I wait for her to continue, but she doesn’t. I shift on my feet, consider going back inside, decide I most definitely should. Then stand stock still.
“Is Margot sick?” I ask. “Because Harrison is supposedly sick, but I don’t believe him.”
One shoulder lifts in a half-hearted shrug.
“Come on, Secora,” I say. “You can tell me. I promise I won’t tell anyone.”
Now she wraps her arms around her knees, pulling them tight. Her eyes are still on me, but they’re different now. Calculating.
“Are you hungry?” I ask. I hold my lunch bag toward her. “It’s mostly vegetables, but they’re not bad. Mama buys the good stuff.”
A slight shake of her head.
“It’s not poisoned, I swear. Here,” I say. I sit at her side, trying not to be offended when she shifts away. I remove a handful of eggroot and drop it on the skirt of her dress before she can say no. Then, I pluck one off and toss it into my mouth. “See? Not poisoned.”
That earns me the world’s tiniest smile.
“Mama Blake feeds me,” she says. “I forgot my lunch on the table this morning.”
“I do that all the time,” I say. “I bet she would’ve brought it if you sent a message.”
“She would,” Secora agrees. She takes an eggroot off her lap and scrunches her nose. I almost expect her to throw it back in my lunch bag. Instead, she takes a tentative bite.
We eat in silence for the rest of lunch. It’s only when Mrs. Raekes sticks her head out the door and yells at us for being outside that I realize how much time has passed.
“Whoops,” I say, grinning at Secora. I shove to my feet. “We should go.”
Secora drops her eyes, and for some reason, she looks ready to cry.
“We won’t get in trouble,” I say. I extend my hand to her, and onlyonce I have, do I remember she wouldn’t take it last time. “I’ll tell her it was my fault.”
“No, don’t,” she says. She jolts to her feet, ignoring my outstretched hand. She’s already jogging for Mrs. Raekes, and I have to hurry to catch up with her. “Trust me, Elliot. It’s better if you stay far away from me.”
We’re barely outof the memory before I’m reaching for the second one. Cora says something, but I’m dizzy with desperation, with an unfamiliar need.More. I want to know more. I don’t want time to process what I’ve just seen. I want answers, and the only way to get them is with another memory.
“Is this in order?” I ask as I uncap the second jar.
“No,” Cora says. She looks as disoriented as I feel. She’s busy returning the blue memory back to its jar. “I mean, roughly. That one is age twelve too, but it won’t necessarily be consecutive.”
From beside us, Henry watches with silent fascination. I’m too greedy to acknowledge him, to ask if he saw the first memory, or whether he’d like to see the next one.
“Do you want to take a minute?” Cora asks. “We can?—”
“No,” I say. “I’m ready. You can watch or not.”
I drop the red-orange memory onto the black stone, sucking in a deep breath as smoke flares up around me. The world immediately blurs, and I lean into the sensation, desperate to see it all.
Elliot Lyrie
age 12
Ochre Primary School
It’swinter in the Day Realm, but it’s uncharacteristically warm. The sun shines brightly overhead and reflects off piles of snow. About half of the school is outside for lunch. We’re all bundled in thick coats and pants, boots and wool caps. I’m late getting outside because Mama didn’t have time to pack me a lunch and I had to buy it from the school’s store.
Harrison and Margot are inside today, and I’ve never felt more relieved. Now that they’re dating again, Harrison wants her all to himself. That means he’d rather I not come around, and more importantly, that he doesn’t notice where I eat lunch instead.
I think Margot knows I’ve struck a tentative friendship with her spare sister, but I’m certain Harrison doesn’t. He’d throw a fit if he found out and undo whatever progress I’ve made. It’s taken me months to gain Secora’s trust, and I don’t doubt Harrison’s ability to ruin it.
