Dawn of Eve, MJ Howson [lightweight ebook reader TXT] 📗

“She’s gone. She left on her birthday. Remember?”

“But why did she go?” Eve glared at Caretaker. The staring contest lasted several seconds. Eve looked around at the other children in their beds. They all seemed somewhat surprised by Eve’s defiance. “Why haven’t we heard from her?”

“She had to leave. I’ve told you that many times. Anna’s fine.” Caretaker looked at the other children and smiled. “I can try and reach out to her. Would you like that?”

“Yes,” Eve said. She kept her eyes locked on Caretaker’s, wondering if she could believe what she was saying. Slowly Eve felt her doubt and tension uncoil. “I would.”

“Consider it a promise.” Caretaker handed Eve her glass of water. “Now, take your vitamin.”

Eve stared at the small white pill and wondered why they had to take these every single night. Back home, she took a vitamin every day, but that was always with breakfast. She sighed and popped the pill in her mouth, washing it down with the water.

Caretaker nodded and ruffled Eve’s curly hair. She walked over to Charles’s bed and placed the tray on the rickety nightstand. She then sat on the bed, handing Charles the last glass of water.

“Did you enjoy the cake?” Caretaker asked.

“I ate, like, half of it.” Charles smiled, displaying a set of blue-stained teeth. He took a sip of water and followed it with a burp. “It was really good.”

“I’m so glad I made you proud. Each of you is so special to me.”

Charles looked at the empty bowl and then at Caretaker.

“No more vitamins for you, Charles. You’re all grown up.”

“What?” Tina flung her blankets away and sat upright. “You did the same to Anna! I want to be all grown up! I don’t want to have to take vitamins!”

“I’m sorry, Tina,” Caretaker replied. “It’s not your time.”

“How come my parents weren’t at the party?” Charles asked, ignoring the drama coming from Tina. “Where are they?”

“I told you earlier, the birthday party was only for you kids.”

Caretaker stood up, took Charles’s half-empty glass from his hand, and placed it on the tray.

“Am . . . am I leaving tonight?” Charles asked.

Caretaker smiled but did not answer him. She made her way around the room, collecting everyone’s glasses. Once she got to the door, she opened it and reached for the light switch. Caretaker turned off the overhead chandelier, plunging the room into darkness. She said, “Good night, children.”

The door closed with a thump, followed by the snapping of the lock. A cold dark silence filled the room. Eve stared at the door, allowing her eyes to adjust to the light spilling beneath the one-inch gap at its base. Charles rolled over and tossed the blanket over his head.

Eve ran to the door and placed her ear against the wooden slats. She listened to the clumping footsteps as Caretaker walked away. Eve returned to her bed and retrieved her leather-bound diary from beneath her pillow. She opened the book to where she’d left off. Eve hurried to the doorway and sprawled face-down across the chilly cobblestone floor. The light seeping into the room was bright enough for her to see the pages. She began to write what just happened.

Once she finished, she went back to her bed and tucked the diary beneath her pillow. When Eve awoke the next morning, she looked over at Charles’s bed. It had been stripped bare and now matched Anna’s.

Later that morning, after a breakfast of stale cereal, Eve decided to confront her mom about last night. Eve’s mom kept her long copper hair tucked in a bun, similar to Caretaker’s style. Sometimes, when walking behind the two of them, Eve found it hard to tell them apart. Their height, robes, and gait were like mirror images.

Eve followed her mother out of the cafeteria, keeping a few feet back. She kept looking over her shoulder to be sure they were alone. Her mother walked past the intersection with the main hallway. Eve stopped. Children weren’t allowed in that part of the complex. Eve watched her mother walk down the long hallway and then turn the corner. She quickly raced after her.

Eve’s heart raced as she hurried through the corridors. She soon came upon her mother unlocking an iron gate. Eve and a few of the others had stumbled upon this place a few times before and had been chastised severely for sneaking around the complex where they weren’t allowed.

The gate’s bars, spread six inches apart, didn’t reach completely to the floor and ceiling. Rust covered the pointed ends of the black painted gate. Eve once tried to slide beneath the door but ended up getting stuck. A skeleton key lock and winged door handle secured the doorway.

“Mom,” Eve said.

“What are you doing here?” Eve’s mother spun around, looking shocked. “If Father John sees you–”

“Did they really go home?” Eve glanced back over her shoulder to confirm they were alone. “First Anna. Now Charles.”

“They’re with their parents, Eve.” Her mother shook her head and looked away as she closed the gate behind her daughter. “Your time will come.”

“When?” Eve frowned and clenched her fists. “Do I have to wait for my birthday? Why?”

“Those are the rules. You know what happens if you break them.”

“Bad kids must be punished.”

“Trust Caretaker. Her, Father John, and Mother Martha know what’s best for you. For all of us.”

Eve frowned as her mother turned and walked away.

∞∞∞

Dawn found herself once again, deep within a dream. She was running down another seemingly endless hallway, her red gown flowing behind her. The arched walls were now squared off and much darker. An orange light bathed everything in a soft amber glow. Up ahead, a red-headed girl stood in front of an open iron gate. She smiled, turned, and ran away.

“Stop!” Dawn cried out as she ran through the doorway. The rough cobblestone floor felt harsh against her bare feet. She reached for the child, her bright red nails becoming sharper the closer she got. “Please, stop!”

Dawn