5 Books For Eveline

14

14

The second volume of 'For Eveline' proved as compelling as the first. Grammar and punctuation had improved, but that wasn't what drew Purdy into the story. The characters of Eveline and Raya had become real, to Purdy. So deep and characterised so well, she found herself entranced by their childish innocence and the adventures they had.

None of the situations were out of the ordinary, only normal escapades that children were want to involve themselves in, but the author gave such wonderful insights into the world of the two girls, accompanied by more of the simple, but effective, illustrations. Purdy felt as though she had joined the girls in their growing interest and exploration of the wider world around them.

Waking early, Purdy placed the two volumes in her handbag and caught the train to the city. As the fields and villages flashed past, Purdy wondered how far the three remaining volumes would take the two girls. Whether they would ever move beyond the confines of Bishop's Fall. To the neighbouring villages, or to the city where Purdy headed now.

The city proved too loud and populated for Purdy, and she found herself rushing to find what she looked for in order to leave as soon as possible. At least here, away from the town, she didn't have to suffer the glances and whispers that followed her wherever she went. Even passing faces, that she did not have a foggy recognition of, gave Purdy a sense of peace.

The two feelings warred within her. The urge to get away from so many people and the appreciation of anonymity were powerful forces. She considered whether she should simply sell the house, and everything inside, and move to somewhere else, but some visceral urge forced her to decide it wasn't yet time for such a move.

She spent less than an hour scouring the city for the things she needed. A basic laptop came first. Nothing fancy, or overpowered for what she needed. Then visits to several mobile phone shops until she found one that could provide a phone and an internet connection allowing her unlimited browsing. Before long, she carried several bags and felt glad that she could leave the incessant buzz of the city.

By the time she had returned to the town, headed back to the house and set up the mobile wi-fi router, both the phone and the internet had become switched on and ready for her to use. Once done, she stared at both the phone and the laptop before turning away and making a mug of tea. From the kitchen, she could see both technological monoliths, as though they stared at her, daring her to use them.

She had a lot to do. Setting up an e-mail, which seemed far too easy, and tapping Briar's contact details into the new phone. These, too, felt as though she had a duty to use them. To send a text, or an e-mail, this very second, to let the appropriately named woman know that she had caved in to the pressure, finally connecting with the modern world which she had no affinity for.

The whole process told her something about herself that she did not know. That she must have, at some point, used things like this often. The way her fingers had moved with practiced ease, both with the laptop and the phone, showed that she had once had a familiarity with the technologies. She had avoided the like, apart from visits to the library, up to this point.

Before informing Briar of her own contact details, Purdy made a quick, anonymous, look through Briar's social media posts. She saw dozens of photographs, accompanied by short, sparsely detailed descriptions. All of places around the town where Briar had searched for the books, some even from their meeting at Turnberry House.

Purdy skipped back, further and further down Briar's timeline, until she found nothing more. The posts began only a few weeks before, along with a message stating it was a new account, with 'See how this goes' at the end. That seemed curious and Purdy wondered what had happened to Briar's previous account.