Once

Nineteen

Elle turned the corner onto Edgewood Road and stopped dead in her tracks. David was standing at the corner, exactly where she'd met him that morning.

She came toward him, frowning and smiling at the same time. He was carrying a brown paper carrier bag and there was a slightly sheepish look on his face.

She reached him and he gave her a thin-lipped smile.

"Hey," he said.

His voice was quiet; she wondered if he was worried about startling her.

"Hey," she replied.

He looked about nervously, then suddenly thrust the carrier bag in her direction.

"These are for you," he said.

Elle looked at him suspiciously as she took it. Inside it were the gold sequinned shoes they'd seen hanging in The Pumpkin Patch.

"I went back and got them for you," he said, itching the back of his neck nervously. "I thought they might... I don't know, cheer you up."

She stared at him.

"How long have you been standing here?"

"Not long." She kept staring at him and he said, "OK, fine. About an hour, I guess. Turns out you were right - there's really not much of Farway to wander round."

"Told you so." The late afternoon sunlight was glinting in the gold flecks of his eyes, and Elle dragged her own gaze away, worried she'd get lost staring into them. "Well... thanks, for these. See you Monday."

She turned to head on up the street, but David caught her by the wrist and she stopped, turning back to him. His face was suddenly very hard, almost stern.

"You're not on your own, Elle. I just wanted you to know that. You're not on your own."

Elle rolled her eyes.

"David, thanks but - you don't need to -"

"Yes I do, Elle. I do need to. Because... I believe you, Elle."

Her mouth fell open.

"W-what?"

He nodded, taking a quick step toward her and beginning to speak in a rapid whisper.

"Yes, Elle. I do. When you were talking about seeing what happened to that little girl, I just knew you were telling the truth. I mean, it's not like I really believe all that sort of thing - my mum's really into healing auras and, like, energies and stuff, but I've never really believed in any of it. Like, psychics and stuff - it's always just seemed like -"

"David."

"Sorry, sorry. But like I was saying, when you were describing what you saw happen to that little girl, I really just believed in it. All of it. Even the, you know..." he glanced away and said, "even the bear."

Elle gawped at him. Even she thought that part was unbelievable.

"And you're right about the other part, too. About that guy yesterday - Mr Luzlic. He didn't just give that talk for no reason. He was hinting at something. Now, I don't know if he was hinting it at you specifically, or if he was just hinting it to all of us, hoping someone would pick up on it. But all that stuff he said about looking out for the signs and the symbols... all of that meant something. He wanted one of us to work it out. You were the person to do it, Elle."

"But I haven't worked it out -"

"You will. You will, Elle. Because you have to."

She nodded slowly. She added, as a natural conclusion to what David had said:

"Because it's not over."

"Exactly." They both realised at once that he was still gently holding her by the wrist and he dropped it hurriedly. He gave an embarrassed cough. "Look, Elle. I'm not saying that I can do anything helpful. Just ignore me, if you want. I know you hardly know me at all and you have every right to tell me to just leave you alone. But if you need someone to talk to about all this, then I just want you to know you can talk to me."

Elle smiled. Maybe David didn't think he was doing anything useful. Elle thought he was doing the most useful thing anyone could do for her in that moment.

"Thanks, David. And thanks again, for these." She held up the bag.

He smiled at her.

"No problem, Elle. Text me if you need anything." And he put his hands in his pockets and sauntered off down the street.