiped to answer. "Hello!"

Diane's voice filtered through the other end. "Hello Lillian. We're going to have an interview on Saturday, and I was wondering if you wanted to come."

"Sure," Lillian exclaimed, as enthusiastically as she could manage. "Who are you interviewing?"

On the other end, Diane sighed. "Ashley's utility bills were charged to the credit card of a woman named Lindsey Moreau. We're going to be interviewing her. Obviously."

"Oh," Lillian responded, her interest mildly piqued. "Yes, that sounds all right."

"Good, we'll be glad to see you."

Lillian detected an unfamiliar note in Diane's voice. "Is everything all right?"

"Galena is suspicious of you," Diane explained tensely. "I'm not entirely sure why."

"That's odd," Lillian dismissed. "I'll see you Saturday." She hung up before Diane could say anything else.

If she was going to go to the DIAO on Saturday, she was going to have to improve her acting skills.

❧☙

"I always thought the worst part was being in front of her. But it wasn't. The worst part was when I thought I was going to die."

Ashley snorted.

"What?" Dakota said sharply.

"Nothing," Ashley smirked. "Keep going."

"I was remembering when they put me back into the cell... and I had to tell the twins I was going to die. I get it now. The stranger came so early the next morning they probably thought I had already been killed."

Ashley nodded. "That's right."

Dakota glared. "This is not about that."

"Sorry."

"I hate having these dreams," he continued. "It already happened. I don't want to have to go through everything again. It's so stressful."

"I know," Ashley responded sympathetically, taking Dakota's hand. "I know. But I promise it will get better."

Dakota knew from her expression that she was only saying this to make him feel better. He tugged his hand away.

"Don't worry about it," Ashley recommended.

"I'm trying not to worry. I just can't stop thinking about them..."

Ashley snorted again. Dakota sent her a stormy glare, then abruptly pushed himself to his feet and banged out the door. Ashley stared after him with a familiar smirk.

It wouldn't take long, she was sure. And he wouldn't be staying mad at her for long, either.

❧☙

Why her?

Out of everything Galena could ask about Rolf's disappearance, this was her newest and most pressing question. Why, out of everyone at the DIAO, was she the only person who remembered Rolf?

When Galena was a girl, her mother bought her a popular new product which advertised its uniqueness. According to the packaging, the product was different and special for every child who owned it. And she believed this. Until Galena had gone to a friend's house and seen the exact same product sitting on the bed. Simple preliminary research revealed that the product's mass-consumption and containerized shipping meant that, in fact, every child received one of ten prespecified varieties.

Since that incident, Galena learned that nothing would come specially to her. No class trip would be hosted for her alone, no gift would be entrusted only to her, and, certainly, she would not be the only person in the world to do some particular thing.

And yet? She seemed to be the only person in the world who remembered Rolf.

She couldn't quite judge that level of assumption yet, but at least from what she had experienced, it definitely seemed to be her.

And since she was not unique for any external reason, she was guessing it had something to do with the fact that Ashley was her mother. Which agreed with her earlier theory that the sign put up by Beanie in the park was a warning, rather than genuine advice.

Was this Beanie's work? Were Beanie and Ashley erasing people from existence, or trying to drive Galena insane? What exactly were they doing? And was it darker than Galena previously expected?