The Veils: Childhood 2 (special preview)

Atticus helped me ease back onto the ground. I looked up into the sky as I took deep breaths. I was near sobbing when Atticus laid beside me, taking my hand into his and holding it to his chest. “I’ll stay for a while, okay? Just a few days to play the brain again.”

I shuddered and he gave my hand an extra tight squeeze, just like he used to. “What do you mean that my name is Daisy?”

“Because you are,” he whispered. “I forget why that was what they called you. Something to do with French. It’s been a long time, but that’s what you were called instead of Margaret. Because it sounded too grown up. You really don’t remember?”

I kept my eyes focused on the sky above me. “No.”

“Can I show you something?” Atticus said gently. “I brought something with me that I’ve kept ever since I left this place. I wanted to show you in case your memory still wasn’t working.”

I stood up with him, going back through the grass and to his car where we pulled out an old cigar box. There was something familiar about it, even with all the duct tape holding it together. The gold and red color scheme reminded me of something. We sat on the porch together and, inside the box, there were childhood trinkets. There was the spy book he took from the library. The permanent marker he carried around with him just like the notebooks. Then there were two bright green, lizard shaped clips that had once been mine. Just like the ones in the little girl’s hair.

Atticus placed the box in my hands. “I think I left my notebooks here, though. Or they got thrown out when I moved.”

“There’s some in the attic.” I rubbed the two little clips between my fingers.

“You wore those everywhere, it didn’t matter where we were going or what we were doing,” he chuckled.

The back of my eyes felt hot as tears approached. “I remember but-”

Atticus put his hand on my back. “I think I know what’s going on and why your memory is so...off.”

I looked at him. “Like what?”

“I don’t want you to freak out again.” His hand felt so warm and nice on my back. “I think it’s because you’re a Veil too.”

Tears rolled down my cheeks. “That can’t be-”

Atticus put his arm around me, letting me rest my head upon his shoulder. “We don’t have to talk about it now. Why don’t you give me a tour and show me what you and Aunt Fifi have done with the place.”

Atticus stayed with me for a few days. In that time, he helped me finish sanding and staining the floors in Aunt Fifi’s bedroom. We also got the walls cleaned and painted. After that, we went to a few thrift stores in the area to find a new bed frame for that room. We never found one so Atticus ordered one online.

One evening, I woke up from a bad dream and saw the hall light was on. It was storming outside and the rain made my guts churn. When I stepped out, I saw the attic ladder was down.

“It’s me,” Atticus called from above.

I followed him up and found him sitting under the window with his notebooks in his lap. He looked so serious as he read them over. He closed them as I approached.

“Couldn’t sleep?” He asked.

“Could you?” I sat down on the other side of the table.

“No.” He sighed heavily, taking off his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I’m surprised this was all the same. I thought for sure it would be full of boxes and stuff.”

“Aunt Fifi didn’t like that. She thought the ceiling would collapse before we could repair it,” I chuckled softly.

Atticus waved a notebook. “Did you read these?”

I shook my head. “No. Not really.”

“I wish you had. I wrote them for you. Well, except this one.” He laid down the over used one where he did all his spy techniques. “There’s some stuff in this one I am still embarrassed by,” he chuckled.

I smiled. “Like what?”

His fingers went to the carving of the names on the table. “How much I liked you.”

“That’s embarrassing?” I laughed.

Atticus snickered and bowed his head. “It’s the love sick ramblings of a thirteen year old boy. It’s mortifying.”

Is that why some pages are taped up?”